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 worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (5) Foxy Cara was bet down from 7-1 to 4-1, had to check at the 3/8ths pole, and was able to finish third. (1) Short Shift debuted on the dirt and finished third and then tried the turf where she went a furlong farther but ran well beaten a length and a half. (3) Big Hazel was second in her first start in February at Aqueduct and then tried the turf twice with poor results. Start four was back on the dirt but the track was muddy. She is projected to be on the lead in this field. (4) Ichiban tried the grass in her most recent race in April and did no running. Her two starts on the dirt were better.

2^nd race [NY, Alw 80000, 1/8 mi TURF] – (1) Collaboration (B/C) took late money from 8-1 to 6-1, crossed the finish line in first, but was disqualified after bumping at the 1/8^th pole. (5) Rheaume won her debut last year and then had four second-place finishes in a row. She will cut back in distance from her first start of 2023 and gets blinkers on. (4) La Conquistadora got a maiden win in her third start on the grass. (2) Sals Dream Girl won in March on the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park and then came back to the turf at Belmont Park to finish fourth after an uncharacteristically bad break from the gate.                                                     

4^th race [OC 62k/N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (2) Operation Torch (A) began his career with two fast maiden starts and won the second one at Keeneland. Facing winners for the first time he was very rank, had to check hard, and rushed up the inside to finish fourth. (7) Program Trading was an easy winner of his debut race at Monmouth Park at 3-1 when he sat off the pace. (4) Lachaise won his first start as a juvenile at Saratoga against NY-breds and then was third in the Pilgrim (G3). He was fourth in the Pennine Ridge (G2) after pressing the pace and now changes to the barn of Mike Maker. (5) Scramble finished in the top three in all six starts with three of them last year. He broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park and then was second in a similar spot at Belmont last month.

7^th race [NY, OC 45k/N2X, 7F TURF] – (5) Shinfull (D) was bet down from 8-1 to 5-1 last time in a similar allowance where he was able to improve his position. (8) Moonage Daydream was stakes winner against open company last year in the Steward Manor at the Big A. Last time she was beaten by less than a length in the allowance condition. (3) New Ginya finished in the top three in 8 of her 9 career starts including an allowance win and then a third in her only two races this year. (6) Masterof the Tunes won the first-level allowance last time but last year was second in today’s condition.

Best bets: Foxy Cara (1^st); Collaboration (2^nd). Best value: Operation Torch (4^th); Shinfull (7^th).