Belmont Park Hotlist - April 30

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, April 30, 2021 at Belmont Park
                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.

3^rd race [Flat Out, 1 3/8 mi] – (7) Air Attack was claimed out of a win for $25,000 by John Toscano Jr. and moved up to the Stud Muffin which was run at this same long distance and finished first. (6) Zoomer was a winner of a second-level optional claimer going a mile at Aqueduct and was claimed back by Robert Klesaris for $62,500. (4) Musical Heart has a series of seconds and thirds in stakes races including behind the top choice. (5) Rocketry returns from a November layoff when he won the 13-furlong Grade 2 stake at Keeneland. Last year, on a sloppy track he was fourth in the Flat Out.

6^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (6) Irresistible Girl has improved from fourth to third to second in three tries at this level for Brad Cox. (1) Dorothy’s the Boss has caught two wet tracks in her first two starts and now cuts back from a mile to a better distance in hopes of a dry track. (8) Vivazano made her 2021 debut on a sloppy track which has produced poor results twice. Expect a much improved effort on a fast main track. (5) A Bit o’Irish Sass makes her first start of 2021 with first-time Lasix after two good starts as a juvenile.

7^th race [OC 80k/N2X, 1 1/16] – (6) Liveyourbeastlife finished second last year in the Jim Dandy (G2) behind the top-ranked thoroughbred Mystic Guide. He went on the shelf after a no-show performance in the Preakness. Jorge Abreu is a 29% winner following long layoffs. (4) Double Blessed won three races in a row in the winter at the Big A going a one-turn mile with good numbers and then tried the marathon Stud Muffin. Now, he is back to a one-turn race. (2) Creed returned from a long layoff in a sprint and now goes back to Belmont Park and a distance where he won twice last year for Shug McGaughey. (8) Highest Honors has been away from the races since Saratoga of 2019 when he won the Curlin and then had something go wrong in the Travers win by Code of Honor. If any trainer can bring a horse back in this scenario it would be Chad Brown.

8^th race [Alw 92000 N1X, 6F TURF] – (3) Union Gables was second in the Matron (G3) which is a turf sprint and then tried the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Now she’s back sprinting with Lasix for Todd Pletcher. (8) Minaun was a Group 3 winner in Ireland last year and now makes her American debut with Lasix for Chad Brown. (4) Lexinator will make her first start of the year after running third twice in stakes as a 2-year-old, one on the turf and one on the synthetic. (6) Magical Soul was third in an allowance on the turf at Aqueduct last time after a layoff for John Kimmel.

Best bets:  Air Attack (3^rd); Irresistible Girl (6^th). Best value:  Liveyourbeastlife (7^th); Union Gables (8^th).