Saratoga Hotlist - August 27

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch Friday, August 27, 2021 at Saratoga – Day 32
                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.

3^rd race [NY, Md Sp Wt 85000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (1) 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”. (4) Sandro the Great will make her third start following the winter off as she rounds into form after running second last time. (2) Umbria made a big improvement when trainer Linda Rice moved her from dirt to turf and stretched her out in distance. (7) Barrage will drop down from two starts in NY-bred stakes races with the most recent for Danny Gargan. She gets the meets leading rider Luis Saez in the saddle.

4^th race [NY, Funny Cide, 6 ½ F] – (8) Daufuskie Island (A) was a debut winner by five-lengths for Jeremiah Englehart who is once again clicking with his young horses. (2) Happy Happy B (C) set a contested pace in his first start and finished second after getting bet down to be 6-1. The other horses involved in the pace battle faded badly. (7) Run Curtis Run is unbeaten after two starts including an almost four-length victory in the Rick Violette at Saratoga against a small field of state-breds. (5) Montebello broke his maiden at Del Mar as the even money favorite. He had the lead and hung on to win by a head. Now, trainer Bob Baffert ships him to the Spa to race against NY-breds. The ownership group paid $400,000 for him as a yearling.

5^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt 85000, 5 ½ F TURF] – (7) Caumsett (A) had previously done her best running pressing the pace but last time was taken back and then ran into traffic down the stretch and was forced back to run third. Now the blinkers go on for the first time. (12) Mill Stone Creek (B) steadied early as she returned to the grass and still rallied for third. The blinkers come off as she tries for the fourth time to actually get to run in a Saratoga race after entering. (2) Sinfully Sweet will debut for Mark Casse as a $320,000 yearling purchase. (5) Baudi Moovan was fourth in her first career start for Jeremiah E. after racing wide turning for home.

8^th race [NY, West Point, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (7) City Man (B) got off to a slow start and was in 10^th in the early going as a horse that has preferred to be forwardly placed and then had to race wide. He will move back to state-bred competition after two recent start in graded stakes including a second in the Fort Marcy (G2) at Belmont Park in May. (2) Rinaldi has been very hard to beat against NY-breds. His last three starts were in open company stakes with a front-end win in the Forbidden Apple (G3) at Saratoga at the start of the meeting. (8) Mo Ready was second in a tough allowance last time and now Todd Pletcher sends him back to face NY-breds. (1) Therapist was third in this race last year but his last five starts were against open company.

Best bets:  Daufuskie Island (4^th); Caumsett (5^th). Best value:  Hit the Nail (3^rd); City Man (8^th).