Saratoga Hotlist - July 16

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Friday, July 16, 2021 at Saratoga – Day 2
                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, OC45/N2X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (6) Chocolate Cookie won 2 out of 3 races last year as a 3-year-old for Todd Pletcher. She broke her maiden at Saratoga and then won a NY-bred allowance with a late rally after racing very wide. (7) Classic Colors won a first-level state-bred allowance in her 2021 debut at Belmont Park for Christophe Clement and then had a less than ideal trip against open company. (2) Giacosa was third and then second at this level in her two starts of the year for the Bond barn which usually points their horses to win at the Spa. (4) Light in the Sky made her first start of the year in a NY-bred stakes race that came off the turf. Last year, she won a state-bred allowance at Saratoga for trainer Horatio DePaz.

4^th race [Md Sp Wt 100k, 1 3/8 mi TURF] – (7) Angelou was second and third as a 2-year-old and debuted this year with a barn change to Pletcher running second after getting bumped and then stumbling at the start. (5) Flaming Rouge has a pair of second-place finishes this year for Clement after racing in France last year. (1) Ballacolla debuted in March for Chad Brown as the favorite at Tampa Downs and finished second. (8) Lisheen has plenty of experience going longer distances on the grass for Graham Motion.

6^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt 85k, 5 ½ F] – (7) November Rein (A) set the pace and battled down the stretch to finish second in her first career start at Belmont for trainer Kelly Breen. (4) Kant Hurry Love hopped at the start of her debut race and got 16-lengths behind yet still made up more than 10-lengths to finish third at odds of 2.40-1. (3) Succulent will make her first start. Her dam won $209,000 and was second in a NY-bred stake as a 2-year-old and has produced a debut winner of more than $203,000. (2) Let Her Inspire U is a daughter of Practical Joke who has had great success as a first-year sire. This one sold for $500,000 as a 2-year-old in March.

10^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt 85k, 5 ½ F TURF] – (9) Fancy Feline (B) got off to an awkward start in her debut at Belmont on a muddy track race that was meant for the turf and rallied for third. (4) U Should B Dancing was second in her first race of 2021 and will now get Lasix for the first time. (6) Uncle’s Gem made the kind of educational debut that Linda Rice builds from in their second start. This daughter of Uncle Mo is a home-bred for Charles Fipke. (3) Candy Monet was entered for the turf for David Donk and went long on a sloppy sealed track and flashed speed for the first two fractions. Now Donk goes to this turf sprint.

Best bets:  Chocolate Cookie (3^rd); Angelou (4^th). Best value:  November Rein (6^th); Fancy Feline (10^th).