Saratoga Hotlist - August 21

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Sunday, August 21, 2022 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.

6^th race [Md Sp Wt, 6 ½ F] – (7) Spelterini (B) made a big late run to finish second in her debut for Bill Mott beating a Todd Pletcher runner that came back to break his maiden. Mott youngsters usually improve significantly in their second starts. (5) Rarify set the pace in his first start at Saratoga for Wesley Ward and finished second. Horses with experience have done very well in their return race. (2) Grand Love will make her first start. She is by Gun Runner out of a stakes-winning mare that has produced two graded stakes winners and one is a millionaire earner. (8) Rosie’s Alibi was a $625,000 yearling purchase by Justify who will debut for Todd Pletcher. The dam produced three winners from four to start including a stakes winner.

8^th race [Alw 115000 N1X, 6F] – (1) Ruvies in Time (D) was bet down from 9-2 to 5-2 after a series of starts in these first-level allowances. (8) Baba was second in an allowance after setting the pace and then falling short by a head. (2) Repealing is another one with early speed that she used to break her maiden at Churchill Downs and then was third in her first try in allowance company. (4) Chloe Rose won her last race in a starter allowance after a few top three finishes at that level.

9^th race [Bolton Landing, 5 ½ F TURF] – (2) Love Reigns was one of those early 2-year-old winners for Wesley Ward at Keeneland that went to Royal Ascot and finished fourth in the Queen Mary (G2) after having the lead in a 21-horse field. (9) Sweet Harmony won her first two starts for John Terranova at Monmouth Park with a debut on the main track and then on the turf in the Colleen. (3) No Kay Never is another Ward runner that won her debut race that came on the grass at Indiana Downs. (5) Grand Oak was a maiden winner at Churchill for Graham Motion that also went to Ascot for the Queen Mary but did not fare as well as the top choice.

10^th race [Md 40000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (8) Vagaries will drop out of three maiden special weight efforts, two of which came last year as a juvenile for Chad Brown. (6) Miscreant has a pair of seconds and a third at this level and finished behind a horse that came back to win a $50,000 claimer by disqualification. (9) Candlestick Maker ran fourth for a $75,000 tag last time and now drops back down. (3) Belleshazza has improved speed figures in her last four starts.

Best bets:  Love Reigns (9^th); Vagaries (10^th). Best value: Spelterini (6^th); Ruvies in Time (8^th).