Aqueduct Hotlist - March 28

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, March 28, 2021 at Aqueduct
                By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

Hot List Key:
 A: A preferred horse to watch                         B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4^th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (1) I am the Law had the lead in the stretch and eventually finished third in his debut while racing wide for John Terranova who is adept with young horses. (3) Flying With Angels was heavily bet in his debut for Christophe Clement at Tampa when he was third, beaten by less than a length going seven furlongs. The $500,000 yearling purchase got bumped around at the break. (2) Exalted Charm gets blinkers on in his third start which is a strong move for trainer Kelly Breen. (6) Principino ships up from Parx where he last ran second following an October layoff. He stumbled at the start and got bumped around.

2^nd race [Clm 12500, 1 mi] – (5) Big Mountain was taken for $25,000 out of a NY-bred race by Tom Morley and drops down, likely looking for a win while risking getting claimed away. In November, he won for $16,000 at Aqueduct. (7) Mine the Coin was claimed for $10,000 after setting the pace and running second. He was a winner for $14,000 two races back. (6) Gio d’Oro will drop back down from a $25,000 state-bred race to today’s level where he ran second. (3) I Love Jaxson was claimed for $12,500 in his last start by Tony Dutrow who is winning at a 35% clip at the Big A winter meeting.

3^rd race [NY, OC80k/N1X, 1 mi] – (3) Schokolade (A) was a rare debut winner on the dirt for trainer Bill Mott who tends to win on the grass with firsters more often. This gelding went right to the lead on a sloppy track and won easily. (2) Full Moon Fever broke his maiden by 17 lengths when he stretched out to nine furlongs. Trainer Tony Dutrow is having a great winter meeting. (5) Lobsta moved from a muddy maiden win to a NY-bred stakes race and finished second behind a horse that is slated to run in the Wood Memorial. (6) Writer’s Regret has two second-place finishes in open company starter allowances.

4^th race [Md 20000, 1 mi] – (4) Kith (A) should have been a winner last time when he finished third. According to experts on Twitter after the race, a bad ride cost him the victory. (7) Orphan Hallie has a pair of seconds at this level in his last two starts with the most recent being a neck loss. (1) Esor now makes his third start following a six-month layoff and drops down from the $40,000 claiming level where he did register a third-place finish. (2) Black ‘n Tan had high expectations before his debut, but now here he is running for a tag again. Last time, he showed speed on a sloppy track and was third.

Best bets:  I am the Law (1^st); Schokolade (3^rd). Best value:  Big Mountain (2^nd); Kith (4^th).