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.

2^nd race [Clm 30000, 7F] – (1) Proud Foot (B) returns from a December layoff when she was claimed for $20,000 in a race where she broke last, got steadied, and finished second between two horses that won their next starts. (3) Always Angels was claimed for $40,000 at Churchill Downs by Linda Rice and then romped by more than eight lengths in January. She drops down after trying a top conditioned allowance. (5) Curlin’s Magic is another Rice claim at Churchill who now drops into a winning spot. (2) Beira comes back from an October layoff when she missed by less than a length.

3^rd race [NY, Alw 77000 N1X, 1 1/8 mi] – (1) Tower Twenty Two (A/C) rallied against a speed bias and finished second. (3) Devils Arrow was a six-length winner in February in a NY-bred starter allowance. (2) Grace Reformed came back from a long layoff to finish second at this level. (4) Last Glory was a winner of one of those state-bred starter allowances following a third behind Devils Arrow.

4^th race [Md 12500, 1 mi] – (4) Good Cop raced twice in March after a layoff, finished third, and then second a week later. He comes back in three weeks here while making a drop in class. (2) Noguchi has a pair of second-place finishes in his two starts at this level. (8) Always Packen drops down in his fourth start. (7) Cat Fast was claimed for $12,500 in February after a layoff as he dropped down to the lowest level of his career.

7^th race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 1 mi] – (2) Baron of Sealand (A) used a late rally to miss the win by a head after winning a starter allowance against open company. (6) Shadow Dragon finished first or second in his last three starts at this level and got claimed each time. (7) Alan Turing ran well in four starts since winning the first-level allowance. (8) Jackson Heights was claimed for $25,000 two races back and then ran last to second in a $35,000 claimer.

Best bets: Good Cop (4^th); Baron of Sealand (7^th). Best Value: Proud Foot (2^nd); Tower Twenty Two (3^rd).