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 [Clm 32000, 7F] – (4) Willow Bend was claimed for $40,000 from her last start which was a third-place finish at Saratoga. (2) Whistler’s Style was a winner for $16,000 at the Aqueduct winter meeting and was claimed. (3) Backed by Gold was claimed from her last two starts at Saratoga which came after a layoff. (6) Royal Poppy returns from a layoff and drops in for a tag for the first time having won a second-level allowance at the Big A in February.

3^rd race [Clm 16000 N2L, 6 ½ F] – (7) You’re Forever won a $50,000 maiden claimer in March and raced at that level until now. (5) Devil Blue Dress set the pace and finished second at this level in August at Saratoga and got claimed. (3) Play Free Bird was a $40,000 maiden claiming winner on the turf at the Spa. (4) Permed was claimed for $16,000 last time after having raced against better horses.

4^th race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 1 mi] – (8) Cinderella’s Cause was a winner twice in claimers against open company and then had five second-place finishes in a row mostly at this NY-bred allowance level. (7) April Antics was first for a $12,500 tag and then second for $25,000 in her two recent races. (5) Echo in Eternity won a state-bred allowance at Saratoga and moved up to run third last month. (3) Maggie T won the first-level allowance by six lengths at Saratoga beating a horse that came back to win.

10^th race [NY, Md 40000, 6F] – (6) Bubbe Dearest will drop into a claimer for the first time after two starts at Saratoga. Last time at 5-1 she set the pace and finished fourth. (10) Practically Summer ran three times at the Spa in maiden special weights for Bill Mott with a third. (9) T D Magee will run her first race for Bruce Levine with his 43% stat with debut maiden claimers. (7) Tower Twenty Two ships up from Parx for her first appearance.s

Best bets: Cinderella’s Cause (4^th); Bubbe Dearest (10^th). Best value: Willow Bend (1^st); You’re Forever (3^rd).