Belmont Park Hotlist - July 5

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, July 5, 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 worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race – (2) Chasing Losses was claimed out a maiden victory back in March by David Cannizzo and now returns in this N2L claiming race for a tag of $16,000. (3) Enough Love ran third in a similar spot on June 14 after last running at Aqueduct in March when she broke her maiden for a $40,000 tag. (6) La Negrita broke her maiden for $30,000 and then moved up to run in two open claimers. This N2L level is where she belongs. (8) Gipsey Sorceress makes her first appearance in a N2L race after showing speed in a high level open claimer.

4^th race – (7) Bray ran third in his 2020 debut in a turf starter allowance last time out and now drops into a N2L staying on the grass and Rosario stays on board. (9) Torres Del Paine was fourth in an open $40,000 claimer and has several good runs in stakes races in the past. Trainer Graham Motion now drops him into the N2L condition that should provide significant class relief. (6) Catorat makes his 2020 debut after winning his maiden race at Saratoga last summer for excellent turf trainer David Donk. (10) Mandate makes that advantageous drop from starter allowance to N2L for Todd Pletcher.

6^th race – (7) Coach Villa (C) dropped back to a restricted N3L claimer after two tries in starter allowances and was bet from 6-1 to 3-1. He pressed the pace early, took over the lead by the half mile, and then drew off to win by more than two lengths. Now he will move back to the starter allowance ranks. (2) Fevola earned a race high speed figure in a maiden victory in his last start in February beating a horse that was a return winner. (6) Riken was the winner of a fast N3L claimer last time and appears to be the speed in this group. (1) Mister Bobby has had promising races at the starter allowance level in the past and fits well here.

10^th race – (8) Striking Causeway had the lead and then was passed to be third a neck behind and comes back in a similar NY-bred turf sprint maiden special weight. (1) Silver Token switches for Linda Rice to Horatio DePaz for his 2020 debut. He ran second twice last year on the Aqueduct turf. (6) More Like It had to steady at the eighth pole in a very fast turf sprint last time out. (7) Sanctuary City gets a new trainer and switches back to state-bred competition for his yearly debut where he ran second in the first race of his career.

Best bets:  Bray (4^th); Coach Villa (6^th).  Best value: Chasing Losses (1^st); Striking Causeway (10^th).