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, 1 mi] – (6) She’s a Gemma comes back from a February layoff when she rallied from the back of the field to miss the win by a neck in her debut at 6-1 for Bill Mott. (2) High Note was last seen running second in August at Monmouth Park for Chad Brown. (5) Trango Tower comes out of the same Monmouth race where she was third but changes to the Linda Rice barn. (1) Stone Cold Kelly a second as a big longshot when she put blinkers back on at Aqueduct last month.

2^nd race [Clm 17500 N2L, 1 mi] – (4) Cha Cha Wren (C) was bet down from 9-1 to 5-1, broke last, and rallied to get third at this level. (2) Kyle’s Mom was last seen at Saratoga when she ran a close fourth at this level and was a voided claim. (5) Furry Fox came back from a nine month layoff and ran second the whole race and was claimed. (1) Spirit of Esther set the pace in her last two starts at this level and finds a field without much other speed.

4^th race [Clm 30000 N2L, 1 mi] – (3) Fever Night comes back from a July layoff and drops to the lowest level of his career as a winner of a $50,000 maiden claimer when he was taken by Linda Rice. (1) Adventurist was last seen in July winning a $20,000 maiden and he too was claimed by Rice. (4) Gotta Guy was claimed from his last two races for $17,500 when he was second and then third. (8) Cocktailsnkringle was second the whole race last time at this level and missed by a nose in his first start after getting claimed from his maiden victory for $20,000.

7^th race [NY, OC 45K/N2X, 1 mi] – (7) Leftembehind (A) was claimed from his last two starts against open company for $30,000. In his most recent race he broke last, moved up, but then lost ground, and went wide to get third in a blanket finish. (5) Cut the Cord won a NY-bred stakes at Finger Lakes last month and was also a winner in a similar spot as this one at Saratoga and was claimed. (4) Sheriff Bianco gets blinkers on, drops in for a tag, and moves back to state-bred competition with career winnings of more than $800,000. (1) Refuah won the first level allowance for NY-breds in September and then was second at the next level.

Best bets: She’s a Gemma (1^st); Fever Night (4^th). Best value: Cha Cha Wren (2^nd); Leftmebehind (7^th).