FIRST RACE – WINNING IS SWEET was three-wide to the first turn, then covered to the 3/16, then raw to the front going into the stretch the first time, shook off the first-over, then held off the long challenge of second-over BEN ROCKIN. The latter as noted followed cover, went three-wide at the ¾ to two-wide late turn, just edged out. POKERFACE BLUECHIP swung widest of all in the lane with good pace to get third. CANBEC KINGKAZIMIR left and protected the pocket, couldn’t stay with the front two on the far turn. DRUNK ON YOUR LOVE sat in, went to the Pocono Pike but didn’t show too much. SPANISH ART was outside 5/16 and got to third-over, three-wide midturn but unable to keep with the place horse. LINKJACK HANOVER left but took back when the pole horse was insistent early, underway uncovered towards turn two and gave a good challenge to the winner under urging, but fell back before midturn. HERE COMES SWIFTY went outside but gapped and went back in, no factor.
SECOND RACE – JOHNNY Q backed off early, started uncovered to the half and cleared 11/16, remained game to maintain his lead to the wire. TODDLER TANTRUM was in the outer flow, three-wide early far turn and finished strongly to be close. MAYFIELD DUKE moved outside 3/8, got cover at the half, lost it 11/16, continued steadily to the finish. FERNADO was three-wide off his cover on the far turn, gained in the slower last half. BIG MACH stayed in, gapped a bit then shuffled on the far turn, got clear in the Pocono Pike but didn’t offer much comeback. DAVID THE SAINT forced the winner to tuck then pushed the red-hot opener, yielded to sit the pocket, shuffled as the pacesetter gave way to the ¾, outside headstretch, couldn’t rereach contention. J M JET SET gapped early and never factored. XPERT BAYAMA was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-deep to the 25.4 quarter before getting the top, set the pace until yielding to the winner before the ¾ and packing it in.
THIRD RACE – COURTING MARIA sat in waiting for cover, got it 11/16, then ducked inside headstretch and just got the nod over PEGGY J. The latter moved raw 11/16 and challenged, may have had a nose up midstretch, but lost by a nose. SWEET ACE was underway 3/16 from the pocket, got the top and went on at a good clip without pressure, wilted. SURE R LOOKIN GOOD gapped at the ¾, distant next. RHYME N ROLL went right out to the lead, yielded for the two-hole, started getting loose 5/8. MADDELLE dangled outside to the half, when she dropped in last, never a major factor.
FOURTH RACE – J M MANDAMIN had the lead at the 3/16, was never threatened thereafter and won in fast time on a chilly day. DREAMS BEACHBOY was the first to show, yielded and sat the two-hole, no match for the winner but defeated the rest. GOLDEN GUN sat third, inside stretch, didn’t gain. THE FIRST STEP was out raw 5/16, never mustered the speed to give a hard challenge to the leader, backed off gradually in the last quarter. AFLAME HANOVER was three-wide early and tucked fifth, then second-over, three-wide late turn, couldn’t get into the picture. THE LAST THREE never were factors in the quick mile.
FIFTH RACE – MY LINDY WINNER got a great second-over trip from the half, three-wide late turn and just along over WARRIOR ONE. The latter came raw at the half and dueled the leader, took the lead midstretch, just caught by the horse on his back. VIC’S WINNER started quickly and got the lead, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, briefly loomed but then was squarely outtrotted. GRAPPLE HANOVER didn’t have a big response after an inside trip. NEXTROUNDSONME set the pace with two moves, tired in the stretch. WHAT THAT IS gapped a bit third-over, got a little closer on the turn, but could gain no more. NANGE BI was at the back throughout.
SIXTH RACE – MARION GONDOLIER was into the three-hole quickly, came out 11/16 and rapidly moved up to challenge, sailed by on the turn and drew away. MYSTICAL WYNN came out early in the backstretch, got cover 11/16 but couldn’t stay with it, just edged DYNAMIC EDGE for second. The latter set sail from the rail, didn’t have enough to deal with the winner, just missed out on second. FIRE’N WOODSHED sat the pocket trip, let loose far turn. CRITICAL MASS struggled to keep up. GOLDEN SON miscued at the start.
SEVENTH RACE — IYQ YQR was just absolutely overpowering today. DEETZY got the pocket, unplugged into the far turn, bore way out in the stretch but still held second. ROCKNROLL CHARM backed out to second-over past the 5/8 but ducked back in on the turn, next in line. KEYSTONE STEAM moved with cover but gapped. JUST N ACE needed until the 3/16 to tuck fifth, stayed in, gapped down the backstretch. WHATS INTHE ESKY A tried to circle up from last but didn’t gain. OUR ZAK WHITBY A was uncovered into turn two, gained some to the ¾ then was out of gas. ROYAL HEART was never prominent.
EIGHTH RACE – TWIN B TUFFENUFF briefly tucked third then quarter-moved, met with first-over pressure then had most of the field in a position to win headstretch, but outpaced them all. LACHIE MAGUIRE N was third-over, blindswitched two- and three-wide far turn, then was able to swing wider and passed a bunch of horses. ROCK THE TOWN put everybody in behind early then yielded to the winner, to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have enough of a response. JOESSTAR OF MIA A tucked second, appeared to consider a quarter-move then stayed in, uncovered just past the half and challenged, held on well. LETS ROLL was in good position second-over, three-wide midturn, not quite enough. HIGHRTHANANEAGLE A sat in, had some stretch room but didn’t gain. STONE HANOVER was fourth-over, three-wide ¾ and four-wide midturn, flattened a little. GHOST DANCE gapped in last early, stayed in, hard to tell if he were in tight quarters late.
NINTH RACE – GRINDER settled in early, did not live up to his name but sat third-in, was full of trot when shown space in the Pocono Pike. FIFTY CENT PIECE did come on the grind at the half, challenged, never had the lead but went on steadily while appearing to edge a little wide. MR COOL SEAEYRE N emerged with command, hung a foe to the 5/16 then sat on her back, saw that one bear out nearing headstretch and shot up the inside to get the lead soon into the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. MR VICKTOR was second-over, did not tip off of cover and wound up coming on steadily inside of the place horse. WINE RACK HANOVER was outside 5/16 to get the lead, went a quick second panel, had pressure come to her, bore out a little turning for home and gave ground bit by bit. I GOT THE LOOKS was never prominent. DOT DOT DOT DASH couldn’t do much from far back. HASHTAGMADEYALOOK was at the rear throughout.
TENTH RACE – Closers were 1-2 after the pace slowed following a hot half … LOUD SPLASH was fourth-over, three-wide with cover on the turn to four-wide late turn, finished the strongest as the longest shot on the board. BURNING MIDNIGHT was third-over, three-wide ¾ through the turn, may have been ahead a nose in the third-to-last step but was overhauled. DAAMERICANSKY left four-wide to cross over soon past the 1/8, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, may have had his nose up midstretch as the second of four stretch leaders, came up just shy. ALEX TYE was looped three-wide early, went on two-wide uncovered 3/16 to the lead 5/16 and was in charge in hot fractions, pressured, held on to midstretch. BUTTER BAY HANOVER gapped the early battle, then moved out second-over, was blindswitched ¾, came clear inside of the winner midstretch and finished well. SEAFARER had a forward spot and sat in, to the deep Pike, missed less than a length but made no money. MAJOR DECEPTION went grinding towards turn two, held on well. BELLOWS BINGE was slightly removed from the field at the back.
ELEVENTH RACE – NATURAL KEMP finally hit a better gear behind the hot pace 5/8 and got to second-over, left uncovered on the far turn, steadily in the 30.4 kicker and was just along. P L ICABOD had an open lead from going to the first turn until nearing midstretch while carving out hot numbers for this kind in the chill, performed gamely but had to settle for second. MYSTICAL MOTOR started uncovered into turn two, circled everybody but the leader and made the pocket far turn, up the inside late but not quite enough. ANDOVERS TOUCH gapped early, backed outside, gained some as the pace slowed. WINNING PRINCESS took a tuck, then was caught in behind the tiring pocketsitter, finally clear nearing midstretch and gained, hard-luck effort. PUERTO RICO landed the pocket, loose throughout and disconnected the last half, faded. DJOKOVIC N left a big early gap in front of THE OTHER TWO, and none of the three ever factored.
TWELFTH RACE – GOLD STAR YODER made the front at the 1/8, yielded before the 3/8 to sit the two-hole, up the Pocono Pike and had a good surge late to catch the heavy favorite SCOOTNROLL. The latter was on the move before the 1/8 to command before the 3/8, dealt with the first-over, but didn’t have enough resilience late. TAIL HOOK sat in, came clear late between horses and finished solidly. WHO’S NEGAN had early speed, moved uncovered before he 5/8 to challenge, did pretty well. BILLY LINCOLN N slid in fifth, then was second-over off turn two, struggled to keep up ¾ then was better mid-far turn and three-wide headstretch, not quite enough. DIVISION BELL and CENTURY ENFORCER were near the back throughout. TREY SURREAL could offer little from third-over.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MAX quarter-moved and set an evenly-rated pace, was tapped once midstretch and stayed safe. FASHION CREDITOR was in front at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, proved second-best. MIGHTY SURF took the early pocket, sat in, evenly. MACMORRIS HANOVER spotted fourth past the 1/8, moved out on the far turn, was inside the stretch breaker with some kick. HATIKVAH one-geared raw from just before the half, wasn’t getting to the leader when breaking to midstretch. SQUEE HANOVER never was prominent. INAPERFECTWORLD was second-over but didn’t have enough in the last ¼.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SEEING EYE SINGLE was sixth at the START, but through track geometry and some urging he came through and parked horses, let one go 3/16 and sat the pocket, outside into the lane and quickly drew clear. KJ LEO stayed close, to the Pocono Pike and along for second. IMAROCNROLLEGEND N was three-wide to the 3/16 for the lead in a fast quarter then had to stay rolling to keep a foe parked, saw the outer tiers flatten on the turn but was caught by the two in behind him. TREVOR ONE stayed inside and picked up the rest. A REAL MIRACLE was third-over, three-wide with cover from the 5/8 until before midturn when he had to go four-wide as his cover deteriorated, back to three-wide, couldn’t gain after covering more ground than it may appear. ROCK THREE TIMES never gained contention. MAJOR OFFENSE was looped between horses 3/16 and then was left out in the air, challenged during hard fractions but didn’t have enough in the last ¼. BRANDON HANOVER was very wide early, backed off to fifth 3/16, outside towards turn two, three-wide 5/8 but just clogged the three-wide tier.