Belmont Park Hotlist - October 12

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Monday, October 12, 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) Wiggle and Jiggle returns from a February layoff for Linda Rice who wins at 23% with long layoffs. She makes a big drop down to make her first appearance in a $16,000 N2L claimer. She ran fourth in the Ruthless at Aqueduct back in January. (5) La Negrita has four consecutive second-place finishes at this N2L condition. (8) Wicked Title was claimed at this level two races back by Repole Stable and Rudy Rodriguez and that makes them dangerous. (2) Gringotts broke her maiden at Saratoga for a $25,000 tag and then tried an allowance at Finger Lakes. Trainer Chris Englehart is adept at moving horses between the NYRA tracks and the upstate track. This gal is stabled at Belmont Park.

4^th race – (7) Dare to Try ran well in every start and just won a maiden special weight at Parx for Anthony Dutrow. This $40,000 N2L claimer is a perfect spot. (2) Quasar ran her best race recently two back on the main track when she was second and that start came amongst a bunch of turf starts. She is back on the dirt in another N2L race. (3) Invaluable won a $40,000 maiden claimer in her last start at Monmouth Park and now Jose Ortiz gets on board. (1) Fun Finder moves back to the main track after a turf start following a long layoff in his debut for trainer Mark Hennig. That race should have her ready as she cuts back to the seven-furlong distance.

7^th race – (1) Malibu Pro (C) always shows up and runs well in these higher priced open claiming races. Last time he was bet down from 5-1 to 3-1 and finished second. Now, he comes back at the same one-turn mile distance. (5) Mad Munnys finished ahead of the Hot List horse in his prior start after setting the pace for more than six furlongs and finished second. (3) Expert will make his first appearance in a claimer after running in high level allowances or stakes races. Just a bit of class relief may be all that this guy needs to get back to the winner’s circle. (7) American Power takes the blinkers off and returns to Belmont where he has done some of his best racing.

8^th race – (2) Binkster used up his NY-bred conditions with 5 wins and has been trying open company as of late. Last start he was third in a stakes race at Saratoga and now drops back to a first level allowance where he already ran second. (5) Morning Breeze returns to the main track where he has done his best running after two starts on the grass during the summer. (1) Brush Country was a winner of an open $25,000 claimer last time at Belmont. This is a horse who has been claimed in three of his last four starts showing that he is in fine form recently. (7) Chowda will make his first against open company after racing in NY-bred stakes races. This will be his second start after a layoff.

Best bets:  Dare to Try (4^th); Binkster (8^th). Best value:  Wiggle and Jiggle (2^nd); Mailbu Pro (7^th).