Belmont Park Hotlist - July 11

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, July 11, 2020 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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

4^th race – (5) Monomoy Girl is as close to a sure thing in the Ruffian (G2) as there is in horse racing. This field of five, which could end up being only four, does not measure up to this past Champion in any way. Already, there is no show wagering. (4) Always Shopping won the Gazelle (G2) last year and this year caught a sloppy track and then tried the turf both of which were throw outs. (1) Piedi Bianchi gets blinkers back on which she successfully wore early in her career. She won two races during the winter Aqueduct meeting including a stake. (2) Mother Mother came to New Yok for Bob Baffert and ran fourth in a stake at Belmont Park on a muddy track. She is a past stakes winner.

6^th race – (6) Women Not Easy (B) made her turf debut last time for Rudy Rodriguez after a three-month layoff. She set the pace for most of the race and finished second well ahead of the rest of the field. (5) Lucky Latkes made her career debut in a similar NY-bred maiden claimer and closed stoutly for second for Christophe Clement. (8) Courted set the pace and faded to finish third last time out in the same race as #5. (3) Afleeting Glance debuted in a maiden special weight and now drops down to this claimer for Tom Morley. [(11) Brovia (B) will become the second choice in this race bumping out #3 if she draws in from the first spot on the Also Eligible List. She was comprised twice in her last race which came after a long layoff.]

7^th race – (8) Bustin Scones (C) was second after a four-month layoff and took late money as a long shot from 33-1 to 27-1 in a similar NY-bred first-level allowance race. (5) Fair Lassie was last seen winning a N3L claimer against open company back in March. Now she goes back to state-bred competition. (1) Good Credence puts the blinkers back with which she ran well for three starts. (2) Single Verse ran second twice in NY-bred stakes as a 2-year-old. She has since switched to the barn of Rob Atras who ran her on the grass after a winter layoff.

9^th race – (5) Big Wonder (C) stepped up to a starter allowance from a first-level NY-bred allowance and finished second while getting bet down from 10-1 to 6-1. He ran a field topping speed figure in his last two starts and moves back to face state-breds. (4) Uncle George was a debut winner in open company with a seven-wide closing move for Clement and moves to face NY-breds. (6) The Sinner Is You was a winner of his last two starts on synthetic tracks back in 2019 and goes to this seven-furlong turf race which is where he broke his maiden at Belmont. (10) Fly Fly Away was a maiden winner at Belmont and then tried stakes company against very strong fields last year. He makes his 2020 debut with first-time Lasix for Clement.

Best bets: Monomoy Girl (4^th); Women Not Easy (6^th).     Best value:  Bustin Scones (7^th); Big Wonder (9^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special Pick 3 is in races 4-6 including the Ruffian (G2):  5 with 2, 10, 12 with 5, 6, (if 11 draws in – 5, 6, 11) = 6 (or 9) combinations. I will play a $4 Pick 3 for $24 (or $36).