Saratoga Hotlist - August 19

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch Thursday, August 19, 2021 at Saratoga – Day 26
                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 [Alw 103000 N1X, 1 1/8 mi] – (5) More Moonshine (A) was geared down when she won her debut for Bill Mott by more than six lengths going seven furlongs. (1) Misty Veil romped to an easy victory on a muddy track at Saratoga for Tom Amoss in a starter allowance. (2) Ice Princess was second in the Comely (G3) last winter and since then has several board-hitting allowance finishes. (4) Stop Shoppin Tammy will make her second start at Saratoga for a Kentucky barn that is winning races.

5^th race [Md Sp Wt 100000, 6½ F] – (3) Shalimar Gardens (C) was a neck shy of the win when third in her debut at Belmont in May on a muddy track when getting bet down from 7-1 to 5-1. (5) Silver Stand was a $575,000 yearling purchase making her first start for Bill Mott as a son of Frosted and a graded stakes winning mare of $630,000. (1) O’Gotten Girl will return from a February layoff at which time she had a pair of second-place finishes. (2) Mun Luv also was second in her last two starts including her best speed figure.

9^th race [NY, Union Avenue, 6½ F] – (1) Sadie Lady is a recent winner of both NY-bred and open company stakes races while racing on the front end. Overall, she won 3 out of her last 4 starts. Breaking from the rail, she appears to be a standout for red-hot trainer Rob Atras. (5) Awesome Debate was claimed twice in her last three races from OC allowances and gets Luis Saez back on board who won with her last time he was riding. (3) Irish Constitution has been off since May but is NY-bred stakes-placed in the past. (6) Diva Banker comes right back following an August 11 start at Saratoga in an allowance for state-breds.

10^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt 85000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (4) Marvelous Maude (A) broke last in her debut for Chad Brown at Belmont in June and rallied for third despite having equipment trouble during the race. (3) Hit the Nail (A) made her first start for a tag and had what was described in the official race chart as a “nightmare journey”. (5) Pop the Bubbly hopes to finally get back on the turf where she had one of her best performances last year at Aqueduct when second. (6) La Victoria had the lead in the stretch and was beaten by a head in a race that was meant for the grass but was run on a muddy Saratoga track. The royally bred filly will try to get on the turf again.

Best bets:  More Moonshine (4^th); Sadie Lady (9^th). Best value:  Shalimar Gardens (5^th); Marvelous Maude (10^th).