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.

3^rd race [Clm 32000, 6 ½ F] – (5) Lastchanceatglory was claimed from his last nine races for prices ranging from $25,000 to $40,000 and won her last two starts in February and June. (2) Jemography returns from a February layoff for a trainer that has good stats with horses coming off rest. (6) Nifty was claimed for $50,000 two races back and won three races in a row earlier in the year. (3) Swiftsure was also claimed for $50,000 at Saratoga last summer and has tried top level allowances three times including his 2023 debut at Monmouth Park last month.

5^th race [OC 62k/N1X, 1 1/8 mi TURF] – (2) Clever Thought (A) returns from a June layoff when he had to steady, eventually got clear, raced seven wide, and finished second beaten by just a head. (4) Operation Torch was second to a horse that came back to win the Saratoga Derby and is unbeaten in three starts. (1A) Activist Investing was last seen in October breaking his maiden in his third try as a heavy favorite each time for Chad Brown and now gets Lasix. (5) Escapologist returns from a May layoff when he ran in second by a neck in an allowance at Churchill Downs.

7^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 7F] – (7) Secret Rules drops back to the condition where he had a win and a second using the claiming option. (1) Vittorio narrowly missed winning his last two starts after pressing the pace. (2) Guntown was claimed for $50,000 in May by Linda Rice and was second at this level just 10 days ago. (3) Khozeiress was second in a sprint stakes race by a nose at Gulfstream Park at the end of June.

8^th race [Alw 149500 N1X, 1 1/8 mi] – (3) Dreamlike was third by a head in the Wood Memorial (G2) and then came back last month to break her maiden easily by almost seven lengths. (7) Magic Tap was a maiden winner at Churchill Downs by six-lengths in June and then was second by a nose when he moved up to face winners for the first time. (5) Film Star has four second-place finishes in a row including during opening week of this meeting. (6) Tapit Shoes was second by a nose in a stakes race at Oaklawn Park and then was eased in the Belmont Stakes for Brad Cox.

Best bets: Lastchanceatglory (3^rd); Clever Thought (5^th). Best value: Secret Rules (7^th); Dreamlike (8^th).