Aqueduct Hotlist - March 6

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, March 6, 2022 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.

2^nd race [Clm 25000 N2L, 1 mi] – (3) Simple Sugar (C) was bet down from 9-1 to 7-1 while breaking her maiden for a $20,000 tag when she closed into a fast pace. (6) Cross Island came back from an eight month layoff making up a lot of ground with a late surge to finish second and was claimed for $16,000 by a very hot trainer in Jeffrey Englehart. (1) Scott Alaia had the lead after a two month break and finished second in a spot similar to this one. That was in his first start after getting claimed. (4) April Antics gets Lasix for the first time as she comes back from a December layoff when she was third at this level.

3^rd race [NY, OC80k/N1X, 6F] – (3) Impressionist was an eight-length winner on a sloppy track in a maiden special weight over a horse that came back to win. (1) Ava K’s Boy was second in a similar spot following a five month layoff. (5) Kenner ships from Parx back to New York where he broke his maiden at Belmont Park in October. (2) Daufuskie Island is a consistent type with lots of good efforts in NY-bred stakes races who will get Lasix for the first time.

7^th race [Heavenly Prize, 1 mi] – (3) Battle Bling has two good performances following a layoff where she got claimed for $62,500 by Rob Atras and then won the Ladies Handicap for the new trainer. (4) Maiden Beauty won her two most recent races with front running efforts in an open company allowance and then a NY-bred stake. (2) Bank Sting won her last two starts in a NY Stallion Series stake and then the LaVerdad back on Jan. 2. (1) Sharp Starr runs well at Aqueduct particularly at this one-turn mile configuration.

8^th race [NY, Md 40000, 6F] – (2) Arduously (D) was bet down from 7-1 to 9-2 in her 2022 debut in a similar spot with very poor form in two starts last year. (9) Easy Play had the lead last month at this level, battled down the stretch, and finished second. (3) Dorothy’s the Boss will drop into a maiden claimer for the first time in her second start of the year following a long layoff. (4) Knot Joking will make her first career start for George Weaver shipping up from Florida for this spot as a $165,000 yearling purchase for prominent connections.

Best bets:  Impressionist (3^rd); Battle Bling (7^th). Best value:  Simple Sugar (2^nd); Arduously (8^th).