FIRST RACE – Mid 50s, with stretch headwind … CASH IS KING left to command, yielded past the 3/16 and then gave the pocket 5/16 to give him a path for a move to the top, which he made past the half, clear the last 3/8. BUGGER BRUISER left outside the winner and tucked, inside and shuffled, in a blindswitch two- and three-wide far turn then could angle to four-wide early stretch, closed strongly. ALL ABOUT RUSTY was in the good outside flow, three-wide late turn, just missed for second. ARCHETTO HANOVER moved with cover but lost it into the backstretch, made some progress, then continued on evenly. BETTOR B ROLLING was out just past the 3/16 for the front, yielded to the winner past the half, a bit loose the last 3/8. HUGH HEFNER N was looped leaving, had cover to just past the 3/16, then got in the pocket to the 5/16, not a late factor. REGAL HOPE was blocked most of the stretch, had pace finishing. ROCK MY TEN offered little. LYONS JOHNNY was not prominent from third-over.
SECOND RACE – WICKED WAYS wound up third, early, closed ground to get into the pocket down the back as the two-holer challenged the leader, to the Pocono Pike and just caught a determined OFF THE RECORD. The latter was outside just past the ¼ to get command, slowed quarter two then received hard pressure the rest of the way, turned back the challenger to her right and battled mightily against the late one to her left. IDEAL HANNAH stayed in, started to angle wide headstretch but then ducked back in, OK. TEMPURA HANOVER moved two-wide with cover then three-wide without cover the last half of the turn. with late speed. IDEAL IN MIRACLES parked a foe just past the ¼, yielded, out to challenge early in the backstretch but could not go by, gave way in the lane. TSM PRINCESS LEXI was not in the mix. BYTHEWAY HANOVER started uncovered at the half, would have had good cover if she could have reached it. BROOKDALE JESSIE left, made the pocket at the 1/8, but broke soon after that point making those behind her go briefly wide, caught the pack but couldn’t gain any more.
THIRD RACE – MARSALA HANOVER moved raw just past the 5/8, paced her own last half in 55 and took over for good midstretch. TURNTHEFROWNAROUND moved up to follow excellent cover, paced on sturdily. FILLY SPEAKS got the front, went faster in the second quarter vs. the wind, then got high heat from the winner late backstretch, hung in there a long way. SURE R LOOKIN GOOD thought about leaving but took back, never again heard from. VIBRENT KELLY defended the two-hole until the ¾ then started to struggle. LYDIA never got into the main argument.
FOURTH RACE – MOVE THE LINE was the only leaver, set the pace as he wanted, and was in control. BEACH TOWN BOY sat in, shuffled a bit then angled out past midturn and wide into the stretch, had late speed for second. SOME DEAL HANOVER was third-over in a nonadvancing flow, four-wide headstretch and finished with good velocity to get third ahead of STELLAR YANKEE. The latter came uncovered from fourth off turn two, went in 27.1 the third split but wasn’t a threatening force. BULLVILLE JONATHAN passed tired opposition. PERFECTBOY HANOVER got the pocket almost by default, went loose on the far turn. MAJOR SHOW was second-over but had little. KAUAI KING fell back down the backstretch.
FIFTH RACE – PD THE BIG EASY went right to the lead, yielded at the ¼ but regained to the 3/8, very strong today. YER SO BAD left well but was limbed out three-high to the first turn, in front just before the ¼, yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and edged out NUTTIN BUT FINESSE for second. The latter settled third just after the 3/16, uncovered early backstretch, didn’t have enough the last 3/16. ROUTHLAND started the outer flow towards turn two then got cover, but gapped it the latter part of the backstretch. BOLTMAN had some speed, in, couldn’t keep up. TSM BATMAN gapped behind the top five. MR LIQUIDITY and SIR GENE G HANOVER were always far back; so was AMAZING BET, who took a while to settle inside, then had nothing when moved back outside.
SIXTH RACE – CHOCOLATE MATTERS was outside midpack most of the first turn then wide off that bend, but hit high gear and made the lead before the 3/8, rolled along and withstood SNOWFALLA. The latter took command at the start, yielded for the pocket, tried the winner up the inside, couldn’t quite make it. CHING CHING LUCKY stayed connected most of the way, outside ¾, fell back some in the lane but still a clear third. SPIT AND VINEGAR one-geared along the rail. LEXA HANOVER gapped for a forward spot, started gapping 11/16. DOODLE HANOVER moved outside but couldn’t do much. KEYSTONE BARRACUDA was never close. BROAD STROKES broke just past the start. YOU ATO DREAM broke off the turn before the start, recovered and caught the field not much after the start, eased outside behind the winner late on the first turn but made another break.
SEVENTH RACE – BLONDE ONTHE BEACH came uncovered off turn two and gradually gained while one-gearing, along in a slowing late pace. MORROCKIN K was outside midpack nearing the 3/16 then in gear and took the lead past the 3/8, went on at a good clip, got pressure on the top, just held second. SWEETONTHEBEACH was first on top, yielded at the ¼, in, moved out in the stretch, had some pace. A BETTER GAME was looped early, went up to ¼ command, pushed a foe just past the 3/8 then yielded for the two-hole, not too much late. MISS TANGO gapped inside, as did TSM PRINCESS TEDDI. LADY AKILA moved outside off the second turn but didn’t reach cover; CATIE FAYE HANOVER was behind her, never a factor.
EIGHTH RACE – GERARD left well to the lead before the first turn in 27.4, did not let an early mover get by, turned for home with the lead, bore out considerably and saw his margin shrink but just did withstand STORM BURNER. The latter made the pocket fairly easily, had a clear path up the inside in the lane but couldn’t get by the drifting leader. KASEVILLE got early position, continued on evenly, a clear third. COUNT CHOCALOT parlayed an inside trip into fourth. PREACHER MAN tucked midpack past the 1/8, came out at the half but gapped, narrowed in to cover 11/16 then three-wide when that one tired, but never was a major factor. FATHER OF IRELAND moved outside just past the 5/16 and went up but didn’t have the requisite speed to clear and had to stay on the rim, fell back. SHELL SHOCK was off the gate, made a small break early, then dropped way back. CIRCUIT PARTY gapped inside, outside late backstretch, moved three-wide with cover and looked to be ready to go four-wide late on the turn but broke. RARE MUSCLE made a mistake entering turn two.
NINTH RACE – HIGH MINDED grabbed command early, came home in 55.3 – 27.3 and was untested. LOOKING SANTASTIC hustled away to protect the pocket, did well to stay as close to the powerful winner as she did. SUNRISE HANOVER moved uncovered 5/8, kept to her task steadily. TWIN B CHIT CHAT moved second-over, ducked in far turn, to the Pocono Pike, fair. AVAYA HANOVER was third-over late backstretch then second-over on the turn, couldn’t summon enough. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER never reached the top five; THE OTHER TWO didn’t reach the top six.
TENTH RACE – GRAY DRAGON put foes in behind early, yielded to the frontstretch brusher and stayed with him, outside headstretch and probably came home in sub-13 to catch the very good BEST IN SHOW in a super-sharp 1:49.2 performance. The latter went two 27.2 quarters to get early position then brush to the lead in front of the stands, got a “breather” of 28.1 down the back, then sprinted home in 26.2 and still got caught – impressive in his own right. TRU LOU took back to last, moved uncovered in 27.1 down the back just to get close to the leaders, couldn’t sustain but did edge VIRGIN STORM for third. The latter gapped in front of the stands then got a bit tighter, stayed in, waited for the Pocono Pike and closed with pace. TOWNLINE FLIGHT was briefly four-wide early then took back, backed outside down the back but gapped. JAHAN HANOVER had the early pocket, inside, couldn’t go enough the last ¼.
ELEVENTH RACE – GONNAHAVEONEMORE got the pocket leaving, moved not long into the frontstretch to 3/8 command, bore out some in the stretch but kept a safe lead on NEED AROCKET. The latter hustled away sharply to 1/8 command, yielded to the winner, tight on his back down the back and outside ¾, gave him pressure, had to settle for second. SOUTHWIND DREDGE was looped early and settled in third, kept on going to hold third over GET LIT. The latter followed nonflowing cover, went wide in the stretch and closed well. BOURBONS COURAGE started uncovered at the half, never got into the main fight. ALWAYS ON THE HUNT backed out to third-over but couldn’t get into this hunt. ROCK IDOL was gapping before the half.
TWELFTH RACE – PAPI HANOVER left, had a hole close and pressed on to the lead nearing the 3/8, yielded, stayed in the two-hole until the stretch, then to the Pocono Pike, won a blanket finish. CAN’T SAY NO was hustled 3/16 to keep the pocket closed, moved 3/8 just as the pacesetter retook and was limbed outside that one in a big fight, fell back ¾ but found renewed determination (as the pace slowed) and came back to just miss. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN saved ground, to the deep Pike, didn’t miss by much at all. KING ALPHONSO tucked fourth, then went up second-over, three-wide late turn, lost some ground upper stretch but narrowed back in (in a slowing tempo). ROSE RUN VINCENT took full advantage of the pole, yielded to the 3/8 but retook just in front of the place horse, had to go a fast 3/4s to deal with that one, came up a bit shy. PETER’S EXPRESS did not feature. HUNTING AS was third-over but didn’t factor. MUSKINGUM never entered the picture.
THIRTEENTH RACE – HORSE was the only leaver, strolled to the half, ratcheted up to 27 down the back and left everybody behind on the turn, continued out in 27.4. TERRY A HANOVER protected the pocket, went loose late backstretch and through the turn, but continued on gamely. KYUQUOT was first-over before the 5/8 and was a clear second before the ¾, lost ground on the turn but hung in the fight for second well. CAPTIVATE HANOVER was out second-over past the 5/8, swung three-wide before midturn then seemed to have to steady, couldn’t recover enough. MAKE IT COME TRUE wasn’t bad, but not enough vs. this tough crew.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CHERRY RED originally stayed in and was helped when the first-over broke early backstretch, took up those duties himself 5/8 and grinded up, made the lead approaching midstretch then held off the closers. CIRCLE OF LIFE AS tailed the winner, swung wide, gained, just came up a bit shy. BALLCAPSNBLUEJEANS was third-over in the strong outer flow, four-wide into the stretch and lost a little ground straightening, then was moving best of all late. WORTHY OF HONOR dueled with a foe in a fast quarter, briefly tucked in the two-hole but then decided to go on and took the lead 3/8, rolled on with pressure, came up a step shy. ISLAND LILY sat in, got clearance inside when the pocket horse broke, loomed for a couple of steps midstretch but couldn’t summon enough. EVANNA was far back. SERRANO VOLO insisted on the early lead in a sharp opener, then did yield 3/8 for the pocket, might have been starting to tire a little when breaking late turn, to the infield. TUIS SHADOW was forwardly-placed, came out just past the 3/8, but broke off turn two. SO LONG HANOVER looked to be seeking forward position when jumping early.