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 [Alw 100000 N1X, 1 1/8 mi] – (4) Drake’s Passage won his last three starts with two of them coming this year in a NY-bred allowance and stakes race and is eligible for this allowance against open company. (2) Mistical Curlin was a recent winner of a starter allowance at Saratoga with a front-end effort which is his preferred running style. (6) Paddington was claimed three races back for $50,000 for Linda Rice who brought him back to win a starter allowance and then ran third in a first-level allowance. (1) Suerte changed to the barn of Mike Maker and won a starter allowance and then was second in a turf allowance at Colonial Downs.

6^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (4) Hunt Ball (A) broke slowly, rushed up, and finished second in his Saratoga debut at 4-1 for Bill Mott. (10) Drum Roll Please (B) made a big improvement in his second start when he ran second behind a very talented Todd Pletcher winner and had a big jump in speed figures. (8) Houlton is another one that ran a better race in start number two when he finished in the place spot. (5) Enlightened made his first start at the Spa for Pletcher at 4-1 and finished fourth after a poor start.

8^th race [NY, Alw 80000 N1X, 6F] – (2) Majestic Johnson (B/D) was bet down from 8-1 to 5-1 in his only start of the year which was in June. He was claimed back by Linda Rice for $30,000 after having to idle in traffic. (6) Icy Flavor (A) made his first start of 2023 in an allowance at Saratoga and got blocked in traffic along the hedge. (1) Image of Quality (D) was bet down from 9-1 to 7-1 in his first start since joining a New York barn. He had to steady early and then ran into heavy kickback along the rail. (4) Ortus has been off since July when he had a second and third at this allowance level.

10^th race [Noble Damsel (G3), 1 mi TURF] – (1) Fluffy Socks is one of the Chad Brown runners. She ran twice at Saratoga with a fifth in the Diana (G1) followed by a second in the Ballston Spa (G2) when a late closing rally fell a head short of victory. (2) Gina Romantica is also from the Brown barn. In her two starts this year she was fourth in the Eatontown (G3) at Monmouth Park and then travelled to Colonial Downs where she was second in the Beverly D (G1). (5) Not So Close prefers to race on the lead which she did last month at Saratoga to win a mile turf allowance for trainer Norm Casse who had a red-hot barn at the Spa. (3) Miss Carol Ann has tactical speed and ran second last time in the Violet Stakes at Monmouth Park for Graham Motion.

Best bets:  Drake’s Passage (2^nd); Fluffy Socks (10^th). Best value:  Hunt Ball (6^th); Majestic Johnson (8^th).