FIRST RACE – A chilly 45 degrees on a dank “sloppy +1” night … BANK BOX TREASURE was three-wide leaving to the front 3/16, got stern pressure from MUSHANA from before the half until into the stretch, asserted himself late. The latter came out 3/8 raw and fought hard with the winner, having a small advantage at a couple of points, but got a bit tired midstretch. LIFE WELL LIVED yielded for the pocket, was off the leaders in the last quarter, held for third. ITSONLYMONEYHONEY moved out 5/8 but couldn’t get close enough. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY gapped at a couple of points, a touch of trot late. JACK RULES was always at the back.
SECOND RACE – HEEZ ORL BLACK N went up second-over in a lively flow, left uncovered midturn, took the lead in the stretch and held off closers (1:29.2 last 3/4s in this). HIGHVIEW CONALL N advanced fourth-over, four-wide late turn, beat out SHARKNADO for second. The latter was out third-over, initially gapped a little but then tightened in, three-wide late turn, fair. JEREMES GENERAL was between horses early and looped, tucked, came out into a blindswitch midturn, fair. ARTACUS picked up the last check. HES GONE BADDER was three-wide early and took over past the 1/8 in a 26.3 opener, yielded for the pocket, shuffled badly around the far turn, had some pace once clear. GRANTOR HANOVER was not heard from. AMERICA FIRST came uncovered at the half, fought for the lead and did get to cross over late on the turn, but was all done at that point. BAYONET made two speed moves, kept the first-over out most of the turn, then tired badly.
THIRD RACE – MASSIVE OPULENCE was looped early, went on to get the lead before the 5/16, held off the inside rush of FOREVERHILLREIGN. The latter yielded, sat in third, went right up the Pocono Pike and was making up ground, just failed. ZOOMING was three-wide to the first turn and on top just past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, didn’t have too much late. TRUMAN JR HANOVER came raw 5/8 but did not advance. SIR JOHN F gapped well past the half, never a major danger. BROADWAY BRUISER moved outside with cover just past the 5/8 but never summoned much. O JONNIE went three-wide ¾ trying to gain from last but could not.
FOURTH RACE – VALIANT IVY was under a hold early to take back to last, outside and soon three-wide before the ¾, made a move to put her squarely into contention, made a course correction early stretch as possibly lugging in, but paced away once straightened away. SWEET TALKIN SATIN headed down the road, held on well. NEWBIE sat in, shuffled a bit on the far turn, then spent much of the stretch angling wide for room, finished well. NEEDLESS TO SAY, on a line at several points of the mile, sat close in the pocket until the far turn, stayed on OK late. LORD OF MISRULE moved uncovered 5/8 but could not threaten. REDHOT ROMEO moved out off turn two but never got into the picture then was blindswitched.
FIFTH RACE – JUSLIKEAQUEEN made the lead 3/16, yielded before the 3/8 and was the only one close to the pacesetter, outside late turn and drew off. SWEET YOUNG THING stayed outside early, in gear 3/16 and up to command before the 3/8, tired in the stretch but held second. OOH REAL GOOD gapped early, was right behind the two troubled horses at the half and was slowed to get clear of them, made up some ground. TRUSSED UP TRUDY went to the front, yielded 3/16, was third on the second turn when making a break, placed behind YES DOUBLE DOWN, who was right behind her at that point and suffered an “ix.”
SIXTH RACE – HOT SUMMER NIGHT, in the cool spring twilight, made the lead past the 1/8, slowed quarter two then went on, had a 28.3 kicker and needed every bit of it to hold off KEYSTONE SERGEANT. The latter had a great pocket trip, outside early stretch, inched up with a steady late kick and just missed. I AM THE STORM was third most of the way, no threat. NATALIE HANOVER came outside 5/8 but could make little impact. KANDY KORN backed out to third-over, four-wide into the stretch, got the last check. LAKEVIEW TAMMY worked up to second-over, three-wide towards headstretch but had no forward gear. PITTSTOP KIP never featured. PIER HO EXOTIC broke at the start.
SEVENTH RACE – SHADY MCCOY moved past the quarter to the lead at the other end of the frontstretch, withstood the first-over and then the Pocono Pike shooter CON AIR HALL. The latter needed until almost the ¼ to get a 3-spot, to the Pike when the pocket horse broke, did well late. MAGIC VACATION was away well, uncovered 5/8 and challenged, not quite enough. DON’T SASS ME moved before the half, caught cover 5/8, three-wide into the stretch and with some trot on the end. BRUTAL STORM did not factor. CRITICAL MASS couldn’t achieve critical mass here. SPLITSVILLE was out most of the quarter to get the front, in turn kept the winner out a ways before yielding for the pocket, still in good position when breaking past midturn and going to the centerfield.
EIGHTH RACE – GOLDEN GESTURE sat well-placed until moving out before the 5/8, quickly rushed up to the lead and had a big margin most of the last quarter, tiring late but safe. MYIDEALSON N followed the winner out but couldn’t stay with him, left raw then got some inside time on the turn, out again and narrowed in late. AN THE THUNDEROLLS sat the pocket, shuffled badly when the leader tired then backed out, along for the distant third over SPORTSMANSHIP. The latter was shuffled a little then went two-wide, not too much late. BYE BYE JOHN passed the rest. AMRCANBOOTSCOOTA A joined the sluggish outer tier, never was in the picture. GYPSY LEATHER was outside midpack without cover much of the way, never close to the lead. POLAK A went right to the top, all done when challenged to the ¾. MEADOWBROOK FLASH was out behind a sluggish one, tried to go three-wide around him but himself had little.
NINTH RACE – NEXTROUNDSONME was four-wide much of the 1/8, took back to two-wide covered and then inside 3/16, right back out 3/8 to follow cover, three-wide ¾, strong in the lane (in a slowing tempo) after covering a lot of ground. CONSUS VICTORY was away well, forcing some to seek tucks, then let a foe go off the first turn, sat in the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike and was second ahead of CRAZYCAT. The latter was three-wide to the 1/8, then followed cover until tucking third near the ¼, stayed in, to the deep Pike, had late trot. NOTHING BUT MUSCLE went third-over, gapped and blindswitched, but kept one-gearing it to be not too far off. SWEET HEART AS was two-wide in the early scramble, to the lead just past the ¼, had hard pressure, tired. BLENHEIM stayed in and was shuffled back, but not that much once clearing. SUSIE’S SISTER moved before the ¼ and was uncovered before the 5/16, trotted strongly in the middle half to challenge the leader, but could not sustain. ANDOVERS TOUCH was fourth-over behind a gapper, moved three-wide before the ¾, couldn’t reach three-wide cover on the turn.
TENTH RACE – LADY ROCKNROLLA A made the top at the 1/8 and forced a rival to take the seat behind her, slowed the half and sped up again, was under pressure from TOPVILLE ANGELINA from the 5/8 but maintained the lead to the wire. The latter launched uncovered off turn two and as noted battled with the leader from the 5/8, very gritty. GEORGIE MARTIN N moved third-over 5/8, three-wide late on the turn, into her best gear a little too late. TRAFFIC JAM was in a traffic jam on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike and closed some. PEGGY J moved second-over, gapped on the turn. ROYALTYWESTHO was three-wide early then two-wide fighting for the early lead, reluctantly took the pocket just past the ¼, started to gap 11/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – The rain that had been falling during the card has finally stopped … LITTLE SANDY TOES drifted out early, in gear before the 3/16 to the lead 5/16, set an even pace with no pressure, seemed confident from midstretch despite the inside presence of BRING ME DIAMONDS. The latter was away strongly right to the front, yielded 5/16 and stayed close, to the Pocono Pike and gained a little but didn’t appear menacing. KAY’S DELIGHT stayed connected inside, couldn’t go with the top two late but beat out the rest. TSM ARTEMIS T came uncovered 5/8, never got close to the lead, held evenly late. RELLA TIVITY didn’t show much after an inside trip. SHE’S A BILLIONAIR was second-over, gapped cover 11/16. MISS TRESSA couldn’t keep up at the back.
TWELFTH RACE – BAY MEADOWS went to the top to the 1/8, yielded before the ¼ for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and had enough speed to take the finale. MELODIES MAJOR had the pocket early, moved 3/16 to the lead by the ¼, couldn’t outsprint the winner and just did save second over INDICTABLE HANOVER. The latter stayed in third until late on the turn, found good strides just a mite too late to get second. NIALL HANOVER went up the inside from last, angled out midstretch and just took the distant fourth. HOW ARE YEE JOHN stayed in, no factor late. BEN ROCKIN was third-over and far back, ducked inside in the stretch and had a little on the end. DIRT ON MY BOOTS was second-over behind slowly-advancing cover, three-wide midturn but never got close. SCOOTNROLL came uncovered into turn two, never near the front, then faded.