Belmont at the Big A Hotlist - October 1

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Saturday, October 1, 2022
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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

6^th race [NY, Alw 85000 N1X, 6F TURF] – (4) Frank’s Art (A) was rank on the backstretch of his most recent start at Saratoga and then rallied to finish third. (7) Sheriff Bianco ran third in his last two starts at this level. (10) Courageoous Oh La is projected to be on the lead once again. Last time he set the pace and ended up in second. (12) War Terminator made his 2022 debut at Saratoga when he pressed the pace. He could get a favorable set up for a closing move while racing from the outside.

8^th race [Miss Grillo (G2), 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (6) Be Your Best is unbeaten in two starts at Saratoga with a maiden win and then the P. G. Johnson both going today’s distance. (4) Alluring Angel won her first start at the Spa and then missed by a nose in the Untapable at Kentucky Downs after breaking slowly. She will stretch out from those two sprints. (2) Free Look lost to the top choice in her debut and then came back to break her maiden as an odds-one favorite for Chad Brown. (1) Georgees Spirit moved from dirt to turf in her second start to get her first victory at Saratoga for Jorge Abreu.

10^th race [Champagne (G1), 1 mi] – (3) Verifying is a half-brother of the champion $7 million earner Midnight Bisou. Brad Cox brought him to Saratoga and he won at first asking as an odds-on favorite with a front-end effort going six furlongs. (2) Top Recruit has two wins from three starts. He broke his maiden at Churchill Downs in June, ran third at Prairie Meadows being the very speedy and unbeaten Tyler’s Tribe. He made a big jump in speed figures when he beat Curly Jack, who came back to win the Iroquois (G3), in the Ellis Park Juvenile. (6) Gulfport ran four times as a heavy favorite winning his first two starts at Churchill Downs in a maiden and then the Bashford Manor by more than 12 lengths. In his last two starts he was second in the Saratoga Special (G2) and the Hopeful (G1). (5) Blazing Sevens was an easy winner in his debut race for Chad Brown and then was third in the Hopeful.

11^th race [NY, Alw 85000 N1X, 6F] – (5) Captainsdaughter (D) pressed the pace and faded to fifth after getting bet down from 18-1 to 13-1. (3) Kant Hurry Love broke her maiden in her first start of 2022 with a front-end effort for Christophe Clement. (10) Patria will hope to get a fast track which she prefers in this field she is projected to be on the lead once again. Irad gets on board for the first time. (8) Ribot’s Valentine is another one that wants a dry track. She was third in her 2022 debut for Shug McGaughey on a sloppy and sealed track.

Best bets: Be Your Best 8^th); Verifying (10^th). Best value: Frank’s Art (6^th); Captainsdaughter (11^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 9-11 and includes the Belmont Turf Sprint (G3) and the Champagne (G1)  à 3, 7 with 2, 3 with 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 = $20.