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, 6 ½ F] – (3) Silo Ridge (A) was last seen in August at Saratoga when he was second to a return winner but was a late scratch in October. (2) Login Required has a pair of seconds since returning from a 10-month layoff and joining a new barn. (6) Light the Way came back from a seven-month layoff, pressed the pace, and finished third. (5) War Stride was third two races back after setting the pace at Aqueduct last month.

3^rd race [Clm 25000 N2L, 7F] – (1) Blue Plate Special (B) got bumped, taken up at the break, climbed due to the kickback, and now makes a needed drop in class. He returns after two weeks rest. (2) G Munning will drop into the N2L condition for the first time after racing in NY-bred allowance races. (7) Kentucky Joker won a $40,000 maiden claimer in his first start after getting claimed by Linda Rice. (4) Good Rapport takes the blinkers off after setting the pace in his last two starts and finishing second and third.

8^th race [Garland of Roses, 6F] – (4) You Look Cold returns to stakes competition and gets an ideal set-up for her closing running style in a field in which she is the only late runner. The Bill Mott trainee won a second-level allowance in October after a short layoff. (1) Disco Ebo looks like the speed of the speed breaking from the rail. Primarily racing at Parx, she is the winner of 9 out of 18 starts with five of the victories coming at six furlongs. She was third in this race last year against a much stronger field. (5) Olga Isabel won all three of her starts since joining the Brad Cox barn and starting her 2023 campaign. She has three allowance scores at three different tracks moving from Saratoga to Keeneland in her last two. (7) Hot Fudge is the winner of 4 out of her last 6 starts including a more than three length win at Aqueduct just eight days ago.

9^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 7F] – (7) Fabulous Fox (A) will move from turf to dirt in her second career start after breaking last and rallying to finish third at the Big A. (6) Scarlet’s Dream made a big improvement in her second start when she pressed the pace and got the place spot. (3) Dolce Veloce has sent off as the odds-on favorite in her debut for Bill Mott when his runners are not usually expected to win first time out. She was close to the pace and finished fourth. (2) Call Her Bluff missed the maiden win by a head last time which was a month ago.

Best bets: Silo Ridge (1^st); Fabulous Fox (9^th). Best value:  Blue Plate Special (3^rd): You Look Cold (8^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 1-3 à 2, 3, 5, 6 with 6 with 1, 2, 4, 7 = $16.