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.

2^nd race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 mi TURF] – (5) Easter ran his two best American speed figures this year in an allowance win at Aqueduct and then a Grade 3 at Pimlico on Preakness weekend where the third-place finisher won at Monmouth Park recently. (3) Duke of Hazzard makes a drop in class after his debut for 2023 when he broke slowly and rallied very wide to get third in a top allowance condition at Keeneland. (4) Chasing the Crown was an allowance winner at Churchill Downs in April. (6) Sky and Sand gets blinkers on and is projected to be on the lead.

3^rd race [Clm 12500, 1 mi] – (6) Greatest Love was claimed from her last two starts and now Linda Rice drops her down a notch off a short layoff and can get loose on the lead. (4) Vallarand ran for a $20,000 tag three weeks ago. (5) Raffinity has been in good form recently and makes a bit of a drop down. (2) Carly Hustle was a winner three starts ago with a speed figure that beats this field.

6^th race [OC 80k/N3X, 6F] – (4) Nova Rags has six top three finishes including a win last time in a N2X allowance and might get a contentious pace to set up his closing move. (5) Colonel Bowman has now won four races in a row and 6 out of his last 7 starts with two N2X wins in there. (3) Mr Phil tried the Runhappy (G3) after winning his first start of the year on the front end in this condition, so they opt for the $80,000 claiming option now. (2) Secret Rules has 2 wins from his last 3 starts and may be one of the pacesetters.

8^th race [OC 62k/N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (8) Big Brass Bed was a maiden winner for Chad Brown last time at Monmouth beating a horse that came back to win her next start. (6) Quarrel was fourth in the Soaring Softly (G3) in her first start of the year after a maiden breaker in November. (5) Livelovenlaughter gets blinkers on and may get to the lead in her second start of the year. (4) Root Cause was a maiden winner at Gulfstream Park in March for Brown also and then tried winners at Churchill last time.

Best bets: Easter (2^nd); Big Brass Bed (8^th). Best value: Greatest Love (3^rd); Nova Rags (6^th).