Saratoga Hotlist - August 4

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Wednesday, August 4, 2021 at Saratoga – Day 15
                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.

2^nd race [Md 20000, 7F] – (7) Cousin Andrew (B) returns from an April layoff when he was off to a slow start, was headstrong racing inside, and then had to check. Now Chad Brown drops him down from that maiden special weight as a new gelding. (4) Leading West comes back from a September layoff for the current Saratoga leading trainer Mike Maker who drops his claiming price in half from when last seen racing at Churchill Downs. (6) Mach One will make his second start following a layoff for Danny Gargan who drops him out of a maiden special weight and goes turf to dirt. (8) We Be There will also make drop in class in this spot for his trainer Tom Amoss.

4^th race [NY, Alw 90000 N1X, 1 1/8 mi] – (4) Coffee Bar (A) returned from a January layoff for Todd Pletcher and rallied for second after a poor start. After that race it was noted that she needed to go long again as in her second in the Busanda. (2) Ifihadachance had the lead in the stretch last race and lost by a neck. (6) Enough Love will also try state-breds for the first time after racing in recent allowances at Parx. (1) Electric Youth will move from turf to dirt and hope to get on a dry main track for the first time after four wet racks earlier in the year.

5^th race [New York Stallion Series, 1 mi TURF] – (1) Funwhileitlasted (B) rallied late last time for second in another NY Stallion stake at Belmont Park at seven-furlongs. (2) Byhubbyhellomoney (B) was steadied at the start of an allowance that came off the grass and rallied from last to miss the win by a neck. (5) Sport Model was the winner of the race that the top Hot List horse was second in. She will stretch out to two-turns for the first time for Christophe Clement. (3) Show Me the Honey was a debut winner last year and then was fourth in an open-company stake. In her first start of this year, she lost all chance at the start of that aforementioned Stallion Series stake.

10^th race [Alw 50000s, 1 1/16 TURF] – (7) Mopolka (A) comes right back after less than two weeks as a filly that feels like she is ready to win for Linda Rice. Last time, she had the lead in the stretch and should move forward from that effort. (12) Hohohoho (C) finished third after setting the pace in a similar spot where she was bet down from 7-1 to 5-1. (2) Be Up broke her maiden at Delaware Park for Jonathan Thomas and came right back to finish fourth in a stakes race there. (8) Evidence Based was claimed for $50,000 by Wayne Potts from her maiden victory for Chad Brown. She came back in a race that came off the grass that was not to her liking.

Best bets:  Cousin Andrew (2^nd); Coffee Bar (4^th). Best value:  Funwhileitlasted (5^th); Mopolka (10^th).