Connors’ Comments for Monday, May 17, 2021

2021-05-23

FIRST RACE – Warm day … POND JUMPER was wide leaving, to two-wide past the 1/8 and went on to take over 3/8, trotted away from these from before the ¾. JUST MAYBE THE ONE stayed in third, blocked on the far turn behind the fading pocketsitter, waited for the Pocono Pike and then came along as a clear second. BIG SMOOVE backed out to second-over, three-wide late turn, along for third. SHADY MCCOY tucked early, blocked early turn then swung wide, finished OK. SIR JOHN F was uncovered on turn two, trotted in 27.4 down the back but couldn’t reach the winner, faded in tandem with the pocketsitting CIMERONKEN. The latter made the lead then yielded to the winner, couldn’t keep up nearing the ¾. WILLY MOUSE gapped down the backstretch. JUSTICE JET was away slowly then made a break due to equipment failure. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE went offstride coming off the turn before the start.

 

SECOND RACEPOLAK A had the front at the 1/8 in a good quarter, continued on stringing the field out, had enough to resist the insistent JEREMES GENERAL. The latter was forwardly-placed early, gapped most of the third quarter then got tighter and in gear outside on the turn, just missed taking it all. BAYONET stayed fairly close behind the fast fractions of the pacesetter, to the Pocono Pike but couldn’t gain. BIG GAME HUNTER left a big gap to the 5/8, then went outside and lost ground, still found some comeback as the pace slowed late. NEWS WATCH stayed in, moved right a lane in the stretch, evenly. HES GONE BADDER did not figure in this one. ALL ABOUT RUSTY was never close. BIG TURN ON took back early, never in the hunt thereafter. LULU DE VIE started slowly, broke on the far turn.

 

THIRD RACELINNEA HANOVER was on the lead throughout setting the pace as she pleased, won easily. KISS AN ANGEL sat third, moved out towards the ¾ and retucked in the pocket past midturn, finished well, way ahead of the others. PRAIRIE TRINKET gapped in quarter two, moved out at a distance down the back, just took third ahead of RUNINOUTOFRSNTORUN. The latter had to wait for the show horse to go by on the turn before circling the fading pocket horse, couldn’t quite catch that one for show. MOODY BLUE broke early, recovered for a check. SNICKERS BLUE CHIP took the two-hole before the 3/16, tired to the ¾ and stopped to a jog in the stretch. AMBERS CHAMPION broke 5/16. TWO PIECE TANLINES showed first when the gate sprang but broke going forward.

 

FOURTH RACEJESSICAS BEACH BOY let a fast opponent go then proceeded up to the lead 3/16, yielded to a brusher 3/8 and sat in the two-hole, bore out in the stretch but still had enough to get by SHIP WRECK BEACH K. The latter quarter-moved to 3/8 command, fought off the first-over, couldn’t stall the winner but did hold second over PLAY THERAPY. The latter circled to the lead before the 1/8, yielded, stayed in, Pocono Pike, had a clear path but couldn’t quite make it. HOLY MOMENT was third-over, next in line. DANCING TINA sat in, little left late. SINFULLY DELICIOUS was second-over and advanced behind the cover, three-wide midturn, not much late. FATHER FRED was uncovered into turn two and made a nice 27.2 move to go after the leader, but that move depleted his resources.

 

FIFTH RACEBIG IDEA gapped in the pocket from past the 1/8 until just past the half (despite a 31 second quarter) then tightened in, outside 5/8 and went right past the leader, won by himself. BOTTLE ROCKET closed a hole 3/16, inside, blocked as the pacesetter tired, to the Pocono Pike and had a good response once clear. JIM ROCKS came uncovered off turn two, didn’t reach his cover and went on raw, distant third over A B COLLINS. The latter moved out ¾, went three-wide midturn, flattened a bit. CHEESEHEAD squeezed between horses late. DUSTUP HANOVER was on top from PP8 before the first turn and had a big lead most of the way past the half, but was reeled in late backstretch, backed up. LOST MY LIGHT tried to leave but had to take back, not heard from again. BARSTOOLSPORTS offered little.

 

SIXTH RACEARCHIBALD left three-wide to gain command just past the 1/8, went huge fractions for bottom trotters and successfully bottomed out the field. MUSKINGUM left well to secure the pocket, came out in the stretch but couldn’t catch the winner. BUTTER TOFFEE slid into the 3-hole at the 1/8, kept pace with the top two until fairly late, ahead of the others. KATKIN AND COKE moved outside from far back and picked up the rest. NICE STUFF moved out before the 5/8 to clear a gapper but took a long time to do so, next. I’LLALWAYSBEBACK started gapping past the ¼ and was asked to keep up, went inside pylons on turn two, never got close, then placed for the pylons violation. THE REMAINING THREE had little to offer (though it was a fast mile for this type).

 

SEVENTH RACEHIGHVIEW CONALL N came out down the back and went three-wide 5/8 to loop up to two-wide 11/16, kept narrowing in on CASH IS KING and caught him very late. The latter made two speed moves, slowed the half then picked it up, fought hard to the end. REGAL HOPE got a forward spot, backed out past midturn as the pocket horse gave way, clear third. HEEZ ORL BLACK N was pushed to a very fast quarter to get the top, yielded for the two-hole, couldn’t keep up the last ¼. APP HANOVER moved uncovered at the half, looped past the 5/8 and never entered the main picture. CHANCELLORCULLEN N gapped early, backed off ¾. THE OTHERS were always well off the action.

 

EIGHTH RACEMADDYS LEADING MAN was just off the three-ply early fight, then moved just past the ¼ to the top, clear on the lead the last half and looked safe despite TUFF TO BE LINDY making up late ground. The latter was the innermost of the three leavers, saw the middle one break and let the outermost one take the lead, popped back outside 11/16, never closer to the winner the last quarter than at the wire. WILLIS THE MAN got a midpack spot early, inside, with decent trot in the Pocono Pike. TEST YOUR MAGIC was three-wide almost to the ¼ then made the lead, yielded to sit the two-hole behind the winner, started going loose ¾. MY SON TY HANOVER came out raw to the 5/8, got cover 11/16, initially gapped it, then went three-wide late far turn to try to get around it, but couldn’t muster enough. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN moved outside ¾ but couldn’t get into the main argument. ENDYMION couldn’t rally enough; nor could GAVINATOR. CHECK MY SCORE left between horses and was two-hole contending for command when breaking towards the ¼.

 

NINTH RACEBET LIGHT grabbed the pocket to the first turn, pulled out 3/4 and challenged, made the lead to headstretch, enough to hold off these rivals despite a30 kicker. CHANEL BEACH was third-over, wide and grabbed second in front of STORMY PLACE on the line. The latter got in fourth past the 1/8, gapped the second quarter and into the backstretch, then in gear raw before the 11/16, picked up cover ¾, outpaced late. ODDS ON CARLY was far back, then had an excess of cover, ducked in and was steered through a couple of seams in the lane while gaining. RAINBOW RISING also had a lot of cover, was widest into the stretch, then did better when steering to the center of the track midstretch. KIANNA laid down the pace, rated split two, came under pressure ¾, tired and bore out headstretch. DASH ONE was not a factor. SIGNIFICANT OTHER sat third-in then could advance to the pocket ¾, but had little to give late. TWIN B BEACHDREAMS was a gapping last when breaking past the ¾.

 

TENTH RACECLARION HALL took back to tuck past the 1/8, was fourth-in, had everything go his way and found room deep in the Pocono Pike, just up. STOP RESISTIN was four-wide to the 1/8, three-wide most of the ¼, then two-wide to the lead 5/16, went on with it, bore out a bit, almost lasted to the line but the pace caught him to him. HARNESS AM was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide most of the opener to the lead, yielded for the pocket, was a bit loose behind the fast pace, steered inside the drifting pacesetter, didn’t miss by much. THISISSHE was outleft and midpack, tucked past the 5/16 but was soon underway again, didn’t reach as the first-over, but kept one-gearing with tenacity. INAPERFECTWORLD pushed the early pace and yielded, inside, Pocono Pike, not all that much late. TRY TRY AGAIN swung way wide from far back midstretch, gained well although the tempo was slowing. TRIUMPHANT’S CHIP was outside with little. LUCKY MATTER swung wide off cover ¾ but couldn’t make up ground. PUERTO RICO gapped at the back.

 

ELEVENTH RACECRAZY COOL went to the top, pushed a foe just past the 3/8 before yielding, came back out nearing the ¾ and went by on the turn, paced out well. ALTHEA had some speed, came out 11/16, soon got cover and then soon lost it, good second well clear of the rest. AILEY HANOVER sat in, split horses upper stretch, just along for third over BYGONE HANOVER. The latter joined the outer flow, evenly in the lane. BETTER BID HANOVER went up early to challenge, got a mite rough past the 1/8, came out of the first turn wide, finally on the point just past the 3/8, surrendered without a fight ¾ and fell back. DIXIE CHICK was last, three-wide before midturn when making a break.

 

TWELFTH RACEMUSHANA was wide early, got to two-wide past the 1/8 and to the lead past the ¼, set the pace, tiring very late but retained a winning margin. TSM PHOTO BUGGER was briefly three-wide early then got to the lead, yielded to the winner just past the ¼, didn’t make up much ground on that one until very late. WILLIE B WORTHY had some speed, came up the inside in the stretch, a little bit shy. BRONZE YANKEE was second-over, a little trot as the pace slowed. ITSONLYMONEYHONEY was two-wide leaving, tucked, came back out raw at the half, never really threatened before fading some. ICINGON DE CUPCAKE couldn’t get into the action from third-over. FRAC didn’t factor after an inside trip. CARTIER ZETTE had a touch of trot widest. PHANTOM RUSTY never featured.

 

THIRTEENTH RACENO DRAMA PLEASE left some, gapped a bit midrace then moved outside ¾, steadily gained on the pacesetting BLENHEIM and went by that one deep stretch. The latter moved through at the start, kept a foe parked past the half, opened a clear lead on the far turn, just missed holding the advantage to the finish. SEVEN IRON gained some as the pace slowed. EXPLOSIVE MAGIC was looped and two-wide, settled in the pocket, couldn’t keep up ¾. GEMOLOGIST was four-wide early, had cover most of the ¼, then was out in the air, challenged but couldn’t clear, in retreat to the 5/8. GREEK LEGEND broke past the ¼.

 

FOURTEENTH RACEDILLINGER was very quickly on top, rated the half then strung the field out to the ¾, had horses coming at him from both sides in the stretch but kept it together. BARRYWHITE HANOVER sat third, moved out with cover on the turn then wide in the lane, found his best gear just a little too late. BIG TEDDY sat the pocket, outside ¾, right in the fight to the line. FLIGHT ONEFORTYSIX stayed in, got to the Pocono Pike, didn’t miss by very much. OCTAVE raced inside, evenly late. RIGHT IDEA gapped 5/8. DOWNTHEROAD Z TAM broke coming off the turn before the start. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH jumped 100 feet before the start.

 

 

 

Spread the love