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 [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (6) Katherine Thomas (D) was bet down from 8-1 to 6-1 for her debut which was at Saratoga in July for a trainer that rarely wins with first-time starters and was fifth in a race that was won by a Breeders’ Cup horse. (11) Just Magic was entered for the grass last time but ended up on a sloppy track where he pressed the pace, got the lead, and finished second. (3) Just Jules was a $1.05 million yearling purchase that will make her first start for Bill Mott. She is out of a mare that was stakes placed as a 2-year-old and has produced two fillies that are graded stakes performers. (7) Public Assembly is the first to run from a mare that was a debut winner on the grass and is by a confirmed turf sire.

6^th race [Atlantic Beach, 6F TURF] – (4) Works for Me (C) was bet down from 10-1 to 5-1, set the pace, and finished second behind an impressive unbeaten winner in Futurity that was meant for the turf. (9) Apollo Ten got onto the grass and broke his maiden for the Clement barn. (7) Please Advise was a first out winner that ran in three stakes races and most recently was second in a Keeneland allowance. (5) Split Strike gets blinkers on after running fourth in a stakes race at Woodbine.

7^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (3) Hunt Ball has a pair of seconds in his only two starts but made a big improvement in speed figures in his race last month. (5) Sierra Leone was a $2.2 million yearling purchase at Saratoga that is out of a mare that was a Grade 1 winner as a 2-year-old. (7) Ridgewood Runner moved back to the dirt last time, set the pace, and finished second. (6) Tuscan Gold was a $600,000 yearling out of a dam that finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

8^th race [NY, OC45k/N2X, 1 mi] – (2) Thrill of It (C) was bet down from 6-1 to 4-1 and finished third at this same level. (4) Colloquy came back from a layoff to run a competitive fourth in a similar spot. (3) Prince of Pharoahs was a past open-company allowance winner that returns from an August layoff. (6) Maker’s Candy won the Mike Lee for NY-breds at Belmont Park in May and was last seen racing against open company.

Best bets: Hunt Ball (7^th); Thrill of It (8^th). Best value: Katherine Thomas (5^th); Works for Me (6^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 6-8 which includes the Atlantic Beach  à 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 with 3, 5 with 2, 4 = $24.