Belmont Park Hotlist - July 9

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, July 9, 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 [Alw 92000 N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (4) Halo City (B) will return to the turf and stretch back out after rallying from last to get third in her last start. She was bumped hard out of the gate, got steadied, and the rider lost his crop. (2) Love and Thunder was second as a heavy favorite in her last two starts for Chad Brown. Most recently she lost by only a nose ahead of a horse that came back to win. (1) Made In Italy was third in her American debut for Graham Motion after racing primarily in England. It was a troubled trip in that race at Belmont Park. She has two wins on artificial surfaces and a place finish on the grass in a Group 2 stake in Italy. (3) Star Command broke her maiden at Belmont after a five-month layoff for Shug McGaughey and Phipps Stable.

5^th race [NY, Md 25000, 6 ½ F] – (9) April Antics (B) rallied from eighth to fourth in her career debut on a sloppy track after a slow start. (10) Know It All Red (C) was second in a similar spot last time out when she was bet down from 8-1 to 5-1. (12) Tootsie’s Song (A) raced greenly in her debut after taking a lot of kickback. She was steered wide in the stretch to get away from the dirt and still ran erratically. She was 8-1 for George Weaver. She should improve in this second start which Weaver horses win 22% of the time. (7) Blind Sight will return to the dirt after two turf tries, cut back to sprinting, and make a drop in class.

6^th race [OC 80k/N2X, 1 TURF] – (2) Mo Ready and (2B) Microsecond make a very strong entry for Todd Pletcher and Repole Stable. (1) Principled Stand is the winner of both races in his career which came as a 4-year-old – the maiden win was at Tampa in January and then another front running victory came at Belmont in April for Chad Brown. (8) Dreams of Tomorrow broke through the gate last start and still drew off to win an allowance at Belmont for McGaughey by more than four-lengths. (7) Island Commish will make his 2021 debut for Saffie Joseph after racing exclusively in stakes last year including a win in the Kittens Joy (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

9^th race [Clm 40000 N2L, 1 mi TURF] – (7) Ms. Boombastic tried a starter allowance immediately following her maiden score at Belmont in May and now moves to a more suitable spot. (6) Entwine was claimed for $50,000 two races back and then tried a starter allowance, so the same can be said for this filly as was mentioned for the top choice. (1A) Kiss and Run fought the attempt of a new rider to restrain her early speed and she quit in the latter stages of her last start. Manny Franco is back on board, he guided her to a front-end maiden score in her prior start. (11) Kubie Snacks got a top speed figure in her maiden win last time out at Monmouth Park for the $40,000 tag.

Best bets:  April Antics (5^th); Entry 2/2B (6^th). Best value: Halo City (3^rd); Ms. Boombastic (9^th).