FIRST RACE – Mid 30s to low 40s as the afternoon progresses … SPORTS TEEN beat them all away by the 1/8, rated the half then threw the knockout punch in quarter three, mildly urged to stay clear. LYONS AMUSEMENTS improved early position, then was second-over, ducked in fourth 11/16, up the Pocono Pike for second. RED DIRT BOOMER was looped leaving, made the two-hole at the ¼, stuck close to the leader most of the next half, then tired some. BETTOR NOTBITTER A spotted fourth, then led the outer procession into turn two, never reached the leader, fell back in the lane. WONDER BULL broke early and was far back throughout, circled the others for the last check. I’M A GIFT gapped in the outer flow. MAGIC TRICKS could only defend the pocket until the ¼, done 11/16. THE OTHER DUO were not factors.
SECOND RACE – Stretch headwind started, but wasn’t blowing hard to start … MAGNIFICENT SEVEN finally moved out of sixth 11/16, gapped cover on the turn, but closed sturdily to be along over SCHNICKEL FRITZ. The latter left best of all, yielded off turn one, pulled out from third at the ¾, made the lead past midstretch at 77-1, caught by a solid closer. SPEED IT went into the early pocket near turn one, labored to stay close, outtrotted the others. NATURAL KEMP sat in, didn’t find his best stride until too late. ROSE RUN VINCENT was out just past a quick opener, yielded for the pocket, got tired behind the fast fractions of BULLY BOY. The latter did not leave and was seventh at the 1/8 pole, then blasted up, trotting his own second quarter in 27.3, to get the lead just past the 3/8, continued on at a very fast clip, tired. MASSIVE OPULENCE was far back, as was YUGE, who did not get a quick beginning.
THIRD RACE – BROADWAY BRUISER moved nearing turn two and soon got cover, gapped it in the third split but was better on the turn, wide off the bend and got the nod in a tightly-packed group. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE sat third-in, to the deep Pocono Pike, never ahead but steadily. MANWITHAMISSION yielded to the other horse who left to sit a two-hole, to the Pike and made a short lead midstretch, not quite enough late. NICE STUFF finally could angle to the path behind the winner approaching midstretch and finished well without a clear path. URSIS DES CAILLONS, off a beat slow, was third-over, four-wide headstretch, not bad late but had too far to come. SIR BAX was the only leaver other than the rail horse, set the pace, was joined by the first-over BATTLE MAGE past the 5/8, with those two battling each other and then both giving a little ground in the lane.
FOURTH RACE – MIKI U SO FINE was three-wide 3/16 to get the front, opened a clear lead early in the backstretch and was unthreatened. THREE DRAGONS quarter-moved in front of a parked horse, took the pocket to the 3/8, gradually lost contact with the winner but did hold on to second. SICILY BEACH was buried inside, got room in the Pocono Pike and finished OK. BENEVOLENCE was second-over, three-wide midturn, a bit late. TRICK CARD could not work his way up to get in the main mix. JAM THE GUITAR was between horses to the two-hole 3/16, gave away same 3/8, was blocked on the turn but then came up empty in the lane. DILLINGER was out with cover until the 3/8 then had to take the breeze, rode alongside the pocket horse until past the ¾ then fell back. LINEMAKER was never heard from. DUNKIN’ BEACH offered very little.
FIFTH RACE – CREDIT FRAUD moved from third 5/8, trotted right up to the leader and fought with that one, then powered away from these in the stretch. CAMPBELLINI had the top from the outermost post in just a couple of steps, rated the half, could do nothing about the winenr and just did hold second over ONE DIRECTION. The latter was loose at a couple of points in the pocket, did better in the stretch. PERSEVERANCE moved with cover but gapped it on the far turn. UNABATING made a very brief break early and caught the field, but then was not heard from. SEBASTIAN U was between breakers early, then ran himself 3/16 (did he jump over the shadow from the light pole?) TW LAUXMONT was offstride soon after the start.
SIXTH RACE – ICINGON DE CUPCAKE was widest of five leavers, took back to follow cover then tucked sixth, outside in front of the stands and three-wide 3/8 to clear to two-wide raw nearing the second turn, rode in the death seat the rest of the way but made the lead midstretch and proved to have enough. DIVINE SPIRIT followed the winner’s move and was three-wide raw from the second turn, held ground very stoutly. NATALIE HANOVER raced in the pocket staying close, Pocono Pike, not quite enough. WINNING GENE was three-wide early before tucking, in, out a path headstretch while on a line, not quite clear to the wire. BUTTER TOFFEE also raced inside and also was weaving for late clearance. TROTTING Z TAM was three-wide around faltering cover far turn, evenly as the tempo slowed. FRAC never factored. STORM PARTY took advantage of track geometry and set the pace with pressure from before the half, wilted. SOUTHWIND BLIZZARD was four-wide early, rode midpack until getting cover from the winner to turn two, got closer down the back but then gave way.
SEVENTH RACE – BOUNTIFUL BRITTNEY raced in the pocket before moving out ¾, widest in a three-wide stretch duel and up in the last 50 feet. SERRANO VOLO went down the road at a good clip, was passed to her left past midstretch but fought to regain the lead late, only to be caught in the shadow of the wire. BATTLE QUEEN avoided trouble and rode inside, to the Pocono Pike, got the slightest of leads past midstretch but couldn’t quite sustain. CHING CHING LUCKY stayed flat. FIRE UP was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked third, broke off the first turn, came back and passed the rest of the field, who all made breaks in the latter stages. WINNIE THE GOO was making up a little ground from far back when breaking past midturn. TEQUILA N ROSES was also trying to get closer from aways back when jumping past midturn. MULLIGAN’S MISS gapped throughout, broke 11/16. LADY AT ARMS was in retreat when miscuing nearing the last turn.
EIGHTH RACE – MARION GONDOLIER was away in the two-hole, rethought an early move, a bit loose during a fast third quarter, had room to swing out headstretch and had the most of these. POWERFUL YIELD was between horses early, settled for a 3-spot past the 3/16, stayed in and came up the Pocono Pike to grab second. TIGHT LINES was three-wide to the 1/8 then spotted fourth, on the move raw before turn two and grinded into a fast pace, fell back a little in the last 1/8. CHUCKY DE VIE insisted on controlling the throttle, went a big third panel but couldn’t sustain the speed. BRUTAL STORM couldn’t reach the front bunch; nether SHOEMAKER HANOVER nor CHECKMATE HILL could as well. CASEY T moved second-over but was soon gapping, made a brief break ¾, recovered, then made another break later on the turn and was taken to the infield.
NINTH RACE – GRAN PARAISO pulled from fourth (behind a gapper) midbackstretch and kept on grinding, along as the pace decreased a bit late. KILLER INSTINCT was three-wide to the first bend to get the top, yielded 3/8 and sat in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and made a brief lead, good but not quite enough. I AM THE STORM left inside the place horse and took the early pocket, inside, gapped some from the 3/8 to the far turn, outside, held evenly. SHELL SHOCK gapped early, finished OK. SOUTHWIND FULTON was outside midpack when set down 3/16, to the top 3/8, came up shy late. MADDYS LEADING MAN did not have a clear path in the stretch. KEEPTHETAB HANOVER never contended. MR BLUMETTI made a break past the start, far back until the far turn, then was showing solid recovery speed along the inside until jumping midstretch. DUKE OF LINDY moved outside off turn two, hadn’t gained much before going offstride.
TENTH RACE – Stretch headwind increasing … NAMJE yielded 3/16 for the pocket, stayed tight, moved out late turn and powered away from these in a fast time. ADAGIO DE LA TOUR moved uncovered 11/16, inside midturn, just second over MASSAMILLION. The latter sat in and gapped behind the quick pace, closer near the ¾, outside headstretch and almost came up for the place. TYSON set sail, got the front 3/16, set a fast pace, paid for his exertions late. MAGIC VACATION didn’t show much after an inside trip. POND JUMPER moved raw before the half but was never close. GALIXTON was never close to contending. DON’T SASS ME took back to last by the ¼ and had the best view thereafter.
ELEVENTH RACE – EXPLOSIVE MAGIC left, yielded, retook, and had these at his mercy the last ¼. WILLIE B WORTHY outleft a bunch to quickly make the lead, yielded for the pocket, started to go loose ¾, clearly second. MOOSE MADNESS moved uncovered before the 5/8 and went a good mile. ALEXANDER HANOVER was looped while three-wide early and tucked, moved outside headstretch, OK. TROLLER left and found a home third, gapped from the 5/8. THE OTHER PAIR never featured.
TWELFTH RACE – THE LADY SHERIFF left well but was still three-deep past the 3/16 and two-wide to about the 3/8, got the front, held off a tough challenge from SHE’S A BILLIONAIR all-out. The latter ducked in behind the battling front three early, was underway not long into the backstraight and went her own third quarter in 27.3 raw, ducked in on the turn then came out again, tried very hard and didn’t miss by much. SWEET YOUNG THING was kept out past the 3/16 before making the top, yielded for the pocket, gapped a bit in the quick third number, just third over GATORS BEN WINNING. The latter was second-over, left uncovered midturn, had no gain in the lane. RELLA TIVITY and SAPPHIRE HILL were detached from the main pack. JEWEL LEHIGH A forced the early fight and yielded, fell back 5/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – JUNIOR MAN was well-placed second-over behind a very quick pace, charged to the front late. WATER SPORTS TEEN took a funky step off the first turn, was seven lengths behind the top pair when moving uncovered before the 5/8, grinded, did get the lead, held well. REST ASSURED hung a foe to a fast ¼, yielded then made a “hidden” quarter-move, yielded again and stayed tight in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and put in an energetic effort. MOONLIGHT SHADOW and SPECIAL TYLER unwound with good foot from far back as the pace slowed down. COME ON RAAGS was parked with cover early, tucked at the ¼, sat in, was shuffled, fair late. YER SO BAD had gate speed, moved 3/8 and got to the top before the ½, went very fast middle splits, tired in the stretch. YOUR HONOR was three-wide past the 1/8 then two-wide to the 26.3 quarter to get the top, yielded, started gapping at the half.
FOURTEENTH RACE – JUST N ACE got a good two-hole leaving and stayed there to a fast ¾ and beyond, to the Pocono Pike and powered off. SWEET N FAST N was well-spotted second-over, three-wide headstretch and just along for second. WAR DAN DELIGHT N outleft everybody for command, went a good third split with the wind, but couldn’t maintain the advantage. TREVOR ONE stayed in, to the deep Pocono Pike and was in the photo for second. BRUCE’S MAGIC swung widest and had belated pace. REAL LUCKY N took back at the start and was not heard from again. SOLID ASA ROCK A was uncovered, paced his own third quarter in 27.1 though barely reaching the leader’s wheel, then gradually faded.