Saratoga Hot List - July 25

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, July 25, 2020 at Saratoga
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.

2^nd race – (5) Munnings Muse (B) ran a good race in her debut behind the very fast winner of the 2-year-old race and finished well ahead of the rest of the field. That race was 13 months ago at Belmont Park and she is back in a similar NY-bred maiden special weight. The speed figure she got in that race was impressive and Joel Rosario retains the mount. (2) Vivazano was hindered in his second start by a poor start where he bobbled and then was bumped. (6) Barbara’s Bank flashed speed and finished second in her 2020 debut against open company at Penn National and she now returns to the NY-bred ranks. (7) Midnight Surprise makes her debut for Todd Pletcher with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle. They are a 29% winning team.

5^th race – (6) Unprecedented (B) ran second in his debut in a turf sprint despite having to check hard on the inside when he ran up on the heels of a horse that had blocked him. He stays on the grass and moves to this starter allowance. (10) Standup has two third-place finishes this year with the most recent coming in a starter allowance. He gets the services of the top turf sprint rider in Rosario. (2) Big Wonder has been moving back and forth between NY-bred races and facing open company at today’s level and keeps hitting the board. (4) Three Outlaws will make his 2020 debut while moving to the barn of Rob Atras and back to the turf. He has top speed figures that make him a serious contender.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   9^th race – (1) Coragescontender (C) was bet down from 7-1 to 5-1 and broke his maiden for a $40,000 tag against NY-breds in his second start for the year. He will now face winners in a state-bred allowance. (7) Mo Ready will make his first start of the year as a new gelding who last appeared in two open company races for Todd Pletcher after winning a maiden special weight against state-breds. (3) Simply was a debut winner of a maiden special weight at Sam Houston for Steve Asmussen and then was third at Belmont Park in one of these NY-bred allowances. (4) Barleewon broke his maiden last time for Michael Stidham at Belmont earning a competitive speed figure. Johnny V. stays on board.

11^th race – (7) Brovia (B) dropped into a maiden claimer for her first race of the year on the turf and had no luck down the lane as she was bottled up in traffic but, still, she got within two lengths of the winner. She comes back in a similar spot. (5) Timeless Journey got bumped around in her debut for Christophe Clement and now drops down to a maiden claimer while still facing NY-breds. (6) Micromillion gets blinkers on for Pletcher and also makes her first start for a tag and debuts on the grass after just missing a win by a neck going nine furlongs. In four starts she has run only second and third. (8) Go Zappem had a bad race on a sloppy track in February and now returns to racing on the grass and back at the maiden claiming level.

Best bets: Munnings Muse (2^nd); Brovia (11^th).  Best value:  Unprecedented (5^tH); Coragescontender (9^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special Pick 3 is on races 9-11 including the Vanderbilt (G1):  1, 3, 4, 7 with 4 with 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 = $28