FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind developing before midcard … THISISSHE cleared with relative ease, rated the half, held off a long bid from STOP RESISTIN. The latter moved uncovered 5/8, challenged hard and drew to almost even terms late turn, ceded only a little stretch ground. TRIUMPHANT’S CHIP gapped down the backstretch, to the Pocono Pike, outfinished the others. GOLDEN SON left and secured the two-hole, struggled a bit in the last quarter. EXPLOSIVE MATTER moved outside but couldn’t reach cover. BROADWAY BRUISER never entered the picture.
SECOND RACE – TRUFFLES TOO was three-wide to the first turn, worked into third before the 3/16, moved outside just before midturn, gobbled up the ground to the leader and won going away, starting a big day for Buter-Butenschoen. ARMANI HANOVER was in front just past the 1/8, rolled in good fractions and had an open length lead at the ¾, could not stall the winner but kept on going for second. SOUTHWIND FULTON yielded at the 1/8 for the pocket, couldn’t keep up ¾, gained a bit of ground back the last 1/16. COUNT CHOCALOT struggled from the 5/8. DRAIN THE SWAMP struggled from off the second turn. NEWYORKBLUEBLOOD moved outside 11/16 but passed nobody. SHELL SHOCK was a bit off the gate and gradually lost contact with the field.
THIRD RACE – MANHATTANUP NO ICE went to the lead at the 1/8, slowed the half then had a good battle with the first-over from before the 11/16, shook that one off headstretch, then kept the potential pocket rocket at bay late. SERRANO VOLO raced in the two-hole, went to the Pocono Pike, had her shot and performed well but couldn’t go by. HALL IT OFF sat in, best of the rest while inside in the lane. SPECIAL PROSECUTOR moved out raw 5/8 and battled with the winner from the 11/16 through headstretch, then backed off a bit. CHERRY RED moved out at the half but gapped from the 5/8. SANCHEZ ROCKS gapped early, then fell way back in the stretch.
FOURTH RACE – CHANCELLORCULLEN N left well, yielded 3/16, was on the move quickly off turn two and speed-grinded to the top 11/16, drew away. ARCHETTO HANOVER had cover most of the backstretch then lost it 11/16, able to take second in a three-horse photo. HES GONE BADDER joined the outer tier, steadily late. HUGH HEFNER N was parked 3/16 for the lead, extended a foe further than that distance before letting him go, and for his trouble got backed up when that one tired on the far turn, went between horses headstretch, slow to clear, hard to tell how much horse was left. JEREMES GENERAL went up early, had cover to the 3/16, looked as if he might take a two-hole off the first bend but eschewed that and did get the lead nearing turn two, tired the last 5/16. ARTACUS was at the back throughout.
FIFTH RACE –AP HALL OF TRIX was quickly in front, pushed on some then yielded towards the fast ¼ to ride the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and got by rather easily as the longest shot on the board. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN followed useful cover a long way, three-wide headstretch, gained speed the closer they got to the wire. RECIPROCALBLUECHIP was looped early and was out to the fast opener, set the pace, couldn’t quite hold on late. TUIS SHADOW was forwardly-placed, not much in the latter stages. STEEL SCHOONER, not away well, struggled at the rear. LAZER JET moved raw early on the clubhouse turn, went 27.4 the third panel to challenge, could not sustain.
SIXTH RACE – TONIANNE had one leaver to deal with early, moved from the pocket 3/16 and quickly went on to the lead, was clear on the engine the rest of the way. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI sat in third, backed out into a blindswitch late turn, found room between horses upper stretch and was a distant deuce. BYTHEWAY HANOVER was third-over then second-over as a rival broke, in gear on the far turn, won a four-way photo for third. SNUF ENUF HANOVER left a gap most of the way, Pocono Pike, evenly. A BETTER GAME started first-over 9/16, advanced but never got close to the winner, gave way a little. SWEETONTHEBEACH was the only leaver, yielded past the ¼, couldn’t keep the pocket tight much of the rest of the way. MISS TANGO never surfaced. MIKI THE CLOWN was outside down the back but went offstride.
SEVENTH RACE – DEWEY ARNOLD was three-wide early, to two-wide and proceeded to the lead at the ¼, moderated the half then restoked the burners down the back, finished well within himself. STORM BRINGER was the innermost of three main leavers and yielded at the ¼, struggled to keep semiclose in the pocket in the third quarter, lost that battle but did stay on to be second. BALLCAPSNBLUEJEANS was far back behind nonmoving cover, along for a distant third. MUSCLE JACK moved with cover then lost it 5/8, could not gain. PADRE ducked in fourth at the 1/8, outside into turn two, could do no better than retuck in a distant three-hole, little. MOSCOW MOON and DAGON HANOVER never were in the picture. I’LLALWAYSBEBACK left between horses, took third at the 1/8, fell back through the last half.
EIGHTH RACE – MELANIA got in fourth 3/16, waited until the 11/16 to move out but chewed up the ground thereafter with every stride, drew off easily for Buter/Butenschoen #2. BILLIE CLAIRE came through third early, backed out with cover late turn, a distant second in a decent mile. SHE MUST BE MAGIC left strongly and hit the top at the 1/8, strung these out with a very fast pace for this class, started tiring ¾ after the hard early exertions. CHING CHING LUCKY was two-wide much of the 1/4 before tucking, out behind the winner but couldn’t match her move, wide and with some trot on the end. HAVANA OOH NANA yielded at the 1/8 and was loose in the two-hole much of the rest of the way. DOODLE HANOVER never entered the picture. SNOWFELLA took a while to take back and settle inside, never again a factor. BLESS YOUR HEART steadily dropped back the last half.
NINTH RACE – GAMBLIN MO waited in the two-path until the quarter, then in gear to command 3/8, came home in twin 27.4s to win commandingly for Buter/Butenschoen #3 (combined margins = 10¾ lengths). KAUAI KING was three-deep to turn one then worked up to quarter command, yielded to sit behind the winner, no match but far ahead of all the others. BOLTMAN wasn’t in the picture until the stretch, when he came up the inside to be the very distant third. JASPER HANOVER left well, yielded at the ¼, couldn’t go with the top two the last ¼ and was edged for third. PD THE BIG EASY, not looking smooth-gaited at points, came up uncovered and briefly got to third, then fell back. TSM BATMAN joined the outer tier but did not advance. GRATEFUL KISS looked to leave but broke, recovered and caught the field, three-wide ¾ but broke again.
TENTH RACE – EAZY PASS came out 5/16 appearing to anticipate that the quarter-mover would clear, stayed behind that one’s cover when she was left out two-wide, three-wide just before the ¾ and burst right into the lead, drew away. P L OLIVIA left strongly, forced tucks, then did not let the early brusher go by, could do little about the winner but held remarkably well for a very good second. FRANKLY MY DEAR left and got the two-hole, kept that spot closed during the midrace battle, stayed far clear of the others in third. NANCY BAR was out behind fading cover, wide into the stretch and just there for the very distant fourth. ETRA DE VIE tucked third before the ¼, moved out past the 5/8 but did not gain. R SPEED OF LIGHT was in very close quarters nearing the 1/8 taking back and made a break, then made a pretty good recovery. TRIP SEVENS was on the move going to the ¼ but was rebuffed in a bid for the lead, fell back significantly the last quarter. LEXA HANOVER never featured. KAYLA’S PLAYMATE was inside, made a break on the far turn.
ELEVENTH RACE – MACKIE HANOVER left with cover two-wide, tucked at the ¼, came uncovered off the second turn after the fast half and gained steadily, swept to the lead just past midturn, a safe winner. TWIN B CHIT CHAT backed out to second-over 5/8, advanced, left uncovered past midturn, turned into the stretch as a clear second, held that position to the line. SUNRISE HANOVER got a forward spot, shuffled as the inner tier collapsed on the turn, outside then ducked back in early stretch and finished well. REAL LADY SADIE was out well past a fast ¼ to get the lead, then yielded for the two-hole, helmetbumped the driver of the pacesetter to the 5/8, then was badly shuffled under a big hold on the turn, worked clear but had only a mild forward gear late, did come back with “b.e.” MORE THAN KUTE was widest in the lane for the last check. RHYME N ROLL never was in the main picture; nor was SPEAKING OF COFFEE. CLASSICA thundered down the road from the rail, yielded 5/16 but immediately retook and put down three fast splits, all done when challenged on the far turn.
TWELFTH RACE – TRY TRY AGAIN was three-wide to the 3/16 in a fast opener, then went on to take the lead going to the 3/8, maintained the advantage to the wire with mild coaxing. NORTHERN SKYWAY came out second-over past the 5/8, three-wide into the lane and very good belatedly. CLARION HALL looked to be considering coming raw before the half when a foe broke and stayed in thereafter, to the Pocono Pike and got to second, fair late. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE left between horses to 3/16 command in the snappy opener, yielded towards the 3/8, looked all-out the last 3/16. HARNESS AM moved raw past the 5/8, gained, held OK. INAPERFECTWORLD never featured. NAMJE emerged with the early lead, yielded 3/16, made a break before the ½, went inside the course and was pulled up.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAPTIVATE HANOVER moved uncovered 9/16 and moved raw (with his own third quarter in 27 with the wind) into the lead midturn, still looked safe midstretch, but slowed a little late, still got the job done. WALK IT TALK IT moved out behind dull cover seeking to avoid a shuffle, three-wide midturn, thundered home (the last ¼ wasn’t that fast, though) to win a photo for second. TRAY SURREAL made the early lead, yielded 3/16, soon on the move to regain, yielded again for the pocket, backed out behind the winner ¾ and soon was left raw on the turn, tried hard to the end. FULL VIEW went widest from latest and finished sturdily. BRAZEN BRAZILIAN was out to the 3/16 to grab command, yielded, stayed in, edged out late turn, OK late midtrack. MAKE IT COME TRUE brushed to the lead in front of the stands, kept up a good pace, tired when the winner came calling. NOCH TEN left between horses, tucked third, left a big gap at the half, never again in the main battle. THANOS was outside but did not gain.