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.

8^th race [Vanderbilt (G1), 6F] – (4) Elite Power is riding a seven-race winning streak that began a year ago when he broke his maiden at Churchill Downs. Since then, he added four graded stakes including the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and the rich Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia. (5) Gunite was second behind Elite Power in Saudi and third at Meydan before a victory in the Aristides at Churchill that earned an enormous speed figure. (6) Dean Delivers ships up from Florida with two wins a row including the Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park with the best performance of his career. (1) Gun It was the winner of a top-level allowance at Belmont last month.

9^th race [Alw 149500 N1X, 1 mi TURF] – (5) Expand the Map (B) lost all chance when she had to avoid a fallen horse in the stretch. In her two prior races she was second. (3) Bolivie was third in her first turf race in America in a Churchill allowance after racing in France. Trainer Brendan Walsh has a hot Saratoga barn with a few winners already. (9) New Ginya had two wins from her last three starts working her way through her NY-bred conditions. (4) No Show Sammy Jo was a maiden winner in her second start at Belmont as the favorite for Graham Motion after running fourth at 13-1 in her debut.

10^th race [Jim Dandy (G2), 1 1/8 mi] – (2) Forte had his five-race winning streak, that began at Saratoga last year in the Hopeful (G1), come to an end in the Belmont Stakes (G1) after he had to wait 10 weeks between races after getting scratched from the Kentucky Derby forcing him to also miss the Preakness. He ran well with a long, sustained rally to finish second in the Belmont. He will have blinkers on after wearing them in workouts which improved his focus. (4) Saudi Crown is the only horse in the field without a stakes victory after missing by a nose in the Dwyer (G3) when he raced on the lead going a mile in only his third start. One of three in this race for Brad Cox he is the lone speed and that should help him handle the two-turns and the added distance. (1) Disarm was also a winner at Saratoga as a 2-year-old and then did not start until the Kentucky Derby trail. He was an impressive winner of the Matt Winn (G3) last month. (5) Angel of Empire was the winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1) and went on the finish third in the Ky. Derby and fourth in the Belmont.

12^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 3/8 mi TURF] – (9) Fizzy (A) steadied in traffic in her debut for Todd Pletcher, got running late, but galloped out ahead of the entire field. (3) Tawaret (B) was unsettled early in the race and then had to try and rally into a slow pace. (5) Callie’s Grit has three top three finishes this year for Joe Sharp. (7) She’s Mo Bubbly was second in her second try on the turf when she stretched out to today’s long distance.

Best bets:  Elite Power (8^th); Forte (10^th). Best value:  Expand the Map (9^th); Fizzy (12^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 8 - 10 and includes the Vanderbilt (G1) and the Jim Dandy (G2) à 4, 5 with 3, 4, 5, 9 with 1, 2, 4 = $24.