FIRST RACE – CARMENS BEST made two speed moves and fronted the field, gamely holding off two good foes. STONEBRIDGE PROUD was in the early-forming second tier 3/8, circled three-wide from last 5/8 and stayed wide the duration, kept narrowing in but didn’t get there by the wire. MYSTERY ISLAND was between horses early and tucked, started on the grind 3/8, tried very hard to the finish. REDHOT ROMEO was caught behind a tired pocketsitter mid-far turn, made up ground once free in the Pocono Pike. SPORTY REDHOT was three-wide leaving then two-wide at the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, yielded for the pocket, couldn’t stay tight on the leader ¾. JAMAICAN COWBOY was second-over, blindswitched ¾, gapped late on the turn. DELIGHTFUL FASHION sat in and was far back, but didn’t gain too much once clear. CHANCELLORCULLEN N never factored. LITTLE ADMIRAL was third-over, blindswitched to the 11/16, never got into the hunt.
SECOND RACE – SPECTACULAR ROCK went away well and got to sit in the two-hole, outside nearing headstretch, made the lead, and held off STEUBEN GLADIATOR up the inside. The latter moved uncovered 5/8, got to tuck in third late backstretch and then had the Pocono Pike open as the pocketsitting winner pulled, gained ground. NEEDLESS TO SAY was between horses 3/16 for the lead, rated quarter two, didn’t have pressure, but still tired. NEWS WATCH was behind dull cover, went three-wide before the ¾ and got to two-wide late turn, had some pace finishing. SIR JAKE’S Z TAM sat in, backed off and had three-wide cover on the turn, next. MAGIC TRICKS was three-wide almost to the 3/16 then backed into a 3-tuck, couldn’t keep up 5/8. WORDSMITH was second-over, didn’t gain after losing cover. TSM GANNICUS T was last throughout.
THIRD RACE – TRICKY DICK got jammed up at the ¼ and was briefly outside, settled down, moved in the slowest quarter of the race to go around a gapper and kept right on going to challenge the leader just before the ¾, made the lead midstretch, then just held off GERARD at $78.00. The latter gapped third in front of the stands behind the fast pace, then made up ground rapidly after the pocket horse broke to get to be tight in the pocket, angled wide in the stretch and just missed taking it all. CELEBRITY ROLEX went on at the 1/8 to get the lead and had a clear advantage to the fast half, tried hard to the wire but came up fractionally shy. DRAIN THE SWAMP gapped a gapper 3/8 and was off the top three the rest of the way. THE NEXT THREE never factored (KEYSTONE THUNDER looked at leaving but took back). HALL IT OFF made an early burst to get the lead, yielded 3/16 and immediately started to leave a gap, broke entering the lower turn.
FOURTH RACE – Wind has switched around to a stretch tailwind … SIR GENE G HANOVER was away enough to maintain the pocket, wanted to move 5/16 but rethought that plan and stayed in the pocket, waited a good ways down the lane before moving outside, got by the pacesetter MOVE THE LINE with quick steps. The latter left well for the top, rebuffed the winner’s early challenge, rebuffed a backstretch challenger, but didn’t quite have the steps late. PLAY THERAPY tucked fifth, came roaring off the second turn and went in 27.4 against the wind to put a head up late backstretch, but stopped gaining on the leader ¾, although holding his ground well late. SHOW STOP backed out of third to second-over 5/8, three-wide past midturn, fair. GENERAL WARD joined the backstretch two-wide flow, wide and some late. LOST MY LIGHT backed off to tuck, not heard from thereafter. PERFECTLY SAID never factored. A B COLLINS may have been in tight quarters when breaking early.
FIFTH RACE – BELLA AVA was three-wide leaving, two-wide to the 1/8 and up to the lead, won unthreatened. LIONBACKER KIDD worked into the pocket just past the 1/8, stayed close to the winner most of the way home. CHOCO CHARLIE had some speed, started to gap ¾. BUZZEN GARLAND gapped in quarter two, never featured. PHANTOM RUSTY went to the Pocono Pike to get the last check. BRUTAL STORM showed little. BUTTER TOFFEE went wide late on the turn and beat the two in the two-wide tier: FRAC, who moved off turn two but never got closer than midpack, and O JONNIE behind him.
SIXTH RACE – RYDIA HANOVER went right to the top, kept the early challenger out and saw her melt off, got another challenge from the sweeping MAJOR HOULIHAN towards the ¾, but pulled away from that one late. The latter came out behind cover then soon was three-wide to clear to first-over late backstretch, challenged through the turn, lost ground in the stretch but still a clear second. LOUD BRAZILIAN stayed connected in the first half of the field, along for third. EMORI HANOVER left and took the pocket, kept that spot closed during the second quarter battle, then started gapping on the turn. AMERICAN CHANCE broke leaving, recovered fairly quickly, but neither she nor THE NEXT TWO could get into the hunt. SENDMETOTHESTARS came out 5/16 and tried to go to the lead but was left out to dry, tired towards the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – MANDELA BLUE CHIP was wide to the first curve, accepted the pocket 3/16 and waited, went to the Pocono Pike, got the lead past midstretch then held off MOOSE MADNESS. The latter was second-over, three-wide late turn, narrowed in (in a back half of 1:00.3). PERSEVERANCE was intent on cutting the pace and went a quick two quarters in that pursuit, still held well. CAN DO sat in, then angled widest headstretch and gained some. SCARLETT RAIDER was not prominent. KANDY KORN was uncovered nearing the half and went up to pressure the leader, then gave way. LAKEVIEW TAMMY trailed most of the way. TRIPLE T SWINGER appeared to have trouble staying tight the last 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – MOSSDALE LOTTEE N got great second-over cover from seventh, gapped it a bit during a third quarter duel but was tight by the ¾, three-wide late turn and drew away from these. WOODMERE HARRIET was uncovered at the 3/8 and moved quickly to be challenging the leader not far into the backstretch, kept up the pressure, was passed by the winner but continued gamely for second. SWEETONTHEBEACH left rapidly then followed up a semi-into the wind 26.4 opener with a 30.2 with the wind behind her, then had to accelerate to meet the first-over, was in the battle for second until very late. SOCIETY JILL got the early pocket and gapped from the 3/16 to nearing turn two, then got loose again ¾. PRIMROSE got early position then went evenly. THE NEXT THREE never made their presence felt. FRISKIE JULIE badly gapped a good cover flow.
NINTH RACE – ANOTHER BREATH got in third just past the 1/8, came uncovered 5/8 and went right up, got by the leader midturn and stayed clear. BATTLE MAGE was urged early to maintain the pocket, was able to slip out late turn after the winner cleared the pacesetter, clearly second-best. MASSIVE OPULENCE was third-over, stuck behind a sluggish second-over, widest in the lane and had late trot for the distant third. WINNING GENE didn’t offer too much. COURT’S N SESSION showed a bit of trot at the end. SPOILER ALERT was on the lead before the 1/8, came under pressure from the winner, kept him out until midturn, then fell back. D’DREAM was uncovered 9/16 to second-over 5/8 but couldn’t go enough. PRETTY EDGY was never close. SWISS PLATINUM was already gapping by the ¼.
TENTH RACE – SURFER BEACH stayed outside early, in gear 3/16 and uncovered at the ¼, made the lead early on turn two, had full control of this race in the stretch. SUPER MAC showed good speed, needed until the ¼ to make the top, pushed the winner a while then yielded into turn two for the pocket, held off SIX DEGREES for second. The latter charged out to the lead before the first turn, yielded at the ¼, came out late turn, almost made the distant second. BOLTMAN was third-over, saw his cover deteriorate towards the ¾, went three-wide, next in line. BIG CITY BUD was outside behind the winner early, then was left uncovered into turn two, started to fall back nearing the ¾. TSM BATMAN and GUYS IN THE BAND did not factor. KENTUCKY PROUD gapped at the back. BEACH FIRE K was second-over, ducked inside midturn, broke in the stretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – BUSBOY HANOVER went into the pocket 3/16, came out raw 5/8, was challenged on the turn and gave up a short lead headstretch, but stayed strong and won nicely. DOCTOR JIMMY started outside towards turn two, picked up cover 5/8, left uncovered midturn and got a short lead early stretch, couldn’t sustain but was second. WILLIE BOOTS was in the two-wide tier, gapped the place horse a bit on the turn, then came on some late. ABSOLUTE INTENT was fourth-over, did well late without threatening. WINDSONG JACK was four-wide early and three-wide to the 1/8, two-wide to quarter command, yielded for the pocket, went loose ¾. GARRETT’S GUIDE was three-wide early and looped, behind cover to the ¼ then outside to the lead before the 3/8, set the pace, held until mid-far turn. QUAKE BLUE CHIP and THORN IN YOUR SIDE were inside and shuffled on the far turn, but did not gain once their traffic situation improved. GOLDEN GESTURE never entered in the picture.
TWELFTH RACE – OPTIMIST BLUE CHIP raced midpack, moved outside late backstretch then ducked inside far turn, to the deep Pocono Pike and had by far the most trot. VALLEY OF SIN moved out second-over, three-wide headstretch, good to go on for second. WISENHEIMER pulled first-over 5/8, never looked like a threat to win but kept to task gamely. RIVER OTTER left strongly and dropped in the pocket at the 1/8, waited for the Pocono Pike, not enough for the win. CHUCKY DE VIE got a good start and set a quick pace, still had the lead early stretch but was then engulfed. NICE STUFF went evenly. THE REMAINING TRIO were always far back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BENSON BOYS N went right to command, set an evenly-rated pace without pressure, dug in gamely as BARBADOS was coming to him late. The latter left and got to the two-hole 3/16, edged out into the stretch and slowly ate into the winner’s margin, not quite enough. URBAN RENEWAL was well-placed throughout, to the Pocono Pike, good mile (his own back half in 55.1). OUTKAST BLUE CHIP moved uncovered nearing the half, made up ground bit by bit in the third quarter and on some of the turn, held OK and was clearly next-best. AUDACIOUS WARRIOR was inside, gapped at the ¾. MR D’S DRAGON was not prominent. P L MUNSON wasn’t in bad position second-over but couldn’t mount a rally. BETTOR NOTBITTER A gapped at the back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DREAM OF LUCK was quickly in front, kept a foe out until the 3/8 of a very fast half, stayed behind that one as they drew away from the field far turn, then to the Pocono Pike and went by handily. MOTIVE HANOVER was urged early but did not show sharp speed, gradually worked up to the lead 3/8, kept a foe who immediately attacked on the outside in a very fast half, clearly second-best after hard early usage. BABY KITTY stayed in, gapped ¾, clearly third-best. VODKA ON THE BEACH and HEARTBEAT HILL were blocked behind a tiring foe far turn, but then came clear and got the last checks. SURF THE WEB could not keep up ¾. KHUN RATHA A was outside the mile near midpack. SCOUTS REPORT tucked, then moved two-wide but had little to offer. DAKOTA JACK maintained the early pocket, rushed out 3/8 but couldn’t quickstep to the lead, remained raw and faded before the ¾.