Saratoga Hotlist - August 21

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, August 21, 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.

1^st race – (7) Silver Token missed by a nose after having to alter course to avoid clipping heels while in traffic. Trainer Horatio DePaz has been running into some bad racing luck as his six seconds at Saratoga this summer point out. (6) Advanced Strategy gets first-time Lasix after running fourth, beaten by only a length, in his 2020 debut and he comes back in a similar NY-bred maiden special weight turf sprint for NY-breds. (3) Our Destiny ships up to the Spa from Monmouth Park after running fourth behind two horses that came back to win their next starts and gets blinkers on for the first time. Trainer Wayne Potts won a stakes race in his only Saratoga starter this summer. (2) Fast Gordon will make her second career start for Linda Rice which usually means an improved effort and he moves to the grass and cuts back in distance.

5^th race – (8) Knockout Punch (C) recorded a career best speed figure in his 2020 debut when he ran second after getting bet down from 30-1 to 21-1 and now steps up in class while turf sprinting. (7) Standup found the Saratoga distance to his liking when he rallied to finish third in a starter allowance similar to today’s spot and Joel Rosario stays on board. (6) More Like It broke his maiden against NY-breds last time at Saratoga and now faces winners for the first time. (4) Propensity was a convincing maiden winner last time for a $40,000 tag for Bill Mott and Johnny V.

6^th race – (6) Princesa Caroline had two promising races as a 2-year-old last year for Chad Brown, a debut win on the turf at Belmont Park in the fall and then a third in the Jimmy Durante (G3) at Del Mar behind two outstanding runners. Here she makes her 2020 debut in a first-level allowance. (2) Eye of a Soldier was second in her first start of the year which was also her first with trainer Bill Mott. She, too, flashed talent as a juvenile. (7) Mirabell Mei was last seen in two graded stakes races and she now gets some appropriate class relief. (9) Passion Factor broke her maiden on the turf at Gulfstream Park in March and then tried a graded stake at Keeneland.

9^th race – (7) Kept Waiting (C) made her first start after switching to the barn of Mike Miceli and was bet bet down from 13-1 to 9-1. She had the lead down the stretch and was beaten by a neck nearing the wire. She returns in a similar NY-bred turf maiden special weight. (6) Gaelic Gold returned from a few months off in the same race as the top choice to run third after a late rally for Christophe Clement and Joel Rosario. (8) Kilkea was back on the turf at Belmont in June and finished second and now makes her first start after moving to the barn of Mark Hennig. (4) Kaz’s Princess showed speed while sprinting on the turf last time and ran third. She now stretches out to this mile and Irad stays on board.

Best bets: Silver Token (1^st); Princesa Caroline (6^th). Best value: Knockout Punch (5^th); Kept Waiting (9^th).