Belmont Park Hotlist - July 8

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, July 8, 2022 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.

4^th race [Grand Couturier, 1 ½ mi TURF] – (2) Admission Office came back from more than a year off to win the Arlington (G3) at Churchill Downs last month. (5) Highest Honors moved to the turf three races back and won an allowance at Gulfstream Park. Most recently, he was last in field of 14 and rallied to get third beaten less than two lengths in the Louisville (G3). (4) Soldier Rising won an allowance at Belmont in his second start of 2022 for Christophe Clement. (3) Channel Maker is at his best when he can get to the front in these long-distance races. The 8-year-old has won over $3.5 million.

5^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (4) Sidekick (B) is a half-brother to Honor Code that was third in his debut against a strong field and looked like a horse that needed more distance which he gets in here. (6) Gasoline (A) had the lead and then finished second behind a Chad Brown firster that was heavily bet. (7) Making It was second in his most recent start which was in April at Keeneland for George Weaver. (1) Cloud Forest was second in his first career start behind another Chad Brown runner that made his second start in a stake recently.

6^th race [Alw 50000s, 6F TURF] – (3) Thismightbetheone was second at this level last time having broken her maiden for a $40,000 tag in her prior start. (10) Stuck on Kitten will make her first start of the year and return to the grass having run on the Tapeta at Gulfstream in her two most recent starts including a maiden special weight score with her career best speed figure. (9) U Should B Dancing was second and third at this level following a maiden breaking effort for Rudy Rodriguez. (7) Bustin Bullet was a maiden claiming winner last time out in his first try on the grass which was only his second career start.

8^th race [Alw 92000 N1X, 1 mi TURF] – (6) Nazuna was second in her first start of the year for Chad Brown. Last year she was second in a Group 2 race in England. (8) Irie Express was second in the Penn Oaks in her first try on the grass on a course that was extremely soft. (7) Regal Realm broke her maiden in her second career start which was her first try on the turf for Jonathan Thomas at Delaware Park. (4) Parnac will make her first start in America for the Clement barn after winning her first two starts in Germany last year and gets Lasix or the first time.

Best bets:  Admission Office (4^th); Sidekick (5^th). Best value:  Thismightbetheone (6^th); Nazuna (8^th).