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.

1^st race [Clm 16000, 1 mi] – (8) Bourbon Calling was a winner three races back for $20,000 when he was claimed by Linda Rice. After a pair of third-place finishes at higher prices he drops into a winning spot. (6) Valenzan Day won his last two starts for $12,500 but was claimed for $35,000 last summer at Saratoga. (5) Khafre tried an allowance race last time after winning a $25,000 open claimer. (7) Mason Mania was a winner in the winter at Aqueduct for $20,000 and was claimed for $45,000 in April. He drops back to an appropriate level for the 5-year-old.

3^rd race [Amsterdam (G2), 6 ½ F] – (3) Pure Force has the look of one of those up and coming 3-year-olds from the barn of Brad Cox. He won his only two starts sprinting by combined margins of eight lengths. (5) Valentine Candy won the Bachelor Stakes at Oaklawn in April and then ran into the top sprinter Book ‘em Danno. (4) Jefferson Street was an allowance winner for Bill Mott at Saratoga in June. (2) Donegal Momentum was part of two very fast races winning the first in his debut by more than eight lengths and then was second in an allowance after setting the pace.

7^th race [Alw 110000 N1X, 1 3/8 mi TURF] – (6) Be Like Clint (C) was bet down from 7-1 to 9-2 after running third three times in a row in similar long distance turf races with the best speed figures in the field. (5) Better Bet lost all chance last time when he clipped heels and bobbled in the early going. (2) Vesting broke his maiden in his second try for Chad Brown in what was a front-end effort. (3) Harry Hood missed winning the Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream Park by a nose. Last two races were not good, but he could contend if he gets back to his best.

9^th race [OC 80k/C, 7F] – (6) Sheriff Bianco (B) was entered a few times since his last race at the end of June. He was shuffled back, got stuck in traffic, and has had a series of races loaded with problems and bad luck. (7) Castle Chaos was second in the Carter (G2) at Aqueduct in April missing the win by a neck after a stalking trip. In June he was fourth in the Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga in the Belmont Stakes meeting. (1) Accretive has a pair of seconds in similar spots to this allowance and then he tried the True North (G2). (2) General Jim has been off since May. Last year he won the Swale (G3) and the Pat Day Mile (G2).

Best bets: Bourbon Calling (1^st); Be Like Clint (7^th). Best value: Pure Force (3^rd); Sheriff Bianco (9^th).