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 [OC 62k/N2X, 1 1/8 mi] – (5) Magic Michael drops in for the claiming option having finished second behind Next in the Greenwood Cup at Parx in September and was an allowance winner before that. (6) Costa Terra finished in the top three in 9 out of his last 12 starts which were at this allowance level. (1) Summer Cause returned from a five month layoff to win an allowance at Monmouth Park. Last year he was stakes placed at Laurel. (4) Moore’s Law won a first-level allowance at Saratoga in July.

2^nd race [Moc 50000, 1 mi] – (3) My Mitole was second in his debut in a maiden special weight and returns from a five month break for a trainer that won a couple of races the other day at Aqueduct. (6) America’s Honor comes back on two week’s rest after a second in a similar spot. (2) Social Hour tried the turf last month and moves back to the main track where he ran third in a maiden special weight. (8) Salvation was second in his first start which was at Saratoga and then dropped into an optional claimer while trying the grass.

5^th race [Md 40000, 1 mi] – (8) Confabulation (C) was bet down from 7-2 to 8-5, set the pace, finished third as the favorite, and was claimed for the second time in a row for $20,000. (4) Always Be Smart has been off since July when he was third for a $75,000 tag. Before that he was claimed for $40,000 by Linda Rice when he was second. (3) True Connection tried the turf in his last start back in July and returns as a new gelding. (5) Wajda gets blinkers on for Chad Brown for the first time.

7^th race [Alw 92000 N1X, 1 1/16 TURF mi] – (6) Revalita (A) got blocked at the start ending up at the back of the field, was rank under restraint, and ended up third. (4) Can’t Fool Me was third in a NY-bred stakes race after winning the second-level allowance for state-breds and thus is still eligible for this level against open company. (9) Vino Rouge was stakes-placed at Aqueduct in June and got dq’d from an allowance win at Saratoga. (8) Rhiannon returns from a year layoff when he won a maiden by seven lengths and then tried a Grade 3 for Chad Brown.

Best bets: Magic Michael (1^st); Confabulation (5^th). Best value: My Mitole (2^nd); Revalita (7^th).