FIRST RACE – Warmest card of the year so far – it was up to freezing 32o at first post … MYIDEALSON N was three-wide early, briefly had cover then pressed on 3/16 to the lead 5/16, continued at a quick clip in these circumstances and opened a big lead he kept from the 5/8 to midstretch, tired at that point but was just too far ahead. SARONNO went third-over and followed cover three-wide then lost it late turn, along for the DH2 with SPICEBOMB. The latter sat in last, was in a two- then three-wide blindswitch far turn, found room early stretch and gained to tie for the deuce. RATHER SWELL was second-over, three-wide 11/16 as cover failed to gain, got to two-wide and second into the lane, couldn’t quite sustain for the place. CAPTAIN CUT THROAT tucked early, stayed in, was horribly shuffled from the 11/16 to headstretch, tipped wide but had little response. ER ROCK MY WORLD couldn’t go with wide cover. GIVEN UP TERROR had some speed, uncovered at the half but failed to gain from the 5/8. NERVE OF STEEL N went out to the early lead, yielded to the winner, then gapped abreast of the first-over past the 5/8, creating bad traffic trouble.
SECOND RACE – R GAUWITZ HANOVER made the front just past the 1/8, rated the half, then came home in twin 28.1s to remind one of the R GAUWITZ HANOVER in the second half of 2015. TENACIOUS ONE A was carried up second-over, nicely slipped inside midturn to the pocket, clear second. LYONS AMUSEMENTS was third-over but gapped down the back, up for the distant third. IMA TRAGEDY N improved position early, then was badly shuffled on the far turn, found clearance inside and came back some. CENTURY FERRARI took on first-over duty, paid the price in the last 1/8. BJ’S GUY was forwardly-placed, then shuffled behind the gapping two-holer, out in a blindswitch near headstretch, couldn’t regain enough for even a minor award. ALASKAN SEELSTER and BRIMFIELD never factored. JUST N BERLANDER was first on top, yielded for the pocket, was done at the ¾.
THIRD RACE – STOP RESISTIN came uncovered into turn two, came home in 57.1 blowing right by the leader 11/16 and drawing well clear. CASH FOR GOLD went to the pocket just before the 3/16, gapped early backstretch as the pace picked up then better and outside raw in the wake of the cleared winner, a clear second-best. MANWITHAMISSION got early positioning, stayed in, backed outside ¾, along for a no-factor third. MAYFAIR WELL sat in with little. UNABATING grabbed the lead, rated the half, then couldn’t deal with the winner, tiring more the further they went.
FOURTH RACE – ROLL WITH DOM protected position early then moved before the ¼, got the lead, then had more than enough to deal with any challenge he faced here. GENERAL WARD moved second-over, gapped some 5/8 then was left raw nearing the ¾ when his cover broke, solid for second. ESAI HANOVER was four-wide early and three-wide to the first turn, on top 3/16, yielded for the pocket, struggled a bit in the fast last half and quarter. SUNSETBOOZECRUISE moved outside, ducked back in in front of a gapper, couldn’t gain along the inside late. FRISKY PEDRO left three-wide, was looped and couldn’t find a hole until the 5/16, then struggled to keep close from the ½. NOME HANOVER gave a tuck 5/16, went up uncovered into the backstraight, moved up in the third split then broke while looking for a bit more ¾.
FIFTH RACE – ROYALTYWESTHO was between horses leaving, refused the pocket 3/16 and pressed on to 5/16 command, won easily. MAGICAL MISTRESS was three-wide to the first turn, tucked third 3/16, squeezed out past the ¾ in front of a gapper, steadily late for second. WOODMERE OLEKSIAK started raw at the half, didn’t reach the leader, fair late. ENGLISH ROSE N wound up second-over, gapped 11/16, a bit better late. BRING ME DIAMONDS took back at the start and was not again heard from. FIRSTUP trailed. AUDREY ANNA left, yielded for the pocket 5/16, started to gap before the 5/8, broke ¾.
SIXTH RACE – LUCKY LEVIS was parked almost to the quarter for the front, but had little trouble thereafter. HES GONE BADDER was caught inside, out in a blindswitch nearing headstretch and finally angled clear before midstretch, had a big rush late. SOUTHWIND TERROR started grinding raw at the 3/8, didn’t reach the leader but went a solid mile. COLE PORTER N was out behind a wall of horses late turn, ducked in and split horses midstretch, finished well. MAGIC TRICKS used the rail to big advantage and got to sit the pocket journey, but struggled the last ¼. BIG TURN ON backed out to second-over past the 5/8, failed to keep with cover ¾. STEUBEN GLADIATOR was out the duration, got cover 3/8, gapped it 5/8, no major danger. WRANGLER ROCKSTAR raced inside, had little to offer late.
SEVENTH RACE – DOC’S HARMONY was outside early, briefly three-wide past the 3/16 as the horse in second pulled to get the top, back to two-wide and gained the stick 3/8, never a doubt in the last quarter. SURE R LOOKIN GOLD found room 3/16 to move to the top, yielded to the winner, not in her league here but good in second. NARINA HANOVER backed outside behind dull cover, wide headstretch, still last midstretch but finished with a good burst. WINNING WORDS started a long grinding move nearing the second turn, advanced in the third quarter, but had no more to give the last 1/8. RHYME N ROLL stayed in, in tight quarters between horses late. ABBY ROSE took the early lead, saw two go past, stayed in, little left late. LADY MAYA was second-over but gapping by the 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – In a great race the last half: STICK WITH CRAMER was looped early and tucked fourth, then uncovered 3/8 reaching the leader at the half, went at that one tooth-and-nail fully the last half, just prevailing in the shadow of the wire. ONLYTHETUFFSURVIVE was three-high to the 1/8 then two-wide to quarter command, got a 30 second second quarter but then had the winner right at him the rest of the way, tough one to lose while living up to his name. AWESUM ACE had speed, sat in, behind a gapper on the turn and wide into the lane, finished strongly. KENTUCKY PROUD claimed the front before the 1/8, yielded just past the ¼ for the golden trip, left a little gap the last quarter. POP ICON took back to tuck 3/16, then third-over, three-wide far turn, finished well. DON’TCALLMEFRANCIS was last-over, had too far to come. SOMETHINGINTHEWIND was not prominent. TRUSSED UP TRUDY was second-over, gapped much of the backstretch, got a little closer ¾ but then came up empty. CRUISIN VIRGIN was gapping at the back well before the half.
NINTH RACE – HURRICANE CALLEIGH was between horses until getting the lead 3/16, parked one foe then yielded to a wide sweep from the chalk past the 3/8 and stayed close, up the inside in the stretch and along late. ELENIARK A rode outside early. got cover, went three-wide before the 3/8 and cleared the field nearing turn two after hard usage, set the pace, bore out slightly and was caught but was nonetheless good. YES DOUBLE DOWN gave a tuck past the half and then launched first-over before the 5/8, stayed close to two tough ones until late, far clear of the others. TRAFFIC JAM was far back behind dull cover, closed OK wide. LIGHTNING VIRGIN couldn’t keep up second-over. ISLAY N was never heard from. MBT was three-wide to the 3/16 and then left outside by the winner, was looped past the 3/8, got inside off turn two, couldn’t offer much late. IAQUINTA was involved early, yielded, tired ¾.
TENTH RACE – BETTER B ROLLING let hard and yielded 3/16, able to go up into the pocket 3/8 in the fast pace with horses all over the place, took the short one way home and had the most in the 30.1 kicker. LITTLE ADMIRAL took back early, was behind stagnant cover and was moved five-wide late far turn, flying late to pass a lot of horses. PAR INTENDED stayed in, was behind the winner into the stretch, couldn’t quite go enough as much as that one. BIG MACH had cover leaving, then uncovered 3/16 to command off turn one, set a fast pace under pressure, understandably tired some. P-DRIVE HANOVER was three-deep to the 1/8 to command 3/16, yielded off turn one, came out in front of a charger 3/8 but couldn’t summon the speed to get by, didn’t fade badly. CANBEC KINGKAZIMIR was third-over and in a blindswitch down the back, backed out to four-wide past the ¾ but couldn’t gain enough. NORTHERN SPORTSMAN was last, had absolutely nowhere to go in the stretch. RED DIRT ROCKNROLL moved out at the ¼, got cover 3/8 but was rank behind it, three-wide just past the half, clogged that lane the last ¼.
ELEVENTH RACE – LOVE THE ACTION was in front at the 1/8, got pressure from before the 3/8 from BIG GAME HUNTER but wouldn’t let that one make the top, then had enough to withstand an inside thrust from BAMSKI. The latter yielded for the pocket, stayed close to the winner but couldn’t get on by. BAYONET moved out with cover 9/16, ducked back in on the turn as that cover faltered, couldn’t keep pace with the top two but clear of the rest. BIG GAME HUNTER was looped and settled third at the 1/8, decided to try to brush up 5/16 but didn’t have enough speed to clear and was left out in the air, tired the last ¼. MOONWARDS HANOVER never entered the picture. ALTA SHELBY N gapped at the back. SHADY CITY was outside midpack until getting in before the half, not a late factor. SKYWAY BILLY moved outside but never gained.
TWELFTH RACE – SWEET TALKIN SATIN was two-wide in a gaggle of leavers, hit the front 5/16, didn’t let anybody by and didn’t let anybody get close the last 3/16. MY ALOHA ROCK N slipped out into a blindswitch down the back then followed a three-wide sweeper, left three-wide 11/16 until able to get back to two-wide late on the turn, good second. CESPEDES Z TAM moved outside 3/8, three-wide before the 5/8, up to two-wide and challenging ¾, couldn’t get to the winner and tucked in past midturn, held third. RED DIRT BOOMER sat in then was shuffled, outside, cleared a blindswitch and had finishing pace. RUNHAPPY TEN was four-wide well past the 1/8, took back to follow cover 3/16, lost it 5/16 and was parked, got in when the pocket horse tired 5/8 but was himself spent by then. SPRINGBRIDGE PROUD was outside but couldn’t summon any gain. KHUN RATHA A was away strongly from the rail, yielded to the 5/16, fell back from the 5/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – LUZIANA was second-over, three-wide ¾, proved to have the most pace here. GRITS N GRAVY quarter-moved and set a quick pace without challengers until the stretch, held off all but one. SAGEBRUSH SID was fourth-over, four-wide past midturn, finished strongly. BULLPUP was third-over, followed three-wide cover but gapped it far turn and was blindswitched, handled cautiously through the stretch trying to find room, had pace at the end. HEEZ ORL BLACK N was three-high early, briefly had cover then went on to the lead at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, outside headstretch, held evenly. DURANT made the lead at the 1/8, yielded at the ¼, pulled from third at the half and went raw, didn’t gain that much, held decently. SMART TALKER had little to say here. BOBBIES POWER PLAY got a midpack tuck, gained up the inside early backstretch, not quite enough here. SHARKNADO gapped at the back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – ROJAN’S WAY held early position, went uncovered 3/8 and engaged the new leader at the half, ahead of that one from past the 5/8 through the turn but couldn’t clear, held off a bunch in a game triumph. I AM THE COWBOY rocketed out to the lead, saw several go by, waited for the Pocono Pike and was just along for second over NEEDLESS TO SAY. The latter went to the lead at the 1/8, yielded 3/8 to sit the two-hole, out behind the winner headstretch but was slow to find clearance another lane outside that one, possibly costing him place. JUSTIFIED was double-looped, pushed on to 3/8 command, soon joined by the winner, fought bitterly with that one, weakening a little late. TEO ENTEO A moved out in a blindswitch down the back, was blocked through the stretch under a hold. ALL ABOUT RUSTY gapped early and then a bit second-over, not enough late. BIG BOY FRAZIER was off of cover, looked to drift a bit wide ¾, no factor. THE OTHER PAIR were never heard from.