By Bob Ehalt and Matt Shifman

Hot List Key:

A : A preferred horse to watch                   B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches in the final 3 minutes 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.

1st race – (3) Chill the J (C) dropped from 7-2 to 5-2 then finished a wide third. Gets the win here. (1) Giftedbydesign should make a smooth switch to turf. (4) Relentless Raider is worth a look in his debut. (6) El Chispazo could be hard to catch here. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-4-6.

3rd race – (2) Bernardo’s Legacy may lead throughout from an inside post. (3) Leo Fong should be a late threat. (8) Big Amadeus was a good second last time and will like the added distance. (5) Prince David may like the shorter distance. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-5-8. Doubles: 2-3-5-8 with 2-5-6-7.

4th race – (2) Victory Avenue has been away for a year but has a lot of talent. (4) It’s My Life may like a dry track. (6) Lean Mean Machine might wake up on dirt. (7) Vertrauen ran well in a claimer and cannot be dismissed. Betting strategy: 2 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-5-6-7.

7th race – (3) Theatrix showed speed and finished third in her turf debut and may not look back here.  (7) Unshakable looks like the main rival. (1) Love Actually should be a main contender from the rail. (5) Starship Impulsive may improve with blinkers. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-3-5-7.

9th race - (6) Born Noble had a useful comeback race and seems set for a strong try. (7) Catalytic missed by a head and should be the one to fear. (8) The Thor was second in his US debut and belongs in the exotics. (2) Macallan returns from a layoff and merits a look. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-6-7-8.