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.

2^nd race [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/8 mi TURF] – (8) Royal’s Pride will make his first start of 2026 with a narrow defeat at Aqueduct last year after pressing the pace. (9) Ollie Luke Out hit the board three times and now blinkers go on. (7) Pax Mundi has a pair of seconds at Gulfstream Park and one at Del Mar during the summer. (1) Pay the Piper ran his best race when he was second at Saratoga at the end of the meeting.

4^th race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (6) Kotlikoff (B) went from last to miss the win by a neck from the 12 post-position in his 2026 debut. (3) Tizio had to pause between horses at the eighth-pole during his first career start and finished a close third. (8) Professor Proton set the pace in July and ended up third behind a horse who came back to win his next start. (5) Tango Tango ran well in his last two races at Saratoga.

6^th race [NY, Alw 105000, 1 1/8 mi TURF] – (2) Coach Ryan (A) rallied eight wide from 10^th to third in his first try in an allowance in August. (1) Willpowered finished in the top three four times since breaking his maiden earlier in the year at Tampa Bay Downs. (8) Honoree hit the board twice at Saratoga. (6) Charles J is a trifecta contender in this field for a trainer that makes the most of a small barn.

7^th race [Md 75000C, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (8) George St. (B) in his first try on the turf he set the pace and finished second well clear of the rest of the large field. (2) Hetch Hetchy got bumped at the quarter-pole and had to check in his only start in August which was in a maiden special weight. (10) Proper Jack was entered for the turf in his first race at Monmouth Park last month and was third at 3-5. (4) Sun Gate showed early speed in his two starts including last time at Kentucky Downs where he set the pace and missed by a nose.

Best bets: Kotlikoff (4^th); Coach Ryan (6^th). Best value: Royal’s Pride (2^nd); George St. (7^th).