FIRST RACE – “Good +1” tracks races 1-5; “fast + 0” thereafter … Temperatures in low 50s … Stretch tailwind at the start … JUST N ACE was under tap urging early and maintained control of the pace, fought off the first-over, a good winner. LOUD SPLASH gapped in last much of the last half, then swung from one- to five-wide into the stretch, still seventh past the start of the pond but flew in the last 1/16. WHATS INTHE ESKY A tucked third, stayed in, went to the deep Pocono Pike and had some pace. BURNING MIDNIGHT moved second-over past the 3/8, three-wide ¾ through the turn, not quite enough. MAJOR DECEPTION finally settled in fourth at the ¼, didn’t stay in there very long before going uncovered before the 3/8, grinded, couldn’t sustain late. BETTOR NOTBITTER A was third-over into turn two, four-wide just past mid-far turn, couldn’t rally enough. VORACITY was away well and got the pocket, to the Pocono Pike but had no gain in the lane.
SECOND RACE – MAYFIELD DUKE was out and moving before the chalk cleared to the lead, went up and grabbed the racetrack into the second turn, opened daylight around the turn while being asked and held it until midstretch, then saw JOHNNY Q narrowing in but held together. The latter was looped leaving, proceeded up to command 5/16, yielded nearing turn two for the pocket, gapped around the turn but cut into the margin with tenacity late. POKERFACE BLUECHIP was third-over, four-wide past midturn as the two- and three-wide tiers were clogged, best of the others. CANBEC KINGKAZIMIR was in front at the 1/8, yielded 5/16, stayed third-in, evenly. TENACIOUS ONE A slid an early tuck, then went second-over, three-wide ¾ but failed to gain. DAVID THE SAINT was not heard from. FERNADO was too far back. SPANISH ART swung out to four-wide late turn but did not come on. BIG MACH yielded, ran up on the leader and briefly stumbled 3/16, came out behind the winner 3/8 and soon lost that cover, challenged raw, done on the far turn.
THIRD RACE – I GOT THE LOOKS started first-over nearing the 1/2 and grinded into the wind, took the lead headstretch and won nicely. INAPERFECTWORLD got early position but was then shuffled back, moved out third-over past the 5/8, found his best gear midturn and went wide, along for second. UNCLE HANOVER tucked fourth, then came out 5/16 and brushed to command into turn two, set the pace, couldn’t make it stand up the last 3/16. WHIMSICAL CHARACTER quickly got to the lead in a fast opener, yielded into turn two for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, not enough response. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT worked up into the pocket, shuffled, surrounded by horses in the stretch while looking to have trot. BILLIE BLUE gapped second-over on the turn and was blindswitched. NATURAL KEMP never featured. OPTIMIST BLUE CHIP was looped and out three-high 3/16, got to two-wide just past there but then made a break.
FOURTH RACE – IYQ YQR was looped leaving, pressed on to command past the 5/16, continued at a solid clip and held off the field. KEYSTONE STORM started uncovered just before the 3/8, grinded, stayed very game, never closer to the winner than at the wire. IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N left quickly to clear to command to the 1/8, pushed the winner a long way before relinquishing for the pocket, had his chance up the inside but couldn’t quite make it. ROCKNROLL CHARM sat in and was shuffled to last, swung widest headstretch and was flying through the last 1/16. OUR ZAK WHITBY A was third-over, three-wide 11/16 and remained in that lane to the wire, steadily but didn’t gain in the lane. POLAK A backed out to fourth-over, followed the three-wide cover, came through between horses late with even pace. BEN ROCKIN was second-over from second-last, blindswitched from the 11/16, didn’t have much response late. ROYAL HEART sat in, to the deep Pike but had little to offer.
FIFTH RACE – HATIKVAH got in the lively tier, three-wide late turn and caught WINE RACK HANOVER at the end. The latter was second-over, briefly uncovered past the 5/8 but had gone into the pocket 11/16, to the Pocono Pike, had a brief short lead but was caught by the closer. GRINDER was third-over in the flow, left uncovered 11/16, fought on well. HASHTAGMADEYALOOK started the outer train 3/8 and blasted right past 5/8, tired a bit. CRAZYCAT went outside as the inside collapsed, ducked back in, went evenly late. RIVER OTTER was between horses early, tucked third 3/16, lost all chance past the 5/8 while in the bad shuffle. GOLDEN SON was innermost of the three leavers, forced a hot quarter before surrendering the lead, then was jammed in the pocket as the main group passed the leader. WISENHEIMER was three-wide 3/16 then two-wide past the fast ¼, finally made the lead, but was out of trot when challenged to the 5/8.
SIXTH RACE – MR VICKTOR took the early pocket, pulled out 3/16 and was given the cold shoulder so retreated to the pocket and waited there snugly, outside headstretch and was the strong horse late. P L ICABOD went to the lead, denied the winner an easy move to the top, went on and set a quick pace, clearly second. MISS MUSCLE gapped down the back, stayed inside and came up the Pocono Pike with some late foot. SILVERMASS VOLO moved uncovered 3/8, never reached the leader in the fast ¾, gave way a bit. UNCLE LEO tucked third 3/16, kept tight until the far turn. KEYSTONE SERGEANT gapped second-over. THE OTHER THREE were always out of the main picture.
SEVENTH RACE – DA DELIGHTFUL was looped leaving, went up at the 1/8 to 3/16 command, put up two sharp fractions then backed off the third a bit as no one challenged hard, withstood ROCK THE TOWN in a “Nap-Nap” finish. The latter went right to the front, yielded for the two-hole, took his shot in the Pocono Pike and came oh-so-close. STONE HANOVER was first-over from sixth towards turn two, grinded up and never stopped trying in a big mile. CASUAL COOL spotted and was well-placed, but didn’t have enough in the last quarter. MACHEASY A stayed in and was blocked, finally clear midstretch and had some late pace. IMAROCNROLLEGEND N was wide early in traffic, finally inside well past the ¼, far back, angled wide, couldn’t gain enough. AFLAME HANOVER gapped second-over. MAJOR OFFENSE badly gapped third-over. WARRAWEE UNIQUE lost contact in the last quarter.
EIGHTH RACE – TWO AM put foes in behind early, then yielded for the pocket, all out in the Pocono Pike to get by MAX deep in the lane. The latter settled for an early tuck then quarter-moved, had to hold out a backstretch challenger and did so, almost lasted to the finish. MY LINDY WINNER was third-over, three-wide early on the far turn and trotted home very well. MR COOL SEAEYRE N was three-wide to the 1/8 and onward to the pocket 3/16, stayed in, had inside clearance but couldn’t make up much ground at crunch time. SQUEE HANOVER spotted, stayed in and was shuffled some, evenly inside late. GRAPPLE HANOVER was second-over, accepted a blindswitch early far turn, not all that much. THE LIONKING AS and MARION GONDOLIER were near the back throughout. BARLEY went uncovered towards the clubhouse bend, rushed up and got a short lead past the 5/8, but couldn’t clear and tired gradually from the ¾.
NINTH RACE – LYONS NIGHT HAWK went on early between horses to the top, had a clear lead the second half of turn one, kept on going at a good clip to keep BUSBOY HANOVER at bay, saw that one tuck at the ½ then got a fresh challenge from IN ROCK WE TRUST, got that one to take the pocket late turn, drew away as much the best. IN ROCK WE TRUST hustled to keep a parked horse outside but finally did concede the pocket at the half, outside raw 5/8, couldn’t keep up his challenge and tucked in the pocket late turn, held on for second over FABRICE HANOVER. The latter was third-over behind a gapper, wide late on the turn and finished very well. RANGERS SURESHOT was wide early, tucked kept an early hole closed, moved out second-over but gapped before the ¾. CALIFORNIA CRUISIN was last much of the way, finished with some jet on the outside. ITSONLYROCKNROLL A was very wide leaving, made a stumblestep into turn one (the kind associated with perhaps running up on a wheel) and took back to tuck, not heard from thereafter. BUSBOY HANOVER left but was out on the limb until finally getting a pocket tuck near the 54.1 half, faded. BRAVO TEX N and IDEAL WHEEL were never prominent.
TENTH RACE – RICH AND MISERABLE showed some speed, moved raw from third near the half and made a successful challenge of the leader to go by to the ¾, won in fast time. VIC’S WINNER headed right down the road, made the winner work to get by him just before a quick ¾, tired but did hold on to the distant second. SOUTHWIND AVENGER had sluggish cover 11/16, three-wide before the ¾ to two-wide past midturn, photoed WARRIOR ONE for third. The latter settled into the pocket 3/16 while off the leader, got closer, then slowly disconnected from the 5/8. NEXTROUNDSONME was never prominent. SYLVESTERAMERICAIT moved out second-over to the half but started gapping 5/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – HIGHRTHANANEAGLE A had the pocket leaving, slipped out in front of gapping cover as a brusher cleared 5/8, kept grinding and made his way to the lead midstretch. MAC ANOVER went right to the top, set the pace, yielded to a brusher 5/8 but stayed tight, then fought back in the Pocono Pike to get second at 41-1. TREVOR ONE slipped outside past midturn, closed some. THE FIRST STEP was uncovered nearing turn two and soon had the earplugs pulled and was in high gear, went right by the leader 5/8, but could not sustain. KJ LEO was out behind gapping cover, three-wide ¾, couldn’t rally enough. ROCK THREE TIMES moved second-over but was already gapping off turn two.
TWELFTH RACE – DREAMS BEACHBOY was wide early then two-wide just past the ¼ for the top, got pressure from a sweeper who dropped down to two-wide on the turn, was in control of this through the lane. AMERICAN ZEST A was very wide early and soon was taking back for a tuck, moved behind the parked horse at the half and then went three-wide just past the 5/8 to get to two-wide raw just before the ¾, pressured the winner, couldn’t sustain but held very nicely to be second. WAR-N-MUNN defended from the rail and yielded for the pocket past the ¼, Pocono Pike, no gain in the lane. WEONA SIZZLER A was caught inside, did make up some ground. CENTURY CHURCHILL took an early tuck, gapped on the far turn. ALWAYS THE SUN was never in the spotlight. VIRGIN STORM was wide past the 1/8, then took back to follow cover, then was left coverless just past the ¼ and never got past midpack before tiring. JEREMES GENERAL backed outside 11/16 but had nothing to offer. JK MUSICMAN never made a sound.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TWIN B TUFFENUFF made the lead at the 1/8, strung the chalk out some while well in front of the others before yielding for the pocket, sat fairly tight in the third quarter duel, to the Pocono Pike and easily went by. BLOOD LINE got early command, yielded at the 1/8 but came out 3/16 to challenge for and get the lead 5/16, had the first-over join him head-to-head towards the 5/8, shook that one off on the turn, couldn’t stall the winner but a clear second. DEALT A WINNER was second-over, gapped a bit in the fast backside, three-wide far turn and OK for third. REDBANK BLAZE A was uncovered at the half, went his own third split in 26.4 to go head-to-head with the leader for more than half the backstretch, gave way on the turn. MACHIATTO A gapped off the top two before and after the quarter, not much inside late. BAY MEADOWS gapped third-over. STORMONT CZAR A fell back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BETTER B ROLLING got rolling raw 5/8, cleared midturn and drew off. HERE COMES SWIFTY took a forward spot towards turn one, gapped before the ¾ through the turn, then got room in the Pocono Pike and had a good late response for the distant second. LORD WILLOUGHBY N was outside before the 5/8 but was stuck behind dull cover, three-wide midturn and did well in the latter stages. NEWBIE sat the pace with two moves, gave way midturn, faded further in the lane. DAKOTA JACK left well to be on top at the 1/8, yielded and sat the pocket, moved out behind the winner but had little more to give. FOREVER WORTH IT got in gear raw just before the half, would have had good cover second-over if he could have reached it. THE OTHERS never were prominent.