FIRST RACE – High to mid-30s during the twilight card … Strong stretch tailwind, reflected in many fractions … like the first race, where SPORTS TEAM left and made the lead 3/16, then kept a foe parked in a 55.1 half, left the pocket horse behind ¾, and ran away. DON’TCALLMEFRANCIS was first in front, yielded for the two-spot and kept the hole closed, stayed close until the ¾, far ahead of the rest. NEEDLESS TO SAY was in another area code early backstretch, moved up three-wide and circled the rest to be a very remote third. STONEBRIDGE PROUD one-geared uncovered but couldn’t reach. CHICO ESTRELLA looked at leaving but took back, saved ground, got the last check. SKYWAY BILLY gapped early and was never in the main picture. DURANT was three-wide to the 1/8, briefly got cover then was hung raw from the 3/16, challenged hard for the lead in the (wind-aided) wild half but couldn’t clear, tucked late backstretch but understandably tired. GIVEN UP TERROR and SEDONA SEELSTER couldn’t keep up.
SECOND RACE – ONLYTHETUFFSURVIVE spotted midpack just past the 1/8, started raw to turn two but got cover at the half and milked it for all it was worth, wide in the lane and just caught BB’S HARLEY. The latter started first-up at the half, reached the leader 11/16 and fought with that one head-to-head around the far turn, to the lead to midstretch, just caught by a fresher horse. ALL ABOUT RUSTY was third-over in a great flow but couldn’t go with the top two, beat out the rest. LUCKY LEVIS was looped early and pressed on to quarter command, under pressure from late backstretch, couldn’t hold up. BOBBIES POWER PLAY outleft everybody, yielded at the ¼, was crawling up the back of the leader 5/8, went to the Pocono Pike but didn’t gain. CAPTAIN CUT THROAT was wide, finished mildly. NAKED CITY was not a factor; nor was RED DIRT BOOMER. DONEGAL JIM was third-in, nothing to offer late.
THIRD RACE – HASHTAGMADEYALOOK was on the move 3/16 to get in front at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, trotted to the fore, then just withstood LINDY’S BIG BANG. The latter was looped early and went up to 3/16 command, saw two brush by, sat in, angled wide early stretch and found a high gear just a fraction too late. BELLA AVA got going near the ¼ and moved up to the front 3/8, came under pressure, photoed SVF BLUSHINGBRIDE for third. The latter cleared everybody early, then saw three different foes take the lead in the next quarter, underway again raw 5/8 and battled, tired some. CRAZYCAT got a slow start, was well-placed second-over but gapped ¾. THE REST brought up the rear of the field all the way.
FOURTH RACE – CERTIFIED IDEAL led the field all the way around. BRING ME DIAMONDS sat third until coming out ¾, fighting for second when the pocket horse broke, then clearly second. QUITE A DELIGHT was second-over behind dull cover, three-wide ¾, wider midstretch to be clear of the breaker, not a bad mile. JERICHO DIVA came up the inside late largely avoiding the trouble. GRANT ME THIS was three-wide gapping cover far turn, finished well belatedly. HURRICANE CALLEIGH could muster little. MISS IRISH ROSE A was always far back. PREMIER CABERNET went up to a 5-tuck at the 1/8, left a slight gap to the half, moved uncovered but never reached. KOTARE YARRA N raced into the pocket at the 1/8, still in contention for second looking for more pace when making a break before midstretch, causing confusion.
FIFTH RACE – ROOTIN TOOTIN tightened in in the early pocket, rethought a quarter-move and waited, outside headstretch and paced away. DRAGON STRIKES was very fast off the gate to the lead, rated the half then picked up the pace, couldn’t deal with the winner, held OK. BARGAIN SHOPPER sat third, outside in the lane, evenly. CLOUSEAU HANOVER was third-over, three-wide late turn then ducked between horses early stretch and was a distant next. CENTURY ENFORCER one-geared raw from nearing the 3/8, fell back far turn. MR MCDREAMY was looped and three-wide past the 1/8, looked to be in tight quarters and took back, then second-over, not enough late. GOLDEN GESTURE was looped and two-wide, also took back 3/16, not heard from again. PINE BUSH ROCKET had little to offer.
SIXTH RACE – TRAFFIC JAM was locked in by the parked horse early, which turned out to be good fortune as it allowed her to eventually scoot all the way up the inside to the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, took the lead, and measured off FOX VALLEY CHARLIZ. The latter went away enough to protect the pocket, pulled out behind the raw horse 11/16, swung wide into the stretch, lost too much ground to the horse hugging the inside. MORE MORE MORE left well and crossed right over, set the pace, got pressure the latter half of the backstraight through the turn, next in line. LIGHTNING VIRGIN was looped and three-wide at the 1/8 when bearing left and hooking a foe, briefly offstride but caught and tucked, stayed inside, evenly late, but placed for the first turn interference. DEUCES FOR CHARITY went three-wide around the parked horse early backstretch, back to two-wide, never could reach the leaders. TYRONBETTORSELLA N was never prominent. MARYMACISBACK avoided trouble early, gapped to the half then started uncovered, fought hard late backstretch through the turn, then tired. DONEGALARTCHOKIN N was looped and between horses, hooked by a foe, extricated herself but could find no hole and was left outside, done early backstretch.
SEVENTH RACE – THISISSHE was quickly on top, got a soft middle half without pressure, more than enough to hold off MUSCLE AVE. The latter sat in the two-hole, came out in the lane, good but second-best. NOBLE PRIZE tucked third just past the 1/8, went evenly late far ahead of the rest. TROTTING Z TAM advanced some with cover, three-wide late turn, best of the others. MINEFIELD HANOVER gapped inside. PHANTOM RUSTY didn’t get a call. KANDY KORN was uncovered from far back early on curve two, gained some until the 11/16 then flattened. SWISS PLATINUM made an error not far before the start.
EIGHTH RACE – LYONS AMUSEMENTS was four-wide and looped early, to two-wide at the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, yielded to his main foe 3/8 and sat on his back, came out headstretch and gradually got the better of the stretch duel between the 6-5 “Nap” horses. GRITS N GRAVY was three-wide and double-looped early, proceeded up to grab command 3/8, didn’t get pressure, fought hard to the wire. LUZIANA moved uncovered into the backstretch, won a battle for third over HES GONE BADDER well off the top two. The latter started strongly and circled everybody, yielded, stayed in, struggling the last 3/16. I’M A GIFT never reached cover, got the last payday. BJ’S GUY took back early and was not heard from again; AWESUM ACE was never heard from. COLE PORTER N had lost contact before the 3/8.
NINTH RACE – SYLVESTERAMERICA IT raced into the pocket 3/16 then quarter-moved, set a decent clip stringing out the field a long way, had to fight off the pesky I GOT THE LOOKS in a tough duel. The latter was uncovered past the 3/8, never got cover and kept on grinding, never took a backwards step in a big outing. O JONNIE backed out to catch cover before the ¾, went on pretty well for third. SPOILER ALERT was forwardly-placed, blocked late turn into the stretch as the two-holer tired, to the Pocono Pike, fair. WISENHEIMER was three-wide most of 3/16 to get command, yielded for the two-hole, not much left in the last stanza. ANDOVERS TOUCH was looped and outside midpack until tucking past the ¼, not again prominent. VALLORIA N showed little. KEYSTONE SERGEANT broke nearing the first turn.
TENTH RACE – ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP quarter-moved, got a moderate pace for this type, won easily. SOUTHWIND DREDGE left between horses and took the early pocket at the 1/8, inside, went to the Pocono Pike and seemed to get second more because TRAY SURREAL was tiring. The latter was three-wide leaving then two-wide to before the 3/16 to hit the front, yielded for the pocket, didn’t have much punch late. BULLVILLE TERROR was third-over then ducked in as the outer tier was sluggish, cleared midstretch and angled wide, a solid last 1/16. FULL VIEW was second-over, not helped by cover then empty when circling three-wide, taking a lot of show money with him. JUNIOR MAN started uncovered towards turn two but could not muster the speed to be a contender. THE OTHER PAIR had no say in the outcome of this one.
ELEVENTH RACE – R GAUWITZ HANOVER started uncovered off turn two, went by nearing the ¾, in no doubt after that. LITTLE ADMIRAL was third-over, ducked in for the stretch and finished steadily to catch INDIGO ART for second late. The latter was three-wide early and took a tuck, then second-over, left raw on the turn, just failed to preserve the deuce in the shadow of the wire. ALTA SHELBY N went away between horses and got in third, shuffled as the leader gave way then outside on the turn, best of the rest. GRANDPA DON gapped. NORTHERN SPORTSMAN pushed away hard, yielded, shuffled out of it when the leader tired ¾. BIG GAME HUNTER was three-wide to the 3/16 then two-high to get the lead at the ¼, offered no resistance when the winner came at the ¾.
TWELFTH RACE – WILBERFORCE was three-wide leaving, made the lead 3/16 and just kept pouring it on in a most impressive mile. VALLEY OF SIN left and protected the pocket, stayed fairly close until fairly late. RAINBOWINTHEWEST was uncovered from the half, trotted on determinedly. CONSUS VICTORY tucked third past the 1/8, gapped the last 3/8. KING ALPHONSO was second-over while never close to the lead, three-wide late turn, made no impact. STOP RESISTIN had cover after leaving, tucked before the ¼, never resurfaced. GINGER TREE SKYR was away slowly and was gapping at the back. TRAVEL WINNER never featured.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CRAZY CUTE was three-wide towards the first turn to the lead nearing the quarter, slowed the half then came home in 55.2-27.3 to see off the challenge of SURREAL FEELING. The latter started uncovered entering turn two, went up swiftly while going her third quarter in 26.4 and challenged, very big mile in second. MAGICAL MISTRESS pushed away, yielded, gapped before the ¾, then had some late rally. ROYALTYWESTHO was in front before the 1/8, yielded near the ¼ for the two-hole, kept close to the battlers until the stretch, then lost ground in the sprint home. LADY LONDON was no factor. LADY MAYA got cover but soon couldn’t stay with it. HOTTIEONTHEHORIZON never got a call here.
FOURTEENTH RACE – LAURIE LEE left between horses, took a tuck third but soon came on a quarter-move, set the pace, looked to have shaken off first-over PEGGY J late on the turn but then had enough to take care of that resurgent one. The latter moved out 3/8 and went right up to challenge for the lead, was kept outside, fell back a little late turn and early stretch, but was digging back in hard late. WINNING WORDS wouldn’t yield early, finally did to the winner 3/8, held OK for third. NARINA HANOVER made up a lot of ground to get as close as she did. RHYME N ROLL was three-wide before the 1/8 then two-wide, took the pocket near the ¼, kept up until the far turn. GRIP N WIN never featured. ABBY ROSE lost contact with the field.