Belmont Park Hotlist - October 3

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, October 3, 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.

3^rd race – (3) More Graytful (C) was bet down from 8-1 to 6-1 while stepping up from a NY-bred allowance victory to a state-bred stakes race. There, he stretched out to nine furlongs and finished third. Now, she drops back to the allowance ranks, gets blinkers back on, and cuts back to a sprint. (1) Golani Brigade returned from more than a year off for Chad Brown to an impressive front running win in a first-level allowance for NY-breds. (6) Tale of the Union is a Bob Baffert NY-bred, who is basically trained by John Terranova and was second at Saratoga in a race similar to this spot after a win at Belmont Park. (8) Harris Bay got his first allowance win at Belmont two weeks ago with an excellent record at that track.

5^th race – (4) Frank’s Rockette will try older horses for the first time in the Gallant Bloom (G2). She returned after two months off to an easy win in the Prioress (G2) at Saratoga and now has won four of her last five starts including her last three in a row. She earned a career high speed figure in that recent win and has never run worse than second in nine career starts. She should have her way on the front end in a race that lacks early speed. (1) Bronx Beauty came from off the pace to win the recent Regret Stakes at Monmouth Park. (2) Royal Charlotte was second in that Regret. Remember that she won the first four starts of her career for Chad Brown. (6) Pacific Gale is likely to be part of the exacta or trifecta. She has done her best running at Belmont.

6^th race – (7) Step Dancer (B) was an unusual debut winner for trainer Barclay Tagg at odds of 24-1. She was full of run when she rallied from last to win by more than three lengths. She will now try this Grade 2 Pilgrim. (3) Public Sector was another first-time winner from the team of Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown at Saratoga with strong British bloodlines. (1) Shawdyshawdyshawdy was also a debut winner at Saratoga but he followed that with a fourth in the $500,000 Juvenile at Kentucky Downs. (4) American Monarch travelled to Woodbine to run fourth in the Summer (G1) after breaking his maiden in his first try for Bill Mott.

9^th race – (4) Domestic Spending has three wins from four career starts for Chad Brown which includes the Saratoga Derby Invitational where he beat a strong field with a stalking trip. His only loss came in the Hall of Fame (G2) where he broke slowly and then had to race wide to finish third. His speed figures have improved in every race. (2) Gufo had a four-race winning streak snapped when he lost to the top choice by only a head after a less than ideal trip in the stretch. The Christophe Clemente runner has two stakes wins to his credit including the Kent (G3). (6) Pixelate has never run worse than third in his 11-race career. Most recently he shipped out to the west coast to win the Del Mar Derby (G2) for trainer Michael Stidham after a two-months between races. (8) Moon Over Miami is the recent winner of the $700,000 Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs for Bill Mott. He will appreciate the ten-furlongs distance of this Belmont Derby.

Best bets: Frank’s Rockette (5^th); Domestic Spending (9^th). Best value:  More Graytful (3^rd); Step Dancer (6^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 is on races 3-5 and concludes with the Gallant Bloom (G2):  1, 2, 3, 6, 8 with 2, 3, 6, 7, 9 with 4 = $25.