Saratoga Hotlist - August 9

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, August 9, 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.

5^th race – (5) Windfall Profit (B) has shown a steady growth in speed figures especially in her two starts this year when she narrowly missed breaking her maiden. The Shug McGaughey runner is back in another turf maiden special weight. (6) Bastet was well bet in both her races and improved when third last time at Belmont Park for Bill Mott. (2) Ms Boombastic will make her first start for Mott and interestingly regular rider Junior Alvarado shows up on this filly after riding the second choice in this race in her last start. (4) Lady Rosalie has several past races that make her a contender in this field as she makes her second start for a new Maryland-based trainer.

6^th race – (5) Secondary Market (A) won her second career start for Chad Brown at Belmont back in September after a promising debut at Saratoga last summer. She turned out to be an impressive winner by more than five-lengths after leading from gate to wire. She defeated a heavily bet Todd Pletcher first-time starter who ran a very good second. She will make her 2020 debut in a first-level allowance going 6.5 furlongs (9) Pop a Choc drew off to break her maiden at Belmont by more than five lengths earning a top speed figure while defeating a talented runner in her first try on the dirt. (6) Primacy also broke her maiden last time out by a big margin at Belmont for Chad Brown. (2) Timely Tradition has 10 career wins from 20 starts but still qualifies for this condition because those victories came in claimers or against state-breds. Trainer Ray Handal is having an outstanding Saratoga meeting thus far.

8^th race – (3) Shamrocket (C) is in career best form after a maiden score and then a neck loss against winners at Belmont for Christophe Clement who is the leading training at the Spa right now. He is back in another allowance going nine furlongs on the grass. (8) City Man won the first two races of his career for Clement including a NY-bred stake and most recently missed winning a Grade 3 on the turf at Keeneland by less than a length. (5) Mr Jaggers also broke his maiden on the grass at Belmont Park defeating a strong field for Bill Mott. (6) Forever Poe moves to the barn of Chad Brown after he broke his maiden at Santa Anita back in January. He is one of those expensive purchases for OXO Equine.  

10^th race – (2) Always Funny (B) comes back for his third career start in another $25,000 NY-bred maiden claimer after making a strong rally to get fourth after having trouble changing leads. (8) Brunate (C) was bet down from 7-1 to 5-1 in that same race as the top choice and finished third after a wide trip. (1) Imperio D (C) pressed the pace in that race against the top two and finished second after taking late money and his odds dropping from 18-1 to 12-1. That may have been his career best race. (9) Pier Forty switched to the Asmussen barn where an experiment to race without blinkers failed. Blinkers go back on and he drops down to this level for the first time.

Best bets:  Windfall Profit (5^th); Shamrocket (8^th). Best value:  Secondary Market (6^th); Always Funny (10^th).