FIRST RACE – GET LIT was three-wide headed to the 1/8 and needed past a fast quarter until the 5/16 to go from two-wide to the lead, yielded early on the backstretch to the big brusher but stayed tight, outside late turn and gradually reclaimed the lead. MCNEIL Z TAM got early position, angled outside headstretch, finished well to win the photo for second. MAKE IT COME TRUE went to the lead at the 1/8 and pushed the winner past the fast quarter, sat in, got access to the Pocono Pike, almost made place. BEACH FIRE K came burning uncovered on the second turn and quickly stepped around the winner down the back, paced his own third quarter in 26.1, but could not sustain to the finish. CAPTAIN KEEN was not heard from. ALWAYS ON THE HUNT was left uncovered midbackstretch, never reached; BOURBONS COURAGE, behind him, also never factored.
SECOND RACE – ARCHETTO HANOVER was in third before the 1/8, kept up with the pocket horse as the leader set wild fractions, outside ¾ and inched closer, just had enough to prevail over BUGGER BRUISER. The latter went into the pocket towards turn one, gapped when the leader threw a 27 third quarter but then gradually got tighter, inside in the stretch, may’ve been bottomed behind the fast fractions, just failed. WISE IMAGE was taking no prisoners, tried to steal it with a 27 third quarter but couldn’t hold on after the big fractions. REASONABLE FORCE went around the rest. ARTACUS and HUGH HEFNER N never were in the hunt. AMERICA FIRST was gapping by the ¼ and fell far back.
THIRD RACE – A BLUE BLOOD was wide to early command, yielded in front of the stands for the two-hole, went to the Pocono Pike and won a four-way fight. SNOWFALLA had the early pocket, pulled out 11/16 and gained gradually, game to take second on the wire. BELLA CLAIRE was looped, tucked third briefly then quarter-moved, rated the pace, couldn’t quite hold her advantage to the wire. SALT AND VINEGAR moved to deep in the Pike and had some gain. GOLD STONES moved uncovered to the 5/8 but couldn’t keep up when receiving cover 11/16. NONE OF THE OTHERS exhibited much punch from the rear.
FOURTH RACE – SWEETONTHEBEACH went right to the lead, yielded to the brushing favorite to sit the two-hole, moved outside early stretch and went by authoritatively. MORROCKIN K was third early then launched a quarter-move, slowed the half then sped things up, under no pressure until the winner came calling, can’t hold off that one. SIRI BLUE CHIP left, took the early pocket 3/16, used the Pocono Pike and was gaining in the battle for second. SNUF ENUF HANOVER sat in and gapped some, went evenly deep in the Pike. ITALIA SEELSTER tucked fourth, moved uncovered 5/8, had a little gain to the ¾, then evenly thereafter. BROOKDALE JESSIE didn’t get into the fight after an inside trip. THE OTHERS were behind dull cover, couldn’t circle around it.
FIFTH RACE – CELEBRITY SERENA was looped at the 1/8 and kept three-wide to the 5/16, then two-wide to command past the 3/8, still going well late despite the rough early journey. ER BEN came up the inside down the backstretch, angled out midstretch and was along for second. LIGHTS COME ON circled up three-wide to the 1/8 for the lead, had two outside him, got one to tuck then yielded to the other past the 3/8, but it was “LIGHTS”and not the opponent who tired, couldn’t hold second late. TW LAUXMONT was third-over, three-wide with cover on the turn, four-wide headstretch and maybe a bit wider as the three-wide broke, finished well on the far outside. BIG MONEY HONEY picked up the rest in the slackening pace. CHOCOTURE was always well out of it. CON AIR HALL was looped and between horses until going to the pylons 5/16, came back out of turn two, didn’t get to the winner’s wheel then fell back. ZOOMING was second-over, swung three-wide and was in contention when breaking off the far turn.
SIXTH RACE – STORM BRINGER was quickly to the lead, rated the half then had an open-length advantage the rest of the way. KASEVILLE took the pocket, loose of the winner down the back but still held to be a clear second. COUNT CHOCALOT tucked fourth then was third as a foe broke, moved outside headstretch, couldn’t gain but held third over a pair. CAPITAL T STORM moved second-over, gapped early backstretch then tighter and three-wide to the ¾ but a little rough, evenly. FATHER OF IRELAND stayed in, evenly. BARKEEPER gapped some. PREACHER MAN was underway raw not too much past the 3/8 but saw his bid start to evaporate 11/16. CIRCUIT PARTY broke before the 5/8. DYNAMITE VOLO was looped and two-wide until nearing the ¼, where he made a misstep.
SEVENTH RACE – UNCONTROLLABLE was reserved until the 5/8 then came out raw, quickly moved to challenge and got the lead on the turn, came home in 27.1 well clear of the rest. MAKE MY DEO left and took over before the 3/16, yielded a like distance later, was stuck in on the far turn when the winner went by the former leader, then cleared to the Pocono Pike and did well for second. AIR GUITAR made two speed moves to the 3/8, rated the half, no match for the winner on the turn, not enough sprint late to retain second. BUD TRUCK tucked third, struggled to keep up from off the second turn. MOONLIGHT SHADOW never entered into it. JASPER HANOVER moved out but couldn’t begin to match the winner’s speed. SIR LOVEALOT BC retucked around THE OTHER TWO, not prominent. The latter two were distanced without breaking.
EIGHTH RACE – More traffic than the first turn has seen in quite a while … NIGHTLIFE SEELSTER was six-wide heading to the first turn and fully four-wide almost all (!) of the 27 quarter, finally made the lead past the 3/8, but despite the brutal early first quarter he opened a big lead and was coasting at the wire. CARRINGTON was third-over and looked to be going all he could to stay with two- and three-wide cover, four-wide in the stretch and up for second with a good late response. MORE THAN KUTE, urged leaving but unresponsive and taken back, moved second-over, three-wide ¾ through the turn, outkicked for the deuce. SUNRISE HANOVER was three-wide almost to the 1/8 before taking back, was fourth-over, ducked to midtrack in the stretch and finished with pace. LOOKING SANTASTIC was five-wide early and three-wide to the ¼, then went on to get the lead 5/16, yielded and sat the pocket, gradually backed off in the last 3/16. TWIN B CHIT CHAT was four-wide early and then two-deep to quarter command, yielded, stuck in behind the tired pocketsitter, but didn’t have too much when clear in the Pocono Pike. CLASSICA never factored. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER used the rail to keep all sorts of horses parked most of the quarter, yielded, moved raw on the second turn and got to the leader’s wheel before the ¾, but no closer, then fell back.
NINTH RACE – CAVIART EMMA was in the early battle, saw one foe break and yielded to the other to sit the pocket, got to the Pocono Pike, put in a rough step or two then got in a higher gear and came through for the victory. TOCCOA FALLS was uncovered at the half, briefly offstride before the 5/8 and went three-wide, then quickly regathered and got back to two-wide and challenging, fought very hard to the wire; an inquiry into her break found no need for placing. CIRCLE OF LIFE AS left between horses, was looped past the 1/8 and continued on, saw the first looper break before the ¼, went on to take the lead, under pressure, gave way some. CHING CHING LUCKY did not factor after an inside trip. BLACK TIE BASH was third-over, three-wide headstretch, fair. EVANNA was second-over, briefly left uncovered when her cover broke but then saw that cover come back and loop her before the ¾, soon was falling back. CHOCOLATE MATTERS and GRAN PARAISO never featured. SEVEN NATION ARMY was three-wide to the 1/8, looped a foe and went up to challenge two-wide, may have been getting the advantage when breaking just before the ¼.
TENTH RACE – GRAY DRAGON went away well to sit the pocket behind BEST IN SHOW again, came up the inside and gradually worked by that tough rival. The latter went to the top at the 1/8 and just rolled on the lead, outsprinted but again good. TRU LOU maintained third early, inside, OK in the dash home. BLU CREW looked at leaving but took back, went uncovered 9/16, kept inching up until early stretch. VIRGIN STORM moved second-over but gapped. THE OTHER DUO were near the back and couldn’t work into the race.
ELEVENTH RACE – BETTOR OF THE WEST came through and forced a tuck, slowed the half, then was firmly in control in the 54.3 back half. SOUTHBEACH HANOVER was actually first to show but didn’t have the geometrical advantage and reluctantly settled back into the pocket nearing the ¼, couldn’t go with the winner late. MAGNUM MOON gapped slightly midbackstretch, outside in the lane and did OK+. NUTTIN BUT FINESSE found a midpack tuck 3/16, sat in, next. BOLTMAN couldn’t go this much late. SOME DEAL HANOVER landed third early, came out in pursuit of second mid-far turn but broke headstretch. ROUTHLAND was behind the cover of GRATEFUL KISS, who gained raw on turn two but soon stooped gaining as the speed picked up. WHITE BELLY was far back when he broke midturn.
TWELFTH RACE – MAGNIFICENT SEVEN came out second-over 5/8, gapped a little but got closer on the turn, left it until very late to hit a winning gear but edged by late. CAN’T SAY NO briefly took the pocket then was on the move at the ¼ for the lead, came under heavy pressure 11/16, lasted a long way. KING ALPHONSO went raw 5/8 and took it to the leader around the far turn, weakened only slightly. SVF BLUSHINGBRIDE initially got a foe to tuck then let that one go when he tried for the lead again, in the pocket, spent most of the stretch angling gradually wider, finished with trot. PETER’S EXPRESS was third-over, steadily. AP HALL OF TRIX couldn’t keep up in the last quarter. DIVINE SPIRIT looked at leaving but decided to take back, broke going to the ¼.
THIRTEENTH RACE – GONNAHAVEONEMORE went to the top at the 1/8, rolled on, came to even terms with CAPTIVATE HANOVER before midstretch but found some more to edge that one. The latter started uncovered 5/8 and speed-grinded home in 54.3, as noted got to even terms with the winner but couldn’t summon that little bit more. TERRY A HANOVER left well but decided to yield to sit the pocket, Pocono Pike, outdueled the rest of the field for third. MOVE THE LINE worked up second-over, steadily. AMAZON was third-in, to the deep Pike, not quite enough. KYUQUOT sat in, backed out headstretch and went widest, finished well.
FOURTEENTH RACE – TURNTHEFROWNAROUND moved raw off turn two, came her back half in 54.4, fought with the pacesetting ROSE RUN VICTORIA from the 11/16, was handled confidently going by her late. The latter was inside in a three-way early duel, backed off 3/16 but then brushed to the lead when the last outside leaver cleared, went on at a good pace with the winner hounding her the last 5/16, held very well. BETSEA went on between horses to the lead near the ¼, yielded, stayed in, stuck behind a tired one inside on the turn, just along for the distant third. PETTYCOAT BUSINESS was wide early then got behind cover, tucked fifth to the 3/16, then was second-over but could not go with her cover. LAURIE LEE was third-over but gapped a gapper, still got a check. SOMEBEACHSOMEFRA was three-wide almost all of the ¼, went on to the lead then yielded for the two-hole, couldn’t keep up 11/16. EMMA was not heard from. SURE R LOOKIN GOOD never factored.