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.

2^nd race [Md Sp Wt, 6 ½ F] – (7) Ready as Ever (A) broke slowly in his debut, took heavy kickback, and then made a late run. (1) Hurricane Nelson made his first start of the year last month and finished second after setting the pace. He has not run worse than third in all four races. (2) Marche debuted in March at Gulfstream Park and finished third at 2-1 behind a horse that came back to win again. (4) Banned for Life has excellent off-track form with a pair of third-place finishes.

8^th race [Saratoga Special (G2), 6 ½ F] – (2) Showcase (A) was an open length winner in his first start at Aqueduct for Todd Pletcher as an odds-on favorite. He bobbled out of the gate and still won by more than seven lengths. (5) Touchy made his first start in June in the Tremont at Saratoga, set the pace and finished second as the odds-on favorite. Blinkers come off for his second start since Trainer Wesley Ward puts blinkers on all of his first-time runners. (1) Smoken Wicked broke his maiden in his first try in a Louisiana-bred race in June and came back to finish second in the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs after getting into trouble more than once. (3) Global Legend won his only start by three lengths at Gulfstream in June beating two horses that won their next starts.

9^th race [Troy (G2), 5 ½ F TURF] – (3) Step Forward (B) checked hard back to last at the start two weeks ago, got far behind, and closed fast once he got going. (4) Cogburn won 4 out of his last 5 starts with a win in the Jaipur (G1) last time earning a speed figure that towers over this field. (9) Grooms All Bizness made two starts this year and both were victories in stakes races. (6) Big Invasion was second by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) last year and is a past Grade 2 winner.

12^th race [Galway, 5 ½ F TURF] – (5) Star of Mystery (A) beat the boys in the Quick Call at Saratoga during opening week with a speed figure that towers over the rest of this field of 3-year-old fillies. (3) Pipsy won the Soaring Softly (G3) in her first race of 2024 and then tried to go a mile in the Tepin Stakes which was just too long. (8) Kairyu was second in her last two races in stakes for Cherie DeVaux. (6) El Terreno won the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park with a front-end effort.

Best bets:  Showcase (8^th); Star of Mystery (12^th). Best value:  Ready as Ever (2^nd); Step Forward (9^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 8-10 and is an All-Stakes Pick 3 with the Saratoga Special (G2), the Troy (G2), and the Fourstardave (G1) à 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 with 3, 4 with 4, 6, 7 = $36.