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, The Hudson, 6 ½ F] – (8) Acoustic Ave (B) was bumped at the start, pinched back, and then rallied to miss by a nose. (4) Vettriano has been racing against open company in three allowances since winning the second-level state-bred allowance. He had a front-end victory last month. (5) The Wine Stewart cuts back to sprinting after racing on the 2024 Kentucky Derby trail where he was second twice. Two races back he had the lead and missed by a head in a NY-bred stakes going seven furlongs. (1) Hit the Post won the Ontario County for state-breds at Finger Lakes last month.

4^th race [NY, Maid of the Mist, 1 mi] – (8) Letmecounttheways was an open-length debut winner a month ago as the 9-5 favorite at Aqueduct in a fast six-furlong sprint. (6) Liberty’s Advance was second by a half-length in her debut in a Finger Lakes stakes race. (7) Grazie was a first-time maiden winner at Saratoga in July by more than four-lengths and then was third in a pair of state-bred stakes including one behind the undefeated Grade 1 winner Iron Orchard who just sold for $2.5 million in a digital sale. (5) Victory Hall changes barns after winning her maiden and then an allowance at Delaware Park.

6^th race [NY, Mohawk, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (2) George Briggs (A) dug in to win a NY Stallion Series stakes race at Saratoga which was moved to a sloppy and sealed track. (8) Sounds Like a Plan won a pair of state-bred allowances in his most recent starts and has third-place finishes in stakes against open-company and NY-breds. (5) Slapintheface rallied from far back to win the second-level allowance last month. (1) Be of Courage has been racing in open-company allowances and hit the board three times.

9^th race [NY, Ticonderoga, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (2) Can’t Fool Me (B/D) was bet down from 9-1 to 7-1 when she lost all chance after getting blocked in traffic for a furlong in the stretch and got claimed for $45,000. (4) Awesome Czech won a state-bred stakes and then was third in an open-company stakes. (5) Moonage Daydream won three NY-bred stakes in a row last year. (1) Spinning Colors races on the lead where she is a stakes winner.

Best bets: Letmecounttheways (4^th); George Briggs (6^th). Best Value:  Acoustic Ave (2^nd); Can’t Fool Me (9^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 4-6 with two NY-bred stakes races à 6, 7, 8 with 6, 7, 8 with 2, 5, 8 = $27.