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.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (4) Wynning Touch (A) had to check sharply after running up on heels while making a move on the inside in the second start of her career. The Chad Brown entry of (1) Regulatory Risk and (1A) Maturity Date are both strong contenders. (5) Value Area was third in her last three starts for Todd Pletcher. (2) Backstreet Rose finished in the top three in her last three races for Kenny McPeek.

2^nd race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 1 mi] – (5) Callaloo drops back to this level after running fourth in a state-bred stakes race last time. He set the pace and finished third two races back in this allowance condition. (4) Un Ojo has certainly run against better horses in the past having won and placed on the 2022 Kentucky Derby trail. (6) Zeebear is a consistent performer at this level and should be used underneath in exotic wagers. (2) Bourbon Chase won the first-level allowance for state-breds last time.

3^rd race [Gravesend, 6F] – (4) Bold Journey won his last two starts and both of them were at Aqueduct. Last time he rallied from fifth and last to win the Fall Highweight (G3) after having to go eight-wide while making up eight lengths. (5) Durante won 5 out of his last 7 starts and was second in the other two races. He does his best running when he is setting the pace. Last time he was second in the Fall Highweight after winning the Bold Ruler (G3). This year he won at four different tracks from California to New York. (2) Rotknee was third in the Fall Highweight after a victory in the Henry Hudson where he beat a strong field of veteran NY-breds. He has 8 wins from 15 career starts with three coming at the Big A. (3) Greeley and Ben came back from a year layoff in November with wins in his last pair of races which were in the Dave’s Friend at Laurel Park just a week ago and an allowance at the Maryland track also.

9^th race [Clm 25000 N2L, 6 ½ F] – (5) Red D G P (C) was bet down from 7-1 to 5-1, got involved in a pace duel, finished a game second beaten by a neck, and got claimed for $40,000. (4) Burn Jakey Burn was second in the N2L condition two races back and then tried blinkers while overmatched in a starter allowance. The blinkers come right back off. (6) Collect From Ike broke his maiden for a $40,000 tag, tried a starter allowance, and now drops into an appropriate spot. (11) Bayou Spirit was a maiden claiming winner at Keeneland for $20,000 and then was fifth in a starter allowance in his second start after a layoff.

Best bets: Bold Journey (3^rd); Red D G P (9^th). Best value:  Wynning Touch (1^st); Callaloo (2^nd).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 1-3 which includes the $150,000 Gravesend stakes à1, 4, 5 with 4, 5, 6 with 4, 5 = $18.