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 [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (2) Nobilis (B) will make his third start of the year after a big improvement in speed figures when finishing second. He is a horse that does not like to be on the inside. (7) Flying in Style set the pace in his debut in June, finished third, and is expected to be on the lead again. (5) Fast Buck Freddy was fifth in his first start at 7-2 odds for a trainer that wins with 24% of his second-time starters. (6) Stavros will make his first start for a Maryland based trainer after starting his career in California with Bob Baffert.

4^th race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 1 1/8 mi] – (3) Olympic Dreams had an impressive six race campaign this year with five top three finishes including two wins and speed figures that improved in every start. He missed by a neck in a NY-bred stakes race in his last start which was in May. (1) Shadow Dragon was second last time in a similar spot finished and also was second in the Holy Bull (G3) on the Derby trail, and has a win at today’s distance. (2) Un Ojo moved from races in Louisiana to a new Kentucky based trainer. He will come back from a January layoff and was the winner of the 2022 Rebel (G2). Blinkers go on. (5) Wild Banker was claimed for the $45,000 tag two races back and made an improvement for the new trainer.

7^th race [Alw 20000s, 1 ¼ mi] – (10) Lord Captain was claimed for $40,000 after his fourth win in a row and then was a close second in his first start for Linda Rice at today’s level at Saratoga. (6) Salto de Tigre has seven second-place finishes in his last eight starts at Monmouth Park and Penn National. (3) Portos was second and was claimed for $20,000 last time after dropping down from two stakes races. Last time he climbed from kickback early in the race and settled down to finish third. (4) King of Hollywood ships up from Monmouth Park for a trainer that is having a good year including two wins at mid-Atlantic tracks.

10^th race [16000 N2L, 6F] – (6) La Aquililla makes a big drop in class from a few starter allowances and a couple of higher priced claimers. (3) Mo Town Madison ships up from Gulfstream Park after breaking his maiden for $25,000. (7) Vax drops down after running second and third for a $40,000 tag and was claimed by Linda Rice last month. (4) Baby Sox broke his maiden for $20,000 at Belmont Park for Rudy Rodriguez whose barn is hot right now and then stepped up to a $40,000 level.

Best bets: Olympic Dreams (4^th); Lord Captain (7^th). Best value: Nobilis (2^nd); La Aquililla (10^th).