FIRST RACE – 39 degrees, “sloppy +1,” with a stretch headwind … BIG GAME HUNTER refused to give up to the lead to BAMSKI early, and then again refused to give it up when that one challenged inside him late. BAMSKI wanted the top but was forced to accept the two-hole, gapped far turn but was resurgent in the lane, just edged out. MY ALOHA ROCK N moved 3/8 and got cover, three-wide just past the ¾ and finished steadily. GIVEN UP TERROR stayed connected, OK late. P-DRIVE HANOVER was uncovered towards turn two, got even with the pocket horse but didn’t appear to head him, gave way some. SKYWAY BILLY had lots of useless cover, angled in, not bad. RUNHAPPY TEN could do little from third-over. SHADY CITY was three-wide and looped early, spotted, not heard from again.
SECOND RACE – DON’TCALLMEFRANCIS tucked past the 1/8, moved past the ¼ into the wind to get the lead before a very fast half, ran away with it while posting the fastest time of the night in a $7500 claimer. STICK WITH CRAMER joined the cover flow well off the leader, moved three-wide and was a good if distant second. LUZIANA was out with cover, briefly three-wide then back to two-deep raw, outpaced for second but far ahead of the rest. HES GONE BADDER left strongly, pushed a very fast opener before yielding, came out again off turn two to retuck in the pocket 5/8, but had lost touch by the ¾. MAGIC TRICKS got the last check. KENTUCKY PROUD moved with cover, lost it, retucked third to the ¾ but was all done at that point. DONEGAL JIM never featured. BULLPUP was three-wide past the 1/8 then two-wide past a 26.3 quarter to 5/16 command, yielded at the half, all done to the 5/8.
THIRD RACE – SURE R LOOKIN GOOD moved with cover at the half, left uncovered to the 11/16 as her cover got the pocket, gradually went by on the turn, then drew far clear with the trouble in behind. RHYME N ROLL came out on the far turn, avoided inside trouble and was the distant second. WINNING WORDS looked at leaving but took back, started a brush 3/8 but was left outside, tucked in the pocket 11/16, then had to check when a horse ran headstretch. MISTY SHOOTER gapped early, moved out late backstretch but gapped and went back in, then also bothered headstretch. NARINA HANOVER was three-wide to the 3/16 then two-wide the same distance before making the lead, kept rolling, was challenged far turn and was surrendering when making a break near headstretch. ABBY ROSE took control from the pole, yielded 3/8, was losing ground before the 5/8.
FOURTH RACE – SWEET TALKIN SATIN was out most of the quarter for command, left a brusher in the wind in a fast half, drew clear the last 3/16 to be the only horse to sweep in the Game Of Claims prelims. CAPTAIN CUT THROAT left and tucked third, tightened a hole behind a second quarter duel, came out far turn and was along for second. ER ROCK MY WORLD pushed the leader most of the ¼ before yielding, kept tight in the pocket until the ¾, then tired. PAR INTENDED was behind a three-wide wall going nowhere ¾, next. KHUN RATHA A gapped inside. CHIP FOR REAL worked up to second-over, three-wide 11/16 but did not gain. RED DIRT ROCKNROLL tried a quarter move but was left outside past a fast half, little to give in the latter stages.
FIFTH RACE – SAILBOAT HANOVER was innermost of five leavers and after there was a breaker hustled enough to maintain the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and looked a convincing winner. ESAI HANOVER went to the lead, rated the half, held a big challenge in the third split and through the turn, lost only to the pocket rocket. NOME HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8 then tucked, uncovered nearing the half and went 27.2 down the back, held his ground staunchly. SUNSETBOOZECRUISE gapped second-over, evenly late. TRAY SURREAL was locked in at the ¾, made up some ground in the lane. FRISKY PEDRO spotted third, looked to be struggling to keep up the last half. TSM BATMAN never factored. WHO’S NEGAN could do little from third-over. GENERAL WARD was four-wide to the 1/8, still charging forward when going offstride past that point.
SIXTH RACE – HOTTIEONTHEHORIZON started uncovered mid-second turn, put in a last half of 55.4 while on the grind, very impressive. AUDREY ANNA left, forced a tuck, yielded to the brusher for the pocket, came out behind the winner midstretch, kept going well, came close to being shut off nearing the wire, got a DH2 with SHECOULDBEGOOD N. The latter spotted, then moved second-over, paced well in the good last half. FIRSTUP quarter-moved, met with the winner’s pressure, held OK. MORE MORE MORE left well, took the pocket, stayed in, kept up until midstretch. YES DOUBLE DOWN had to go three-wide around a breaker off the second turn, made up a lot of ground. LIGHTNING VIRGIN was inside the breaker at the ½, far back. MBT moved outside but took bad steps at the half, broke again on the far turn and went inside the pylons.
SEVENTH RACE – CHOCO CHARLIE began an uncovered trip before the 5/8, grinded, went on to get the lead early stretch and proved the best in here. OPTIMIST BLUE CHIP was widest among four leavers, got to two-wide and then the lead 5/16, yielded for the pocket, had room in the Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite reach. WISENHEIMER set the pace with two moves, gave way. SCHNICKEL FRITZ tucked towards the 1/8, backed out to second-over 11/16, fair. TROLLER was three-wide to turn one and tucked at the 1/8, not again prominent. KARETS was behind nonproductive cover, ducked inside midturn, so-so. MUSCLE AVE gapped second-over. MOOSE MADNESS, a bit off the gate, was never close. WHOUCALNCRAZY was not heard from.
EIGHTH RACE – Wind has calmed … JOESSTAR OF MIA A was looped and followed cover, left raw 3/8 and went right up, getting the top aided by a break from the former leader, met pressure then opened up and was tons the best. ROLL WITH JEFF was uncovered before the half and went up well to the ¾, dropped in behind the winner, second-best. BILBO HANOVER went up in the flow, briefly uncovered ¾ then tucked third, couldn’t gain late. MR MCDREAMY advanced in the two-wide flow, evenly. THUNDER SOME WHERE had the early pocket, then was badly shuffled to the ¾, finally backed out but had too much to repair. GOLDEN GESTURE was far back. SEEL THE DEAL N went right to the lead, pushed then yielded 3/8, lost touch to the ¾. SCOTT ROCKS was looped early, worked his way frontward to command 3/8, had the winner come alongside before turn two, broke and went to the infield.
NINTH RACE – KING ALPHONSO was three-wide early, up to get command at the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole, outside early stretch and muscled past TWO AM. The latter was four-wide, then three- and two-wide before getting the top at the 27.2 quarter, held very gamely but couldn’t get home first. BELLA AVA pushed out and sat third behind the two big horses, not in their league late but third. VALLEY OF SIN sat in, angled wide early stretch and finished solidly. RIVER OTTER was double-looped and took a tuck 3/16, no factor. CR BLAZIN BEAUTY was second-over from last, three-wide ¾ but couldn’t gain. ASKMELATER HANOVER never featured. COMMON PARLANCE pulled outside 3/16 and rushed up at the 5/16 but was given the cold shoulder, gradually faded from the 11/16.
TENTH RACE – CANBEC KINGKAZIMIR was the only horse showing gate speed, yielded near the ¼ for the pocket, outside early stretch and went right by SPICEBOMB. The latter may not initially have planned to leave but seeing little early foot was hustled up to get the lead at the ¼, went on well on the lead, caught by the pocket rocket. LITTLE ADMIRAL sat in then swung wide early stretch, OK. NORTHERN SPORTSMAN went evenly late after an inside journey. BETTER B ROLLING was hindered by the lack of an outer flow. SARONNO was moving three-wide 5/8 when he may have gotten in close quarters and made an “ix,” didn’t recover. BIG MACH was uncovered before the half but didn’t get close. RED DIRT BOOMER was second-over, three-wide but ineffective while looking rough-gaited.
ELEVENTH RACE – DAVIDS COMING HOME dangled outside early, got cover 3/16 until the 3/8, then left raw and was off the leader down the back, but kept on grinding, made the lead turning for home and opened up a clear margin after the hard work in fast fractions, terrific mile. ALTA SHELBY N had to back out from last and was four-wide in the stretch, made up ground in the slowing pace. SPRINGBRIDGE PROUD gapped second-over, was fair in the last quarter. RATHER SWELL came out in a blindswitch near headstretch, found room inside the closers and made up some territory. MYIDEALSON N left and was out until nearing the ¼, then yielded 3/8, gapped after the fast half, evenly late. MOONWARDS HANOVER needed until the 1/8 to clear the pole horse, yielded at the ¼, not heard from again. CESPEDES Z TAM bypassed an early tuck 3/16 and drove on to the lead 3/8, was clear down the back in a very fast 3/4s, but the hard work caught up to him. BAYONET was not prominent.
TWELFTH RACE – HEEZ ORL BLACK N went out and got the pocket, stayed connected with the leader as they drew away from the rest by late backstretch, outside in the lane and very good to march right on by. NEEDLESS TO SAY headed down the road and left behind everybody but the winner. STEUBEN GLADIATOR got early position, gapped by the half, very distant third. TEO ENTEO A was blocked inside, didn’t gain once clear. COLE PORTER N moved three-wide ¾ through the turn, did get the last payday. ROJAN’S WAY gradually moved up to tuck fourth off turn one, underway again raw on turn two but couldn’t reach the leader, faded. I’LL CALL U LATER never got a call. SAGEBRUSH SID was underway 3/8 and soon got cover, blindswitched ¾, not a contender here. JUSTIFIED offered little.
THIRTEENTH RACE – GRITS N GRAVY stayed in, got to the Pocono Pike when the pocketsitter came out, finished well though the last quarter time was slow. LUCKY LEVIS was three-wide early and made the lead past the 1/8, set a good pace under these conditions, held second in a three-horse photo. BRIMFIELD insisted on the pocket, moved out into the lane, evenly. TENACIOUS ONE A moved outside before turn two, in a dull flow, blindswitched late backstretch, ducked in on the turn, kept angling wider in the lane and gaining. BIG BOY FRAZIER was second-over but didn’t make his presence felt. DURANT tucked third 3/16, rethought a quarter-move, then went first-up off turn two but never made much of a dent. LYONS AMUSEMENTS went three-wide from fourth-over 11/16 but quickly flattened. I AM THE COWBOY looked at leaving but took back, did very little.
FOURTEENTH RACE – R GAUWITZ HANOVER was away well, was quarter-mover #1 and yielded for the pocket, backed out behind cover late turn then swung wide, had the most pace to the line. IMA TRAGEDY N cleanly outleft everybody, saw two go around him in quarter two, found room along the inside in the Pocono Pike and was good. CENTURY FERRARI was second-over, three-wide before the ¾ to two-wide to battle for the lead, held pretty well. ONLYTHETUFFSURVIVE was quarter-mover #2 and set the pace, got pressure from the ¾ and gave way. ALASKAN SEELSTER sat in, no factor while getting the last check. ALL ABOUT RUSTY dangled outside near the back the whole way, three-wide late backstretch but didn’t gain. POP ICON was forced to swing widest late turn, little chance. BJ’S GUY tucked, then started raw to the second turn, done at the ¾. AWESUM ACE was out with cover but gapped it.