Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Saturday, August 9, 2025 at Saratoga (day 23)
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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

6^th race [Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (6) Golden Tornado is a first-time starter that sold for $475,000 as a yearling and was touted by trainer Danny Gargan. (7) Senior Lender will make his debut for Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables and was a $450,000 yearling purchase. (8) Sassmaster was a $650,000 purchase in October and will start for Todd Pletcher whose 2-year-olds have come out running to win at the Saratoga meeting. (2) Oscar’s Hope shows two fast recent workouts in preparation for his first race.

7^th race [OC 75k/N2X, 1 mi TURF] – (1) Resilience (B) stumbled badly out of the gate to be last, made a middle move, and faded. (5) Itsallcomintogetha (C) was bet down from 5-1 to 3-1, got to the lead in a NY-bred stakes race, and finished third going longer on the grass. (7) Exact Estimate will drop in for the claiming option for the first time in his career after a pair of seconds in top-level allowances. (3) Gilded Craken won a first-level allowance earlier in the meeting by eight-lengths in a race that was meant for the turf and gets Irad to ride.

8^th race [OC 100k/C 6F] – (2) Damon’s Mound came back from a lengthy layoff to win a Florida-bred stakes at Gulfstream Park in January and was last seen setting the pace in the Vanderbilt (G2). (3) Maximus Meridius won the Toboggan at Aqueduct in February and a state-bred allowance at Parx Racing last month. (6) Little Ni was second by a neck in a similar allowance in his first start of 2025 for Mark Casse. (4) Light the Way won 3 out of his last 4 starts for Linda Rice while racing on the lead each time working his way from a starter allowance through two open-allowance conditions.

10^th race [Sword Dancer (G1), 1 ½ mi TURF] – (6) Far Bridge won this race last year and has 5 graded stakes victories from 7 starts including two Grade 1s and two Grade 2s. (5) Nations Pride has to be respected with his many Grade 1 and Group 1 victories in Europe and the USA. (9) Utah Beach won the Elkhorn (G2) and the Louisville (G3) this spring before he had a troubled trip at Churchill in June. (7) El Rezeen ran second in his two starts this year in a Keeneland allowance and the Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga last month behind the top pick.

Best bets:  Damon’s Mound (8^th); Far Bridge (10^th). Best value:  Golden Tornado (6^th); Resilience (7^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special -
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 6-8  2, 6, 7, 8 with 1, 3, 5, 7 with 2, 3 = $32.