Saratoga Hotlist - August 16

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, August 16, 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 worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

4^th race – (1) Make Or Break returned from a layoff and switched to the turf to run third after getting bumped and going a bit wide. She comes back in another N2L condition for trainer Rob Atras. (6) Skye Snow has been off since April and now Michael Maker drops her down to a claimer for the first time. She won a maiden special weight, so this is a move by Maker to get another victory at Saratoga. (2) Lido Key also makes the big drop from allowance races to the N2L condition. Her speed figures fit well here. (9) Sterling Beauty gets Jose Ortiz back in the saddle and he rode this David Donk filly when she broke her maiden. She also makes her initial appearance in the N2L.

6^th race – (4) Breithorn (A) switched back to the dirt and ran third after having to steady and racing wide. He makes another drop down to $30,000 in this maiden claimer. (7) Striking Speed unsuccessfully tried the turf after flashing speed in his return from a layoff. He was third in his debut on the dirt and now Linda Rice drops him down to this low level. (6) Market Impact was moved from Chad Brown to his former assistant Jorge Abreu for his 2020 debut after running third last year at Saratoga. (3) Tri Saint Lorenzo flashed speed at this level last time and finished third.

9^th race – (1) Speaktomeofsummer will look to win her second stakes race at Saratoga for Christophe Clement after taking the Lake Placid (G2) during opening weekend. (2) Enola Gay made a winning 2020 debut in the Appalachian (G2) at Keeneland for Shug McGaughey and now stretches out to 9.5 furlongs on the turf in the $500,000 Saratoga Oaks. (6) Ricetta will make her American debut for Bill Mott after three very good races in England against top level competition including a Grade 3 at York. The Juddmonte runner was trained there by John Gosden. (3) Antoinette is another Bill Mott runner and she has raced consistently on both turf and dirt. Mott opted for this race over the Alabama for the Godolphin filly.

10^th race – (7) Dangerous Edge ran second in a starter allowance last time and now gets class relief with the drop down to this N2L claimer. (6) Ink Splotz makes his second start for hot trainer Orlando Noda after a failed experience in a turf sprint starter allowance. Luis Saez gets the mount and expect him to go the lead in this dirt sprint. (2) Yankee Empire won a maiden claimer last start with a speed figure that tops this field. (1) Liam’s Fire will make his first appearance in a N2L condition. He was third last time at this $40,000 level but that was in an open race. This is a softer spot.

Best bets: Breithorn (6^th); Speaktomeofsummer (9^th). Best value: Make Or Break (4^th); Dangerous Edge (10^th).