Aqueduct Hotlist - November 12

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, November 12, 2020 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.

4^th race – (8) Double Shot will make his first appearance in a N2L claimer after making his last two starts in high level open claimers. Trainer David Donk, who has four winners after the first weekend of the Aqueduct meeting, has this guy entered on Friday in a similar condition but going a mile. (5) Starship Bubba had the lead in the stretch and finished second beaten by just a neck and comes back in this same condition sprinting for the always dangerous Orlando Noda. (7) Spitball returns to the dirt where he broke his maiden for a $40,000 tag at Monmouth Park and now drops into a winning spot for $25,000. (1) Onward returns from a July layoff for Christophe Clement, whose stable has not slowed down at Aqueduct, and runs in a claiming race for the first time. (2) Victory Built will be the fourth choice if Double Shot opts to run on Friday instead.

5^th race – (8) Tenure (B) hesitated at the start and then lunged out of the gate basically losing all chance. He was claimed out of that spot by Rob Falcone who wins at a 26% rate with his new runners. Falcone brings him back in a similar N3L turf sprint for a $35,000 price. (1A) Smile Bryan was claimed out of his last start by Michael Maker after a second-place finish at Belmont Park. (3) Standup will make his first appearance in a claimer since he broke his maiden last year at Belmont. He won his second lifetime race in a starter allowance and now finds an ideal spot. (4) Fair Catch ships up to New York from Maryland where he broke his maiden in a N2L claimer in July and then just won at that condition again by eight lengths after racing in allowances.

6^th race – (3) Vive La Liberty (D) was heavily bet dropping in odds from 14-1 to 6-1 as she moved from a NY-bred maiden special weight to a $40,000 claimer. She showed some speed while being heavily restrained by the rider. She’s back in a similar spot. (9) Rosey’s Peach gets blinkers on for this fourth start after running in maiden special weights. They tried turf most recently but her two dirt races make her a contender in here. (7) Full of Fire debuted at 3-1 against open company and ran fifth. She gets blinkers on, drops down, and faces state-breds. (10) Miss Comedian has a pair of seconds at Finger Lakes for Jeremiah Englehart with the first a neck loss against the boys in a maiden special weight and then a late rally versus females.

9^th race – (2) Unbridled John (C) exited a turf race and dropped down to a $25,000 maiden claimer and ran second after having the lead in the stretch at Belmont while going a mile. He got bet down from 13-1 to 9-1 and goes against open company here for Bruce Brown. (6) Tiz Envy ran third in a race that was meant for the turf and was run on a sloppy track. That was his best finish and he comes back on the main track here. (9) Tri Saint Lorenzo has had 13 chances to break his maiden already, but finds a soft field here. That is something that happens at Aqueduct; these kind eventually find the right group. (3) Confectioner ships to Belmont from Monmouth Park. He ran for a $40,000 tag last time in New York and fits at this $25,000 level.

Best bets:  Tenure (5^th); Unbridled John (9^th). Best value:  Double Shot (4^th); Vive La Liberty (6^th).