By Bob Ehalt and Matt Shifman

Hot List Key:

A : A preferred horse to watch                   B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches in the final 3 minutes 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.

1st race – (1) Starcourt flopped on turf. Should rebound on dirt. (6) Vibe Check might fare better on dirt. (7) Evocation put in a bullet work for this. (2) American Splendor could  like the turnback in distance. Betting strategy: 1  to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-6-7.

3rd race – (5) Angkor gets some class relief after running in a Grade 1 stakes. (1) Bango is working fast after a short freshening. (2) Minnesota Ready should respond to a turf-to-dirt switch. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-5. Doubles: 1-2-5 with 2-4-10-11.

4th race – (11) Instant Replay drops into a claimer and should prove best here. (10) Kevin’s Strike could be hard to catch in this field. (2) Mintastic might be a factor in his debut. (4) Jujubee may wake up in a claimer. Betting strategy: 11 to win, place.  Exacta box: 2-4-10-11.

6th race – (2) Rational Theory  may be tough to catch on a dry track. (1) Platinum Midnight is an interesting firster in this field. (10) Chatter deserves a look in her debut. (11) Going Steady has speed and could hang around until the end. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-10-11.

8th race – (1) Piquant rallied belatedly in his debut and may benefit from that experience. (9) Extradition was a distant second last time and could be more competitive here. (11) Publisher was second in his first try and belongs in the exotics. (2) Exuberant Mischief deserves a second chance here. Betting strategy: 1 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-9-11.