Saratoga Hotlist - August 28

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Sunday, August 28, 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.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (10) Forever Dixie (B) steadied in the first turn and then the stretch and had to race four-wide. The blinkers go on, which is a positive statistic for Mark Casse. (2) Xigera had the lead in her debut race after pressing the pace and finished second for hot trainer Phil Bauer. (6) Clever Joke will make her first start for Chad Brown as a daughter of Practical Joke out of a mare that was a stakes winner on the turf. (7) Akayla is another firster for Brown and this one sold for $650,000 in March at Ocala.

2^nd race [Alw 50000s, 1 1/8 mi] – (5) Higher Quality stretched out to the nine-furlong distance and won his first start at Saratoga and got claimed away from Chad Brown for $40,000. (3) Cryo was second in two starts at Saratoga going the two-turn distance, last time was in a starter allowance in his first start after a claim by the Noda Brothers. (6) Eloquist appeared on the Kentucky Derby trail last year and was a winner in his second start of 2022 at the Spa going this distance. (1) Endowed ran well in his last two starts at this level for Christophe Clement.

3^rd race [Alw 50000s, 5 ½ F TURF] – (7) Bustin Bullet (B) got bumped early in her last race and then had to steady in the stretch when there was no room to run. (1) Mispelled Mooon has plenty of early speed which she used to win a maiden special weight at Monmouth Park and then get second at Saratoga in a starter allowance early in the month. (3) Abuse of Power got claimed out of a Saratoga win for $35,000 by Horatio DePaz. (4) Thismightbetheone clipped heels in her last start after a pair of excellent efforts.

4^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/8 mi] – (5) Sidekick was second or third in all three starts for Shug McGaughey, most recently going the nine-furlong distance. (2) Gasoline ran second behind Artorius who went on to win the Curlin and then was slated to race in the Travers. He is projected to be on the lead against this field. (6) Bold Looker was second and then third in his two starts of this year. (1) Abundant Honor was last seen in January at Gulfstream Park running second between two horses that both returned to win their next starts. He will stay on the dirt after that improved effort.

Best bets:  Higher Quality (2^nd); Sidekick (4^th). Best value: Forever Dixie (1^st); Bustin Bullet (3^rd).