Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Wednesday, August 6, 2025 at Saratoga (Day 20)
                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.

3^rd race [Clm 12500, 7F] – (3) Mursal won a $35,000 claimer in March with a front-end effort and then ran in allowance and starter allowances. (1) Whistler’s Style and (1A) Miss Lao make a Linda Rice entry where both are win contenders. (2) Sister Supream was claimed for $16,000 at Parx Racing in June following an allowance victory at Laurel Park. (7) Follow Your Arrow won a February claimer at Aqueduct and was taken for $25,000.

5^th race [Clm 17500 N2L, 6F] – (9) Lollipops won a $30,000 maiden claimer with a front-end effort in May and then tried a $32,000 open claimer. (1) Another Cleeshay was debut winner at Saratoga last summer who moved to stakes races and last month was fourth in a $100,000 claimer. (8) Best Impression was claimed last time from a second-place finish at today’s level. (4) Ragtime Sizzle ran three times in July including a win for $20,000 in a maiden claimer and makes a big drop from higher priced races.

6^th race [Md Sp Wt, 5 ½ F TURF] – (10) Great Actress (A) made a strong middle move in his debut at Aqueduct and finished third. (2) Devilish Grin was second by less than a length in her debut at Aqueduct in June at 7-2. (9) Oscar’s Encore will make her first start for Joe Sharp showing a couple turf works. (1) Winrooski was third in her debut at Gulfstream Park in June behind a horse that came back to win again and then stumbled badly at the start at Saratoga in what turned out to be a strong field.

7^th race [Birdstone, 1 ¾ mi] – (2) Parchment Paper won the Belmont Gold Cup (G3) that was run at Saratoga in June on a sloppy and sealed track by more than eight lengths. (4) Lambeth ran in long distance stakes in his last three starts including a win in the Temperance Hill at Oaklawn Park. (3) Game Warden was second and third in a couple of those same stakes races in which Lambeth ran. (6) Digital Ops is one of a two horses that will try and win this 14 furlong test on the front end.

Best bets: Mursal (3^rd); Parchment Paper (7^th). Best value: Lollipops (5^th); Great Actress (6^th).