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.

3^rd race [NY, Affirmed Success, 6F] – (5) Excellent Timing (C) was bet down from 5-1 to 5-2 in an open company first-level allowance. He broke through the gate before the start, set the pace, and faded to third. (1) Rotknee won 9 out of 18 career starts including at least three NY-bred stakes races with two at the Big A. (2) Donegal Surges won both of his NY-bred allowances in his last two starts for Todd Pletcher. (3) Sheriff Bianco is also a past state-bred stakes winner and was second in this race last year.

4^th race [Clm 16000 N2L, 1 mi] – (6) Bingood to Knowya was the winner of a $30,000 maiden claimer last month and drops into an appropriate N2L condition.  (7) Gun Maestro made his second start since being claimed by Linda Rice, set the pace, and finished third. (3) Sondsliksomdiniddo was also the winner of a $30,000 claimer in his last start but he used a closing move. (8) Phantom Jewel broke his maiden at Laurel Park in a $20,000 claimer against open company and stepped up to a higher claiming level. 

6^th race [Clm 20000, 1 mi] – (6) Holdtheflight (D) was a winner two races back for the $20,000 tag and got claimed. He moved up to a starter allowance and got bet from 10-1 to 6-1 and finished sixth. (7) Gut Feeling won twice in his last three starts for a $16,000 tag and got claimed both times. (4) Bourbon Calling had the lead in a $25,000 race last time and lost a stretch duel by a neck. (1) High Heat got claimed for $20,000 two races back and then stepped up to finish second with his best speed figure.

8^th race [Md Sp Wt, 6F TURF] – (4) Marco T. was second or third in four career starts including her 2024 debut that happened a month ago at Gulfstream Park. This NY-bred has raced only once against state-breds and that was with the boys. She was also second in a stakes race at Aqueduct in November. (6) Ocean Mermaid will make her first start of the year with Lasix and the blinkers come off. She debuted in a stakes at Gulfstream and was second and then at Saratoga set the pace and finished third. Both times the winner came back to victory in their next starts including a stakes race at Aqueduct the other day. (8) Bewildered is a first-time starter for Bruce Levine who is 33% from his last 15 firsters. (7) Awatea ships up to New York for his first start of the year for Riley Mott.

Best bets: Bingood to Knowya (4^th); Marco T. (8^th). Best value: Excellent Timing (3^rd); Holdtheflight (6^th).