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.

5^th race [Man O’War (G1), 1 3/8 mi TURF] – (2) Warren Point will make his American debut for Charlie Appleby who has been very hard to beat with his horses that have shipped over from Great Britain. Warren Point was last seen finishing second in a $2.5 million Group 1 in Qatar. He had a workout at Belmont Park already and Frankie Dettori will ride. (4) Verstappen won the Elkhorn (G2) three weeks ago for trainer Brendan Walsh. He is projected to be on the lead in a paceless race. (1) Red Knight continues to run well despite being a 9-year-old now with a second in that Elkhorn and a win in the McKnight (G3) at Gulfstream Park in January. (5) Howe Street has flashed plenty of talent in his two wins. Blinkers come off the lightly raced 4-year-old.

6^th race [Peter Pan (G3), 1 1/8 mi] – (5) Classic Catch will try and get trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth victory in the Peter Pan which serves as the final local prep for the Belmont Stakes. The blinkers go on after he broke slowly in the Wood Memorial (G2) and was forced to run wide the entire race yet still gained ground and improved his position significantly. (9) Bishops Bay gives Brad Cox yet another talented 3-year-old. This guy did not make his first start until February at Fair Grounds when he won as the odds-on favorite and then he returned a month later to win an allowance going two-turns at the New Orleans track. With his undefeated status and with Cox as the trainer he will attract plenty of action at the betting windows as he steps up to graded stakes competition. (2) Slip Mahoney is also entered in the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday. In his two Kentucky Derby trail races he had troubled trips while running second in the Gotham (G3) and sixth in the Wood. (4) Summer Cause broke his maiden in February at Gulfstream Park followed by a third in the Federico Tesio for Christophe Clement.

7^th race [NY, Md 40000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (2) Barry the Builder will make his 2023 debut after last seen running fourth in a maiden special weight. His three best races were on the turf. (4) Your Mission will make his first start since moving to the Jorge Abreu barn. Last year, he ran well at this maiden claiming level. (8) Silent Running has been off since January and had one of his best races at this level on the grass. (7) Tunnel Vision was claimed for $40,000 by Mike Maker and now tries turf for the first time.

8^th race [NY, Alw 80000 N1X, 6F TURF] – (7) Twenty Six Black (A) was blocked in the stretch and rallied strongly once clear to win in his second start after a Saratoga debut. (6) Heymackit’sjack ran against open company three times since his maiden beaker in September and now he’s back with NY-breds. (5) Sandrone set the pace and finished third at this level in his first start of the year. (3) Power Attack ran in three open company stakes to end his 2-year-old campaign. He broke his maiden against state-breds.

Best bets: Warren Point (5^th); Twenty Six Black (8^th). Best value: Classic Catch (6^th); Barry the Builder (7^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 5-7 which includes the Man O’ War and the Peter Panà 2, 4 with 2, 5, 9 with 2, 4, 7, 8 = $24.