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.

2^nd race [Md Sp Wt, 1 3/16 mi TURF] – (4) A Bourbon for Tony (B) was rank early under restraint, battled in stretch, and finished second by a head well clear of the show horse. (2) Orgonite (B) tried to close in the five path on a track that was favoring speed horses on the inside. (6) Noble Confessor was second in the Pilgrim (G2) last year as a maiden, ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and is still a maiden after a fourth in the Pennine Ridge which came off the turf. (3) Royal’s Pride ran a career best when he was second by a head at Aqueduct in June in his third start.

3^rd race [Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (5) Bobrovsky set the pace in his debut at Churchill Downs in June as the odds-on favorite and lost by a nose at the wire. (7) Hoosick Falls has a series of bullet workouts as he has been training steadily at Saratoga since May. (4) Imagine John has a pair of third-place finishes at Saratoga in June and then three weeks ago in the Belmont meeting. (2) Waitin’onasunnyday has training at the Spa since early June for his debut.

9^th race [Curlin, 1 1/8 mi] – (3) Strategic Focus won his first start at Aqueduct in April in a fast time as an odds-on favorite and the was first across the finish line last month only to be disqualified and placed second at Saratoga in a race that got a very high speed-figure. (1) Chancer McPatrick won his first three starts including the Hopeful (G1) and the Champagne (G1) but this race has restrictions for only 2025 when his best finish was a second in the Tampa Derby (G3). (6) Crudo won the Sir Barton at Pimlico during Preakness weekend.

10^th race [Clm 35000 N2L, 1 1/8 mi TURF] – (2) Via Della Spiga (B) was making his first start after being claimed in Kentucky, raced six wide, and finished second. (7) Right to Win broke his maiden last time for $35,000 and comes back in the right spot to win again. (5) Union Express was second by a neck at this level last month at the Big A. (12) Dakota Country came back from a year layoff to win a $50,000 maiden claimer in May.

Best bets: Bobrovsky (3^rd); Strategic Focus (9^th). Best value: A Bourbon for Tony (2^nd); Via Della Spiga (10^th).