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.

4^th race [Clm 25000 N3L, 6 ½ F] – (1) Face Abarrio was in too tough last time in a starter allowance and drops back to a restricted claimer where he was an impressive winner two races back. (6) Devil’s Cay was in an open claiming race last time and fits better in a N3L restricted condition. (5) Hatch had a top speed figure two races back when he won his N2L race. (3) Anthracite cuts back in distance after a series of one mile starts.

5^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 3/16 mi] – (2) Good Skate (C) was bet down last start on a sloppy track and ran third. The Maker barn is red hot at this meeting winning at 41%. (6) Leading Contender won a first level allowance by almost three lengths earning a career best speed figure that tops this field. (1) Optic Way has five top three finishes in a row with the last three in starter allowances. (4) Kuchar moves to the barn of Rudy Rodriguez which is the third barn change recently.

6^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 7F] – (5) Heavyweight Champs (A) set the pace and finished second moved up by disqualification in his debut which came in a NY-bred Stallion Series stakes race. (9) Sorority Prank had his best race in four starts where he was second between two horses that returned to win their next races. (2) Liberty Central was second for the third time in maiden special weights. (3) Red Flyer will make his debut for the connections of Todd Pletcher and St. Elias Stable and is a son of Vino Rosso.

9^th race [The Withers (G3), 1 1/8 mi] – (4) El Grande O is the most experienced horse in the Withers field and has the most wins and career earnings. He has a pair of victories in NY-bred stakes races to go along with two seconds in open company stakes. Most recently he moved onto the Kentucky Derby trail for Linda Rice and finished second in the Jerome at Aqueduct after setting the pace. El Grande O is projected to get loose on the lead. (7) Mission Beach began his career for Bob Baffert. He faded in a pair of graded stakes out west before moving to the barn of Brittany Russell in Maryland. For her, the horse won an allowance. He has the breeding to say that the added distance should not be a problem. (3) Lightline romped in his first start for Brad Cox by almost 14 lengths at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then ran second in a pair of allowances in Kentucky. Last time he was behind the unbeaten Carbone who is running in the Southwest (G3) on Saturday. (8) Uncle Heavy won at first asking for trainer Butch Reid at Parx and then most recently stretched out to win a Pennsylvania-bred stakes race.

Best bets: Heavyweight Champs (6^th); El Grande O (9^th). Best value: Face Abarrio (4^th); Good Skate (5^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 4-6 à 1, 6 with 1, 2, 6 with 1, 2, 3, 5, 9 = $30.