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, 6F] – (1) For the Ladies (A) set the pace for a trainer who does not win with debut runners very often and was second by a nose well clear of the rest of the nine-horse field. (2) She’s All Clover is a first-time starter, Calumet Farm home-bred from a mare who produced four winners, showing a bullet work for Todd Pletcher. (3) Just Tell Anne moves from turf to dirt with a third-place finish two weeks ago when she had to check after clipping heels. (5) Rage Bait is a debut runner for Mike Maker who just had a fast bullet work at Belmont Park.

3^rd race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 1 1/8 mi] – (5) Hello Beauty (C) was bet down from 6-1 to 5-2, rallied from seventh to second in a first-level allowance, and now moves from turf to dirt when running in the next condition up. (7) Higher Force won the first-level allowance last month with a front-end effort. (1) Lika Rolling Stone had been racing against open company and doing well and then moved back to the NY-bred allowance to win going a mile after pressing the pace. (3) Fast and Frisky won at this condition in June at Aqueduct and gets in here with the $45,000 claiming option.

4^th race [Alw 50000s, 6F] – (2) Looks First (B) broke last, was rank under restraint, and climbed from kickback to finish fourth. (1) Hue moves from turf to dirt where he actually broke his maiden at Saratoga in 2024. Last seen she was a close third in a turf sprint starter allowance last month. (3) Kadena had a pair of seconds at Saratoga this summer. (7) Sassy Princess was claimed from an almost 12-length victory last week at Aqueduct for $17,500.

10^th race [NY, Alw 81000 N1X, 1 mi] – (3) Undisputed (C) took late money to change his odds from 9-2 to 3-1 and rallied wide to finish second. (9) Unbroken Chain (C) was bet down from 11-1 to 7-1, pressed the pace, went four-wide, got to the lead, but ended up third while racing against open company, and got claimed for $30,000. (4) Mozambique was second in a starter allowance last month after a maiden win against state-breds. (8) Moe Eighty Eight moves from grass to dirt where at Saratoga he was third in a NY-bred stakes race.

Best bets: For the Ladies (1^st); Hello Beauty (3^rd). Best Value:  Looks First (4^th); Undisputed (10^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 2-4 à 1 with 1, 3, 5, 7 with 1, 2, 3, 7 = $16.