FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … JUST N ACE sat the two-hole, came out in the stretch and wore down SOMETIMESAWINNER. The latter was out strongly for the rail, picked up the pace down the backstretch to keep out a charging first-over, couldn’t handle the winner but did preserve second over ROYAL HEART. The latter sat third-in, to the Pocono Pike and found his best strides a bit too late. KEYSTONE STEAM backed out to third-over 5/8, three-wide late on the turn and best of the rest. BLUEBERRY HEAVEN came steadily up the inside for the last check. MAYFIELD DUKE pulled early to follow cover but gapped it. ROCKNROLL CHARM never settled in, went up and got cover but gapped it 5/8. POLAK A tucked early, moved uncovered to the half and sprinted up in 26.2 down the back to challenge hard, but tired midturn. RUNHAPPY TEN never factored.
SECOND RACE – MARION GONDOLIER took advantage of track geometry to get the lead and kept it throughout, well-clear at the end. WISENHEIMER was ahead between horses early but couldn’t clear to the lead and took back for the pocket, couldn’t gain in the Pocono Pike. LINDSEY’S PRIDE was three-wide most of the 3/16 before tucking third, outside before late turn, wasn’t gaining late. JOEY PRO was second-over 3/8, moved three-wide to the ¾ well behind the top three and had a good last quarter. THE NEXT THREE never factored. MY LINDY WINNER broke at the 1/8, caught back on fairly quickly and went up uncovered, never headed the third-in horse before tiring.
THIRD RACE – CLOSING STATEMENT got underway early and fronted this field coast-to-coast, with no one able to stay with him in a 1:49.3 mile. DEALT A WINNER moved behind the parked horse to turn two, three-wide before the ¾, along for the distant second. IN SPADES backed off and rode in the pocket, started to gap at the half. BURNING MIDNIGHT passed tired horses. THE FIRST STEP was three-wide 3/16 then had to race two-wide through monstrous fractions, faded. I’M BENICIO A was underway early but could do little. MIGHTY MR SHARKEY N was outside leaving, went into his own hole at the ¼, was fading before the 5/8.
FOURTH RACE – IYQ YQR made the front and forced a tuck, pushed the favorite most of the length of the frontstretch before yielding and sitting the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and gradually got the upper hand in the two-horse battle to the wire. STICK WITH CRAMER tucked fourth, moved 5/16 and went his middle half in 55.2 in clearing to the lead into the wind and then rolling down the back, game but second-best today. DAVID THE SAINT got the two-hole early, stayed in, just third, well off the leaders, over SPANISH ART. The latter moved behind the brusher then was left raw at the half, couldn’t reach, fair late. BUSBOY HANOVER took an inner route to the last check. BEACH PRO did not have great cover, not all that much. INTERNET HANOVER and THORN IN YOUR SIDE were not prominent. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT was away third, started gapping 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – SYLVESTERAMERICAIT was given his head by The Trot Man and set a very fast pace, tiring from early stretch but had opened too much of a lead to be overcome. ICINGON DE CUPCAKE tucked fifth 3/16, suffered “b.e.” after the ¼, came out in the stretch and kept gaining but couldn’t reach. CRAZYCAT inherited the pocket after the 3/4 breaker, Pocono Pike, OK. UNCLE LEO and ZOOMING had a little late from far off the pace. CASINO CUTIE IT was outside on turn two, three-wide early backstretch around the parked horse but didn’t factor. SQUEE HANOVER left, found no hole and drifted outside, no factor the last 3/8. BELLA AVA raced into the pocket, had cut an 8-length lead in half by the ¾, but went offstride just past that spot.
SIXTH RACE – SHANE ADAM was third-over behind gapping cover, made a big move 11/16 to get into contention, found better strides past midstretch and was along in time. VORACITY pushed a foe then yielded but was quick on the retake, then kept another challenger out, opened a brief clear lead after resisting all challenges to midstretch in a fast tempo, couldn’t stave off the winner. MAJOR DECEPTION moved uncovered 3/8 but never could clear, fought with the winner, ducked inside headstretch as the pocket horse faded, kept at his task gamely. WAGON MASTER was out second-over but gapped and was blindswitched, then backed out behind the winner, gained a little late. REAL LUCKY N tucked fourth 3/16, sat in, was shuffled as the pocketsitter tired, moved two-wide but couldn’t gain late. JINS SHARK also was shuffled, moved three-wide, had a touch of pace at the end. SHADY CITY gapped in last. CLASS SIX was urged leaving, out most of a quick quarter for the lead, yielded and sat behind duelers, little left for the last panel.
SEVENTH RACE – HASHTAGMADEYALOOK tucked fourth at the 1/8, started raw just past the half, cleared by the ¾ and was an easy winner. P L ICABOD pushed a quick quarter and yielded for the two-hole, backed out behind the winner ¾ and soon was uncovered, steadily. MYSTICAL WYNN was three-deep to turn one then in sixth before the ¼, moved second-over behind the winner but gapped letting the place horse out, did better in the last stanza. O JONNIE gapped third-over, best of the rest. JACK RULES was last much of the way, didn’t have much chance. SMOOTH ACCELERATION challenged for the early lead and finally got it coming off the first bend, got pressure from the winner from early backstretch, yielded ¾ and faded. LIONBACKER KIDD and CHRISTOPHER CRAZO could not get into contention after inside trips. ANDOVERS TOUCH was near the back throughout.
EIGHTH RACE – MAC ANOVER used the rail to maximum effect, forcing tucks then letting a foe go at the ¼ to sit the pocket and keep it closed, appeared to start edging out midturn but went back in, to the Pocono Pike, quickly to the lead, had the wire come just in time. STAR COMMANDER N sat in until late on the turn, angled wide and came barreling home, a winner two steps past the wire. ITSONLYROCKNROLL A diagonaled behind the four early battlers and slid in fourth, deep in the Pike, not quite enough late. PHOTOBOMBR HANOVER was two-wide in the warring foursome early, made the lead at the ¼, got no pressure although going on at a good clip, not enough late. WILD BILL was four-wide to the 1/8, backed off and tucked fifth, outside late turn but couldn’t gain enough. URBAN RENEWAL was three-wide to the 3/16, then two-wide and soon uncovered, didn’t have enough to press the pacesetter before fading. THE LAST TWO were never close.
NINTH RACE – MR COOL SEAEYRE N was three-wide to the 3/16 then two-wide to command near the ¼, yielded to sit the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, got an advantage midstretch but didn’t extend it by much over a game VALLEY OF SIN. The latter made two speed moves, rated the half, held very stubbornly late. SPECTRE was blocked inside, came clear deep in the Pike late and finished strongly. CHUCKY DE VIE went to the early lead, pushed then yielded, sat third-in, not too much late. BILLIE BLUE gapped second-over, with SILVERMASS VOLO on his back; both gained some while wide late. ARCHIBALD was not heard from. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT moved uncovered towards turn two and trotted a strong third quarter to press the pace, but then gave way. TECH TITAN was a bit off the gate and never close.
TENTH RACE – MUSCLE M UP was forwardly-placed early, uncovered before the 5/8 and battled the leader from the 11/16 onward, got the lead ¾ but couldn’t clear inside, but then proceeded on and defeated these. SCIROCCO ROB stayed in, angled wide headstretch and was flying late to grab second over a pair. EXPLOSIVEBREAKAWAY was looped while three-wide, went on up and finally made the point 3/8, under intense pressure, tired a bit. ICANFLYLIKEANANGEL flew around everybody early, pushed the chalk then yielded 3/8 for the pocket, wasn’t keeping up the last ¼. ARABELLA’S CADET briefly steadied when a foe made a break 3/16, then third-over, not a major factor. NO DRAMA PLEASE caused none today. CROOKED CREEK broke midpack 3/16. RICH AND MISERABLE was second-over, gapped the winner’s cover then broke 11/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – CASUAL COOL was on the bit early, moved at the half and paced in 26.1 wind-aided down the back to clear at the ¾, went on to the wire to ensure the victory. JOESSTAR OF MIA A moved second-over but couldn’t stay with the winner’s brush, uncovered on the turn, never gave up the fight. PRINCE OF TIDES was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide 5/16 to reach the top, didn’t have the speed to keep the winner out ¾ but kept on digging to the wire in the Pocono Pike. CROCKETS CULLEN N left hard from the rail and wouldn’t yield until the 5/16, pocket, backed out of same on the turn after the winner went by, so-so. LAKE CHARLES sat in, gapped, never prominent. J M MANDAMIN gapped third-over. THE OTHER PAIR could not reach contention.
TWELFTH RACE – TWIN B TUFFENUFF pushed a foe past a 26 opener, yielded but immediately retook, went on in fast splits, shook off the first-over headstretch then was able to hang on over RODEO ROCK. The latter was second-over but gapped until the far turn, wide and narrowing in with every step. AMERICAN ZEST A left, then was first-over 5/8, challenged very hard on the far turn, but couldn’t sustain that move. TALBOTCREEKWHISKEY was parked well past a 26 opener to get the lead, yielded to the retaking winner, couldn’t summon enough response late. BRANQUINHO backed off to tuck before the 1/8, not heard from thereafter. HEAVEN’S GAIT had too far to come. FATHER SARDUCCI was not a factor.
THIRTEENTH RACE – WINNING LEGENDS yielded for the pocket, popped out 11/16 and went right to the lead, had two lengths midstretch, then just had enough to avoid being caught by BROADWAY ATHENA. BROADWAY ATHENA came uncovered at the 5/8, briefly three-wide 11/16 to not lose momentum as the winner came out, uncovered on the turn, didn’t keep up early stretch, then was steadily shrinking the margin. TRUEMASS VOLO backed outside, gapped, distant third. TWO AM sat in, was shuffled but never recovered significant ground. MISS MCKEE was in front past the 1/8 and set the pace, all done when challenged ¾. GOES DOWN SMOOTH made a break nearing the 3/8.
FOURTEENTH RACE – WEONA SIZZLER A was away third, quarter-moved, went 26.4 down the back so that favored first-over couldn’t reach, stayed safe. MACHIATTO A left with high speed from the pole and forced tucks, yielded to the winner, kept close the rest of the way but couldn’t make up late ground. WHATS INTHE ESKY A tucked fifth 3/16, gapped down the back in the fast split, then found better steps, cleared between horses very late and finished well. MAJOR OFFENSE stayed connected, backed out late on the far turn, could not make an impact. SEMI TOUGH went in fourth 3/16, moved uncovered to the half, paced his own third quarter in 26.1 but still couldn’t reach the leader, faded some. LORD WILLOUGHBY gapped second-over. THE OTHERS couldn’t gain into a 55.2 back half.