FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … BETTER B ROLLING left, yielded, stayed in third, trapped headstretch but found room when the pacesetter bore out, came inside that one and was really rolling from midstretch to be just up. REGAL HOPE went on between horses to the pocket past the 1/8, inside in the stretch and had a clear advantage midstretch, but was outkicked late. CASH IS KING was three-wide just past the 1/8 and onward to the lead 3/16, rated the half, did not get heavy pressure, bore out badly early stretch, held for third. ARCHETTO HANOVER joined the outer flow 3/8, three-wide past the 5/8 all the way into the stretch, ducked inside the drifting pacesetter with a bit of pace. HUGH HEFNER N backed out to fourth-over, followed the three-wide horse from the 5/8, gained a little as the pace slowed. ALL ABOUT RUSTY sat in, little late. CHANCELLORCULLEN N backed out to second-over near the 3/8, gapped 5/8 and was blindswitched, never factor. ROCK MY TEN moved outside nearing the ¼ and grinded uncovered, stayed fairly close until approaching headstretch.
SECOND RACE – GRAPPLE HANOVER quickly had the top, kept rolling and won easily in fast time for bottom trotters. MOOSE MADNESS came out second-over, left uncovered on the far turn, distant second but clear of the others. SHOOT EM ALL LINDY was outside on the turn while well back, along for third. CHUCKY DE VIE gapped the second quarter after the horse in front of him ran at the ¼, moved out down the back and retucked second 11/16, tired. CELEBRITY SERENA was looped and got in third, broke nearing the ¼, made some recovery. PIER HO EXOTIC and BUTTER TOFFEE were never close. MOSCONI HANOVER started well and got the two-hole, but started falling back soon after entering the backstretch.
THIRD RACE – STORM BRINGER pushed a foe to the 3/8 before yielding for the pocket, briefly paused as the leader went offstride late turn, then came through and got the lead, which he maintained to the wire. ARMANI HANOVER raced third-in, appeared to want to go to the Pocono Pike early stretch but couldn’t because the recovered-from-a-break leader was in that lane, backed behind the winner and then inside him, finished well. ETHAN T HANOVER dangled outside the whole way, three-wide headstretch, finished steadily although the pace was slowing. NEW LEGACY was three-wide to the 3/16, ducked in fourth after a foe broke, uncovered to turn two, grinded in a fast pace, held well. MOSCOW MOON sat in, behind a wall of horses in the stretch. INCENTIVE was between horses early, went on to the lead 3/8 and set a fast pace, broke late on the turn, went inside to get back on gait, then went to the Pocono Pike but lost ground. TRUFFLES TOO was four-wide leaving, took back to a cover position, broke 3/16, recovered, then broke again far turn. SHELL SHOCK miscued right before the start.
FOURTH RACE – FULL MOON BEACH was three-wide early, took back for a midpack tuck, led the outer charge into turn two, went his third split in 26.3 raw fighting REST ASSURED, a fight which carried deep into the stretch before “BEACH” prevailed. REST ASSURED left very well for the point, yielded but retook to the 3/8, maintained the lead until reaching the pond, very fine mile. KAUAI KING was looped and stayed outside, proceeded up to wrest the top past the 1/8, yielded 3/8, gapped a little off the backstretch duel, retightened, then couldn’t go with the top two late but far ahead of the others. JASPER HANOVER avoided the outer tier. BOLTMAN was behind dull cover, was three- and four-wide, couldn’t reach. PD THE BIG EASY maintained the early pocket, backed out to get second-over ahead of a gapper, but soon started gapping himself. TSM BATMAN was outside but couldn’t keep up.
FIFTH RACE – MADAME SHERRY tightened a hole left by an early breaker, moved uncovered 5/8, grinded her way to victory here. CHERRY RED moved second-over but gapped slightly, wide stretch and moving well just a little too late. MY BLUE OPAL sat a good two-hole trip, Pocono Pike, good but a step shy. CELEBRITY ROLEX went right to an early clear lead, rated the half, couldn’t make her advantage stand up. GRAN PARAISO was never in the hunt. HAVANA OOH NANA looked at leaving but was taken back, made a break. THE IRISHMAN settled third early, broke at the 1/8, recovered well and caught the back of the field, but jumped again at the ¾.
SIXTH RACE – BALLCAPSNBLUEJEANS was outside early, bypassed a hole created by a breaker and pressed on to the front 3/8 after some fast early work, seemed in charge the rest of the way. RARE MUSCLE moved uncovered 5/8, gradually got to within a length of the winner but no closer, did well. FATHER OF IRELAND reached the front, pushed the winner to the 3/8 before yielding, fell back a bit late. KASEVILLE sat forwardly-placed, gapped a little 5/8, evenly late well ahead of the rest. SAN CRISTOBAL was well behind following nonflowing cover; COUNT CHOCALOT was that nonflowing cover, ducked back inside, not prominent. GAVINATOR was gapping by the 3/8. MAGNIFICENTFASHION was not in the picture while breaking headstretch. SWAN BY LAND was away third but then broke past the 1/8 and went inside the course.
SEVENTH RACE – MISS VET HANOVER tucked first turn, then was second-over 5/8, an easy winner. CHOCOLATE MATTERS was third-over, ducked inside late turn which seemed to braven her up, used the Pocono Pike for second. SNOWFALLA left and got the early pocket, moved out raw before the 11/16, challenged, stayed on evenly. NANCY BAR tucked third, then was on the move again before the quarter and went up to the front, continued at a quick clip for this type, tired. PRAIRIE VIRTUE never was prominent. DOODLE HANOVER struggled at the back. ME THREE left quickly for the early lead, yielded for the pocket, dropped back sharply in the last quarter.
EIGHTH RACE – BYTHEWAY HANOVER tucked early and stayed in the three-hole, could swing out to midstretch when the first-over backed off, and had a big late roar to just get up on the money. CAPSAICINN hit the top before the ¼ then yielded to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and got a short advantage, but the winner had a bigger burst. IDEAL HANNAH set the pace with two moves and seemed to have things her own way, came up just shy. SNUF ENUF HANOVER tucked fourth, gapped in the second quarter, then went uncovered 5/8, made a bid, gave way some late. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI swung widest and passed the rest. ARIANNA GRANDEO was never a factor. TEMPURA HANOVER gapped. CATIE FAVE HANOVER went outside down the backstretch but couldn’t make up any ground. MIKI THE CLOWN broke near the back of the pack.
NINTH RACE – MELANIA was briefly wide early, then onward to the lead at the 3/16, set a good tempo and was still strong at the end, the fourth Buter/Butenschoen successful collaboration of the day. IMHATRA AM S was first to the top then yielded for the two-hole, stayed in past early stretch, then moved outside and gained some but did not menace. AUTUMN DEO gapped a bit off the top two at some points, clearly third. BILLIE CLAIRE and CHING CHING LUCKY stayed inside and got the final checks. WHAT A DAME never really seemed to settle inside, didn’t have enough speed to reach the front ones. BROAD STROKES was wide most of the ¼ taking back, no factor. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR had dull cover, finished far back.
TENTH RACE – MAGNIFICENT SEVEN left enough to keep the pocket as the leader was clear early, tightened up, outside past midturn, just got by CAN’T SAY NO after a long and hard battle. The latter was quickly clear on the lead, set wind-appropriate fractions, just gave way a couple of steps out. PETER’S EXPRESS defended third, fell back a bit from the 11/16. PAPI HANOVER gapped a bit down the backstretch, then was a bit better inside late. RECIPROCALBLUECHIP was uncovered before the 5/8, got cover ¾ but couldn’t make significant inroads. LAZER JET took back to tuck, came out ¾ but did not go forward. MANHATTANUP NO ICE, a little off the gate, gapped at the rear then broke past midturn.
ELEVENTH RACE – GRAY DRAGON was outleft and was behind cover early, uncovered to the 3/16 to the lead past the 5/16, was briefly under pressure before the 5/8 but quickly dismissed that challenger, then drew away as another Butenschoen beast. HORSE left between horses to get the early pocket, stayed third-in, showed courage late to outclose CIGAR SMOKING TONY and pick up second. The latter was three-wide leaving and two-wide just past the 1/8 for the lead, yielded to the winner and sat the two-hole behind the fast 3/4s, came out for the drive but did not gain and was beaten out for second. WALK IT TALK IT went evenly after an inside trip. GONNAHAVEONEMORE left an early gap, was out second-over but couldn’t go with the first-up in the big third panel, found room to swing wide headstretch and was OK. MAJOR BEAN used an inside route, had little chance from last. CAPTIVATE HANOVER went wide, was too far back to get in the main game. A BETTOR BEACH did not feature. AMAZON was uncovered going into turn two and came with a roar at the half, got to within a neck of the winner but started to back off 11/16.
TWELFTH RACE – REALIZATION was looped, tucked in fourth past the 3/16, moved outside ¾ but gapped on the turn, but still gradually wore down RAPUNZEL BLUE CHIP. The latter, who returned with “b.e.”, left and yielded, didn’t move until the 11/16 then turned high heat on the leader and had the lead by headstretch, held very nicely. LOOKING SANTASTIC stayed in, able to slide out far turn, so-so for third. MORE THAN KUTE was in the two-path early, couldn’t get cover, but paced on determinedly with stretch speed. SUNRISE HANOVER gapped inside 5/8, slow to clear traffic trouble upper stretch, OK late. AP BLAZE OF GLORY left between horses and took the pocket, tried to move to the top 3/8 but was rebuffed and went back in the two-hole, nothing left late. TWIN B CHIT CHAT was never in the picture. EVEN LOUDER was three-wide to the first bend to the lead 3/16, made a 3/8 brusher rethink that strategy, went a fast third quarter without a challenger to nearing the ¾, but that challenger took her number quickly, bore out in the lane. SPORTS DUCHESS never factored.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TRAY SURREAL left, yielded for the two-hole but then made a quarter-move, set wind-appropriate fractions, had enough to leave the challengers behind late. THANOS was three-wide to the 1/8 then on to 3/16 command, relinquished for the two-hole, a bit loose ¾ but tighter on the turn, went to the Pocono Pike and took about four menacing steps then couldn’t gain, good to hold second at 25-1. MAKE IT COME TRUE went uncovered at the 5/8 and gradually gained some, held OK. BRAZEN BRAZILIAN took back past the start, moved out on the far turn, fair. ALWAYS ON THE HUNT gapped down the back. ROCK IDOL moved outside but couldn’t get into the main argument. NOCH TEN had little. FULL VIEW left some, was sitting third when taking a bad step before the 3/8, taken right to the outside and was pulled up.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DEWEY ARNOLD was on top 3/16 and was sensational – 1:23.3 speed leaving out the second quarter rest, and only a tick off the fastest 3YO trot mile of the year so far. WORTHY OF HONOR pushed the winner early and then stuck to him like Gorilla Glue, big effort for this one. TUIS SHADOW started to gap before the 5/8, but still held on to the distant third. TRICKY DICK stayed inside, couldn’t quite reach show. CALLE PALEMA came uncovered 5/8 and had reached level with the pocket horse when breaking past midturn. STEEL SCHOONER was away slowly and never got close. SERRANO VOLO moved outside before the 11/16, not close when breaking past midturn.