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.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 6 ½ F] – (4) Brightline Bullet raced once last year in August at Monmouth Park where he ran from off the pace, had the lead, finished third at 5-2, and shows up here as a new gelding. (6) Frostelle was third in his last two starts at Aqueduct. (1) Two Ducks set the pace and finishes second last month in a $50,000 maiden claimer. (5) Mr R T had the lead in a contested pace last month and missed by less than a length.

3^rd race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (7) Garden of Grace (B) closed for second behind a first-time starter who took a lot of money and was well clear of the rest of the field. Blinkers go on for the first time. (3) Tuthilltown finished in the top three in all three of her starts and gets Lasix for her 2026 debut. (1) Karley B is the highest priced sale purchase in the field and is by a sire with a moderate stud fee. (5) Find Your Path broke slowly and finished fifth in her only start in February for a trainer who improves his young runners in their second races.

4^th race [Moc 75000C, 7F] – (4) It’s Carol’s Way (B) made her second start after a three-month layoff and finished second after going wide into the stretch. (1) Jordan’s Love was fourth all race in her debut at 6-1. (7) Pulling Threads was second in her debut last year at 9-2 but then may not have liked the muddy and sealed track last month going a mile. (3) Ubique gets a trainer change for his second start after rallying from last to second in a claimer at Gulfstream Park in February.

7^th race [Clm 16000, 7F] – (6) Miss Lao (A) comes back in three weeks after she pressed the pace, finished third despite shying from the crop, and getting claimed back. (7) Best Impression was claimed for $10,000 after a win and came back after eight days to run second in a starter allowance 12 days ago. (3) Jackie the Joker won a starter allowance and a $10,000 claimer during the winter. (5) Brooklyn Dantz was third at this level between two starts in NY-bred allowances.

Best bets: Brightline Bullet (1^st); Garden of Grace (3^rd). Best Value: It’s Carol’s Way (4^th); Miss Lao (7^th).