FIRST RACE – Never above freezing temperatures … Winds swirly throughout the day … JANAID left some, came off the rail 5/8 and quickly went up to challenge, had the lead but couldn’t clear around the far turn, finally got a safe margin late. UPTOWN FUNK was behind a breaker into the backstretch, steadily made up a tremendous amount of ground and was just along for second. CLASS SIX was on top near the 1/8 and headed down the road in fast numbers, had a clear lead down the back before the winner came to him, stayed in the fight for win until very late. WHITE HAIR ROCKS was three-deep to turn one, took the pocket 5/16, was gapping from early backstretch. OH K MAN went evenly. TALK SHOW also wasn’t tight down the back, went outside on the turn but offered little. ASTON HILL DAVE had to check in last as a foe two-wide broke early backstretch, never a factor. DREAM OF LUCK was second-over, made a break early off turn two. WINDSONG JACK was midpack two-wide early, found no hole so scooted up with a 27.3 second quarter to get close to the leader, but soon fell back.
SECOND RACE – BURNING MIDNIGHT made the early lead, finally yielded 3/8 but then was quick on the retake, equal to whatever they threw at him throughout the last half. TUCKER CREEK was fourth-over, four-wide midturn and again finished like a runaway train. WATERWAY stayed next to the pylons and rode third-in, to the deep Pocono Pike and finished with pace. BRAVO TEX N was looped and between horses early, needed until the 3/8 to make the front, soon yielded for the pocket, to the Pike but couldn’t gain. PROVEN DESIRE left and yielded, came again first-over and challenged, held his ground well late. MY MIND IS MADEUP sat in, had nowhere to go late. BARBADOS was looped and three-wide to the 3/16, tucked at the ¼, moved again third-over, three-wide ¾ but was empty. CINNAMACK was second-over, was struggling to stay on cover before the 11/16.
THIRD RACE – NEWBIE was determined to get the lead and finally wrested it at the ¼, kept INTERNET HANOVER outside as those two drew away from the field from the rest 11/16, proved strong to the wire. The latter gapped the two leavers early, was uncovered just before the half, fought with the leader late backstretch and through the turn, gradually ceded a little ground late but held for place. KEYSTONE STEAM was fourth-over behind stagnant horses, widest in the stretch and had crisp late pace. RAKSMACH N was third-over, went three-wide around a gapper midturn, got to third but flattened a bit. MR BIG LOAD spotted fourth, sat in and was shuffled to last, bad-luck mile. HERE COMES SWIFTY was on top right away, eventually relinquished to the winner, struggled late backstretch. BJ’S GUY was second-over, tired ¾ alongside the pocket horse forming a “wedge” causing traffic woes.
FOURTH RACE – RECIPROCAL BLUE CHIP made the two-hole at the 1/8 and sat there until midturn, then angled out and wide, had the most of these in the latter stages. ZOE F was third-over, wide midturn, finished well. LAZER JET tucked fourth at the 1/8, then was uncovered towards turn two, went a big third quarter pressuring the leader, finished OK. MANWILLING rode inside, not all that much late. SWEET TEA put everybody in behind, came under pressure from before the 5/8, couldn’t sustain the last 3/16. BANZAI AS was not close throughout. HALL IT OFF was second-over, gapped early backstretch, then tightened, then gapped again past the ¾, then broke in the stretch.
FIFTH RACE – BOBBY K HILL yielded past the 1/8, quarter-moved, kept the favorite outside in fast fractions, drew away on the turn and bottomed these out. OFFICIAL DELIGHT and WAGON MASTER both advanced up the inside, with the former just holding off the latter to his left for the distant second. I GET THAT was third in the sweeping tier, four-wide to headstretch and gained (admittedly into a slowing pace). BEST TRICK EVER was second-over, three-wide past the 5/8, didn’t gain. DA MAGICIAN tucked, then was third-over, stayed in a blindswitch around the turn, in tight quarters late. ROCKIN INTHE HILLS had some late pace from an impossible spot. FOO FIGHTER N got to the front just past the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole, bottomed out by the fast fractions. CLASSY HILL spotted, then tried a brush 5/16 but was left out in the 27o chill, faded ¾.
SIXTH RACE – Stretch tailwind for this race … ANDOVERS TOUCH tucked third, able to slip out second-over 11/16 after four rivals had made breaks earlier, wide headstretch and just along in a 31.1 last quarter. KARETS worked up to the lead 3/16 and kept going at a good clip for these, almost lasted to the line. SOUTHWIND LAREDO came a long way uncovered starting at the half, held in there very gamely. CHRISTOPHER CRAZO was the first leader then yielded 3/16, evenly at best the last quarter. PHANTOM RUSTY stayed close, then came up empty late. I GOT THE LOOKS was second-over, broke at the ½ just as another opponent jumped, but the chalk’s break looked independent. PRESIDENT spotted fourth, came again 3/8 but made a break near the half. MINEFIELD HANOVER miscued not far into the race. SWISS PLATINUM misbehaved as the gate sprung.
SEVENTH RACE – BLOW A CLOUD N was two-wide amidst a host of leavers, was kept out 3/8 before making the lead and then had to deal with a group of parked horses, left them behind ¾ only to see NINE WAYS come out of the pocket, fought with that one virtually the entire last quarter and gamely put his nose in front. The later used positional advantage to secure the pocket behind the winner, vacated it ¾ and quickly drew level, lost a bit of ground upper stretch but kept coming on nicely to just get edged. BIG MACH was behind dull cover in a blindswitch, came four-wide headstretch and was far the best of the rest. JEREMES GENERAL was three-wide early, took back looking for a hole but found none and pressed on 3/16, never made the lead, left behind ¾. WHAT’S GOIN ON was far back inside, returned with “b.e.” ITSONLYROCKNROLL A was four-wide to the first turn and three-wide to the 1/8, then raced behind cover, went three-wide 11/16 but his gas tank was empty at crunch time. MOUNTAIN HIGH was on the rim throughout, four-wide far turn, little. SKYWAY BILLY got a good trip inside but was done ¾.
EIGHTH RACE – CATWALK AS took over going to turn one, got her own pace, withstood WORTHY OF HONOR. The latter raced into the pocket past the 3/16 and stayed close, took a shot in the Pocono Pike, good but was not exactly breathing down the winner’s, um, neck. SANCHEZ ROCKS sat third, gapped far turn, held show. FATHER DUNN was second-over, three-wide far turn as cover tired, steadily. PROTOSTAR was three-wide past the 1/8 then got in fourth 3/16, stayed in, so-so late. MY BOY CHRISTIAN never entered the main picture. TRICKY DICK, a touch off the gate, made a good move off the second turn until the 11/16, then suddenly backed off. HAVANA OOH NANA broke at the ¼.
NINTH RACE – DECLAN SEELSTER was urged leaving, three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead at the ¼, set the pace and drew away. BILBO HANOVER left some, rode third-in, came clear early stretch and angled wide, just caught ROLL WITH JEFF for second. The latter was on the point at the 1/8 then yielded at the 1/4 for the golden seat, tiring. MR MCDREAMY was second-over, stayed in a blindswitch before the ¾ then ducked in far turn, next in line. SARONNO gapped early, wide far turn, never a factor. ROOTIN TOOTIN pulled at the ¼ and grinded, not a major danger before fading. APP HANOVER was never in the hunt. ER ROCK MY WORLD backed out to third-over, went three-high 11/16 but couldn’t mount a rally.
TENTH RACE – GLENGARRY KNIGHT N took back amidst many leavers, came out after the 3/8 and wound up second-over, three-wide before ¾ to two-wide before midturn, dead-game and just proved the more photogenic. AMERICAN REBEL quarter-moved, set the pace with third quarter pressure from the chalk, briefly stole clear upper far turn but was joined by the winner, fought very gamely to the line. IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N was four-wide to the first turn, had to take back and spot sixth, stayed in and advanced to third-in, came clear early stretch and gained ground late; APEX SEELSTER also took the inner route, angled wider and just missed third. A REAL MIRACLE had the most gate speed, discouraged one early mover then let his stablemate go by, gapped out from the pocket far turn. HORSING AROUND dove quickly to a midpack tuck early, then third-over behind the winner, couldn’t keep pace. CAPTAIN NASH was last much of the way. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT never menaced. MELANIE’S TEDY was three-wide to the 1/8 then got the pocket, appeared to rethink a quarter-move, then went out raw before turn two, challenged but empty ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – SUNSET BRAYDON was slightly removed from the 26.3 action, then was moved rapidly after the early commotion had settled and was on top 3/8, safely to the wire. JUST PLAIN LOCO avoided the moribund outer tiers, angled wide past early stretch and finished sharply. CASH IS KING left in 26.3 to retain control, got a foe to tuck behind, then yielded to the winner, tried the Pocono Pike but only held evenly. SHOREVIEW was outside in the rapid quarter, saw the horse trying to hold the pocket break at the ¼ and got in, outside later on the turn, couldn’t gain. POLAK A ducked in ¾ as the outer tiers clogged, a bit late. THISJETSABOOKIN never entered the picture. ROYAL HEART left sharply, yielded and looked to be trying to keep the pocket closed in a fast opener when breaking at the ¼. FERNADO started uncovered going to turn two, never menaced; BUSBOY HANOVER was on that one’s back, gapped 5/8, tried to gain three-wide as the first-over faltered but himself had little.
TWELFTH RACE – BARNABAS struck the front just past the 1/8, rated quarter two, then came home in 55.4-27.4 and withstood ELECTRIC WESTERN. The latter was away well and yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, raced gamely but just outsprinted. REVELRY got a forward spot, came uncovered just past the 5/8, won a three-horse battle for third. CAL retucked around a bad gapper and narrowed in down the back, got to third midstretch but couldn’t quite hold that spot. ALEX TYE was second-over, wide in the lane, OK. URBAN RENEWAL never could step around a gapper. TULLOW N (off the gate) and WESTERN HILL were always far back. RANGERS SURESHOT was already leaving a big hole by the 1/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ACTOR HANOVER yielded at the 1/8 but was quick on the retake, unopposed the last 3/8. SOMEBEACH BARON was second-over, three-wide past the ¾ when cover faltered, did well to go on for the distant second. WARRAWEE UNIQUE got the front at the 1/8 then yielded for the pocket, loose from the 5/8. LACHIE MAGUIRE N stayed in, blocked headstretch, but then not all that much once free. SIMPLE KINDA MAN fell back in the last quarter. STAR COMMANDER N and GOLDEN GUN were always far back. WESTSLUCKY TERROR was three-wide to turn one, spotted fourth, was flushed out just past the half, couldn’t reach in the fast third split, then faded.
FOURTEENTH RACE – JOESSTAR OF MIA A left and had cover to the 3/16, tucked at the ¼ as ANOTHER DAILY COPY quarter-moved, moved out past the 5/8 after that one had stolen away to a big lead, went on with courage and ran down that foe late. The latter left, yielded then retook in front of the winner, opened a big lead in a fast third quarter which he kept until nearing midstretch, then saw the tank go low and couldn’t hold the advantage. ROCK THE NITE was last behind gappers and steadily gained ground (own last half 55.1), three-wide with cover on the turn, stayed in a blindswitch headstretch then got clear and came on very well. GRAND PRIORITY retucked fourth around a gapper early backstretch then went raw at the other end of the straightaway, OK. ABSOLUTE INTENT sat in, out into a blindswitch on the turn, evenly late. DAAMERICANSKY went on to command 3/16, soon yielded, got more loose in the pocket all the way from before the half. ART SCENE advanced down the backstretch, couldn’t sustain the gain while three-wide. ROLLNTHEJOE was always far back. MAJOR CRISIS A took a 4-spot at the 1/8, backed through the field the last half.