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 [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (8) Catherine Wheel was third and second for Chad Brown and was a $725,000 purchase as a 2-year-old. (1) Backstretch Rose improved her speed figures in all five starts and has a pair of seconds since stretching out to a mile. (5) Paradise Lane set the pace in both of her races, was third last month, and looks to get loose on the lead again. (10) Helcia gets the blinkers on after improving in her last start for Chad also.

3^rd race [Turnback the Alarm, 1 1/8 mi] – (1) Bellamore gets some class relief after running third in the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland behind two horses that will run in the Breeders’ Cup. (2) Tizzy in the Sky won an allowance by almost 10 lengths at Aqueduct in her second start after a layoff. (3) Interstatedaydream was off the board only once in 13 starts including a win in a stakes race at Laurel Park last time where she overcame a poor start. (4) Morning Matcha has four good dirt races recently with a third in the Delaware Handicap (G2) against the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

4^th race [Clm 25000 N2L, 6F] – (4) Best Coast won last time on the grass but moves back to the main track where she has also run well. (7) Shasi broke her maiden for a $40,000 tag at Aqueduct in the winter and now gets class relief. (3) My Girl Jal similarly has been racing against much tougher competition since winning her first race. (6) Now Showing will try the dirt again as the turf season has only a couple of weeks left.

5^th race [NY, Alw 75000, 6 ½ F] – (3) Solib (C) was bet down from 5-1 to 3-1 where she pressed the pace, had the lead, finished second, and got claimed for $35,000. The race before she was second at this allowance level. (8) Reigning Chick (C) won her last start in an open claimer at Saratoga and was taken for $16,000 after getting bet from 5-1 to 3-1. (2) Big Bean Christine pressed the pace at today’s level and finished third last month at the Big A. (9) Duckphat missed a win by a nose at Saratoga against open company in a starter allowance and changes barns.

Best bets:  Catherine Wheel (1^st); Bellamore (3^rd). Best value:  Best Coast (4^th); Solib (5^th).