FIRST RACE – A couple of degrees either side of 40 and a fast track produced the fastest overall card of the year so far … Wind was swirling throughout the card … A REAL MIRACLE launched uncovered into turn two, battled the leader from the half down the back and around the turn, then just left these in the dust while finishing out in 27.3. BRAVO TEX N had great cover, did OK to be second. GLENGARRY KNIGHT N was hustled away and cleared before the first turn, yielded coming out of that bend to sit the pocket, came clear in the Pocono Pike after the winner got away, not bad. ELECTRIC WESTERN sat in, was blocked much of the stretch, but wasn’t running over horses looking for clearance. P L MUNSON was third-over, moved three-wide but flattened. JUST N ACE was caught in and shuffled; hard to tell if he had much. WESTERN HILL was too far back. HORSING AROUND was looped leaving and persevered to take over off the first turn, under hard pressure by the winner, all done in the lane.
SECOND RACE – CLASS SIX took the pocket 3/16, stayed in, got access to the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter came out, proved to have the most in a three-way late battle. SHOREVIEW insisted on the early lead, then yielded to a brusher early on the backstretch, back out for more to headstretch, never had the lead in the lane but wore down ROYAL HEART for second. The latter came with a rush around turn two to get the lead early backstretch, held well. BEST TRICK EVER gapped but was aided when opponents had trouble. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT went around a horse nearing the ¼, then backed out to third-over to the 11/16, shoved extremely wide to avoid the two hooked horses and lost all chance. DAVIDS COMING HOME was roused early but could show no speed, may’ve jumped a shadow 3/16, fell way back. CLASSY HILL was in the cover flow, moved three-wide to midturn but got hooked up with POLAK A. The latter went around a troubled foe late on the first turn, moved out with cover then was left raw early down the back, was tiring on the far turn when getting hooked up with CLASSY HILL.
THIRD RACE – SCOTT ROCKS went in third to the 1/8, then quarter-moved, superior to these throughout the last half. KEYSTONE STEAM yielded early for the pocket, stayed in and shuffled far turn as the pocketsitter fell back, came clear in the Pocono Pike and finished well. MR BIG LOAD gapped second-over, best of the rest. SPICEBOMB had too much to overcome. WHITE HAIR ROCKS joined the outer tier then went back inside, in tight quarters while seeming to have late pace. BIG MACH went a big third quarter to gain contention but couldn’t sustain the move in the last split. NEWBIE was in front at the 1/8, relinquished just past the 3/8 for the two-hole, loose down the back then fell back further. RAKSMACH N developed a problem 5/8.
FOURTH RACE – MISS MCKEE set the pace with two moves, slowed the half, then drew away as much the best. MOON BRIDGE stayed connected in third, to the Pocono Pike and had steady late trot. GREAT UNKNOWN was second-over, three-wide far turn, OK. P L NOTSONICE had excess cover, four-wide late on the turn and kicked in a mite belatedly. HEAT WAVE HANOVER gapped early, stayed in, very slow to find desired clearance between horses in the stretch. FOCUS POCUS started uncovered before the 5/8, tired alongside the pocketsitter from the ¾. RECIPROCALBLUECHIP went on to the top 3/16, yielded for the pocket, empty in the last quarter. ITSONLYMONEYHONEY was never in it.
FIFTH RACE – BUSBOY HANOVER was away strongly and yielded to sit the two-hole, stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike and took care of NINE WAYS. The latter went to the lead 3/16, got a breather to the ½ then had to pick it up, held pretty well until the last 50 yards. INTERNET HANOVER quickly tucked third, moved uncovered early on the second turn and reached the leader 5/8, pressured that one hard pacing his own third split in 27, held very nicely. ROJAN’S WAY sat in, spent the first half of the stretch angling wide, couldn’t build enough momentum to close any more. ITSONLYROCKNROLL A never factored. TODDLER TANTRUM was second-over but couldn’t keep up 11/16. UNDERTAKER was third-over, not well-served by cover and three-wide ¾ but couldn’t reach. JEREMES GENERAL was always far back.
SIXTH RACE – LORD OF MISRULE left for the pocket, gapped on the first turn then closer, suddenly had an 8 length gap behind him as the chalk broke to the 3/8, tight in a wicked half, came out ¾ and went right by the leader, withstood MYIDEALSON N. The latter got closer after the frontstretch incident then gained quickly late backstretch (last half 59.1, last quarter 30), three-wide late on the turn, narrowed in, did very well. MOUNTAIN HERO followed the place horse, three-wide with cover late turn then wider headstretch, kept coming. RATHER SWELL was leaving a big gap even before the chalk broke, gradually tightened in, clear early stretch, evenly. WISE IMAGE was off to the races with a four length lead past the 1/8, hung up 26.2 and 54.1, then had no power to stop the closers. BAYONET never featured. SWEET TALKIN SATIN got rough 5/16 and made a bad break.
SEVENTH RACE – AMERICAN REBEL slid in fourth past the 1/8, went raw early on turn two, took it right to the leader pacing his third quarter in 27 into a mild headwind, gained the lead but not the inside on the far turn, drew away in a superior performance. UPTOWN FUNK was far back, went four-wide late turn and passed an awful lot of horses in the stretch. PROVEN DESIRE moved 5/16 to take over, under pressure from the winner, kept him out on the turn, fair+ late. WATERWAY was between horses to the lead before the 3/16, yielded for the two-hole, not enough late. MY MIND IS MADEUP was third-over, wide coming off the far bend, a touch of pace late. MELANIE’S TEDY was three-wide to the 1/8, took the pocket 3/16, considered trying for the top but rethought at the ¼, sat in, not again heard from. REVELRY gapped. BARNABAS had great cover second-over but could not keep with it.
EIGHTH RACE – SANCHEZ ROCKS started a grind just before the half, wore down the lead headstretch and kept a foe on each side at bay. LAZER JET was well-placed second-over, three-wide headstretch, didn’t seem to have an excuse in 1:00.1-30.2 back fractions. CATWALK AS took the top before the 1/8, yielded 3/16 for the two-hole, blocked for a couple of ticks headstretch but had time to regain momentum in the Pocono Pike, didn’t quite have enough. MANWILLING was third-over, didn’t tip wide, went OK late. HALL IT OFF was last save the breaker, weaved between horses in the lane and finished well from where he was. I’LLALWAYSBEBACK looked all-out from the 3/8 on. CHERRY RED never got into the main action. FATHER DUNN was three-wide just into turn one, on top 3/16, cut a fast half, tired. ZOE F was not away quickly then soon made a break.
NINTH RACE – CLOSING STATEMENT was four-wide early and three-wide past the 3/16, then two-wide until finally reaching the top past the 3/8, went on to a 26.4 third quarter and tired everybody else while impressive. PEACE OUT POSSE moved uncovered into the backstretch, kept on coming very nicely. BLOOD LINE forced tucks then finally ceded the top to the winner past the 3/8, stayed fairly close. STAR COMMANDER N took the inside route to the distant fourth. AMERICAN ZEST A was “second-over” but never got close to his cover. OWEN left, accepted the pocket before the ¼, left behind towards midbackstretch. THE REST never got into the picture in this fast mile.
TENTH RACE – REDBANK BLAZE A got an early spot, then brushed in front of the stands as the pace slowed, sprinted down the back, then held off THATSWHATISAID coming up the inside. The latter was three-wide 3/16 and two-wide until coming off the first turn to get the stick, yielded for the pocket, gave it a good shot in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t quite make it. TAM MAJOR A gapped in the back until past midturn, then stacked four-wide and finished with a strong burst. TRENTE DEO gapped second-over down the back then was better on the turn, swung wide but was outpaced home. ROCK THE TOWN went uncovered at the half, never really threatened the leader, tired some. JACKAMINO left strongly, yielded just past the 1/8, began to back off gradually 5/8. LORD WILLOUGHBY A kept a hole closed late first turn, couldn’t offer much at crunch time. OLLIE’S Z TAM was between horses leaving, eyed tucking but saw that opportunity close, was looped and was pressing on when making a break at the ¼.
ELEVENTH RACE – J M MANDAMIN started uncovered 3/8 and was flying down the back with his own third split of 26.1, went by effortlessly and looked like an Open horse in the fastest mile of the year here, 1:50.3; big day for The J.B.’s. HIGH IMPRESSION quarter-moved, recognized it was futile to try to keep the winner out late backstretch, good second. JOESSTAR OF MIA A took early control from the pole, yielded, sat in, out in the lane and raced quite well. BLACKLIGHT sat in, found room up the inside for the very distant fourth. ACTOR HANOVER was three-wide to the first bend, tucked 3/16, gapped 5/8. OZONE BLUE CHIP was too far back. SOUTHWIND BARON took back early, backed out to second-over but could not go with this cover. SOMEWHERE FANCY offered little.
TWELFTH RACE – LOVE THE ACTION was away well and got the pocket, waited for the Pocono Pike, by before midstretch and a good winner. WAGON MASTER sat third-in, to the deep Pike, wasn’t catching the winner but outpaced the rest. URBAN RENEWAL came from last 3/8 and wound up third-over, three-wide around a gapper ¾ and finished vigorously. CINNAMACK was uncovered at the half, grinded, OK. BOBBY K HILL left very well to cross over before turn one, took a fumbly step or two 3/16 but quickly righted, didn’t have the first-over reach him until the ¾, tired. ROCKIN INTHE HILLS sat in, had to angle all the way out to four-wide late turn and in early stretch, finished well. JUST PLAIN LOCO gapped second-over. OH K MAN wasn’t in the hunt.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TULLOW N had good cover second-over and tightened in on it late backstretch, three-wide past midturn, took command in early stretch then held off the inching-in CAPTAIN NASH for George’s sixth win. The latter was third-over, four-wide stretch, gained bit by bit to just miss. ALEX TYE was two-wide but couldn’t get the lead and took the pocket 5/16, inside and blocked, into a blindswitch headstretch and then to the path behind the winner, OK late. HALLIE’S COMET was three-wide past the 1/8, came into close quarters with the four-wide horse and stumbled a bit, took back, in, angled widest, good after a troubled trip. JANAID pushed away very hard from the rail suffering right-sided “b.e.” in the process, didn’t yield until just past the 3/8, cleared fairly quickly headstretch, couldn’t gain. CAL went a big third quarter uncovered and had a slight lead around the turn, gave way. BURNING MIDNIGHT gapped at the back. IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N was four-wide fully to the 3/16 then three-wide to the ¼, went up two-wide to command just past the 3/8, received backstretch pressure and understandably faded.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Shifting wind definitely in the field’s faces through the stretch … FOO FIGHTER N was away strongly for the lead, yielded to the brusher and stayed close to him in the fast third quarter, outside midturn and went by early stretch, safe winner. SHANE ADAM took back to tuck fourth nearing the ¼, retucked around a gapper 5/8, outside headstretch and gradually got second. UNION STATION left to defend the two-hole then quarter-moved, strung the field with a 27 third quarter, not enough. SUNSET BRAYDON tucked fifth 3/16, retucked down the back, inside, fair. ASTON HILL DAVE had early position but gapped most of the last half. THE OTHERS never got close enough to challenge.