Saratoga Hotlist - July 24

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Saturday, July 24, 2021 at Saratoga – Day 8
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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

4^th race [Clm 40000 N2L, 5 ½ F TURF] – (4) Bardolino (D) was bet down from 7-1 to 4-1 in a NY-bred allowance for the Bond barn and drops into a N2L claimer for the first time. He was a debut winner last year at Aqueduct. (10) Forced has a pair of thirds in allowance races at Pimlico and now ships up to Saratoga dropping into this level race looking for a win. His lone turf sprint two races back was promising. (3) Count Down was a front-end winner of a $50,000 maiden claimer when he cut back to a turf sprint at Belmont Park. (9) Petrus broke his maiden for $40,000 in his 2021 debut and then stretched out in a starter allowance, but now is in a more appropriate spot.

7^th race [OC 80k/N1X, 1 1/16 TURF] – (6) Mira Mission (C) was a close second in his second start of the year on the yielding turf at Belmont when he bet down from 27-1 to 18-1 for Tom Bush. (11) Space Launch was third in his 2021 return for Christophe Clement, just a neck behind a horse that came back and won. (4) Hombre earned the top speed figure in this field in his maiden victory earlier in the month for Barclay Tagg. (12) Future Victory got his second victory in a starter allowance after a late rally for Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz stays on board.

8^th race [Md Sp Wt 100000, 1 mi TURF] – (5) Midnight Choir (D) was well-liked in her career debut last year in a turf sprint at Belmont Park for Jonathan Thomas when she did not have a clean break in a race where the very fast Miss Brazil was third. Now she gets blinkers and Lasix for the first time. (2) Baby Blythe was third in her first start in December at Aqueduct for Shug McGaughey after encountering trouble late in that race. (1) Split Then Double missed by a head in her first start of the year for Chad Brown behind a horse that came back to win again. (9) Ego Trip will make her American debut after running second in her first start in England behind a horse that won two in a row. She will get Lasix for the first time for Brendan Walsh.

9^th race [Alw 103000 N1X, 7F] – (3) Entreat (A) was a debut winner last year for Chad Brown at Churchill Downs and then did not make her next start until last month when she lost all chance as she tossed her head and lunged at the break as an even money favorite. (6) Caramel Swirl was last seen in the Eight Belles (G2) in April following a 10-length maiden score at Keeneland. Now, the Bill Mott runner comes back was two fast bullet works at Saratoga. (8) Flash Magic was transferred from the barn of Bob Baffert to Steve Asmussen and she then rolled to an impressive maiden victory. (5) Amendment Nineteen gets blinkers on after her first victory at Belmont for Linda Rice at the end of May.

Best bets:  Bardolino (4^th); Mira Mission (7^th). Best value:  Midnight Choir (8^th); Entreat (9^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 on races 8 - 10 ends with the Caress (G3) à 1, 2, 5, 9 with 3, 5, 6, 8 with 1, 2 = $32.