Bob Ehalt // Fri. June 4
Today’s New York Hot List races to watch at Belmont Park
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 4th or worse
* – 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.
2nd race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6F TURF] – (7) Kreesa La Wrote (C) returned to grass racing and finished second behind a quality debut runner for Jorge Abreu. Bet down from 6-1 to 7-2, she made a significant jump in speed figures. (11) Caumsett (C) also got back on the grass and ran well to finish third in the same race as the top Hot List horse and was bet from 16-1 to 12-1. (6) Tales I Winit was second for a $40,000 tag after a return from a long layoff for Christophe Clement earning a speed figure that merits the move back to the maiden special weight level. (5) Shea On a Mission made her first start at Gulfstream Park for a $50,000 tag against open company. Paco Lopez, who rode her in Florida, will come to Belmont to ride as she moves to NY-bred company.
9th race [New York (G2), 1 ¼ mi TURF] – (2) Virginia Joy (A) won her first start in America for Chad Brown in a second-level allowance with an impressive turn of foot. She was a Group 3 winner in Germany. (5) Harvey’s Lil Goil was a formidable winner for her 2021 debut in the Beaugay (G3) earning her a second straight triple-digit Beyer. (1) Magic Attitude was last seen winning the Sheepshead Bay (G2) by three-lengths in her second start of the year. (9) Thundering Nights will make her first start in America for trainer Joseph O’Brien, the son of the legendary Aiden O’Brien. She was a Group 3 winner in Ireland last summer and she was second in her 2021 debut at the Curragh in another Group 3.
10th race [Belmont Gold Cup, 2 mi TURF] – (8) Baron Samedi cames to America for Joseph O’Brien riding a six-race winning streak which goes back to last summer with victories in Ireland and France and includes Group 2 and 3 wins. (2) Tide of the Sea was in fine form in graded stakes at Gulfstream Park for Michael Maker. Blinkers come off in hopes that will get this high-strung horse to relax a bit. (6) Strong Tide was third in the Louisville (G3) in his last start. He has tactical speed which will serve him well in this two mile turf marathon. (7) Kinenos got a big allowance victory for Brad Cox in an allowance at Belmont recently going ten-furlongs.
11th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 ¼ mi TURF] – (3) Mutasallem (C) ran second in his turf debut for Chad Brown at Belmont after getting bet down from 8-1 to 6-1. Going off at odds of 6-1 for a Brown runner indicates the quality of that field. Blinkers go on. (6) Prayer Book (D) went a long distance last time as he was bet down from 7-1 to 5-1 for Todd Pletcher. (8) Landbiscuit made his first start after getting moved to the barn of Bill Mott and responded with a second which earned the highest speed figure in the field. (5) Cambi Lion should appreciate the added distance out to 10-furlongs for Shug McGaughey.
Best bets: Kreesa La Wrote (2nd); Baron Samedi (10th). Best value: Virginia Joy (9th); Mutasallem (11th).
| No. | Name | Letter/ last race |
Today’s Race | Comments |
| (4) | Aunt Kat | A on 4/22 | 1 | Entered for Main Track Only. |
| (7) | Kreesa La Wrote | C on 5/9 | 2 | She was second in her last after return to the turf. |
| (11) | Caumsett | C on 5/9 | 2 | She was third in the same race as the filly mentioned above. |
| (2) | Virginia Joy | A on 4/23 | 9 | Impressive winner of her American debut for Chad Brown. |
| (3) | Mutasallem | C on 4/24 | 11 | He was second in his turf debut for Chad and gets blinkers on. |
| (6) | Prayer Book | D on 5/6 | 11 | Todd Pletcher runner was bet down in long distance turf race. |