Belmont Park Hotlist - May 8

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, May 8, 2022 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 [NY, Md 25000, 1 mi] – (2) Roz (A) raced seven-wide in her second race following a layoff and finished third on one of those days when the track was favoring the inside paths. (4) Kay Tee Gal just missed in a similar spot two races back and then tried the turf. (1) Elegant Laoban was second in her last two starts at the same level. Eventually, this type of horse wins in this kind of field. (6) Dance for Bourbon was bet to 5-1 for her debut in a similar spot.

5^th race [Md 25000, 7F] – (5) Lord Gatling (A) dropped into a maiden claimer for the first time and ran second well ahead of the others while racing seven-wide. (8) Floki’s Flight ships up from Laurel after debuting at the Maryland track and finished second after getting steadied. (2) North Pole returns from a November layoff and drops back into the claiming ranks as a new gelding. (4) Bold Victory finished second in his first start following nine months away. He is an MTO on Saturday at Belmont Park. (1) Kid Cash will drop into a claimer for the first time in her career after more than a year off.  

6^th race [Alw 92000 N1X, 1 mi TURF] – (8) Baby Blythe (B) was heavily restrained and rank in the Jockey Club Oaks and got stuck out wide on an inside favoring track when last seen in September. (3) Nazuna moves back to the Chad Brown barn following a December layoff. Last year she faced better competition. (2) Naked On the Beach was a maiden winner when she moved back onto the turf in her second start of the year earning the best speed figure of her career. (7) Ready To Venture has two starts since coming over from Great Britain with a third and a second in allowances with improved speed figures.

9^th race [Alw 50000s, 1 1/16 mi] – (8) Braciole (A) broke last and was hard to handle but rallied to finish second in a starter allowance after breaking his maiden in his first start. (3) Luni Sima missed the win by a head in an allowance and now goes back to a starter allowance. That second-place finish earned the highest speed figure of his career. (9) Bossmakinbossmoves runs from off the pace and finds a field loaded with early speed. (10) Nicholas James snuck into a $20,000 maiden claimer without getting claimed and romped by more then 12 lengths as a heavy favorite.

Best bets:  Rox (2^nd); Baby Blythe (6^th). Best value:  Lord Gatling (5^th); Braciole (9^th).