TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2020
FIRST RACE – FASHIONWOODCHOPPER, the 2017 Sire Stakes champion over this track, was three-wide early to command at the 1/8, yielded but quickly retook, drew clear in the latter stages in fast time for this class. ANOTHER BREATH was looped and pressed on to the lead off turn one, yielded for the pocket, held on to the distant deuce over TURVILLE HANOVER. The latter was out on the second turn but quickly lost cover to a break, advanced in quarter three but could not threaten severely, just edged for place. CELEBRITY SERENA sat in, went wide in the lane and trotted past the others. GLOIRE DREAM yielded for good positioning, empty ¾. DOWNUNDERMATTER was never prominent. LEAP YEAR LUCKY was uncovered into turn two but soon was offstride. SCIROCCO JACOB was starting to lose contact by the ¼.
SECOND RACE – VALRHONA went right to the lead, never had big pressure from the parked horses, had enough to hold off RUNHAPPY TEN to the tune of $101.60. The latter was buried inside, angled to widest past headstretch and just ran out of racetrack. RACE ME VILLA was able to go up to the pocket late backstretch though gapping slightly, evenly late. ALTA SHELBY N was away in the pocket, came out 11/16 and challenged the winner but was rebuffed. ROLL WITH JEFF was three-wide to the 1/8 then behind the uncovered parked horse, went three-wide to the 5/8 and was left out three-wide until just before midturn, couldn’t sustain the gain. DULL ROAR was left out in the air, started falling back just past the half. ROCK THREE TIMES went to the sweeping tier but couldn’t make an impact. THE OTHER PAIR were wide early, tucked back, and did not figure in the outcome.
THIRD RACE – Stretch tailwind has started to get going … HALLS OF VALOR made the lead at the 3/16, rated the pace and had no anxious moments. CIRCUIT PARTY stayed connected in third, to the Pocono Pike and finished with some trot. KEEPTHETAB HANOVER pushed away well from the rail and yielded for the two-hole, so-so late response. BANKSTER, who gapped at times, stayed in and got fourth over THE IRISHMAN. The latter moved uncovered 5/8 but never made much of a dent. MY SON TY HANOVER never was prominent. PECANSANDY HANOVER was last in the main pack, nothing in the last quarter. TRICKY DICK was wide leaving, out with cover when breaking towards the 3/16.
FOURTH RACE – RHODATOLDME moved outside on turn two while far back, quickly made up ground down the back then went three-wide around the parked horse to get to two-wide raw, got in the pocket on the turn then came out again in the stretch, wore down SPECIAL ACHIEVER. The latter was in front just past the ¼, parked a foe, tried to meet the challenge of the winner but came up just shy. SWEETONTHEBEACH left a big gap in quarter two behind the duelers and pocket horse, tightened, came out midturn and won a three-way photo for third. STREAK THE LAWN was rough before the start and not away well, followed cover, uncovered past the ¾, fair late. DESTINYS CHILD stacked widest in the lane and finished with some pace. MISS SURREAL left, yielded after the ¼ and kept the hole closed, started to unplug ¾. LOOKING SANTASTIC never got a call. WYOMING WIND had cover to the ¼ then was left uncovered, tried for the lead but couldn’t go by, gave way significantly.
FIFTH RACE – LEXA HANOVER made two speed moves, got a breather against the wind down the backstretch, then had enough to go on to victory. TITANS HOPE was three-deep leaving, in front past the 1/8, yielded to the winner for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and gained some but couldn’t reach. THE NUN got a forward spot and stayed in, in the deep Pike and was gaining some when breaking deep stretch, placed for LOB. MOODY BLUE angled into an early 4-tuck, moved outside going to the 11/16, couldn’t pose a big threat. MS ARTOIS gapped midpack. PRAIRIE VIRTUE and NANCY BAR were off the main pack after two horses broke on the second turn: BLESS YOUR HEART jumped at the ½ and went inside the pylons, while MISTY KRISTY miscued heading into that turn.
SIXTH RACE – VORACITY was three-wide past the 1/8, tucked third 3/16, uncoiled one move 11/16 that carried him to the lead past the ¾ and let him leave these behind in the red dust. WILD BILL took the pocket before the 3/16, gapped off the runaway leader, in the Pocono Pike and a very distant second in a photo. THORN IN YOUR SIDE got in gear early and rolled on to fractions of 26.3, 54, and 1:22,4, couldn’t resist the winner but almost held second. DAVID THE SAINT got in fifth past the ¼, out in the lane and had a bit of pace. JAGGER ROCKS went evenly inside. DASHBOARD tucked fourth, gapped the top three midrace and never was a factor. MOUNT ROYAL and PARTY BOY were always far back, as was RED DIRT ROCKNROLL, who was outside the mile while not prominent.
SEVENTH RACE – SIR CROMWELL went to the front, had just yielded the lead past the 3/8 when the brusher broke and so resumed pacesetting duties, had some pressure that was easily shook off and won handily. WORTHY OF HONOR maintained the two-hole, raced well. MINEFIELD HANOVER made a big uncovered move down the backstretch and through the turn, but he could not sustain it in the last 1/8. SAINT SEBASTIAN was wide on the final turn from far back, so-so. MISTER WALKER moved outside 3/16 and went frontward, had just cleared to the lead approaching turn two when making a break, made a good recovery. KEYSTONE THUNDER showed little. LOVING LIFE was gapping early. I HAVE A DREAM moved outside but gapped advancing cover.
EIGHTH RACE – REDDING HANOVER was in the outer flow, couldn’t stay with TRAY SURREAL as that one cleared to the lead and opened a bit of distance, but caught him 50 feet out then held off NOTAWORD N. The latter came out behind the early mover, ducked back in off the second turn when that one did not advance, had to wait then backed out behind the winner mid-far turn, closed well. TRAY SURREAL moved out, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide raw 11/16 and got a clear lead past midturn, just succumbed late. DOGFIGHT went wide in the stretch and was next in line. FRISKY PEDRO was between horses early to the pocket at the 1/8, shuffled far turn as the leader tired, outside in the stretch, fair. FIND ONE MORE pushed the 1/8 and yielded, also caught in, but showed little once clear. QUAGMIRE BLUECHIP did not feature. WAGS pulled out 5/16, gained for a little while then was all done and looped past the 5/8. BEACH FIRE K was three-wide past the 1/8 for command, set the pace, nothing the last ¼.
NINTH RACE – PRACTICAL CAT moved out third-over, couldn’t stay with the first sweeper but gradually got to two-wide and proved the only challenger, caught that one late. BUTTER TOFFEE went two-wide on turn two, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide raw 11/16 and took over the lead and the inside midturn, just failed to last at 47-1. WAYWARD MAN was four-wide to the 1/8, then basically three-wide to the 3/8, then went up to clear near the half, couldn’t keep the place horse out on the turn, bore out some in the lane but was very game considering the horrible trip. ANDOVERS TOUCH was three-wide early, decided to go up between horses, grabbed the lead 3/8 and yielded to the ½, to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t get show. KANDY KORN parlayed an inside trip into the last check. BUZZEN GARLAND took 3/16 to clear the pole horse, kept foes out a like distance before yielding, moved outside to avoid what looked to be a shuffle developing, but had little to offer. C-O-TO BLUEGRASS left from the rail and yielded 3/16, followed the last horse to the lead and was left raw at the half, faded. THE OTHER PAIR were not prominent.
TENTH RACE – CLAYTONS BETTOR N left well to clear by the 1/8, yielded off turn one but was quick to reclaim command, withstood the challenge of TERRITORY. The latter defended early position, flushed out to the 11/16 and went right up to challenge, raced well in a 28 kicker. PARTY WHIP was looped and was two-wide just past the quarter for the top, yielded, gave a little ground late. WHO’S NEGAN moved out behind not-great cover, ducked in on the turn and had some traffic issues headstretch, distant next. LIKE LIGHTNING LOU moved raw off turn two, got cover to the 11/16 but couldn’t go with it. ROCKIN ROCKO was last, went three-wide later on the backstretch, gained then flattened out mid-far turn. ODDS ON OCALA was already gapping by the 3/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – SWEET TALKER moved outside 3/16 to not get trapped in by parked horses, went on to get the lead 3/8, fought off the first-over and won comfortably. LIBSPEAK went to the early lead, saw an early challenger break, yielded to the winner 3/8, kept up pretty well in a 56.2 back half. FLIRTY FORTY was forwardly-placed, came raw on turn two and challenged, tired before the stretch. PRIMROSE was outside 3/8, gradually ranged closer to cover, almost made third. SUNRISE HANOVER tucked in third, no more forward gear at the ¾. LADY SOPHIA took a while to settle inside, not heard from thereafter. PEPPERMINT MOCHA had little to offer; SPRECKLES also was no factor. ROLL WITH AMY was going up to challenge for the lead 3/16 when making a break, recovered but made another break and suffered “b.e.,” was pulled up.
TWELFTH RACE – SCOOTNROLL moved behind the quarter-mover and took the lead into turn two, paced his back ¾ in 1:23.4 as much the best. P-DRIVE HANOVER made two speed moves the yielded for the two-hole, kept pretty close until an 1/8 out, bettered ROLL WITH DOM for second. The latter was on top early, saw two go by in quarter two, also stayed close in a fast mile. BRAZEN BRAZILIAN came uncovered from far back 5/8 and made a good showing. BOLT OF LUCK gapped at a couple of points. SALT LIFE wasn’t a factor. LAGUNA BEACH BOY disconnected down the back. BEACHMASTER TWO broke as the field entered the backstretch before the start.
THIRTEENTH RACE – SIR JOHN F came uncovered nearing turn two and one-geared it all the way home, going past the leader headstretch and then withstanding all other challenges. SQUEE HANOVER was three-wide early while looped, got in fourth 3/16, used the Pocono Pike to get second. MOSCONI HANOVER cleared the field from the outer post rather easily, yielded for the two-hole, out behind the winner headstretch after keeping up in good fractions, evenly. CELEBRITY MASERATI was looped and between horses, went up to the lead past the ¼ and kept up a good clip while being pressed, tired headstretch. TOTAL DIVA had some gate speed, backed out to follow the winner ¾ but couldn’t keep up. PRESIDENT gapped at a couple of points including when he gave up second-over positioning, was blindswitched late on the turn, was behind a wall of horses late. WHOUCALNCRAZY and PHANTOM RUSTY were never in the main frame. TT CONWAY tried to gain wide late turn but flattened.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Wind had calmed … HORSING AROUND wasn’t horsing around here, going straight to the lead, continuing at a fast clip, then finishing out in 55.1, which he needed to to defeat MACHEASY A. The latter, in his U.S. bow, was wide early and backed off into a 4-tuck past the 1/8, came uncovered 5/8 and gained until ducking in behind the winner late turn for some strengthening, then came out again early stretch, only to have the wire come just a bit early for him. JIMI WIND RICKS was three-wide early and backed off to tuck third, outside late turn and a distant third. YACHT WEEK defended the pocket, may’ve been bottomed chasing a good pace and unplugged ¾. THE OTHERS couldn’t get into a fast race for this class.