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 [NY, Alw 35000s, 6 ½ F] – (1) Brave Buck won 3 of his last 4 starts since getting claimed by Linda Rice in June and has not faced NY-breds since his debut win in a maiden claimer. (6) E Z  Bourbon returns from a June layoff when he was second then third in open-company starter allowances. (3) Liberty Rising won a NY-bred maiden special weight which is not something that the rest of these did. (5) Dormello won a $30,000 maiden claimer by more than six lengths in November.

5^th race [Clm 17500B, 1 mi] – (4) Another Cleeshay was second in a similar spot in November and got claimed. (3) Top of the Table was taken for $30,000 by Linda Rice which was her first start for a tag in more than year. (1) Ah Ca Ira drops in to a claimer for the first time since winning a $30,000 maiden claimer. He won a NY-bred allowance at Saratoga. (7) Serenading Kitten moves to winter racing at Aqueduct from Woodbine where last seen she won for $15,000.

7^th race [Clm 10000, 1 mi] – (5) Miss Lao (C) bet down from 8-1 to 6-1, pressed the pace, got the lead, lost by a nose, and got claimed. (7) Best Impression was a clear-cut front-end winner for $17,500 last month. (4) Enigmatic won a pair of starter allowances recently and was claimed for $16,000 at the Big A after a third-place finish. (8) Jackie the Joker was claimed for $16,000 two races back.

8^th race [Alw 50000s, 1 mi] – (5) Coffee Talk broke his maiden for $50,000 at Keeneland and was claimed by Linda Rice and since then was third twice in starter allowances. (1) Reynolds Channel was claimed from a second when he missed by a neck for $50,000 in December. (6) Interceptor had the lead and finished right behind Reynolds Channel in a blanket finish. (7) Did It Dialed changes to the barn of Bill Morey who does well with new horses.

Best bets: Brave Buck (2^nd); Another Cleeshay (5^th). Best value:  Miss Lao (7^th); Coffee Talk (8^th).