FIRST RACE – Temperature near 50 degrees all day; stretch tailwind … CAPSAICINN was three-wide to the first turn, briefly with cover then kept going raw to 3/8 command, looked to be under threat from the closing QUEEN Z TAM midstretch but saw that one break and won by herself. The latter stayed in until the ¾ then moved up, looked a possible/probable? winner midstretch but went offstride, placed for a triple LOB. BETTER BID HANOVER got the top to the 3/16 and extended the winner a like distance before yielding for the pocket, kept close before fading some in the lane. TSM PRINCESS LEXI stayed inside, blocked late on the turn, angled wide early stretch and was gaining late. AHSOKA TANO left, yielded, had some trouble keeping pace the last 3/8. SANGRIA JULIE spotted 3/16, not heard from again. HILDA BE MINE did not enter the picture. RED RED HOT gapped in front of the stands the first time, went outside 5/8 but had very little. WOULDACOULDADID lost contact the last half.
SECOND RACE – IDEAL HANNAH had cover to the 1/8, worked to the front 3/16, yielded for the pocket 5/16, outside stretch and went on by. CAPTAINANDTELLY was looped and with cover, left raw 3/16 and onward to the front 5/16, set the pace with pressure, couldn’t quite last to the line. CRAZY COOL got a forward position, in, to the Pocono Pike, good. SPICY COVINA was second-over well-placed behind a third quarter fight, swung three-wide late turn, best of the others. NUTTINBUTTHEBEST never was a major player. IDEAL CHIP was underway 5/16 with the wind at her back but couldn’t brush by the leader, tired past the ¾. EMORI HANOVER showed some speed, then stayed in and was shuffled back to last, three-wide, little chance. ADELIA HANOVER couldn’t do much from third-over.
THIRD RACE – WHATA DAME was away enough to protect the pocket, a bit loose there from off the second turn to mid-far turn, then downshifted and gradually went by FLAME AWAY. The latter was away nicely and hit the front by the 3/16, strung out the field for the most part, but found one she couldn’t get away from. LILYBET was between horses early and tucked third, maintained that position throughout. ONE TRIX PONY went around a gapper down the back, outside far turn but couldn’t gain. BABYILOVEYOURWAY started gapping near the 3/8. THE OTHER TWO never came into the picture.
FOURTH RACE – AMAZON soon took over, had only YOUR HONOR staying close most of the way, had enough to turn back that rival. YOUR HONOR defended the pocket, came out in the lane, tried hard but had to settle for second. TRICK CARD gapped most of the way after an early tuck. SOMEWHEREINAMERICA moved outside ¾ but couldn’t gain. DANCING TINA was hard to settle back in last, never threatened.
FIFTH RACE — CHOCOLATE MATTERS took over 3/16, had no challengers, won in hand. SECRET EDGE started strongly, yielded to the sit the pocket, evenly late without threatening. CAN DO IT ALL stayed close to the top two until the stretch, still clearly third. PRAIRIE TRINKET passed strugglers. SIMPLYME HANOVER gapped out 5/8. ARWEN DE VIE was losing contact with the field by the half.
SIXTH RACE – SEVEN IRON tucked fourth as the four inside posts got away 6-7-8-9, retucked third to the 5/8, outside midturn, strongly through the stretch. ASKMELATER HANOVER streaked to the top in 26.4, got a moderate middle half, but when he was asked later for more, he showed some effect of the hard opener. SEVEN KNIGHTS wound up working to the pocket in the fast opener, gave ground the last 3/16 but still clearly third. BUTTER TOFFEE decisioned KANDY KORN for fourth; the latter was out down the back and retucked ¾, couldn’t generate much late. WHOUCALNCRAZY was rough when taken back just before the start, never in it. SCIROCCO JAKOB also did not get a good start, never factored. SWISS PLATINUM was far back throughout. CHRISTOPHER CRAZO tucked third just past the 3/16, fell back from the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – CASEVILLE was on top before the 1/8, strung the field out in large part, a clear winner. TRIUMPHUS moved with cover before the 11/16, three-wide nearing the stretch and came home well. TUFF TO BE LINDY had the pocket, struggled to stay close to the winner much of the way despite a non-fast pace, so-so late. WILLIS THE MAN put in third before the 3/16, out raw 5/8 and moved up, but then grew tired. MY SON TY HANOVER gapped midpack. THAT’S ALL FOLKS never featured. GOTCHA HANOVER was offstride on the far turn and inside the course. OGALARAM was four lengths off the gate and kept losing ground from there. MATH WIZARD also was not right on the gate, but went frontward early, three-wide at the 1/8, broke.
EIGHTH RACE – TYSON wasn’t long to take control, kept a challenger parked, drew well clear the last 5/16. CIMERONKEN was three-wide to just before the 1/8, then two-wide to the three-hole at the ¼, stayed in, got room in the Pocono Pike was along for a distant second. DON sat the pocket, struggled to stay tight most of the last half, couldn’t hold the deuce. PUERTO RICO appeared to briefly consider going two-wide later backstretch but stayed in, pinned in on the turn, clear in the lane, so-so. POND JUMPER was three- then two-wide with cover most of the ¼, then left raw, tried for the top but was left outside, held pretty well considering the trip. SIR JOHN F never entered the picture. SPLITSVILLE moved out three-wide ¾ but was well off of useful cover. MOOSE MADNESS was third-over behind the parked horse, appeared to clear the second-over breaker without a problem, went three-wide at the ¾ but had no gain. CASEY T was out at the first two calls behind cover, broke off turn two.
NINTH RACE – ITZPAPALOTL (named after a fierce Aztec goddess) had a very good start, yielded to a frontstretch challenger and sat in the two-hole, right to the Pocono Pike and right by. REALIZATION defended the early pocket, stayed in, went inside the winner and finished well. MAJOR HOULIHAN gapped a quick early tempo, moved outside past the 5/8 and gradually caught up to cover, tipped wide early in the stretch and along for third. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME wasn’t in the main picture, had some late pace inside. RABLE was underway raw off the second turn, made a mild advance then gave way. SO DIVA and MILEY ROSE were always well off the main bunch. ATOMIC FIREBALL got a 3-tuck going to the 1/8, moved 5/16 to the top past the 3/8 in a wind-aided second split, tired badly and drifted out in the stretch, and was wheeled to head back to the paddock shortly after going under the wire.
TENTH RACE – SO IRRESISTIBLE drifted out, got in gear just past the 1/8 and took over just past the ¼, rated quarter two, was in a good fight in the third quarter, turned back that rival, still had a major foe on both sides to deal with, did so gamely. CARRINGTON was quickly to the lead, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, put up a very good fight. INCASEYOUDIDNTKNOW was second-over and gradually ranged up to be tighter on cover, three-wide midturn, paced her own back half in 55 but just couldn’t reach the top two while again performing well. MILIEU HANOVER was in last and close to Duncannon turning for home, gobbled up stretch ground. ROLL ON MAMA was away in good order, went evenly. AP BLAZE OF GLORY was third-over then three-wide with cover, not quite enough. BEACH CRAZY went uncovered into turn two and spurted into the backstretch to force the leader to speed up, couldn’t sustain her bid the last 3/16. THE OTHER DUO did not affect the outcome of this one.
ELEVENTH RACE – CAN’T SAY NO moved past the ¼ and went on to the front nearing the second curve in a fast half, had a clear lead late in the backstretch, but had a pair of determined ones coming after him, held well. EVA DAIRPET FR took a midpack spot, went second-over, wide early stretch and finished with great determination. DIVINE SPIRIT started raw 9/16, got closer and closer to the winner the further they went. FINAL DREAM gapped in an excellent flow, best of the rest. ER SOPHIA didn’t get a call. BRONZE YANKEE was three-wide much of the first 3/16, two-wide to the lead near the 3/8, yielded for the pocket, fell back at the ¾. BANZAI AS was first on top, pushed q quick 3/8 before relinquishing the top, started to gap even before the pocket horse started fading. ROUNDTOWN ROCKER couldn’t keep up the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – FULL MOON BEACH stayed connected with the first half of the field, went out behind cover 11/16, left uncovered ¾, closed very strongly to draw away. THREE DRAGONS got early position, moved out 11/16 and retucked in the two-hole at the ¾, then backed out as the winner went by the leader and was a clear second. CAPTAIN TERROR was looped early and worked up to the pocket, popped out from the two-hole just past the half and paced his own third quarter in 27.1 against the wind to open a big lead from the 5/8 to midturn, but could not sustain that rate. THE BIG PICTURE was next. CHEESEHEAD gapped throughout and still got a check. SOCIAL THOUGHT and JAM THAT GUITAR were never close to the main dynamic. DUSTUP HANOVER had good gate speed to make the lead, rated the half, still succumbed to a challenge before the 5/8 and really backed up.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAMPBELLINI yielded the lead 3/16 and waited patiently in the pocket, outside headstretch and put a nose up just on the wire. ADAGIO DE LA TOUR was four- then three-wide to the first turn, on the lead 3/16, got a slow second quarter even with the wind behind him, didn’t have much pressure until the stretch, just missed. GRAPPLE HANOVER moved second-over, gapped some down the back then closer and three-wide midturn, best of the rest over REMARKABLE DE VIE. The latter angled out two- and three-wide with cover midturn, came between horses in the lane with some finishing trot. PHANTOM RUSTY never factored after an inside trip. GAAREAT GAZOO wound up with an excess of cover. ONE DIRECTION pulled raw, urged but had little response. MEADOWBRANCH GLIDER moved out but couldn’t stay with cover.