Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Thursday, August 7, 2025 at Saratoga (Day 21)
                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.

5^th race [Md 50000, 6F] – (3) The Closer dropped into a maiden 75,000 for his second start at Aqueduct in May and pressed the pace to finish second. (1) Fiscal Drag made two maiden special weight starts at Monmouth Park for Chad Brown. Blinkers go on. (2) Dark Devil has made 13 starts, most in maiden claimers with eight top three finishes. (6) Shadow Surge returns from his debut which was in a Keeneland maiden special weight more than a year ago where he was fifth as the 5-2 favorite in a large field.

7^th race [Galway, 5½ F TURF] – (4) Delightful Flame (A) made her 2025 debut for a new trainer in a starter allowance, dueled on the lead the entire race, and lost by a nose. (11) Love Cervere won a pair of turf sprint stakes at Aqueduct and Woodbine with stalking trips and finds a field loaded with speed types. (8) Roja won the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park last month and has shown the ability to stalk or press the pace. (10) Laurice was second in July in the Coronation Cup (G3) at Saratoga and last year was a debut winner at the Spa.

8^th race [NY, Alw 95000, 1 1/8 mi] – (9) Jaa Mode (A) broke last as a speed horse, tried to rush up, and finished third in his first start of the year. (6) Iron Dome was a 10-length winner in his maiden victory that earned a race-topping speed figure. (3) Aelfgar faced NY-breds for the first time and finished second in a similar spot last month. (7) Senegal has three recent second-place finishes including two at this level and last time in a $30,000 claimer from which he was taken and now will make his first start for the new barn.

9^th race [OC 100k/N1X, 1 mi TURF] – (2) Griffin’s Wharf (B) had to steady early, pressured the pace, had the lead, and finished second. (4) Maui Strong has a third-place finish in a Grade 3 race at a mile at Keeneland and last time set the pace in the Manila (G3) at Saratoga. (7) Valuation Metric will make his 3-year-old debut in here after winning the Awad in October for Chad Brown. (1) States’ Rights had two second-place finishes in allowance races earlier in the year for Cherie DeVaux.

Best bets: The Closer (5^th); Jaa Mode (8^th). Best value: Delightful Flame (7^th); Griffin’s Wharf (8^th).