Belmont Park Hotlist - June 6

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, June 6, 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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

4^th race – (4) Political (C) ran third last time in another $25,000 NY-bred maiden claimer for trainer Mike Miceli and was bet down from 5-1 to 5-2*. Going a mile again, he broke from a far outside post, raced in mid-pack, and picked up another show finish in a field that was strung apart at the finish. Now he switches from dirt to turf for a $40,000 tag. (2) High Tone moves to the grass for excellent turf trainer Mike Maker and goes against NY-breds for the first time. (1) Drop of Bourbon debuted in September and broke poorly. He returns as a new gelding for trainer Ray Handal who has impressive stats with long layoffs and drop downs from maiden special weight to claimer. (7) Petrus ships up to New York for Michael Dickinson who doesn’t race too many horses anymore. His dam was a graded stakes winner of more than $700,000 who has produced several very good runners.

9^th race – (10) Mind Control (A) came into his prior race with a Hot List “A” rating after his last two victories by a nose in graded stakes. Coming back to Aqueduct in the Grade 3 Tom Fool and cutting back to six furlongs, he got seven lengths behind after a half-mile which is unusual for him. He had to chase a loose on the lead speed horse but came flying down the stretch to win by more than a length. (2) Performer (A) came into his first stakes on a three-race winning streak for Shug McGaughey and the Phipps Stable. In the Discovery (G3), he pressed a strong early pace, took the lead, and then held off a late challenge from the multi-graded stakes winner Tax. This was the final graded stakes race of the year in New York restricted to 3-year-olds. He returns in the seven-furlong Carter (G1). (1) Firenze Fire is riding a three-race winning streak as he switches from the barn of indicted trainer Jason Servis to that of Kelly Breen. He does his best running at Belmont Park. (11) Vekoma returned from last running in the Kentucky Derby (G1) to win the seven-furlong Sir Shackleton at Gulfstream. He won his career debut at Belmont.

10^th race – (9) The Last Ace (A) was an impressive debut winner for low profile trainer John Morrison. The NY-bred son of Honor Code and a Grade 1 winning mare comes from a family filled with winners. He broke promptly, took the race on the front end, and drew off to be an easy winner by more than six lengths. He’ll now face an allowance field. (8) Bulwark (D) was a clear-cut winner of a NY-bred maiden special weight who was moving up to the first-level allowance against fellow state-breds and was bet down from 7-1 to 4-1. He sat in contention in the early going within a couple lengths of the lead, but down the stretch he got outrun and finished fifth. (3) More Graytful drops from a second in a NY-bred stakes race to this allowance for Brad Cox. (6) Quickflash had the lead last time and lost by a neck in a similar spot in March and has not run worse than second in four starts.

11^th race – (2) Zuzudini (B) ran in his second race off a break for trainer Eddie Barker in a maiden special weight. He broke in the air and then was bumped shortly after leaving the gate. He sat patiently in fifth place in the nine-furlong contest and commenced a rally that found him on the lead at the stretch call, however he got run down by a late move and lost by a neck. He now switches from dirt to turf. (6) Lonesome Fugitive was second in his debut in January at Gulfstream for Chad Brown after racing greenly down the stretch. (10) Red Storm Risen debuted at Woodbine last summer as the favorite and returns for red-hot trainer Graham Motion as a new gelding and moves to the turf. (7) Voodoo Zip was second in his last three starts all on the grass at Gulfstream Park.

Best bets: Mind Control (9^th); The Last Ace (10^th).        Best value:  Political (4^th); Zuzudini (11^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 9-11 and includes the Carter (G1) in race 9:  2, 10, 11 with 3, 6, 8, 9 with 2, 6, 7, 10 = $48.