Aqueduct Hotlist - March 7

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, March 7, 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 [NY, MSW, 6F] – (2) Qualifying Offer was bet to odds of 2.10-1 in her debut for Chad Brown, pressed the pace, and finished third on a muddy track at Aqueduct as a 4-year-old. (6) Vienna Code puts blinkers on after a series of solid efforts at this level. (4) Mia Calia is in the best form of her life with a second and a third in maiden claimers and steps up in class in what frankly is not a very strong field. (1) Steppin’ Hawk flashed some speed for the first time in her last start and now cuts back in distance as a longshot.

3^rd race [MSW, 1 1/8 mi] – (4) Dynamic One was a $725,000 yearling purchase for Todd Pletcher and an ownership group that includes the Repole, Phipps, and St. Elias Stables. In his second start he had the lead and then finished second behind Greatest Honour at Gulfstream Park. A disappointing fourth followed and now he comes to the Big A to go nine furlongs. (6) Mutasallem finished second on a sloppy track at Gulfstream for Chad Brown at unusually high odds of 9-1. He had a sluggish start and rallied while racing five wide going a mile. (5) Exalted Charm gets blinkers on in his third start and that is a positive move for trainer Kelly Breen. He improved on a muddy track last time at Aqueduct. (2) Gold Bear is another Pletcher runner and this guy was an even money favorite going six furlongs and finished fifth.

4^th race [Clm 25000, 7F] – (1) Creative Style (B) raced wide last time on a track that had a very strong inside bias and missed the show spot by a neck. He was claimed from that race for $20,000 which is the sixth time that he was claimed in his last eight starts for prices ranging from $16,000 to $40,000 and he did have two wins. (4) Honorable Service will make a drop from a $40,000 claimer and move to seven furlongs where he has won three times. (3) Inscom will make his second start following a long layoff for Rob Atras and makes a big drop from an allowance to this claiming level which is his lowest. (2) Aristocratic returns from a layoff since Saratoga where he was claimed out of his last two starts. He has shown lots of early speed at this $25,000 level.

7^th race [NY, Biogio’s Rose, 1 mi] – (4) Lucky Move exits a pair of fourth-place finishes in open company stakes and comes back to face NY-breds where she won twice. (3) Espresso Shot is a winner against state-breds in stakes races with her best running happening at Aqueduct at the mile distance. (2) Love and Love also moves back to face NY-breds after two starts in open company allowances. Last time against restricted horses, she won a second-level allowance. (6) Wasp is lightly raced compared to the rest of the field and has 2 wins and 2 seconds in four career starts. The daughter of American Pharoah will make her 2021 debut here for Pletcher.

Best bets:  Qualifying Offer (1^st); Dynamic One (3^rd). Best value:  Creative Style (4^th); Lucky Move (7^th).