FIRST RACE – Temperature ranged from 29o to 34o during the afternoon card; generally there was a stretch tailwind … ADAGIO DE LA TOUR went to command at the 1/8, shook off the first-over at the ¾ and didn’t appear to have any problem. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE backed out to second-over at the 5/8, three-wide late on the turn and second-best. ONE DIRECTION yielded for the pocket, couldn’t go enough late. MASSAMILLION was uncovered early on turn two and made good progress through the backstretch, but then tired at the ¾. PERSEVERANCE sat in, was no factor. POND JUMPER gapped third-over. UNABATING fell back in the last half. NICE STUFF took a bad step just after the gait sprung, then broke following cover early on turn two.
SECOND RACE – ROUTHLAND was out most of the quarter, made the top then yielded, gapped off turn two but had narrowed back in by the ¾, to the Pocono Pike and paced to the fore. COME ON RAAGS pushed the quarter and yielded, stayed third-in, under a hold early stretch waiting for clearance, finally went to the inside and just photoed out HULOU for second. The latter had cover early, took a 4-tuck for about 1.6 seconds then rushed up to get the lead 3/8, drew clear early backstretch but saw the field catch up late backstretch, tired. NOTYOURTYPICALMAN went uncovered into turn two and grinded up throughout the backstretch, couldn’t sustain forward progress past the ¾. MOONLIGHT SHADOW had very good second-over cover but had no pace in the last quarter. YUPYUPYUP backed out to third-over but could offer little. THE REMAINING PAIR were at the back throughout.
THIRD RACE – CIRCLE OF LIFE AS was three-wide to the 3/16 and two-high to the quick quarter in pursuit of the lead, yielded in front of the stands, to the Pocono Pike and outtrotted the closers in the 1:00 back half. DOODLE HANOVER was two-wide early and tucked fourth, then second-over late backstretch, three-wide headstretch, not quite enough. WINNIE THE GOO moved out 11/16 and was third-over on the turn, four-wide stretch and finished well. HAVANA OOH NANA rode inside, not quite enough. BATTLE QUEEN was between horses to command 3/16, yielded at the ¼ but came back out to get the lead in the 58 half, couldn’t sustain in the 1:00 back half. RARE MUSCLE left a big gap midrace, closer as the tempo decelerated late. GERARD never featured. SHELL SHOCK miscued 3/16.
FOURTH RACE – SPUNKIN’SROCKETMAN moved out down the back, three-wide late turn, still sixth midstretch but benefited from a race where every fraction was slower than the one before it (the last despite a tailwind). BY A HOFF HANOVER left some, gapped the middle half then got a bit closer, to the pocket and then to the Pocono Pike, did take a short advantage late but not quite enough. MADDYS LEADING MAN strung the field out until the far turn, came up a bit shy. KEEPTHETAB HANOVER went up into the pocket at the ¼, outside midturn, outkicked. STORM BRINGER gapped early, tighter and uncovered 5/8, didn’t tip wide into the stretch, evenly. DAGON HANOVER left between horses, took a tuck fourth, stayed in, nowhere to go as the pace slowed late. THE OTHER PAIR had their own private race far off the others.
FIFTH RACE – AWESOMENESS went right to the lead, aided when one early foe broke and another took the pocket, got no pressure on the lead, put to a drive through the lane to hold on to his margin. MR PROFETA was last sans the breaker, came all the way up the inside with steady foot. REAL LUCKY N gapped in third much of the middle half then tighter to the ¾, outside towards headstretch, stayed to task to the finish. STORMONT CZAR A moved raw 5/8, couldn’t make much headway but didn’t fade much either. ROLL WITH JEFF drove into the two-hole at the 1/8, couldn’t gain in the lane. CAPTAIN MCKEE tipped three-wide off cover early far turn but didn’t get in the picture. BRUCE’S MAGIC was looped, found no hole and spent the mile on the rim. MISS U BIG MIKE was never heard from. IN ROCK WE TRUST left well, was trying to get past the winner when making a break near the 1/8.
SIXTH RACE – BROADWAY BRUISER sat the pocket until late far turn, moved out and won handily. TYSON maintained connectedness, outside stretch, steady for second. CAMPBELLINI went right to command, didn’t have pressure until nearing the 7/8, but ran out of gas in the lane. DON’T SASS ME and ALEXANDER HANOVER rode inside and had little to offer. Some thirty lengths back, TW LAUXMONT, who gapped out down the back, crossed the wire on a break and was placed behind GALIXTON, who had gapped and then ran going to turn two.
SEVENTH RACE – MUSHANA left to grab the top at the ¼, didn’t get pressure, drew away. NATURAL KEMP moved uncovered from midpack before the 5/8, could pass everybody but the winner. INNER PEACE was the early leader then yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, stayed close, no punch in the lane. BUTTER TOFFEE moved second-over but gapped, a bit of trot in the stretch. NATALIE HANOVER and WINNING GENE could do little after inside trips. FRAC gapped down the backstretch. SOUTHWIND BLIZZARD was a little off the gate and never entered the picture. STORM PARTY looked to be leaving but made an early misstep.
EIGHTH RACE – CREDIT FRAUD followed second-over from the half until going three-wide just past the ¾, gained, made the lead before midstretch, didn’t draw away but got the job done. URSIS DES CAILLONS raced into the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, good but had to settle for second. PIERCEWAVE HANOVER went right to the lead, set the pace, couldn’t make the advantage last. GOLDEN SON got in third past the 1/8 when a foe broke, swung out in the stretch and was moving well late. CLARION HALL was first-over but didn’t reach the leader, a bit tired late. ANDOVER ALL K stayed connected to headstretch, then had zero left in the tank. MOOSE MADNESS broke right at the start. SEBASTIAN U was trying to hold early position when misbehaving just past the 1/8.
NINTH RACE – TERRY A HANOVER left well but was forced to take the pocket, chose the Pocono Pike, got the lead past midstretch, just held PATRIOT LINE. The latter, pacing his last half in :56.1, moved third-over 5/8 then picked off horses one by one while three-wide on the far turn, kept on coming to the wire and just missed. START A RUCKUS forced the winner to tuck, git a slow half then picked it up, held well in the stretch duel. WIN PLACE’N SHOW sat third-in, to the deep Pike and didn’t miss taking the whole thing by very much. SICILY BEACH was second-over, blindswitched before mid-far turn and ducked in, didn’t have a clear path in the stretch. BENEVOLENCE was uncovered early on turn two, couldn’t reach the leader before tiring. MAX GASTANK DEAN gapped out. THE OTHER PAIR never were in the picture.
TENTH RACE – WILLIE B WORTHY put into the pocket early, considered an early move but stayed in, came uncovered past the 5/8 and went up to challenge, bore out to about 5-wide by the line but just beat out EXPLOSIVE MAGIC. The latter came out 3/8 but took the entire second turn (past the 57.1 half) to clear the leader, got pressure from the winner, almost lasted. MAGIC VACATION retucked down the back, then got cover ¾, wide headstretch and up for the distant third. SECTOR was a long way back but came up the inside well late. TRIUMPHANT’S CHIP left, made the winner tuck then held a brusher out just past a fast half, faded the last 3/16, returned with “b.e.” SIX BAX couldn’t get going. MANWITHAMISSION stayed connected until late backstretch, moved out past midturn as the pocket horse tired, but himself could do little. TROLLER was out past the ¼ before tucking, made a break on the far turn.
ELEVENTH RACE – THE LADY SHERIFF set the pace with two moves and had no problem at all in here. TRUSSED UP TRUDY took a spot at the 1/8, uncovered at the half, kept at her task and just grabbed second late over SHE’S A BILLIONAIR. The latter was looped and four-wide to the first turn, then to two-wide and hung until the 5/16 for the top, yielded to the retaker, unplugged ¾ but battled gamely in the fight for second. RELLA TIVITY was the first to go two-wide, got cover at the half but gapped it significantly. DANCE FOR KISSES was looped among a bunch early and took back, no factor. BETTOR BECAUSE A couldn’t keep pace. IAQUINTA never got a call. ENCHANTED EVA was five-wide heading to the first turn, needed until the ¼ to take back all the way to last, never again heard from. GATORS BEN WINNING started quickly, yielded, faded the last half.
TWELFTH RACE — CHEESE OMELET was behind a gapper early, moved fourth-over, three-wide ¾ and gained rapidly, paced to the fore in the last 100 feet. HIGH ST CORRIDOR was third-over, crucially blindswitched to midturn then backed out behind the winner, finished steadily. MIKI U SO FINE raced aggressively with two moves to have the lead at the fast half, still ahead with 100 feet to go but couldn’t quite make it. SPECIAL TYLER gained up the inside down the back, to the Pocono Pike, step-and-a-half short. TOPVILLE CRUISER had cover to the 3/16 then went on to get command 3/8, yielded for the pocket, no gain in the lane. REST ASSURED pushed and yielded 3/16, back out raw 9/16, tired in the stretch. PLAY THERAPY was never close. STEP ON THE GAS was second-over, did not swing wide and offered little late.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MEADOWBRANCH RICKY was just off the early wars, kicked the plugs at the half and moved outside, three-wide before the 11/16 to two-wide raw before the ¾, won in hand. MASSIVE OPULENCE wasn’t driven like a 45-1 shot: parked with cover early, he went three-wide before the 3/8, got around the parked horse and then to the lead at the half, made the winner work for his victory. DARTY left well, kept the hole closed in the fast fractions, was shuffled some far turn, then to the Pocono Pike and had late trot. SPEED IT was in the outer flow but couldn’t stay with the winner, three-wide far turn, gained as the tempo slackened; ICINGON DE CUPCAKE used similar tactics with a similar result. RIVER OTTER went to the lead 3/16, parked one challenger then yielded to the sweeper before the half, started to get loose ¾. INAPERFECTWORLD and MAJOR IMPACT did not make their presence felt. SCHNICKEL FRITZ was looped, raced up but was given the cold shoulder in hot fractions, was looped at the half and remained outside, eventually tiring.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SEEL THE DEAL N was four-wide leaving, got to two-high and got to the point before the ¼, yielded for the two-hole, moved to the Pocono Pike and had a sharp response for the upset. BILBO HANOVER took back to tuck 1/8, then uncovered into turn two, grinded a long way, kept coming on in a game showing. BEACH BOOGIE left between horses, tucked, in, had to wait then found room between horses and moved well late. DO YA THINK was second-over, gapped the main action 11/16, three-wide headstretch, evenly. YUPPER sat in and was shuffled, spent most of the stretch angling wider to get room. IDEAL FLIP left to protect the pocket then quarter-moved, set the tempo, powerless late. THE OTHER PAIR were not major dangers.