Belmont Park Hotlist - June 3

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, June 3, 2022 at Belmont Park
                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 [Clm 35000 N3L, 6F TURF] – (7) High School Crush (D) was claimed in March for $25,000 at Aqueduct from a race where she was bet down from 6-1 to 7-2. She will make her first start for the new trainer and move back to turf where she recorded both of her wins. (5) Inajiffy won the first two starts of her career and now makes a significant drop in class after running in stakes and allowances. (8) Translate also gets class relief from a series of starter allowances after winning a maiden special weight at Santa Anita. (1) Lionessofbrittany has been away from the races for more than a year when she was second in stake at Gulfstream Park in a turf sprint.

3^rd race [Clm 25000 N3L, 7F] – (2) Alpine Queen will cut back from a mile after a pair of second-place finishes where she set the pace. (4) Scott Alaia was part of the pace with the top choice and finished first once and then third. Hopefully one of them will carry their speed for this shorter race. (1) Jacrodra’s Devil will exit open claiming races and try a restricted race for the first time since she was a maiden. (7) Big Tony’s Girl was second most recently when she moved from a couple of allowance races to this N3L condition.

7^th race [OC 80k/N1X, 1 mi] – (5) Highly Repected won his debut in February at Aqueduct and then was second by a nose in the Bay Shore (G3) for Chad Brown. The one-turn mile seems like a good fit for this probable favorite. (9) Varatti is another promising 3-year-old that won his debut for Todd Pletcher at Belmont Park in September in a race where Mo Donegal was third. He was second in his first race of 2022 in April. (3) Unbridled Bomber ran in two of the Aqueduct Derby prep races and then was third in an allowance last month. (2) Galt was fourth in the Holy Bull (G3) and fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) for Bill Mott and returns from a March layoff.

9^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi TURF] – (11) Howe Street (A) is handsome looking son of Honor Code who was second in his debut with a fast turn of foot from the far outside. Jose Ortiz gets on board, but he is posted out wide again. (12) Growth Capital gets blinkers on after a pair of seconds for Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables. (6) Causin’ Mayhem was second by a neck in his first start in March at Gulfstream for Pletcher and gets blinkers on also. (3) Oglethorpe is a first-time starter for Danny Gargan. He is a son of Arrogate out of a mare that was stakes-placed on the grass and has produced one winner from her only starter.

Best bets:  Alpine Queen (3^rd); Highly Respected (7^th). Best value:  High School Crush (2^nd); Howe Street (9^th).