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, 5 ½ TURF] – (3) Soontobeking (A) broke slowly in his debut just two weeks ago, rallied for third, and goes from dirt to turf. (6) Cheval de Guerre was 3-1 in his first start on the grass at Keeneland where he set the pace and fought hard down the stretch to miss the win by a neck. (2) After Taxes and (2B) Honorary American are a pair of first-time starters that have been training at Keeneland for Wesley Ward who specializes in having young horses ready to run immediately. (1) Mister Monoclonal and (1A) Classic Time are another pair of firsters making their debuts for Mark Casse that have trained with interest at Belmont Park.

2^nd race [Clm 14000 N3L, 6 ½ F] – (6) First Class Cat won 2 of her last 3 races moving from a maiden claimer against NY-breds to a N3L claiming race where he was a voided claim for $25,000. (4) Take Time to Dream ran off to a more than six length victory with a front-end effort in a N2L condition. (3) Try It Again had a second and then a third at this level race and should be part of the pace. (2) Gav’s Dream Girl raced mostly at Woodbine and at Gulfstream Park last time where he won for an $8,000 tag and comes back for a new trainer after four months.

3^rd race [Alw 50000s, 7F] – (3) St. Benedict’s Prep was claimed from a Keeneland victory in April for $80,000 by Linda Rice and then lost her rider after a stumble start three weeks ago. She began her career in New York racing for Chad Brown. (6) Controlled Temper was claimed by Joe Sharp two races back for $30,000 at Fair Grounds and then was a voided $50,000 claim at Aqueduct after a victory. (1) Irish Jackson was third in a starter allowance and dropped into a $40,000 claimer to get her second career victory as a heavy favorite. (4) La Grotte was second in a similar spot last month and gets a rider change to Manny Franco.

6^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6 ½ F] – (5) Geopolitics was on the lead in her debut in a contested pace and missed by a head for Bill Mott back in February. (3) Aunt Yola also has positive experience with her best performance in her third start when she set the pace and was second by a neck. (6) Nikki Brainburst will make her debut and comes from a dam that was a stakes-placed NY-bred with earnings of $323,000. (7) Empire Magic is another well-bred firster and this daughter of Good Magic is out of a mare that was a stakes winner on dirt and turf in California with earnings of $578,000.

Best bets: St. Benedict’s Prep (3^rd); Geopolitics (6^th). Best value: Soontobeking (1^st); First Class Cat (2^nd).