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 [NY, Alw 81000, 6 ½ F] – (7) Princess Mischief (B) broke last, got steadied in tight quarters, and rallied to just miss by a half-length. (8) Sassy Shenanigans (B) was steadied to last at the start and finished second well clear of the rest of the field. (6) Vehemente hit the board in all but one of her seven career starts with a starter allowance victory last time against open company. (2) Dangerous Affair broke her maiden for $40,000, moved up to finish second twice against open company, and makes her first start against NY-breds now.

5^th race [Md 50000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (7) Wake Up Lauren (B) finished second far ahead of the rest of the field in her second start for a new trainer. (1) Yolo ships up from Kentucky after a four-month layoff. He debuted with two races on the grass and was second on the Tapeta at Turfway Park in Janaury. (9) American Kestrel set the pace in March at Gulfstream Park and finished a neck behind in third for a $50,000 tag. (11) Competitive Threat was third in a maiden special weight on the grass in March.

6^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 3/16 mi TURF] – (4) Van Ginkel moved from dirt to turf in his second start and finished behind a horse that went on to win again in his next race. (2) Gun Barrel City debuted in September on the turf at 5-2 and was fourth. He makes his first start of 2025 has a new gelding with Lasix for the first time. (11) Tiz Fervor improved after each race and was a close second last month at Tampa Downs. (10) De La Cruz came back from a six month layoff to make his first start of the year when he had the lead and battled down the stretch for third.

7^th race [NY, Alw 81000, 7F] – (8) Runandscore (C) was bet down from 6-1 to 9-2, got too far behind in a sprint race, but still rallied late for third. (7) Swift Magic (B) raced very wide and was second best well clear of the others. (1) Ball Don’t Lie came east after four starts at Santa Anita which included a speedy second in the Laz Barrera Stakes. (5) Smilensaycheese won his debut at Saratoga and then raced in a series of NY-bred stakes.

Best bets: Princess Mischief (1^st); Van Ginkel (6^th). Best value: Wake Up Lauren (5^th); Runandscore (7^th).