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.

3^rd race [Mdn 75000, 1 mi TURF] – (2) Variable Cost (A) was taken up sharply in his debut for Chad Brown, rallied for second well ahead of the others, and was claimed for $40,000. (1) Broken Spur set the pace in his last three starts, two were on the turf last year and then on the Gulfstream Park Tapeta in March, and now drops in for a tag. (7) Mischievous Angel was a $600,000 yearling purchase and will make his first start for Brown. (3) Yorkshire Prince ran for a tag for the first time and also moved onto the turf and responded with a narrow loss for the top spot.

4^th race [OC 62k/N1X, 1 mi] – (5) Winters Lion will drop out of three stakes races on the grass after an open length victory in a maiden special weight at Oaklawn Park. (6) Smooth Flyin Mike was a debut winner at Tampa Bay Downs as the 8-5 favorite and then was second in an allowance versus winners at Parx Racing. (2) Thunderian has three top-three finishes since joining the Jacobson barn. (3) Warrior Richard improved his speed figures in all seven starts including a win in claimer for $32,000.                                                                                            

5^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (3) Zappera was fourth in her first start for Todd Pletcher after a hole closed on the rail and she rallied when she moved to the outside. (6) Utilization Rate is projected to be on the lead as she was in her last start when she finished second beaten by only a neck for the top spot. (4) Doral gets blinkers on following a troubled trip at Keeneland for Bill Mott. She was second by a neck in her first two starts at Gulfstream. (1) Mirabella was third in her 2023 debut when she switched to the turf for Pletcher in Florida.

7^th race [Soaring Softly (G3), 7F TURF] – (1) Lady Beth won her debut by four lengths on the Tapeta at Gulfstream at 3-1 and now cuts back in distance as she moves onto the grass for Chad Brown. (2) Love Appeals has three starts on the turf this year for the Clement barn. Her first two starts were at Gulfstream where she won at first asking and then tried a stakes race and finished fourth. (3) American Apple is the only stakes winner in field taking the Matron (G3) at Aqueduct last year which led to a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. She will ship up to Belmont Park after a pair of stakes races in Kentucky in her two starts of the year that led to a fourth and then a second. (4) Queen Picasso was a debut winner at Gulfstream at 7-1 going two turns.

Best bets: Winters Lion (4^th); Lady Beth (7^th). Best value: Variable Cost (3^rd); Zappera (5^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 3-5 à 1, 2 with 2, 3, 5, 6 with 1, 3, 4, 6 = $32.