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 [OC 100k/N1X, 6 ½ F] – (5) Briland (A) was an impressive debut winner for Chad Brown at Saratoga in August at 5-2 but she was not the favorite. The second-place horse came back to win her next start. (2) Fortuna Mia made two starts this year in March with a late run for fourth in the Busher and then she was second the whole way in an allowance. (1) Army Gal won a NY-bred allowance by more than five-lengths and came back in six days to try a state-bred stakes. (3) Twirling Beauty was a front-end winner of her debut last month.

3^rd race [NY, Alw 76000 N1X, 6F] – (1) Messi the Magician (C) was bet down from 6-1 to 4-1 in an open company claimer, finished third, and returns to NY-bred allowances after only 17 days. (4) Runandscore has been running at Mid-Atlantic tracks and will make his first start against NY-breds since early in his career in 2023 when he hit the board in a pair of maiden special weights. He was second in his last two races which were in allowances. (5) Schlomo won a maiden claimer against open company in March. (2) Warolo finished second in a pair of these allowances in his three starts this year.

5^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6F TURF] – (2) Perugia ran once and that was at Saratoga where she pressed the pace and finished fourth at 7-2 for Linda Rice who has excelled in turf sprints. (4) Wild Mischief had a pair of good turf starts last fall and then struggled on the dirt. (7) Mommy’s Turn will make her turf debut for Chad Brown after a sloppy track start in December. (10) Julita showed some early speed in her two races and savvy trainer David Duggan switches to the grass.

7^th race [OC 100k/N1X, 1 mi] – (3) Garamond was third in the Gotham (G3) in his only try on the Derby trail for Chad Brown. (5) Sand Devil was second in that Gotham and then tried the Wood Memorial but the nine-furlongs was too long. (7) Cornucopian was an impressive debut winner as an odds-on favorite at Oaklawn Park for Bob Baffert with a big speed figure and then set the pace in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and faded to fourth. (4) Keewaydin will make his 2025 debut after a big maiden win and then a try in the Remsen (G2) also for Brown.

Best bets: Briland (2^nd); Perugia (5^th). Best value: Messi the Magician (3^rd); Garamond (7^th).