FIRST RACE – Track rated “good +1” throughout the card … DON’TCALLMEFRANCIS went out enough to maintain the pocket, then moved 5/16 to 3/8 command, rated the half, had only the challenge of MR BIG LOAD to deal with in the lane and held all-out. The latter was second-over, found a better gear midturn and went wide, narrowed in steadily. INDIGO ART went out first-over towards turn two, made a good challenge, tired but a clear third. JOE HILL put everybody in behind early, yielded 3/8 for the two-hole, seemed empty ¾. BAYONET left, took back for a 3-tuck at the 3/16, in, not a late factor. STONE FIRE HANOVER joined the outer tier but did not achieve prominence. BYE BYE JOHN never got in the picture. ARTOFFICIAL FLAVOR gapped at the back.
SECOND RACE – Some stretch tailwind … BB’S HARLEY sat the pace with two moves and got a rest in the second quarter, turned back the favorite then stayed clear of HIGHVIEW CONALL N. The latter moved outside 11/16 and launched three-wide before mid-far turn, narrowed in steadily. DURANT was three-wide to turn one, tucked fourth, made a good attack first-over, held pretty well. HES GONE BADDER stacked widest and made up stretch ground. GOLDEN GESTURE was second-over, blindswitched by the place horse midturn, had to wait to back out behind him midstretch, a bit on the end of it. HUGH HEFNER N stayed in, shuffled some late turn and had traffic trouble upper stretch, fair. HEEZ ORL BLACK N was four-wide to the 1/8 going to the lead at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, fell back gradually from midturn. DONEGAL JIM never got close. SHRIMP AND GRITS moved second-over but started gapping off turn two.
THIRD RACE – HOOLIE N HECTOR had good cover second-over, three-wide midturn, the strongest late. PILOT HANOVER went uncovered 3/8 and grinded up slowly but surely, actually had a short lead midstretch, held very well. BLACK TIE BASH tucked third, stayed in, to the Pocono Pike, found his best steps late and just missed second. KEEPTHETAB HANOVER also stayed in, out in a blindswitch later on the turn, blocked past midstretch then went behind the place horse, finished with trot. BY A HOFF HANOVER charged through at the start insisting on the lead in a quick quarter, came up shy in the lane. DROP THE MIC couldn’t reach from last. FATHER OF IRELAND had nearly a length lead going to the first turn but couldn’t clear and finally accepted the pocket, little left in the stretch.
FOURTH RACE – CREDIT CON was outside 3/16 in pursuit of the lead, yielded to the retaker to sit the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, went by midstretch but didn’t win by much over two tough foes. TRICKY DICK set the pace with two moves, fought on to the line. TART TONGUE moved uncovered 9/16 and challenged, fell back a little coming out of the turn but trotted on determinedly. THE NEXT THREE were impeded by the breaker past the ¼, had almost caught the top three by the half; the two that sat in down the back went evenly, while the one that went outside fell back. CARTIER BI made a break past the ¼ and was taken inside. BOASTER COASTER looked ready to leave but made a break at the start.
FIFTH RACE – CEFFYL DWR went right to the lead, backed off the second quarter, then rolled home in twin 29s to win easily. ROBBIE PEV spotted fourth, went uncovered off turn two and moved up to challenge, had to settle for second far ahead of the rest. HALLS OF VALOR protected the pocket, little left late. SHARE THE WEALTH went to two-wide down the back but gapped and ducked back in, not prominent. RARE MUSCLE and MY SON TV HANOVER were never close. SIX O’CLOCK NEWS left, took back to third 3/16, was looking for more going to the ¾ when breaking stride.
SIXTH RACE – RIVER OTTER went to the front and parked a challenger, then had to deal with the now-first-over POND JUMPER, just got the nod here. The latter was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked in, moved out at the half and was soon three-wide to two-wide raw 9/16, challenged the rest of the way, looked to have to be handled cautiously in the stretch as appearing to want to lug in, just missed. NOBLE PRIZE sat a pocket trip, loose from the 5/8, third-best. CRITICAL MASS and PIER HO EXOTIC (a trifle rough early) got the remaining checks. KANDY KORN was on the move just past he half and went wide around the fading parked horse but couldn’t reach serious contention. LAKEVIEW TAMMY showed little. WINNING GENE was looped and two-wide at the 1/8 when making a break. BATTING STATS went up to challenge for the lead but was given the cold shoulder, faded from before the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – LADY LONDON went to the lead at the 1/8, rated the half, had no difficulty. BRING ME DIAMONDS yielded for the two-hole, neither gained nor lost ground late. MISS IRISH ROSE A was looped and went up to third at the eighth, OK late. GRANT ME THIS sat in, couldn’t get into contention. LITTLE SANDY TOES started uncovered towards turn two but never got closer than the flank of the pocketsitter. KOTARE YARRA N spotted midpack then was second-over, a bit rough into the far turn, not too much. SHE’S A BILLIONAIR sat in, no factor. THE OTHER TWO were hampered by dull cover.
EIGHTH RACE – BRONZE YANKEE led the outer tier movement from sixth towards turn two, steadily attacked the leader, had an advantage but not the inside on the turn, went by for good early stretch and was a good winner. KEYSTONE SERGEANT had great cover, steadily. SPOILER ALERT also drafted up nicely third-over, three-wide headstretch, OK. CONQUEST AS was parked to a quick quarter to get the lead, yielded past the 3/8 for the pocket, shuffled late turn into the stretch, Pocono Pike, OK. RAINBOWINTHEWEST was double-looped and remained outside with cover to the ¼, then went on to get the front past the 3/8, kept the winner out on the far turn but was tired after that point. ANDOVERS TOUCH was first to command, yielded at the ¼, also blocked towards headstretch, not much late. O JONNIE never entered the picture. SCHNICKEL FRITZ sat in, gapped down the back. MAGIC VACATION sat in and was shuffled to last, broke in the stretch.
NINTH RACE – REVELRY was looped at the 1/8 and rode with cover past the ¼, then went on to grab the lead before turn two, didn’t get pressure, then streaked home in 27.1 on a day when no other race beat 28.2 home. TIGER BARON was three-wide almost to the 3/16, up to grab command 5/16, yielded nearing turn two, couldn’t go with the winner the last quarter but must be respected still, given how fast that last quarter was. NIALL HANOVER had nonadvancing cover, left two-wide raw on the turn, OK to get the distant third from ROCK THREE TIMES. The latter used the rail to geometric advantage, yielded 5/16, left behind ¾. FRISKY PEDRO wanted to leave but took back, moved out again before the 5/8 but never made any headway. THE REST didn’t have enough in this mile.
TENTH RACE – TOP ME OFF went to the front 3/16 and soon yielded to sit the two-hole, outside after the first-over broke, trotted right on by in hand. KILLER INSTINCT was three-wide at a couple of different points in quarter one, got the lead off the initial turn and set the pace, tired from the early usage. CAPITAL T STORM moved out in the stretch and went by for a no-factor third. MADDYS LEADING MAN forced the early issue and yielded, stayed in, left behind in the lane. WINGMAN HANOVER spotted early, fell far behind. SOOT HANOVER started a good uncovered move 5/8 and had gained significant ground before rolling off gait midturn.
ELEVENTH RACE – SUSIE’S SISTER went uncovered into the second turn, trotted a sensational 27.1 third quarter against the breeze to just clear ¾, urged to hold safe the field, excellent showing. HARNESS AM left well, sat in, slipped out with cover ¾ as the winner cleared, finished steadily. NEXTROUNDSONME had the winner’s cover, went on steadily although unable to stay with that one’s big move, uncovered ¾, held nicely. MOON BRIDGE worked up to the front 5/16, trotted very fast in the third quarter to try to keep the winner out but could not, stayed close into the stretch and then went to the Pocono Pike, tired a little bit late. MARION GONDOLIER backed out into the cover flow on the turn, had decent trot under the wire though in gear a little late. LIFE WELL LIVED left and grabbed command, yielded 5/16 for the two-hole, shuffled a little on the turn, then couldn’t find a clear path in the lane. ZOOMING gapped in last.
TWELFTH RACE – URBAN RENEWAL went to the leader, kept a foe out almost to the 3/8 then let him go to sit the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, responded in enough time for the victory. WILSONS VINNER started a steady grind at the half, made a brief lead in the stretch, held very gamely. DIVISION BELL was third-over, wide only in early stretch, along to be just third. WHEN YOU DANCE was parked past a fast quarter and almost to the 3/8 for command, set the pace and had pressure, couldn’t make the lead stand up. IDEAL WHEEL was uncovered into turn two and then got cover at the half, couldn’t stay with it in the last quarter. ITSONLYROCKNROLL A made the early pocket, stayed in, didn’t appear overloaded in the stretch although may have been not fully clear. MY DELIGHT never surfaced. GOTTA LOVE HIM trailed.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TWO AM sat the pocket journey, to the Pocono Pike and went right on by easily. KING ALPHONSO took control from the pole in a lineup and kept up a steady pace, had no answer for the winner. BLENHEIM moved raw 11/16, gained on the turn, stayed on OK for a clear third. THISISSHE struggled from the 5/8. NATURAL KEMP was well behind the majority of the mile. MUSHANA took back to settle in his spot in the lineup, jumped 5/16.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MAGICAL MISTRESS was four-wide early intent on getting the lead, three-wide just past the 1/8 then two-wide en route to claiming the top 3/16, slowed the half then picked it up with a challenger advancing, dealt with pressure on both sides through the lane. SHOULDBEENATD yielded for the pocket, had a clear shot in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t go by. TOPVILLE ANGELINA left, took a 3-tuck just past the 1/8, started uncovered before the half, attacked the leader, held her ground very gamely. BETTORS CHEVRON N got by the rest. GEORGIE MARTIN N was third-over then still two-wide but gapping when the second-over ducked in, no factor. CHASE YOU started uncovered 3/8, got cover before the half but was gapping by the 5/8, ducked in far turn. OOH REAL GOOD was struggling by the 5/8.