Keeneland Hotlist - April 18

Today’s Keeneland Hot List races to watch
Sunday, April 18, 2021

By Bob Ehalt and Matt Shifman

Hot List Key:     

A : A preferred horse to watch                   B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches in the final 3 minutes 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.

1st race – (7) Flatter Me Silly missed by a neck in a sharp debut and should appreciate the added distance. (4) Cruz Bay rallied belatedly in her debut and should be more competitive here. (2) High Fair debuts for Ward and merits consideration. (1) Speed Lane has speed and could be tough to catch from the rail. Betting strategy: 7 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-4-7.

3rd race - (2) Sequin seeks a third straight win and merits top billing here. (3) Catch a Bid disappointed last time but after a bullet work can rebound here. (1) Karak has enough speed to lead from start to finish here. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-3.

5th race – (5) My Candy Girl switches to Cox’s barn and seems ready for a nice effort in this spot. (7) Thunder Buggy was an impressive debut winner who also changed barns and could be the one to fear. (6) Camelia Gal has been in the money in last five starts and belongs in the exotics here. (8) Hat Tip figures to be a threat in the final furlong. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 5-6-7-8.

7th race – (4) Souper Dormy closed fast to finish second in a Kentucky Downs stakes. He’s been away for seven months but has been working sharply for his return to the races. (3) The Connector has enough early speed to be dangerous in this field. (6) Oak Hills also has a nice late kick and should be a threat in the stretch. (1) Shackleford’s Joy has some late kick and merits attention. Betting strategy: 4 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-4-6.

9th race – (2) Nevisian Sunrise (A) missed by a neck in a solid turf debut and makes amends for that setback here. (8) Maria’s Revenge didn’t fire in her debut and should benefit from a switch to Saez. (3) Ms Temptation should be a threat in her career debut. (1) Confident is another firster who deserves attention here. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-3-8.