Belmont Park Hotlist - September 17

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, September 17, 2021 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 [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi TURF] – (7) Diamond Hands (A) made her debut for Christophe Clement at Saratoga on a yielding turf where she ran third after closing into a slow pace. (2) Early Glow is a royally bred Godolphin filly who is a half-sister to the stakes-winner Antoinette. She will make her first start for Bill Mott with an extensive work tab. (1) Miss You Ella will also make her first career start for Chad Brown. She is out of a dam who produced three winners and one was a stakes winner as a 2-year-old. (4) Haughty is another firster for Chad with an excellent turf pedigree.

7^th race [The Allied Forces, 6F TURF] – (6) Big Everest (A) was an impressive maiden breaker at Saratoga in his last start with a noteworthy turn of foot down the stretch for Clement. He will cut back in distance for this first stakes race. (3) Arzak recorded the highest speed figure in the field from a stakes win on the Tapeta at Presque Isle last month. He is a past winner on the grass. (7) Jaxon Traveler is the winner of 5 out of 9 career starts including the first three starts of his career and his most recent in a stake at Pimlico. He ran well on turf, dirt, and synthetic. (1) Ranger Fox has talent but has been hard to handle before and during his races.

8^th race [The Christiecat, 6F TURF] – (10) Bye Bye (A) is already a stakes winner for Clement. Last race she got squeezed back at the start in a Saratoga stake, got to the lead, and finished third in a blanket finish. (2) Sussex Garden (B) made two starts in America after placing in a Group 2 in Ireland last year. Last start at the Spa, she was third in an allowance behind a return winner. (9) Honey Pants was second last time in the Alywow at Woodbine on the grass for Clement. (8) Tuscan Queen got a big speed figure in her maiden breaker at Saratoga for John Kimmel and then had traffic trouble in a stake.

9^th race [NY, Md 25000, 6F] – (9) Tellaperfecttale missed a maiden breaking win by a nose after a layoff in her first start at this level. A repeat of that performance makes her hard to beat for Tom Morley. (8) Know It All Red was third and second twice at this level. (6) Little Ms Scarlet made a significant improvement in her first start for Claudio Gonzalez who ran her against open company at Pimilico in a race that came off the turf. He brings her back on the dirt against state-breds. (1) Captivating Cara has had a lot of tries at this level but drawing the rail will force her to use her speed and that may just put her loose on the lead.

Best bets:  Bye Bye (8^th); Tellaperfecttale (9^th). Best value: Diamond Hands (4^th); Big Everest (7^th).