FIRST RACE – The nicest day of the year, around 70 degrees, leading to fast times … BAMSKI went into the three-hole at the 1/8, moved outside raw 5/8 and retucked in the pocket at the hot ¾, outside stretch, led midstretch, held off BURNING MIDNIGHT. The latter spotted, then was behind dull cover and had to go three-wide ¾, back to two-wide on the turn, finished strongly into the decelerating pace. WHITE HAIR ROCKS claimed the lead just past the 1/8 and set blistering fractions, understandably tired late. OFFICIAL DELIGHT had plenty of room along the inside down the backstretch but only gradually narrowed in, between horses stretch and OK. HALLIE’S COMET moved outside with cover but had to go inside to pass that laboring one, up the rail and fair late. SHOREVIEW left well to preserve the pocket, was bottomed out ¾ behind the wicked tempo. BUSBOY HANOVER was three-wide leaving, took back and was outside near the back to the half while very rough coming out of the first two turns, fell back. RANGERS SURESHOT came out second-over but was empty.
SECOND RACE – BLOW A CLOUD N left well four-wide and circled to command, got pressure from the 5/8, had two late attackers to his left and one to his right, was very game to hold them all off. KEYSTONE STEAM looked to leave but took back, uncovered to the second turn and reached the leader 5/8, fought on gallantly to the wire. POLAK A left purposefully to secure the pocket, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, hanging a bit. LORD OF MISRULE sat in, to the deep Pike, did well. FERNADO was second-over, three-wide early on the far turn, not quite enough. JUST PLAIN LOCO was last most of the way, didn’t enter the main picture. RECORD MACHINE gapped at a couple of points, swung widest in the lane but didn’t gain much.
THIRD RACE – DIRT ON MY BOOTS was three-wide 3/16 and pressed on to the front off turn one, drew clear midbackstretch and won for fun. CAPTAIN MCKEE followed cover that never reached the winner, three-wide headstretch and just up for second. WESTERN HILL left between horses and tucked third 3/16, behind the tiring pocketsitter, up the Pocono Pike and almost got second. ABSOLUTE INTENT was the innermost of the three biggest leavers and yielded for the pocket, couldn’t go with the winner past the 5/8. BLUEBERRY HEAVEN stayed in and never made his presence felt. PRIMO GIOVANNI started uncovered into turn two, never reached the winner before fading. THE OTHER PAIR gapped at the back (CENTURY ENFORCER did report back with “b.e.”).
FOURTH RACE – SWEET TALKIN SATIN was between horses to the ¼ and then on to the top just past the 5/16, kept a foe parked in a huge half, looked OK turning for home but tired some after the hot tempo and drifted out a bit, but had enough to prevail. NEWBIE stepped to the top towards the first turn and kept them three-deep almost to the ¼, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, went on steadily late up the inside and was close at the wire. AN THE THUNDEROLLS left OK, stayed close, only evenly late. MELANIE’S TEDY moved out from far back 11/16, three-wide late turn, closed as the pace slowed. MOUNT ROYAL gapped significantly to the ¾, REDHOT ROMEO never factored. JEREMES GENERAL was left out three-wide to the ¼ then argued two-wide for the lead to and past a snappy half, started to fade nearing the ¾.
FIFTH RACE – Stretch headwind starting to come up; would become more prominent later in the card … EMBLAZE HANOVER moved second-over 11/16 and slowly advanced, wide just past headstretch and paced over three rivals late. STOP STARING moved uncovered late backstretch and challenged, game to the line. MIKIBYTHESEASIDE left enough to force tucks, then yielded to the favorite for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, got a short lead midstretch, no apparent excuse. TARKIO spotted, then quarter-moved, went on quickly, a step shy. WIN PLACE ‘N SHOW got the last check. SARANAC BLUE CHIP was three-wide early, took the pocket 3/16, stayed in, little response late. GRAND CAYMAN didn’t offer too much.
SIXTH RACE – HORSING AROUND was looped, thought to go on but then decided to tuck third in a hot opener, stayed in, then was able to back out third-over in front of a gapper, three-wide with cover on he turn, dug in through the stretch and got the job done. CAPTAIN MULZAC was second-over just past the half, went three-wide midturn as the first-over had a hard time clearing, outkicked but stayed on to grab second late. SIMPLE KINDA MAN moved uncovered at the half, got in front of the leader ¾ but couldn’t clear until very late on the turn, briefly had a clear advantage but had done hard work in fast fractions and tired late. INDICTABLE HANOVER swung out on the far turn missing the inside trouble, had good pace on the end. DA MAGICIAN gapped third-over. DO YA THINK and CAL sat in, lost all chances when having to check behind the headstretch trouble. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT went to the lead in 25.4, yielded to a retaker at the half, moved out into a blindswitch late turn then got in close quarters with SPORTS COLUMN. The latter left fastest of all, yielded, made a retaking move at the half (all in very quick time), came under fire nearing the rapid ¾ but wouldn’t let the first-over clear until late on the turn, then had a steering issue, going inside the pylons and causing confusion.
SEVENTH RACE – TREVOR’S ACE left strongly, forced a tuck, yielded before the 3/8 for the pocket, came out headstretch and wore down pacesetting COALITION HANOVER late. The latter left, had cover to the 3/16, then was outside almost that distance before making the lead, got a bit of a breather to the half, couldn’t quite hold up late. HE’S A SNOB moved outside 11/16, found better strides past midstretch and closed in. BARRYWHITE HANOVER left, took the early pocket 3/16, not too much left late. MOVE THE LINE moved out on the far turn then ducked back to the inside in the stretch, not much. HULOU was outside late backstretch but never worked into it. PERFECTION HANOVER was not heard from. SIESTA YANKEE moved outside but showed little, then made a break late.
EIGHTH RACE – CLOSING STATEMENT settled third at the 1/8, up on the bit at the half and soon started uncovered, speed-grinded, showed determination to take the late advantage. MYKINDACHIP left and set the pace stringing out the field past the half, met with a tough customer and held well against him. SAWYER’S DESIRE protected the pocket early, moved outside late turn and wide headstretch, OK but not enough. CAPTAIN NASH moved second-over but gapped a bit, ducked to the Pocono Pike, just missed third. THE WALL sat in, couldn’t gain late. BAGS TO RICHES moved outside but showed little. THE LAST PAIR were always at the rear.
NINTH RACE – STRAIGHT TALK made the front at the 1/8, enjoyed an open-length lead most of the rest of the way, in control. KYUQUOT yielded at the 1/8 and then was loose in the pocket virtually the rest of the way; at the finish was as close to the winner as he had been since the 1/8. WARRAWEE WHYNOT tucked third, gapped in the third quarter then was tighter, examined his options headstretch and chose to go inside, had gotten past KYUQUOT but then was hanging late. BATTERUP HANOVER gapped midpack until the ¾, moved outside, couldn’t enter into it. SIX DEGREES went evenly. HIGH ST CORRIDOR tucked fourth early, came out at the half and paced his third split in 26.1 while gaining on the winner, but couldn’t sustain his progress. SWEET SUCCESS showed little. FIRST STATE JONI came out before the half, soon got cover, but then had no forward gear the last half.
TENTH RACE – MAD MAN HILL spotted third temporarily, then made sure to be on the move 3/16 before the parked horse came on, on top 5/16, rated the half while keeping the parked foe out two-wide then went on, drew away in the last 1/8. CAPTAIN SLEAZE left and had cover most of the 5/16, then was left raw on the rim the duration, held with terrific courage. TERRY A HANOVER was three-wide to the first turn, took the early pocket past the 1/8, inside, outside early stretch and had pace on the end. LOU ED ZEPPELIN grabbed command out of the gate, let the winner go then kept the pocket secure, out of gas in the lane. MAJOR MAKOVER swung three-wide ¾ and did well to get the last check. GRETZKY was never prominent. SPECIAL TYLER gapped second-over then was blindswitched. BUD TRUCK never entered the main picture.
ELEVENTH RACE – ROCKIN INTHE HILLS left well, yielded for the early pocket past the 1/8, sat forwardly-placed third-in behind the battle on the lead, got to use the Pocono Pike when the pocketsitter came out headstretch, had a good last 1/16 to add a $51.80 scalp to his $174.00 of two weeks back. NATIVE’S SWEETLOU was wide leaving, worked up to the lead 5/16 then refused to let the parked horse clear him despite having to go really fast, finally shook him off around the turn, lasted until very late in a superior outing. UPTOWN FUNK was out past the 1/8 for the top, ceded the lead 5/16 then kept the two-hole shut, popped out headstretch but may have shown the effects of the earlier work in the fast pace. ALBERGO HANOVER was underway at the quarter but didn’t get tight on his cover until past the 5/8, three-wide ¾ but couldn’t rally. BARBADOS sat in then could back out to third-over at the half, gapped the third quarter then tighter on cover two- and three-wide, a bit of pace late. TULLOW N never entered the picture. AMERICAN REBEL, wide early, fell behind cover to the 5/16, then was left two-wide, desperately battled for the lead in blazing fractions but was denied the top, finally faded after showing good energy until midturn; set a Pocono Downs record by being claimed for $50,000. APEX SEELSTER got into an outside flow at the ¼ but couldn’t stay with it.
TWELFTH RACE – LYONS AMUSEMENTS left between horses for the early pocket then quarter-moved, rated the second split, then sprinted down the back, drew clear on the turn, kept to business to withstand IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N. The latter rode third-in until headstretch, kicked into a higher gear a little too late. GLENGARRY KNIGHT N was three-wide early, crossed over 3/16, yielded for the pocket, OK but not with sharp pace the last ¼. CLASS SIX sat in, evenly. SPORTS TEEN moved raw into turn two, went 26.3 down the back but then couldn’t sustain the gain. IN SPADES was not prominent. TUCKER CREEK was second-over but gapped. A REAL MIRACLE was third-over, never entered contention.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BABES DIG ME burst out of third off the second turn and blitzed right to the lead down the backstretch, kept pouring it on for the fastest local mile of the year, 1:49.4. SCOTT ROCKS was between horses while outleft, got in before the ¼, stayed in then backed out 5/8 and soon three-wide to circle dull cover, to two-wide far turn, tried hard behind the runaway winner. LOVE THE ACTION left between horses and made the two-hole just past the 25.4 opener, backed out as the winner went by, left raw until tucking midturn, third. PROVEN DESIRE had to circle four-wide late turn to get around cloggers, OK late. FOO FIGHTER N was three-wide for the torrid opener, tucked fourth to the 3/8, then blindswitched late turn as the early leader faded, couldn’t offer much late. MY MIND IS MADEUP never featured. SUNSET BRAYDON was bent on setting the pace and went a wicked opener to do so, couldn’t do anything with the winner’s move and gradually slowed. BARNABAS moved behind the winner but gapped.
FOURTEENTH RACE – AFLAME HANOVER was three-high to the 1/8 to take control 3/16, rated the half then came home with a second 55 half to take the finale nicely. PATERNITY SUIT A was the innermost leaver and protected the two-hole, went on gamely in the wake of the powerful winner. PEACE OUT POSSE left between horses and tucked third past the 1/8, uncovered not long into the backstraight and pressured the winner late backstretch through the turn, tired a little midstretch. ALEX TYE sat in and gapped in the third panel, then angled wide in the stretch and was OK+ finishing. TRENTE DEO also gapped near the back, threaded between horses towards midstretch and finished willingly. SOMEBEACH BARON looked at leaving but took back, then second-over before the 5/8, not too much. JAHAN HANOVER was not prominent. RAZOR’S EDGE was a bit off the gate and already gapping by the ¼.