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.

6^th race [Alw 95000 N1X, 5 ½ F TURF] – (9) Quick Power Nap (A) broke out, got checked, and rallied from 10^th to finish second just a length behind. (7) Stolen Future (B) steadied back early, then had to race wide, and finds a better spot. (1) Turriga was a winner of her second turf start of the year with a front-end effort in a maiden at the Big A. (11) Strictly Taboo came back from an eight-month layoff to break her maiden at Aqueduct.

9^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (11) Bring Me a Check (A) checked off heels early in the race, then found more trouble in the stretch, and got claimed. (9) Beuys was second last time out in June when he set the pace in a similar second level allowance losing by a nose at the wire. (10) Taking Candy will make his first start of the year after ending 2023 with a second in the Saranac (G3) at Saratoga in September. He ships up from Keeneland for Cherie DeVaux. (8) Irish Aces was third in the Arlington (G3) where he pressed the pace following a three month layoff.

10^th race [Diana, 1 1/8 mi TURF] – (10) Chili Flag is in the best form of the five Chad Brown runners in the field with three wins in a row heading into the Diana. She is also one of the five $1 million earners of the field. She won the Just A Game (G1) at Saratoga last month defeating four others that are in the Diana. Before that it was the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) which included three runners that are in this race. The third victory was in the Honey Fox (G3). (4) Didia leads the field in victories with 11 and in earnings with more than $1.5 million. Last out she won the New York (G1) for trainer Nacho Correas following a third in the Jenny Wiley (G1). She also won the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare. (6) Whitebeam has not won a race since the Diana last year. She was second in her 2024 debut in the Beaugay (G3) and second in the Just A Game. (8) Neecie Marie will ship up from Parx which she did in both of her 2024 starts with a second in the New York and a win in the Beaugay.

11^th race [Sanford (G3), 6F] – (8) Mo Plex (A) won his debut against NY-breds by 10 lengths as the heavy favorite and Irad stays on board. (2) Mr. Squeaky Wheels was a first-time winner on the synthetic surface at Presque Isle as the favorite and since then had two workouts on dirt tracks. Last summer Kevin Rice had a long shot winner at Saratoga. (6) Studlydoright won both of his races with a maiden victory at Laurel Park and then in the Tremont. His Maryland-based jockey stays on board. (1) Mentee won his first start by a nose after having a lead of five-lengths at the stretch call as a heavy favorite for Repole Stable and Todd Pletcher.

Best bets:  Chili Flag (10^th); Mo Plex (11^th). Best value:  Quick Power Nap (6^th); Bring Me a Check (9^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 9 - 11 and includes the Diana à 8, 9, 10, 11 with 4, 10 with 1, 2, 6, 8 = $32.