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.

3^rd race [NY, OC 80k/N1X, 6 ½ F] – (4) Soontobeking (A) got shut off during a late rally where he was blocked and had to check badly at the eighth pole. He drops out of a series of NY-bred stakes races. (2) Kenny Be broke his maiden by more than eight lengths in October and then was second in the Notebook Stakes ahead of the Hot List horse. (3) Fireballin was a debut winner for Mike Maker at 7-1 last month at Aqueduct. (5) In the Chase was also a first-time out maiden winner who has made four starts in stakes.

4^th race [Clm 10000, 6F] – (1) Jake Rocks was claimed for $10,000 last time for a trainer that has good stats with newly claimed runners. In that race he was fourth after having to check badly. (3) Quick Hammer set the pace and was second at this level just 10 days ago. (2) Can’t Beat Me is a past winner for a $12,500 tag that has been racing against better recently. (7) Thank You John comes back in eight days and drops down to the lowest level showing in his past performances with ample early speed.

5^th race [Clm 40000 N2L, 6 ½ F] – (1) She’s Always Rosie and (1A) Pam Pam make a Linda Rice entry where both of them are win contenders. (4) Carol T drops into a claimer and a N2L condition for the first time after a series of good allowance starts. (7) Stress Reliever was a maiden special weight winner who came back from an eight month layoff in an allowance and also drops into a claimer for the first time. (2) She’s Cool returns on two weeks rest when she was claimed for $25,000 after running third.

8^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 mi] – (9) Victory Way (B) came back from a 16 month layoff and ran an excellent race as a horse that had run longer distances in prior races and now gets it. (3) Treaty Obligation won three races in a row moving from a maiden claimer to a starter allowance and the last month in an allowance. (7) Seeking Unity was second at this level in November behind a horse that came back to win his next start also. (6) Magical Ways moved from turf to dirt and ran second the whole race with a top speed figure.

Best bets: Soontobeking (3^rd); Linda Rice entry (5^th). Best value: Jake Rocks (4^th); Victory Way (8^th).