Belmont Park Hotlist - June 18

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, June 18, 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.

1^st race [Clm 16000 N2L, 1 1/16 mi] – (5) Lokoya Road moves back to the main track where he broke his maiden for $40,000 at the end of last year. Hot trainer Rob Atras wins at 25% going turf to dirt. (7) Wild Union was second at Belmont Park for a $25,000 tag in his last start. He has hit the board in 10 out of 16 starts. (4) Paint Music for Me broke his maiden for $20,000 and then tried a starter allowance at Parx. The move back to N2L and the $16,000 price makes sense. (2) Tapit’s Flashback rallied to break his maiden for $20,000 last time at Belmont.

3^rd race [Clm 35000B, N3L or 3YO, 1 1/16 TURF] – (6) Saburai (B) was heavily restrained and wrestled to the back in an open claiming race which never does a horse any good. In the race before he was second at today’s conditions. (2) Alba’s Star was a front-end winner of a first-level allowance at Sam Houston back in March. He now ships up to New York from Fair Hills for Michael Stidham. (3) Wicked Mercury has been facing much tougher in starter and allowance races for Jane Cibelli who is now based at Delaware Park. (9) Positive Skew was second and then third in similar races to this one and now gets very hot rider Jose Lezcano in the saddle.

6^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 1 mi TURF] – (3) The Great Gazoo (B) broke in the back and then had to be taken up and checked in his turf debut last time. Now, he changes to the barn of Juan Vasquez to train at Belmont instead of Parx which makes things easier for this NY-bred. (2) Out of the Breech (B) shied out at the start of his last start and then rallied for third in his turf debut for a $40,000 tag. (10) Bar Fourteen earned a very big speed figure for his second-place finish after setting the pace. (7) Cotton gets Lasix for the first time after rallying for second in his 2021 debut for Mark Casse. He ran well on dirt and turf last year as a 2-year-old.

7^th race [NY, Alw 80000 N1X, 6F] – (8) Laura’s Bellamy set the pace and then fell a neck short of the win in a similar spot last month. She was a debut winner at Aqueduct and then was fourth in a Stallion Series stake. Irad Ortiz is back from his recent injury and retains the mount. (3) Princess Corey has been racing against open company in Maryland. She was claimed for $25,000 two races ago when she won an optional claiming starter allowance. (5) Jamaica Joy broke her maiden in her first start of the year after switching to the barn of Michael Maker. (4) Diva Banker was claimed for $5,000 back in January at Turfway Park by Ray Handal and since won on the dirt at Churchill Downs for an $8,000 tag earning a high speed figure. She will now try state-bred competition.

Best bets:  Lokoya Road (1^st); Laura’s Bellamy (7^th). Best value: Saburai (3^rd); The Great Gazoo (6^th).