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 [OC 62k/N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (1) Operation Torch broke his maiden in his second try against a full field at Keeneland for Shug McGaughey. (3) Scramble needed five tries to break his maiden and actually defeated the top choice in that race which happened in March. (7) Kalik got his first win in his first start of the year after trying twice as a 2-year-old for Chad Brown. (6) King’s Fortune was a debut winner for Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream Park in February in a race that was scheduled for the turf but was run on the Tapeta. He came back to run fourth in a stakes after a trouble trip.

2^nd race [Clm 14000 N3L, 1 mi] – (6) Major Spin will drop down in claiming price after winning at the N2L level two races ago for $25,000 and then moved up to the N3L condition also for $25,000. (3) Salute to America had to steady off heels in his first try at today’s level after winning the N2L condition and like the top choice will drop in claiming price. (2) Bingo John was third in a similar spot last time in his first start after getting claimed. (5) Higher Quality came back from a layoff for Linda Rice and now drops down to the lowest price of his eight-race career.

3^rd race [Beaugay (G3), 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (6) Veronica Greene (A) had an impressive 2023 debut when he won for the second time on the grass for Chad Brown. (3) Marketsegmentation has only top three finishes in five starts for Brown with a stakes victory last time in Florida. (8) Surprisingly won the Endeavour (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in February for Shug and then was third in the Hillsborough (G2). (1) Evvie Jets won the first turf stakes race of the year at Aqueduct with a front end effort in his first start of the year.

6^th race [Alw 95000, 7F TURF] – (1) Wings Like Eagles (B) was able to improve her position in her last race even though she was bumped twice and then was keen under restraint. (7) Expand the Map has never run worse than second in six starts where she raced against some very good horses like Pizza Bianca and the aforementioned Hot List horse Veronica Greene. (6) Party On Girl will make her first start in America for Chad Brown after more than a year from her last race which was one of two victories in Great Britain. (3) Fortineno won her debut at Saratoga in 2021 for Christophe Clement as a heavy favorite and has been away since then.

Best bets: Operation Touch (1^st); Major Spin (2^nd). Best value: Veronica Greene (3^rd); Wings Like Eagles (6^th).