Belmont Park Hotlist - October 4

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, October 4, 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.

4^th race – (4) Catch a Cab (A) had what can only be described as a terrible trip where he was steadied several times in traffic yet still finished third beaten only a length and a half. The New York-bred moves to an open company $25,000 claimer going a mile on the turf. (9) Lucky Ramsey ships to New York after winning his last two races and three out of four while racing starter allowances in the Mid-Atlantic region tracks. (5) Noble Thought was eased after racing on the dirt in a very tough second-level allowance. He was claimed for $50,000 two back and now drops down and goes back to the grass which is his best surface recently. (10) Siding Spring was a winner at this level last time in a race that came off the turf at Saratoga.

5^th race – (2) Striking Speed (C) was bet down from 16-1 to 11-1 in his first try against winners in a starter allowance. He was claimed from his maiden score by Rudy Rodriguez. He gets blinkers for the first time and cuts back to the one-turn mile. (7) Saratoga Pal (C) took late money and dropped from 9-1 to 6-1 as he broke his maiden against NY-breds at the Spa. (1A) Sneakiness returns from a January layoff for Linda Rice at this starter allowance level where he ran well at Aqueduct. Rice is good with runners off long breaks. (5) Fried Rice King was claimed away from Todd Pletcher last tie out after a win in a $16,000 claimer.

6^th race – (7) Crescent Lady (D) was heavily bet from 8-1 to 4-1 in her first start in one of these NY-bred first-level allowances for Bill Mott. There is speed in this mile turf race to set up her closing move. (1) Fresco won a state-bred stakes race on the grass at Saratoga for Christophe Clement. (4) Silky Blue is in fine form this year for Colts Neck Stable and Jorge Duarte. She will move back to a longer turf distance which is ideal after running fourth in a grass sprint upstate. (10) Data Analytics was a front-end winner of a Saratoga maiden in his 2020 debut for Chad Brown.

7^th race – (4) Caldee (A) won his turf debut by more than six lengths for Brad Cox with a powerful front running effort at Saratoga over a 4-5 Chad Brown horse.  (1) Lovestruck (A) got steadied at the start and bumped around a bit but still came running late to break her maiden at first asking for Bill Mott. Breaking on the inside is an advantage in these inner turf races. (7) Batyah (A) was a debut winner by more than two lengths with a last to first run for Graham Motion. (8) Plum Ali will try and stay unbeaten in the Miss Grillo (G2) for Christophe Clemente after a maiden score at Saratoga and a stakes win at Kentucky Downs.

Best bets:  Catch a Cab (4^th); Caldee (7^th). Best value:  Striking Speed (5^th); Crescent Lady (6^th).