Belmont Park Hotlist - June 5

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

2^nd race – (7) Tiltingatwindmills ran his last two races in Tampa allowances for Chad Brown with a second-place finish. Her speed figures tower over the rest of this N2L $40,000 claimer on the turf. (4) Second Bite ships up from Parx for John Servis to make her first start against claimers. She was three very good starts this year and had a sneaky good effort on the turf last year as a 2-year-old. (6) Petalite had some good runs on the grass for David Donk and then ran well on the dirt in the winter at Aqueduct. She’s now back on the grass for an excellent turf trainer. (9) Positive Skew returns from a November layoff with several races last year that are good enough to compete with this field.

4^th race – (12) Mr. Buckley (B) made his debut for trainer Ray Handal who just does not win with first-timers. He found himself in a very tough field where the big favorite ran fourth and the winner was impressive. He was fourth in the early going and picked up places to finish second well ahead of the rest of the field. (9) Top of the Mint has been off since Saratoga last year but faced strong competition in five starts. Johnny V. gets on board for Mark Hennig. (11) Farragut had a second-place finish in this NY-bred maiden special weight level back in March just before Aqueduct had to close down. (4) Majestic View makes his debut for trainer John Kimmel with an extensive worktab and a bullet breeze last out. His dam has produced three winners from four to run.

8^th race – (8) Voting Agreement (A) was another debut winner for Chad Brown on the turf at Saratoga. This filly was loaded and when asked to rally provided a big run to win easily by more than two-lengths. She had higher than usual odds because Brown had another firster in the race who finished third. She is back in this turf sprint facing winners in an allowance. (1) Catch a Thrill returned from an August layoff to run second at Gulfstream Park last month for trainer Mark Casse. She was a debut winner and was stakes placed last year as a 3-year-old. (4) Bredenbury cuts back in distance after an allowance second at Tampa for Graham Motion whose barn is very hot right now and Johnny V. gets back on. (5) China Silk was last seen in November running second in an allowance in her turf debut for trainer Jonathan Sheppard. That followed a 12-length victory on the synthetic at Presque Isle.

9^th race – (4) Royal Charlotte is a Grade 2 winner who took her first four starts for Chad Brown. She has a perfect record running six-furlongs and won her only start at Belmont. She returns now in the Belmont feature from an October layoff. (8) Chalon has been off the board only 3 times in 18 starts which includes a bunch of place finishes in graded stakes. She, too, comes back from an October break. (3) Honey I’m Good has early speed and an allowance win in her last start in March for the New York division of the Asmussen barn. (5) Piedi Bianchi is 2 for 2 for trainer Carlos Martin since moving from the barn of Todd Pletcher including the Correction at Aqueduct in March.

Best bets:  Tiltingatwindmills (2^nd); Voting Agreement (8^th).  Best value:  Mr. Buckley (4^th); Royal Charlotte (9^th).