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 50000, 1 1/8 mi] – (1A) The Taco Lady (B) was last seen racing in December when she was bet down from 5-1 to 3-1 and finished third in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct. (6) Makes Sense has a pair of second-place finishes in maiden special weights. (5) Last Man Standing has three top three finishes in maiden special. (2) No Merlot was second in February in a Tampa maiden special weight on the turf.

4^th race [Clm 30000 N3L, 6 ½ F] – (6) Eliminate won a first-level allowance in April and drops in for a tag for the first time. (8) Charlie’s Express set the pace and finished third in his first try in an allowance. (1) Kigali was second in a similar spot at Churchill Downs and horses from that Kentucky track have been winning more than their share races at Saratoga. (4) Scat Tu Tap will drop down to this level for the first time after a series of starter allowances.

8^th race [OC50k/SAL50k, 6F] – (2) Geez Eloise (B) was carried out wide and had to steady last month. (1) Golden Irish was second in a pair of starter allowances. (3) Feasible was second in a starter allowance in June. (4) Theprincessfactor broke her maiden last month for trainer Joe Sharp who had four winners a in the past few days.

9^th race [Honorable Miss (G2), 6F] – (4) Scylla is a past Grade 2 winner and was second in the Bed O Roses (G2) at the Spa in June. (9) Jody’s Pride won the Ruffian (G2) and was second by a neck in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. (2) R Disaster ran first or second in all nine of her starts. (1) Halina’s Forte was first or second or third in 10 out of her last 12 starts.

Best bets: Eliminate (4^th); Scylla (8^th). Best value: The Taco Lady (1^st); Geez Eloise (8^th).