Belmont Park Hotlist - May 30

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Monday, May 30, 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.

1^st race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (3) Sister Linda (B) returns from her debut which came back in September against a formidable field that included Venti Valentine where she raced greenly and faced a lot of traffic. She is now in the barn of Horacio DePaz and gets first-time Lasix. (5) Royal Currency is an improving horse for Charlie Baker with a pair of seconds in her recent starts. (2) Missing Fortune tried the grass recently and did not run well so it is back to the main track where she ran better in her debut at odds of 6-1. (6) Secret Hideout was 77-1 in her first start last month and did little running. She came back two weeks later and was bet down to 9-1 with Lasix for the first time and finished more competitively.

4^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (2) Whistler’s Honor (A) had the look of a horse that needed more distance before his first start back in November and gets it today. He broke poorly that day and rallied late to get up for fifth having made up a lot of ground. Jose Ortiz gets the mount. (1) Biondi had the lead and finished second after a layoff in his 2022 debut and gets a rider upgrade to Luis Saez. (4) Nikostratus had a pair of seconds last year for Jonathan Thomas and comes back with blinkers on and first-time Lasix. He ships in from Monmouth Park where the trainer is based this summer. (6) Front Line Dancer makes his second start which also comes after a winter break and gets blinkers and Lasix for Todd Pletcher. He got jostled in the early going and had to rally from last to fifth.

7^th race [NY, Bouwerie, 7F] – (3) Sterling Silver was over-matched in her last two starts in open company stakes and now moves back to NY-bred racing where she won her first two starts. She also finds a field loaded with speed horses which is ideal for her late-running style. (6) Kisses for Emily broke her maiden in an open company stake at Parx in her sixth start in March. She was sixth last time against state-breds but gets the right pace scenario in here. (8) True Empress was a maiden winner two back with a closing move. (5) Captainsdaughter ran poorly on the turf which had happened before and now is back on the right surface with blinkers on and an excellent pace set-up.

8^th race [NY, Mike Lee, 7F] – (9) Who Hoo Thats Me (B) made his 2022 debut in an allowance and rallied late to get second, beaten by less than a length. He finds a field loaded with speed which should suit him well. (4) Tin Pan Alley ran well in both starts for Chad Brown including a Saratoga debut and then a maiden score in March. (2) Best Idea won his first start for Todd Pletcher, tried a NY-bred stake, and then was second in an allowance by a head. The pace scenario is positive for him as Johnny V. gets on board. (8) Hot Rod Rumble won his last two starts for Steve Asmussen in a maiden and then an allowance and Joel Rosario gets the mount.

Best bets:  Sterling Silver (7^th); Who Hoo That’s Me (8^th). Best value:  Sister Linda (1^st); Whistler’s Honor (4^th).