FIRST RACE – Low to mid 50s … JUST N ACE made the top early, fought off two separate challenges down the back and through the turn, then held off POLAK A up the inside late. The latter defended the pocket, had his shot up the inside in the stretch, good but second-best. KEYSTONE STEAM was three-wide leaving then to two-wide, backed off and settled third off the first turn, stayed in, evenly late. ROCKNROLL CHARM also hugged the inside, found room between horses midstretch and had a good closing kick. SOMETIMESAWINNER was four-wide towards turn one, then with cover until tucking fifth at the ¼, moved second-over, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide ¾ to challenge, couldn’t sustain. MAYFIELD DUKE was third-over but gapped. ROYAL HEART started uncovered going to the 3/8 and went up to challenge, was swept around at the ¾, struggled thereafter. OUR ZAK WHITBY A tried to go three-wide from a far back fourth-over but couldn’t reach. CENTURY FERRARI took back early, not heard from thereafter.
SECOND RACE – IYQ YQR went right to the lead, kept a challenger parked, then drew away from these in the last quarter in the fast time of 1:50.2. DAVID THE SAINT left between horses and tucked third at the 3/16, sat in, blocked through the turn as the pocket horse faded, to the Pocono Pike and a distant second. CANBEC KINGKAZIMIR hustled up early to defend the two-hole, unplugged ¾, just saved third over SPANISH ART. The latter was last inside, gained in the Pike with decent late pace. POKERFACE BLUECHIP moved out behind the parked horse towards turn two, three-wide 11/16 but didn’t gain. INTERNET HANOVER stayed in then angled wide headstretch but didn’t enter the picture even for major minor awards. RUFFLE UP bypassed a 4-hole tuck 3/16 and went up, was one-paced in a gear not fast enough, faded 11/16. STOLEN CAR never factored.
THIRD RACE – GOES DOWN SMOOTH did not want a 3-tuck 3/16 and went on to the lead 3/8, went a 55.4 middle half to open a good-sized lead, then had enough to withstand the late thrust of SYLVESTERAMERICANIT. The latter protected the early pocket, came out 5/8 and went right around the gapping pocketsitter to become a gapping pocketsitter, then in gear in the stretch and tried hard but came up just shy. MY LINDY WINNER was in a dull outer tier, three-wide much of the far turn and made a pretty good rally although far back in third. ICINGON DE CUPCAKE tucked fourth, gapped in quarter two, moved outside 11/16 but never was a major player. HASHTAGMADEYALOOK was outside, blindswitched, evenly late. ZOOMING never appeared on the radar. MR COOL SEAEYRE N went right to the top, yielded 3/8 and appeared to get bottomed chasing the fast pace. WISENHEIMER was no factor; neither was GRAPPLE HANOVER, and the latter broke late.
FOURTH RACE – LOUD SPLASH was second-over, gapped from the half until early far turn, moved three-wide midturn but it didn’t look like it’d be his day as VORACITY opened up a big lead, but found a higher gear before midstretch and caught the leader. The latter was parked with cover early then went up 3/16 to 3/8 command, resisted the first-over and opened up some distance late turn, almost held together at 16-1. WHATS INTHE ESKY A was far back, got into the three-wide path behind the winner while blindswitched, gained steadily in his wake. JOHNNY Q wound up third-over, three-wide with cover on the turn, didn’t have the winner’s acceleration early stretch but closed determinedly. BRANDON HANOVER was the first to show, raced inside, shuffled as the pocketsitter gave way, then got to the Pocono Pike, so-so. REAL LUCKY N was not real lucky being blocked inside, clear between horses midstretch and finished with pace. VEGA STAR N was three-deep to the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, pushed a foe a like distance before surrendering the lead, started getting loose 5/8. WAGON MASTER stayed close early, uncovered towards turn two and made a good third quarter bid, but then tired.
FIFTH RACE – CROCKETS CULLEN N left innermost of a bunch, emerged with the pocket and stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike and got the nod in a race where the top five were separated by less than a length. PYRO left very wide and took back quickly, then was second-over to the 5/8, wide in the lane and grabbed second in the last step over RODEO ROCK. The latter went into the three-hole past the 1/8, back out raw 5/8 and put hard pressure on the leader, held very nicely fighting to the end. BLOOD LINE was three-wide to the 1/8 en route to quarter command, got a breather in quarter two then sped up, didn’t miss by much. DECLAN SEELSTER was third-over, widest in the stretch and closed well. BRANQUINHO stayed in, appeared to have room deep in the Pike but couldn’t summon enough late. FATHER SARDUCCI disconnected the last half.
SIXTH RACE – GRINDER was three-wide early and looped, briefly had cover then ducked in 3/16, uncovered towards the half and made a big third quarter push to get the lead 11/16, safe from there. SILVERMASS VOLO was third-over behind a so-so second-over, uncovered on the far turn and came home steadily. RIVER OTTER was looped and between horses until getting the pocket 3/16, could vacate same late backstretch and retuck in the new pocket behind the new leader, not enough late. HIGGS BOSON went evenly. SPECTRE was out second-over but gapped his high-speed cover, left raw late backstretch and tucked in third far turn, not much left. UNCLE LEO was inside and gapped at a couple of points, then lost all chance when backed up by the tiring pacesetter. VALLEY OF SIN broke right at the start. CHUCKY DE VIE left four-wide looping opposition to 3/16 command, went to the half in fast time, had no answer when challenged down the back.
SEVENTH RACE – Stretch headwind now in play … MAJOR DECEPTION came on a steady grind from approaching turn two, made the lead midstretch and gamely held off BURNING MIDNIGHT in a “Nap-Nap” finish. The latter tailed his cover very nicely, strong in the lane, just missed. BELLOWS BINGE was three-wide to the 1/8, wanted to set the pace but reluctantly took the two-hole near the 26.1 opener, to the Pocono Pike, not quite enough rally but edged two closers for third. LACHIE MAGUIRE N was fourth-over, ducked in near headstretch and found a seam through which he gained. SHANE ADAM sat in, moved outside early stretch and also came through a small hole to be moving well late. BRING THE THUNDER was third-over but couldn’t make the main picture. DAAMERICANSKY made the top between horses, refused to surrender before the ¼, set a fast pace, paid the price late. BETTOR NOTBITTER A gapped at the back.
EIGHTH RACE – SQUEE HANOVER was the first on top, shuffled during the lead changes, advanced up the inside as the two-in and three-in both moved outside, got the victory in the Pocono Pike late. SKY CASTLES left and had cover until coming off the first turn, then onward to the lead approaching the next curve, held with gameness. UNCLE HANOVER made the front at the 1/8, yielded, could back out 11/16, gapped on the far turn, then ducked between horses in the stretch and gained in a very tight path. SIMPLY VOLO was uncovered on turn two and trotted a big third panel to pressure the leader, held well. MR VICKTOR was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-high to the front coming off turn one, yielded past the 3/8, angled off the rail and quickly to three-wide headstretch, didn’t have a sharp response. BILLIE BLUE was buried inside, gained some inside as the pace slackened. I GOT THE LOOKS didn’t have good cover, went three-wide ¾, never reached. OPTIMIST BLUE CHIP moved outside but gapped. BIG MONEY HONEY trailed.
NINTH RACE – MACHNEASY A was away enough to protect the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and got the lead midstretch, mustered just enough to hold off AFLAME HANOVER. The latter squeezed in third past the 1/8, outside in the stretch, took a couple of crucial seconds for him to find his highest gear then narrowed in rapidly. DREAMS BEACHBOY continued on at a good clip without much serious pressure, couldn’t last the last 1/16. BENSON BOYS N stayed in, found late room in the Pike and did pretty well to be next. FABRICE HANOVER came out second-over, gapped early backstretch then tightened, three-wide midturn, some on the end. BEN ROCKIN stayed in, had little. MAC ANOVER moved outside but never got into the picture. AMERICAN ZEST A lost cover past the 1/8 and was out in the air without threatening the leader before tiring ¾. JK MUSICMAN was no factor here.
TENTH RACE – EXPLOSIVEBREAKAWAY was second-over in a good flow, three-wide swinging for home, finished determinedly and got the nod. ICANFLYLIKEANANGEL went right to the top, saw off the first-over, appeared to have WARRIOR ONE get to even terms inside him midstretch, outtrotted the rival to his left but not to his right. WARRIOR ONE was away well and took the pocket 3/16, as noted went to the Pocono Pike and appeared to rally to even terms midstretch, gave way only fractionally. SCIROCCO ROB started uncovered at the half, challenged, couldn’t quite keep it going. PAPPY GO GO was far back, made up some ground. SAY YOU DO didn’t quite have enough off cover. CROOKED CREEK gapped then broke before the 5/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – THE FIRST STEP drifted out then made the “shake-n-bake” move to the lead at the ¼, looked in total control. CLOUSEAU HANOVER moved first-over towards turn two and paced up sharply early in the backstretch, went 26.4 the third split but never got closer than the leader’s flank, still did well to hold onto second. ANYTHINGFORLOVE A went to the top past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose in the pocket the last 3/8 but OK. DAKOTA JACK got the first call, yielded, moved out with cover midturn, OK. WILD BILL stayed in, went evenly deep in the Pocono Pike. ITSONLYROCKNROLL A never surfaced. PHOTOBOMBR HANOVER moved second-over but immediately started gapping; COLE PORTER N and LINDYTHEFOURTEENTH were outside behind him in the nonflow.
TWELFTH RACE – BROADWAY ATHENA got great cover second-over behind a fast pace, three-wide late turn, strong-closing mare was the best late. SOUTHWIND AVENGER yielded for the early pocket, pulled again raw 9/16 and got to the leader past the 5/8, appeared to have a ½ to ¾ length lead at the ¾ but couldn’t clear on the turn, did forge to the clear lead early stretch, held on very well. TWO AM moved out to fourth-over then three-wide 11/16, couldn’t keep up with the top two but was next in line. MARION GONDOLIER was forwardly-placed early, slipped out third-over 11/16 and was blindswitched, ducked inside then to the Pocono Pike, caught for third. NEXTROUNDSONME was outside midpack until hitting a higher gear 3/16, went up and got the lead past the 3/8, was pressed hard by the first-over from past the 5/8,did well not to let that one cross over far turn, then understandably tired. VIC’S WINNER was off the gate and never factored. MAX was three-wide to the first turn then two-wide past the 1/8 to the lead, yielded past the 3/8, tired in the last ¼. TRUEMASS VOLO broke 50 yards before the start. MAGICAL WINNER K was third-over, couldn’t stay with cover and broke early backstretch.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MAJOR OFFENSE settled in the pocket past the 1/8, to the Pocono Pike and quickly went by the pacesetter, didn’t extend his lead late but did hold on to it. I’M BENICIO A forced tucks and set the pace, rated the half, held off the outer ones but caught by the pocket rocket. SEEING EYE SINGLE finally tucked to the ¼, wasn’t in very long and wound up second-over, gapped to midbackstretch as the pace intensified then narrowed in, three-wide late turn, came on steadily. URBAN RENEWAL was three-wide leaving then tucked third past the 1/8, out raw towards turn two, never looked the leader in the eye but kept his place with courage. BRAVO TEX N sat in, not too much late. BUSBOY HANOVER came between horses with some pace late. LORD WILLOUGHBY A never had a clear path in the stretch but wasn’t climbing up the back of those in front of him. ABSOLUTE INTENT offered little from third-over.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Wind had died down by the finale … STAR COMMANDER N stayed in then backed out fourth-over 5/8, three-wide late turn and four-wide headstretch, still seventh at the start of the pond but finished strongly to win in a blanket finish. JEREMES GENERAL moved from last 5/16 and got to second-over, three-wide turning for home, was never ahead but came home well. NEWBIE put others in behind early, yielded to the quarter-mover for the pocket, Pocono Pike, had the lead midstretch but not quite enough. TRUMP THAT went uncovered going to turn two, challenged hard, made the lead into the stretch, stayed in the fight to the wire. KHUN RATHA A was third-over, blindswitched by the winner late turn, came between horses in tight quarters with pace. ROCK THE NITE quarter-moved and kept rolling along, tired. SOMEBEACH BARON had the early pocket, little late. STIRLING ENSIGN, inside, struggled from the 11/16.