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 [Md 75000, 1 mi] – (2) Power in Numbers (D) was bet down from 6-1 to 3-1 in his second start for Chad Brown and finished fourth. Blinkers go on as he drops into a maiden claimer for the first time. (1) Cloud Forest will make his 2023 debut for Bill Mott while also moving in for a tag for the first time which is a 56% winning move. (4) Pioneering Spirit was second last time in his first start of the year and his first in a claimer. (5) Predicted exits a pair of third-place finishes in maiden special weights.

2^nd race [Clm 25000, 7F] – (6) Will Be Famous broke her maiden for a $20,000 tag two races back against the boys by more than nine lengths after she got loose on the lead earning by far her best speed figure. She tried a $50,000 starter allowance is her first try against winners. (3) Audit Committee broke her maiden for $40,000 and then was fourth in a $32,000 claimer. (1) Joeybignose got her first win against NY-breds for a $40,000 tag by almost six lengths going today’s distance. (5) Goldieness got her maiden victory at Laurel for a $20,000 claiming price after getting blinkers for the first time.

4^th race [Clm 16000 N2L, 6 ½ F] – (2) Southern Passage will make his first start since October, changes barns, and drops down with plenty of past races that are good enough to win at this level. (6) Bourbon’s Hope was eased in his last start a month ago but comes right back for Linda Rice. When horses like this come back in a normal amount of time they are playable as the odds usually go up. (3) Vive Bien was second and third at this level in his only two starts of this year. (1) Star Attitude broke his maiden at Aqueduct in February for a $20,000 tag.

5^th race [NY, OC45k/N2X, 1 mi] – (6) Bustin Bay has a great record at Aqueduct where 4 out of her 7 wins took place. She has claimed for $25,000 after a win and then was third at this level last month. (2) Mia Bea Star won all four times at the Big A including a first-level allowance in December and then a second in a race similar to this one. Her last two starts were against harder competition and she still ran well. (3) Caramocha has had four tries at this level after getting her first allowance victory at Aqueduct in December. (4) Freddymo Factor will return to NY-bred company for the first time this year.

Best bets:  Will Be Famous (2^nd); Bustin Bay (5^th). Best value:  Power in Numbers (1^st); Southern Passage (4^th).