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.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (5) Wedelia ran twice at Churchill Downs on sloppy and sealed tracks with a pace-pressing second as the favorite. (6) Slow Kara returns from an April layoff after three starts that include the Gazelle (G3) and a second at Gulfstream Park. (3) Maria Louise will debut after selling for $850,000 as a yearling daughter of Gun Runner and Stopshoppingmaria. (4) Miss Twitter will make her first start for Chad Brown with a fast work showing.

2^nd race [Md 25000, 6F] – (4) Abrigado gets blinkers on for his second start of the year and takes a big drop in class after showing some speed in his prior three starts. (3) Draft Riots will make his second start since changing barns, also gets blinkers, and goes for a tag for the first time. (7) Implacable tried the turf last month to no avail and will race in a claimer for the first time, having shown plenty of early speed. (2) Camino comes back from an April layoff from Oaklawn Park and drops in class for a top trainer who is long overdue for a Saratoga win.

4^th race [NY, Md So Wt, 5 ½ TURF] – (7) Hot Off the Beach (A) was second in his debut at 3-1, well clear of the rest of the field. (1) Sweetnessthrtyfour (B) ran second in his only start a year ago, had the lead, missed by a neck at 6-1, and was 13 lengths ahead of the others. (8) Story of Rory changes barns to a NY-based trainer following a pair of seconds at Mid-Atlantic tracks. (6) True Legend will make his first start of the year with three good efforts showing for a trainer that is doing well this meeting.

5^th race [NY, Md 5000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (10) Luciana’s Honor (B) stumbled, broke outward, got taken up in January, rallied wide, got to the lead, and finished second at 4-1. (9) Bernina Express drops in for a tag for the first time and gets a significant rider upgrade. (2) Force of Mischief gets blinkers on as she, too, makes a first appearance in a claimer. (7) Amicus Curiae was fourth in a similar spot in her start of the year behind a horse that won her next race.

Best bets: Wedelia (1^st); Abrigado (2^nd). Best value: Hot Off the Beach (4^th); Luciana’s Honor (5^th).