Belmont Park Hotlist - June 25

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, June 25, 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 – (9) Plink Freud makes her 2020 debut for trainer Tom Bush who can win with price horses. Last seen she dropped into the maiden claiming ranks for the first time but stumbled at the start. Before that she was second in a maiden special weight. (1) Dream Chasing makes her first start of the year in this turf sprint for Christophe Clement who is having a great Belmont meeting. She makes the drop to maiden claiming here. (4) Love Me Tomorrow had the lead and gave it up near the wire and now switches back to the grass. (11) Graetz also has early speed and makes her first start for a tag after running three weeks ago for the Bond barn.

2^nd race – (5) Mental Model tried the turf and now goes back to the dirt and takes a big drop in claiming price into this N2L conditioned $16,000 claimer for Linda Rice. (7) Inside Info was a strong maiden claiming winner in his 2020 debut for Brad Cox. (6) Combat Ribbon gets blinkers on and drops into the right N2L level after running in a starter allowance. Current trainer Toscano claimed him out of his maiden claiming debut for $25,000 from a trainer who does not usually win with firsters. (4) Implied Volatility just broke her maiden for $25,000 and trainer Rudy Rodriguez won three races on the Sunday card.

5^th race – (11) Sandra’s Mine just missed at this same NY-bred maiden claiming level back in November for Tom Bush. Bush is good off the long layoff and Jose Ortiz gets the mount. (10) Empress Luciana returned from a March layoff to run third at the beginning of the meeting and now tries the grass for the first time although she was entered to do so in her debut. (1) Saratoga Love makes the drop from maiden special weight to claimer for Clement and keeps Joel Rosario who is a superior rider in turf sprints. (6) Frenchie Frou Frou was claimed out of her debut for $30,000 while being heavily bet for Greg Sacco who does not usually have firsters ready to win. New trainer Gary Sciacca keeps her in the claiming ranks and brings her back in three weeks.

8^th race – (4) Sonneman makes his debut for new trainer Steve Asmussen in the Easy Goer after winning his last two starts for Mark Hennig. Last seen he rallied from far back to win an allowance at Gulfstream Park in April. (3) Casino Grande is perfect in two starts for Clement with his most recent win coming at Gulfstream going a one-turn mile in an allowance. (6) Toy has won his last two starts at Laurel Park for trainer Michael Trombetta with the most recent in a May allowance where he overcame some traffic trouble to win. (5) Prodigious Bay ships to New York from Kentucky for Ron Moquett after showing speed in his last two starts at Oaklawn Park.

Best bets:  Sandra’s Mine (5^th); Sonneman (8^th).  Best value:  Plink Freud (1^st); Mental Model (2^nd).