Saratoga Hotlist - September 2

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch Thursday, September 2, 2021 at Saratoga – Day 35
                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 Sp Wt 100000, 5 ½ F TURF] – (1) Java Buzz (A) was bumped and pinched back at the start of his first career start for Linda Rice. He finished second well ahead of the rest of the field and should advance in his second start as happens with most Rice second-time starters. (2) Slipstream had two starts for Christophe Clement with a poor start in the first and then on a sloppy track. Back on the grass, he should step forward. (10) Iberville is training sharply with turf in the pedigree for Tom Amoss who is always willing to send his horses to the lead. (9) Liza’s Ready has been training on the turf for Wesley Ward who calls on his go-to rider John Velazquez for this first-timer.

3^rd race [Clm 16000 N2L, 6F] – (7) East Wing (B) had the lead, got checked in the early going, and then the rider seemed to stop with this horse. Now, she drops down in price after being away since June. (4) Red Pepper Grill was second two races back at this level. Her last race was a throw-out going too far against too tough a field. (3) Miss Alex broke her maiden for a $30,000 tag two races ago and then faced winners in a harder spot than this. (2) Esotica was a six-length winner last time on a sloppy track at Saratoga.

7^th race [OC80k/N2X, 5 ½ F TURF] – (5) Motivated Seller (A) set the pace with fast fractions in her 2021 debut for Chad Brown and hung on for third while the others, that were prominent early, backed out of it. (6) Tiple made her 2021 debut three weeks ago and clearly needed a race. She won her other two starts at the Spa. (7) Gotta Go Mo missed by a head last time and had two good stakes performances before that. (9) Time Limit won 3 out of 4 starts this year with the most recent against open company in a first-level allowance.

8^th race [Clm 50000, 1 1/8 mi] – (4) Candy Tycoon will drop into a claimer for the first time in his career for Todd Pletcher. Last year, he was second in the Fountain of Youth (G2) on the Derby trail. (7) Shotski has been off since a June victory in a N3L claimer. In 2019, he won the Withers (G3) at Aqueduct. (10) Two Thirty Five was claimed for $50,000 in May by Doug O’Neill who ran him in the Gold Cup (G1). He will now make his second start for R. Diodoro back at that claiming level. (1) Journeyman was second last time in a similar claimer after switching back to the dirt at Saratoga. Luis Saez stays on board.

Best bets:  Java Buzz (2^nd); Motivated Seller (7^th). Best value:  East Wing (3^rd); Candy Tycoon (8^th).