FIRST RACE – Stretch tailwind … ALLI NUI made the top at the 1/8, yielded off the first turn for the two-hole, moved out early stretch and raced home strongly from midstretch for a safe victory. ALIBABA N was three-wide towards turn one, got the lead just past the ¼, set a good pace, couldn’t stall the winner. LITTLE SANDY TOES was out briefly behind cover 5/8 but soon tucked back in, outside in the stretch and just up for third over JUSLIKEAQUEEN. The latter pushed outside leavers to the first turn, stayed in, couldn’t stay with the front two on the far turn. ALL ABOUT AMY and SWEET YOUNG THING never featured. YES DOUBLE DOWN moved raw 5/8 but made little impact before fading.
SECOND RACE – JEREMES GENERAL made the top at the 1/8, commanded the fractions, wasn’t threatened by pocketsitting BAYONET. The latter went away nicely then decided to sit the two-hole trip, to the Pocono Pike, held his ground pretty well. BIG GAME HUNTER gapped a good part of the first half then got tighter and started uncovered early on the clubhouse turn, one-geared until the stretch, then didn’t have quite enough. MEADOWBRANCH FLASH angled two- and three-wide late on the far turn and finished well. BIG TURN ON also sat in, came up the inside for the last check. HEEZ ORL BLACK N didn’t have much in the crucial stages. AMERICA FIRST backed out to second-over nearing the ¾ but immediately started gapping. SPORTY MERCEDES moved outside 5/8 but had little to contribute.
THIRD RACE – POLAK A went down the road from the pole, opened up a clear lead entering the stretch, then held off the late kick of CASH IS KING. The latter worked right to the pocket and stayed connected until late on the far turn where he went a bit loose, outside stretch and was regaining ground late but too late. JOURNEYMAN was in the nearest duo to the top two, outside late turn and just along for third besting HES GONE BADDER. The latter left, briefly had cover then went into the 3-hole past 1/8, couldn’t keep up with the top duo mid-far turn, just failed to hold third. ARTOFFICIAL FLAVOR was far back but got the final check. NEWS WATCH passed overmatched foes. THE OTHER THREE were not equal to going this fast a mile in bottom claimers.
FOURTH RACE – NEEDLESS TO SAY, hard to handle as usual, was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide, came out of the first turn on a line but with the lead, was joined by REDHOT ROMEO 11/16 and fought that one through the turn, had three of them coming at him nearing the wire but held with gameness. REDHOT ROMEO vacated fourth 5/8 and reached the leader 11/16, as noted went head-to-head with that one, fell back a little into the lane but fought on with courage. GOLDEN GESTURE was fastest away, yielded for the two-hole, stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike, loomed boldly but hung a little bit late. AN THE THUNDEROLLS angled wide into the stretch, took a while to get going but then closed well. HERE COMES SWIFTY never factored. GRANTOR HANOVER moved outside but soon was gapping cover.
FIFTH RACE – WALTER MITTY left well and took the pocket trip, edged out late on the turn and drew off through the stretch to get Brett MacDonald (no relation to Mark, James, or Anthony) and Taylor Fritz on the local scoreboard. RAGS TO RICHES was far back behind strugglers, moved sharply ¾ and continued three-wide into the stretch, finished very nicely. WORLD ON EDGE came out in the stretch but was outkicked for second. WILDCAT HILTON was between horses leaving and took a tuck third just past the 1/8, outside far turn then ducked in headstretch, so-so. JAHAN HANOVER was three-wide leaving to 1/8 command, went slow with the wind then faster vs. the wind in the middle half, empty in the stretch. COMMANDER HILL never featured. GINGER TREE PETE developed a problem and was pulled up.
SIXTH RACE – SIR JOHN F was three-high to turn one, then had cover, then went on uncovered to the lead at the ¼, had a foe outside pestering but not threatening, drew away from these in the last ¼. WHAT A RUSH was third-over behind dull cover, three-wide ¾, closed well for second. SPLITSVILLE went to the front just past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, unplugged ¾, not all that smooth late. CRITICAL MASS fanned out wide and had some late trot. CELEBRITY SERENA tucked, came at the ¼ and was moving up when breaking for a few steps nearing the 3/8, recovered but had to ride on the rim, challenged, held her ground well after the troubled journey. KATKIN AND COKE got from last all the way to second-over, but started to gap 11/16. PITTSTOP KIP showed forward speed early, couldn’t keep up late. NATALIE HANOVER also could not stay with the pack.
SEVENTH RACE – DELISHKA N had inner positioning on the two other leavers and commanded the pace, drew off in the last 1/8. MISS TRESSA retucked around a gapper, blocked the second half of the turn, to the Pocono Pike, all-out to get second. SHES SPORTY A left, took the pocket, couldn’t go with the winner on the turn, so-so late. READY SET ROCK was three-wide to turn one then tucked third 3/16, came out raw at the half, paced well in the third quarter but tired in the stretch. TSM ARTEMIS T came raw from last 3/8 and got cover at the half, evenly. ISLAY N was never close, but flashed some speed under the wire. WINNING WORDS broke equipment past the ¼, a fact which hampered her performance.
EIGHTH RACE – BRONZE YANKEE, aided by the fractions, moved out on the second turn and was three-wide 11/16 when cover didn’t advance, to two-wide on the far turn and the strong horse through the lane. RIVER OTTER cleared before turn one then yielded past the 1/8, went to the Pocono Pike and did well to take second from ARCHIBALD. The latter left for command past the 1/8 and continued at a quick clip, got a little tired late. FOREVERHILLREIGN followed the winner’s cover and then was left three-wide early far turn, dropped down to two-wide, was gaining late. O JONNIE was forwardly-positioned but couldn’t get into the main action. KEYSTONE SERGEANT never got close. LIFE WELL LIVED was three-wide early then took back to tuck fifth at the ¼, led the outer charge to the second turn but couldn’t get close with the second move. MARION GONDOLIER was always far back. CELEBRITY MASERATI settled inside, then started to gap out 9/16.
NINTH RACE – IM A GIGOLO N raced up to the lead 3/16, go a breather most of quarter two then had to pick it up when the first-over came to fight hard, saw a lot of horses in position to threaten in the lane but kept going well with mild urging. MELODIES MAJOR moved second-over and gradually tightened in on cover down the back, three-wide midturn, raced very well. GLENGARRY KNIGHT N was first on top, yielded 3/16 for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, stayed close but didn’t have a sharp late move. NATIONAL SPIRIT started uncovered 3/8 and reached the winner just before the half, pushed that one very hard, held his ground well late. THE WALL raced third-in, couldn’t threaten late. MACH WEST followed cover third-over, not quite enough. WINDSONG JACK didn’t show much here. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN broke w-a-y before the start, did well to reach the back of the pack before the half, but had no more to give.
TENTH RACE – ECLIPSE ME N was three-wide to turn one and in front 3/16, got a breather in quarter two and then stepped home in 55 – 27.1 all alone. PRAIRIEWESTERNGAL, occasionally a bit rough, was on top early then yielded for the two-hole, was able to retain second over SHOULDABEENATD. The latter took back early, stayed in, then was moving well in the Pocono Pike. DANCE CLUB was third-over and four-wide headstretch, closed very nicely. MONICA GALLAGHER was second-over, three-deep headstretch but didn’t have enough. CAVIART CHERIE popped out past the 5/8 but didn’t offer all that much.
ELEVENTH RACE – SWEET ROCKIN GIA moved uncovered towards turn two, reached the leader 5/8 and continuously applied pressure, made the lead early stretch and was a fine winner. LATE NIGHT DATE A made the lead but soon yielded for the pocket, moved outside before headstretch and then wide, good finishing speed. BOLT OF BEAUTY was third-over, three-wide midturn, moving well late. JUXTA COWGIRL yielded early but was on the move 3/16 to reclaim the lead, got a soft half but then had to step it up as the winner challenged hard, not enough late. I’M VERY SPECIAL was third-in, clear early stretch, OK. PAIGE’S GIRL never made her presence felt. SUNDAY AFTERNOON moved second-over, gapped a little down the back and then more in the last quarter. TRAFFIC JAM was not in the main action.
TWELFTH RACE – LENWOODS REAL DEAL spotted midpack 3/16, then on the move again into turn two, reached the leader 5/8, got a small lead ¾ but couldn’t clear around the turn, good and got the job done despite a hard trip. ARTACHE HANOVER was third-over, wide headstretch and finished nicely. BURNING MIDNIGHT had great cover behind the winner but struggled to stay with it, fair late. DOC SEMALU had an excess of cover, ducked between horses to headstretch but was shut off and had to switch to behind the place horse, steadily. LORD OF MISRULE made the lead and yielded, stayed in, was blocked far turn, came clear in the Pocono Pike past early stretch and finished OK. SWEET TALKIN SATIN quarter-moved but had to be rocked to clear past the 3/8, was headed ¾, did keep the winner out around the turn before fading. BRANDON HANOVER gapped badly early backstretch, got closer but not a major factor. MYIDEALSON N sat in, never came clear. HEREHECOMESAROCKIN was parked past the 1/8 for command, extended a brusher just past the 3/8 before yielding for the pocket, came up empty in the stretch.
THIRTEENTH RACE – GIVENUPDREAMING was parked just past the ¼ to take over, yielded, let the pacesetter streak away as he patiently shifted to a better gear, made up serious ground the last 3/16, took over past early stretch and drew away. SOMEBEACH BARON quarter-moved to 3/8 command and immediately opened up a huge lead, but the winner methodically cut into that in the last split, still quite clear of the rest. ROCK THREE TIMES sat in, went to the Pocono Pike and got to a distant third. WARRAWEE VELOCE went around a gapper but showed little else. PROVEN DESIRE was the first on top, yielded just past the ¼, fell back in the last quarter. THE OTHER THREE had no impact in this event.