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Keeneland Select

Belmont Park Hotlist - July 3

                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 4th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

2nd race [Md 40000, 7F TURF] – (2) Wonder Girl (B) lost her two rear shoes in the paddock before the race and ran for purse money only. She pressed the pace going a mile and then faded a bit in the stretch. (8) Keep It Sexy will drop into the claiming ranks for the first time with speed figures that make her a contender in this field. (3) Just a Splash will also drop into a maiden claimer for the first time and cuts back in distance. (5) Belleshazza pressed the pace in her first start of the year and finished fourth behind a horse that came back to win her next start.

3rd race [NY, Alw 80000, 1 mi] – (3) Harlan’s Bond returns to the dirt and NY-bred company where he broke his maiden in February at Aqueduct and gets Irad Ortiz on board. (5) Duckphat could get a very similar comment to the top choice, but he goes for much lower profile connections and will be much better odds. (4) April Antics shows no recent races against state-breds but does have four top three finishes in a row including a win at the Big A in April. (6) Sweetie was a debut maiden special weight winner and came right back to run third in an allowance at Aqueduct. She is a 5-year-old that has only three career starts.

4th race [Clm 25000B, 1 mi] – (1) Valenzan Day was claimed from his last two starts including most recently by Linda Rice for $32,000. Rice has used this pattern before with lots of success – drop down after a short layoff in the first start for her barn and get a quick profit with a win and Jose Ortiz riding. (6) Super Quality was claimed for $14,000 from his last two races, two weeks ago he set the pace and finished second going a mile for Rice. (4) Bert Bert Bert got an impressive win last time for a $25,000 tag with a surge in speed figures. (7) Cumberland Blues tried the turf last time with poor results and moves back to the dirt where he was second in the prior race.

9th race [NY, Md 40000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (9) Barry the Builder (A) got shut off while stuck on the rail without racing room and probably should have finished second in a similar spot in his second start of the year. (7) Maythisbetheone has a pair of thirds in his two starts this year while moving back onto the grass. (1) Zapruder moves to the barn of Linda Rice, gets first-time Lasix, and drops in for a tag for the first time. (5) Conquist drops in for the $40,000 price in his second start of the year with several starts last year that make him a contender in here.

Best bets: Harlan’s Bond (3rd); Valenzan Day (4th). Best value: Wonder Girl (2nd); Barry the Builder (9th).

No.NameLetter/
last race
Today's RaceComments
(2)Wonder GirlB on 6/22Lost two rear shoes in paddock.
(9)Barry the BuilderA on 6/39Stuck on the rail, got shut off, should have run second.