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.

5^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 6 ½ F] – (6) Willow Bend (D) was bet down from 9-1 to 7-1 and finished fourth going a mile and moves back to a better distance. (2) Everyoneloveslinda enters with the claiming option so that she can run at this level at which she had two wins in the spring. (4) Proud Foot comes back from an August layoff and drops back here for the Rick Dutrow barn which is winning at a 55% clip. (5) I’m Buzzy was claimed last time for $50,000 and also enters for a tag with nine victories in her record.

7^th race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 7F] – (8) Speightful Lily (B) returns from a July layoff when she tossed her head and later bore out nine wide coming into the stretch. (5) Sue Ellen Mishkin came back from a six month layoff and ran second after pressing the pace. She now comes back after three weeks with the claiming option having already won at this level three races back. (1) Miss Lao was second last time going a mile and cuts back to seven furlongs where she was a winner in October. (2) Maggy’s Palace was second and third at this level in her last two starts.

8^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 1/8 mi] – (2) Summer Cause (B) pressed a fast pace and held on for third going the nine furlong distance. (9) Alternate Reality got jostled at the top of the stretch and gamely battled to get second going a mile. (7) Mama’s Gold ran the best race of her career with an open-length front-end victory in the Empire Classic  at 40-1. (1) Donegal Surges was third in that Empire Classic last time but won a first level allowance against open company before that beating Mama’s Gold.

9^th race [NY, Alw 80000 N1X, 1 mi] – (7) Tomschickenfingers (8) checked badly at the start, made a wide move, but then faded. (2) Magic Beach moved from turf to dirt, had the lead, and finished third going seven furlongs. (4) Allofasuddenlee had the same pattern moving back to the dirt and was second last time after setting the pace. (1) Drive Thru debuted on the grass and was fifth and drops down a bit moving to the dirt.

Best bets: Speightful Lady (7^th); Tomschickenfingers (9^th). Best value: Willow Bend (5^th); Summer Cause (8^th).