FIRST RACE – ASCARYONE HANOVER was three-wide leaving and two-wide to the 1/8, yielded 5/16 but was right back on the retake and strung the field out in fast time. GUNSLINGER HILL was four-wide leaving to three-wide to the 1/8 to two-wide to the lead 5/16, yielded for the pocket, neither gained nor lost ground late. CATCH MY SHADOW got around the pole horse by the 1/8, sat third, just a bit off the top two from the 11/16, Pocono Pike, not enough. REDHOT ROMEO had dull cover, three-wide midturn from far back and outclosed the rest. AUTOTUNE HANOVER took back early, moved uncovered 5/8, one-paced. DEVISSER showed early speed, but little thereafter. RUFO never contended.
SECOND RACE – SPRINGBRIDGE PROUD started uncovered 3/8, went his own third quarter in 26.3, had the lead 5/8 but couldn’t clear to the inside until the ¾, drew off. XPERT BAYAMA left between horses and was out until off the first turn, got the lead and slowed the pace, then stepped it up when the challenger came, kept him out to the ¾, maintained a clear second. ALWAYS B MAGIC was three-wide past the 1/8 to a 3-tuck 3/16, appeared to consider coming first-over on the second turn but stayed in, moved outside midturn and was along for the distant third. ARTOFFICIAL FLAVOR was three-wide from far back and did well to outclose the others. REGAL HOPE was quickly on top, pushed past the ¼ then yielded for the pocket, started to gap ¾. STERLING ENSIGN and SIR JAKE’S Z TAM never entered the picture. POINTSMAN moved behind the winner 3/8 but was gapping before the half and faded.
THIRD RACE – MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE stayed in when the outer tier formed then backed out third-over towards the 11/16, three-wide midturn, along in the final three strides. EV’S GIRL was out with cover until tucking midpack 3/16, started uncovered to the half and went at it with the leader a long way, put a nose up for a step deep stretch before being overhauled. STOP RESISTIN was three-wide fully to almost the 5/16 and went on to 3/8 command, had the first-over reach him 11/16 and they battled the rest of the way, held the lead a long time in the stretch. VICKI ALL was between horses fighting and made the lead to the 5/16, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose on the far turn but perked up a little in the Pocono Pike. INNER PEACE pushed the three-way early duel and yielded to the 5/16, sat in, angled outside stretch but was behind a wall until very late, with some trot on the end. NOBLE PRIZE took back under a hold, tucked but broke 3/16 and fell w-a-y back, then trotted a last half in 55.3 in a gigantic recovery. ER BEN and SKEEZIX never factored. NEW IDENTITY had good cover but gapped it ¾.
FOURTH RACE – BIG CC’S ROCK did not get away well, followed cover and was left raw to the ¾, had a very big last quarter eating up the necessary ground for victory. SPECTACULAR ROCK gapped the second quarter then got it together and rushed to the lead 5/8, couldn’t hold off the winner but did complete the Flintstones exacta. NEEDLESS TO SAY yielded for the pocket, followed the brusher as the pacesetter collapsed and retucked in the pocket, out for more in the stretch but not quite enough. LUSTY DELIGHT moved out at the half, couldn’t go with the backstretch brusher, gradually got to retuck third late backstretch, not enough late. NEWS WATCH was always far back. BETTER BANGBANG made no moves; returned with “b.e.” QUICK ART was quick early to the lead past the 1/8, slowed quarter two, but fell further and further back after getting passed 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – 54.1, then 59.4 … A WISH FOR WINGS was a gapping eighth at the fast half, then joined the outside flow, four-wide coming off same entering the stretch, just up over SUN BELLE SLIPPERY. The latter was the first to move outside and reached the parked horse, benefited from that one’s great endurance, was left uncovered far turn, made the lead early stretch, just missed. SAPPHIRE HILL backed out to get in the flow ahead of the winner past the 5/8, three-wide late turn, outkicked. HOW ABOUT MURPH just had too much to overcome from last. DAWN SHOOTER was shuffled, then weaved through horses in the last quarter for the last check. ALWAYS B LUCY was three-wide to the 3/16, then briefly had cover, then was left raw 3/8 and battled in hot fractions, actually cleared the pacesetter far turn, held admirably considering her trip. THE BAND K tucked, then was caught in the inside shuffle. NORTHERN SWIFT made the top 3/16, yielded to the retaker, then had nowhere to go when that one folded. MARYMACISBACK set the pace with two moves, faded very badly from past the ¾.
SIXTH RACE – R GAUWITZ HANOVER was forwardly-placed, sat in then backed out behind DAFINATY 5/8, was left uncovered far turn when that one cleared, ducked inside of him in the stretch and took his measure easily. DAFINATY was four-wide leaving and took back, started raw to turn two, rushed up down the back and got the lead and the pegs just past the ¾, couldn’t handle the inside charge of the winner but far clear of the rest. ACHILLES BLUE CHIP pushed a fast quarter, yielded and retook and got a breather to the half, fought with the first-over and couldn’t keep that one from going by just past the ¾. HANDS OFF FRANK gapped down the back, outside on the turn, didn’t get close. SPORTY REDHOT was out past a 26.3 opener for the lead, yielded to the retaker, was already gapping before the 5/8. SOUTHERN ALLIE never factored. WORDSMITH tried to follow cover but had nothing.
SEVENTH RACE – BIGBOY ROSCO briefly settled fourth early then quarter-moved to command past the 3/8, went a fast mile for this class and won easily. DARTY darted away to instant command, yielded to the steady early move of the winner, gapped a bit down the back, still a clear second. MOOSE MADNESS started uncovered just before the half, didn’t reach and tucked third midturn, held that spot. MANDELA BLUE CHIP sat in then backed out to second-over but didn’t have much. BIG BILL BREEZE was looped but still got the early pocket pretty easily, in, gapped 11/16. PONDA’S MUSCLE MAN couldn’t make up ground. THE LAST THREE were the last three throughout.
EIGHTH RACE – CARMENS BEST went right to the lead, kept a foe parked, went clear early in the backstretch and won in a laugher. MYSTERY ISLAND was three-wide under urging and kept out wide to the 3/16, then two-wide, couldn’t squeeze into the pocket 5/16 and spent life on the rim, very game to get second considering the bad journey. MAGIC TRICKS kept the pocket closed, in tight quarters 5/16 but quickly got straightened away, then started gapping early backstretch. JAMAICAN COWBOY tried to find room between horses in the lane but was blocked. JUSTIFIED stayed in, caught behind the tired pocketsitter, but didn’t gain once clear in the Pocono Pike. CHANCELLORCULLEN N went three-wide 11/16 but could make no impact. DELIGHTFUL FASHION moved outside to turn two, then ducked back in down the back, not a late factor. ASCOT ENCOUNTER A lost contact the last half.
NINTH RACE – HIGGS BOSON moved uncovered 5/8 and started to gain right away, grinded past the leader headstretch and drew away. BUTTER TOFFEE moved out down the back but gapped, then swung wide for the stretch and finished steadily. CELEBRITY MASERATI was looped leaving and got to the pocket 3/16, moved outside behind the winner late turn, evenly. KAFFIR KEMP went right to the lead and set a good pace, powerless at crunch time. HANOVERS BEST had some speed and was forwardly-placed, came out and then three-wide late turn, not enough. WHOUCALNCRAZY gapped. WALK THE FLOOR tried for more speed down the backstretch but couldn’t find it, did back out ¾ but gapped, then broke.
TENTH RACE – SCOOTNROLL was on the move past the 1/8 to the lead in front of the stands, under pressure a long way from the first-over, shook that one off then withstood the pocket rocket challenge of BILLY LINCOLN N. The latter took over at the 1/8, yielded 5/16 for the two-hole, had his shot in the Pocono Pike, good but not quite enough. TREVOR ONE stayed connected to the front ones, outside headstretch and up for third. LETS HAVE ANOTHER retucked around an early gapper, didn’t enter the main action. JAHAN HANOVER left and yielded, hit high gear quickly when moved uncovered at the half and argued with the winner, saw his bid stall on the turn. TAIL HOOK left a big gap throughout; he and STOP ACTION did not figure in this one.
ELEVENTH RACE – I GOT THE LOOKS moved outside behind cover, retucked in the pocket later backstretch as the pacesetter folded, backed out behind “the new first-over,” and caught that one very late. LAZER JET sat in at the half then backed out to follow the lively flow, kept on going raw ¾ and had the lead most of the stretch at 47-1, just caught. PEMBROKE YOYO gapped behind the early runaway, shuffled 5/8 then squeezed out late backstretch, made up a lot of ground in a bad-luck outing. ISLAND LILY tucked third at the 1/8, came with a rush early backstretch and sailed right past the leader, tired in the stretch. OLYMPIC GLORY never entered the picture. HAVANA OOH NANA broke before the ¼. WINNING GENE moved outside but couldn’t keep up. CUPID HANOVER was a runaway through the first half, then packed it in 5/8.
TWELFTH RACE – SHOULDABEENATD left, took the pocket at the 1/8 and sat behind fast fractions, came out in the lane and paced right by JUSLIKEAQUEEN in a fast mile. The latter wanted to cut the pace and set fast fractions, couldn’t sustain in the lane. PERSISTENT BETTOR sat midpack, moved outside far turn and along for a no-factor third. SANTA CRUZA A stayed inside, did not offer a challenge. CASIE’S BELIEVER moved out down the back but couldn’t get close, fair late. SOMETHINGABOUTMARY N moved uncovered 11/16 but did not gain before falling back. GLENFERRIE BRONTE N left but took back to sixth late in the first quarter, not heard from again. THE PARTY’S ROCKIN gapped at a couple of points. FAITHFUL DESIRE was last at every call.
THIRTEENTH RACE – WARRAWEE VELOCE was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-deep to 3/16 command, rated the half then was flicked at to increase the tempo as the first-over put in a big challenge, disposed of that one, had SO MANY ROADS come up the Pocono Pike and actually take a short lead past midstretch, but fought back and got the nod. The latter left between horses to the lead at the 1/8 then yielded for the pocket, gapped a little near the ¾ but then tightened in, as noted to the Pike and got a small lead, but couldn’t maintain it. GOLD STAR YODER streaked up in 26.4 down the back to fight the leader from the 11/16 and around much of the turn, then faded while bearing out. DIVISION BELL was badly boxed well off the top three, finished nicely once clear in the Pike. REDDING HANOVER gapped outside 11/16; SAINT GEORGE Z, who had shown speed, gapped inside at that same point. SUNSETBOOZECRUISE didn’t have the speed to enter the main argument.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MR HOUDINI was looped early, attempted to settle in the pocket at the 1/8 but was headstrong, finally wrestled in, to the Pocono Pike and had enough. PERFECT STICK was uncovered from third-last 3/8, grinded very steadily. DOT DOT DOT DASH sat in, was blocked upper stretch then found room in very tight quarters late and finished with trot. DYNAMIC EDGE went right to the lead, set the pace as desired, still not enough. KEYSTONE SERGEANT advanced second-over then gapped far turn. GLIDE IN THE WIND was never prominent. SUPER MANNING gapped cover third-over.