Buy TicketsBy 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 4th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.
1st race – (6) Waggley is one of two Ward 2-year-olds in the opening race of the meet and he looks the better of the two. (2) Joe Joe Dude exits a bullet work for his debut. (8) Suspicions is the other Ward starter who merits respect. (7) Tigrado is an interesting son from a fast sire, Nashville. Betting strategy: 6 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-6-7-8.
5th race – (3) Arctic Beast ships in after a big stakes win at Aqueduct. (2) Knock It Off is 2-for-2 and highly capable of keeping that streak alive. (4) Trouble Calling has enough speed to hang around until the end. (7) Oscar’s Hope deserves some attention here. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 2-3-4-7.
7th race – Middle Ground Capital Beaumont Stakes (G2) - (3) Sneaky Good was third against top company last time and gets the nod here. (4) Kingsolver is working nicely for her comeback. (2) Just Bluffing could be the real deal in her stakes debut. (1) Coco Connect will benefit from a rail trip. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-3-4. Doubles: 1-2-3-4 with 4-5-7-10. Pick 3: 1-2-3-4 with 4-5-7-10 with 1-2-3-4.
8th race – UK Health Care Transylvania Stakes (G3) - (5) Street Beast should welcome a return to turf. (10) Honey Dutch was a sharp second last time and has enough speed to offset the post. (7) Remember Mamba has showed stakes potential in his two starts and two wins. (4) Attfield will be better suited by turf. Betting strategy: 5 to win, place. Exacta box: 4-5-7-10. Doubles: 4-5-7-10 with 1-2-3-4.
9th race – Central Bank Ashland (G1) - (3) Zany has been dominant in three straight wins and can handle this field. (4) French Friction looks like the one to fear. (1) Nycon has some late kick and belongs in the exotics. (2) Percy’s Bar loves this track and cannot be ignored despite making her 2026 debut. Betting strategy: 3 to win, place. Exacta box: 1-2-3-4.