FIRST RACE – A couple of degrees either side of 70 all day … Stretch headwind … MISS VET HANOVER spotted early, uncovered at the half and gradually ranged up, got cover 11/16, three-wide to headstretch, proved the best as the pace slowed. TOCCOA FALLS was last when making a brief break to the 5/8, swept up four-wide late backstretch to get to second-over on the turn, four-wide headstretch, couldn’t go with the winner but outfooted the others; an inquiry into this one’s break gave no reason for placing. TUIS SHADOW filled and protected the pocket, pulled out 11/16, not quite enough after chasing the hot pace. CHOCOLATE MATTERS had to circle a tiring inside horse twice, went very wide and closed well. CIRCLE OF LIFE AS got in the outside flow, three-wide to the 11/16, looped, evenly. CELEBRITY ROLEX controlled the throttle from the pole in a really fast quarter and kept on going quickly, defenseless in the stretch. CHING CHING LUCKY was originally second-over, gapped. STORM BRUISER was three-wide past the 1/8, finally got the three-hole after a very quick early pace, started to fade midbackstretch. SERRANO VOLO spotted, was stuck behind a fading one 5/8, squeezed out and retucked, gaining along the inside when breaking late turn.
SECOND RACE – LET ‘ER BUCK saw a foe pass early then was underway to the 3/16 to get the lead, was clear most of the middle half (with a quick third quarter) then had DOUBLEOFFTHEWALL narrow in, held that one off to the inside. The latter tucked early, got tight on the top two then pulled out 5/8 after the pocket horse faded, retucked in the two-hole and gained, came up the Pocono Pike, good. AP BLAZE OF GLORY spotted, came out down the back but was badly gapping the top three, along for the very distant third over SWEETONTHEBEACH. The latter shot to instant command, let the winner go, was loose before the ½ and fell back more. MORE THAN KUTE tucked fourth, gapped out 5/8. THE OTHER TWO were never a factor.
THIRD RACE – CARTIER BI, wide leaving, went up after the leader when that one cleared past the 1/8, took command 5/16, opened up a bit down the back getting MASSIVE MATTER to tuck in, then held off that one’s late move. The latter went uncovered off turn two and challenged, took the pocket to the ¾, outside again in the lane, good but second-best. KASEVILLE was wide leaving, then two-wide to the front just past the 1/8, yielded 5/16, gradually went loose in the pocket most of the second half, just did hold third over FATHER OF IRELAND. The latter yielded, stayed in, tried to rally in the Pocono Pike for third but could not make it. COUNT CHOCALOT moved out to the cover flow 9/16 but couldn’t keep with it from the 5/8. CHERRY MASON never entered the picture.
FOURTH RACE – DREAM CHASER was wide early, briefly had cover then went forward 3/16 to the lead to the 3/8, drew away from this field. BET LIGHT was stuffed fourth-in, started to angle out into the stretch but then saw the pocketsitter drift out and went through that vacated lane with good ability. ITALIA SEELSTER went into the early pocket before the 3/16, sat in third, was blocked on the far turn, had a clear path in the stretch, just held third over TSM WESTERN SOUL. The latter was also locked in but also gapping on the turn, had some late foot in the deep Pike. OFF THE RECORD was four-wide leaving, gradually worked into a midpack tuck at the ¼, then again first-over 9/16, didn’t gain much. BARDMIRY went to the front early, yielded to the 3/8, couldn’t keep up in the pocket ¾ trapping the inside horses behind her with nowhere to go. IDEAL HANNAH and SNUF ENUF HANOVER were always far back. MORROCKIN K was the first to move outside, got cover but couldn’t go with it.
FIFTH RACE – SOUTHWIND CAESER was four-wide early, three-wide to the 1/8, then two-wide to the pocket 3/16, pulled the pocket to the 5/8 and went by to the ¾, gamely held off DAGON HANOVER while trotting his own last half in 56.4. The latter got in third at the 1/8, initially gapped when the backstretch duel developed then moved out and was raw ¾, chased the winner well in the lane but had to settle for place. FLEMSTEEN was three-wide between horses, then two-wide to the lead past the 1/8, forced a tuck then backed the pace up to a crawl, couldn’t switch to a sprint at the 5/8 and was passed, third-best. MOSCOW MOON gapped down the back then got closer on the turn and then to two-wide, but had little response late. JUST FOR LUCK came out from last into turn two and got the last check over THE REST OF THE FIELD, who had no impact on the outcome.
SIXTH RACE – TEMPURA HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead off the first bend, yielded to the brusher, came out 5/8 while the top two were clear of the rest and went right by to the lead, made the advantage hold up as closers narrowed in. MIKI THE CLOWN edged three-wide off the second turn as a foe edged two-wide, continued a three-wide brush (third quarter 27) to get to two-wide and then the pocket on the turn, tried to catch the winenr up the inside, just missed but did save second over PAULAS BET HANOVER. The latter followed the path of the place horse a couple of lengths off that one, three-wide on the turn to two-wide, came on steadily but couldn’t quite make it. LADY AKILA left between horses to the top past the 1/8, yielded, shuffled to the ¾, angled two- and three-wide late turn and was best of the distant rest over BEACHBLANKETLINDY; the latter was even wider into the lane and had some pace. JENNA’S WATCH edged out raw at the half but was looped by the main closers late backstretch and on the turn, faded. CATIE FAYE HANOVER left, yielded, quarter-moved, set the pace, had no response when the winner challenged 11/16. THE OTHER PAIR were far back.
SEVENTH RACE – FINAL DREAM was three-wide early, yielded, out second-over 5/8, wide stretch and trotted away in the slowing tempo. TW LAUXMONT left some, moved again before the ¼, waited for a brushed to clear then stepped around him 3/8, opened up a big lead from the half past a fast 3/4s to the stretch, couldn’t stall the winner but did hold second. CHUCKY DE VIE was five-wide early then three-wide to the first turn, two-wide to ¼ command, saw two go by, came back out midbackstretch, narrowed in on the leader, outtrotted. CHRISTOPHER CRAZO made up some ground along the inside as the tempo lessened. SCIROCCO JAKOB and ER BEN never factored. LIGHTS COME ON made two speed moves and yielded, started gapping at the half, broke midturn trying to make up ground.
EIGHTH RACE – STELLAR YANKEE got to the top off the first turn and kept rolling to open the pocket for a foe, dealt with the first-over then stayed safely clear of MAJOR SHOW. The latter left and was outside behind the winner until past the ¼, went on, took the pocket to the ¾, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, good but a step shy. BOLTMAN went uncovered 5/8 and challenged, held OK. BET NINETEEN was second-over but slightly gapped, three-wide late turn, some at the end. GRATEFUL KISS was buried inside, out in a blindswitch to headstretch, slow to clear between horses then had just enough room to come through and had pace. JASPER HANOVER parked the winner to the ¼, yielded, then gave the pocket to the 3/8, done at the ¾. TSM BATMAN never factored. ROUTHLAND moved third-over but slightly gapped a gapper, wide on the turn but couldn’t close. MOONLIGHT SHADOW lost contact before the half.
NINTH RACE – SNOWFALLA went to the lead, rated the half then sped up as the first-over attacked, had 1½ lengths turning for home, saw the pocket horse break but still got a Pocono Pike challenge, from SALT AND VINEGAR, but held that one off. The latter looked at leaving but took back, stayed in, avoided the early stretch breaker and went to the Pike, was gaining late. KAYLA’S PLAYMATE came from last of the main pack in a long first-over bid, got to second, tired a little. FINLANDIA sat in, waited a second to see what the breaker would do, then regeared and finished with trot. CUSTOMARILY was OK late on the far outside. BILLIE CLAIRE defended the pocket, appeared to be going to the Pike but went offstride, ran home, placed. BLESS YOUR HEART backed outside but couldn’t reach cover. BELAIR BEAUTY jumped just before the start. LINNEA HANOVER was taking back when breaking before the first turn, eventually pulled up.
TENTH RACE – HORSE got in front towards the first turn, yielded 3/16, backed out to second-over 5/8, wide headstretch, had a good battle with TRU LOU to his inside and just did nip that rival. The latter left and made the lead 3/16 in a fast ¼, yielded at the half and stayed close, right to the Pocono Pike, paced very well late, just missed after a big mile. GET LIT got early position, went out as soon as the parked rival cleared and challenged from the 5/8 in a fast third quarter, got third. KING JAMES EXPRESS sat in, deep in the Pike with late pace. NOME HANOVER was outside midpack past the 1/8, could find no hole so pressed on and did get to the front at the half, under heat late backstretch through the turn, held very well for a 58-1 shot. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP was second-over but gapped, let a rival out, then was blindswitched, not that much when clear. BLU CREW was third-over, three-wide 11/16 when his cover gapped, stayed three-wide through the turn, flattened out. THE OTHER TWO were far back; SO MANY ROADS made an equipment break late on the far turn.
ELEVENTH RACE – CIGAR SMOKING TONY streaked away to command, had only the pocket horse close to him well past the half, hooked up with CAPTIVATE HANOVER and had a riproaring battle with that one the last 3/16, just prevailing. The latter gapped a gapper early, then uncovered 5/8 and went up in 26.4 to challenge, fought very hard, no disgrace to be photoed out here. KYUQUOT gapped a good part of the mile, came up the inside in the stretch and gained third over AMAZON. The latter stayed close to the winner until late turn, when he moved outside, not quite enough late. MOVE THE LINE never moved. STONEBRIDGE REX hustled up to get tight on great cover midbackstretch, was in good second-over position when breaking looking for more far turn. NEED AROCKET was wide early taking back, lost touch in the second half.
TWELFTH RACE – KING ALPHONSO was wide leaving then two-wide to quarter command, slowed the half then lost the field down the backstretch, won by himself. HUNTING AS came out with cover, ducked in when that stalled ¾, outside stretch, got second when MAGNIFICENT SEVEN broke. The latter slid in third at the 1/8, inherited a distant pocket far turn, looked likely to hold second when himself breaking midstretch, ran home; an inquiry gave no reason for placing. THE NEXT THREE were never prominent. DISCUS HANOVER got the early lead then yielded to the winner, started gapping at the 5/8, then broke towards midturn, placed for causing an “ix.” AP HALL OF TRIX was uncovered at the half but never got close in the fast third quarter, then made an “ix” when a breaker was close to him midturn.
THIRTEENTH RACE – SERIOUS MIKI was three-wide to the 1/8, took over off the first curve, rated the half then sprinted with the wind down the backstretch, good in a fast victory. UNCONTROLLABLE launched uncovered midbackstretch and went 26.3 raw gaining on the leader, didn’t back off at all all the way to the line. SOUTHBEACH HANOVER was first on top, yielded for the pocket, was loose when the pace picked up early backstretch, still a clear third. BEACH TOWN BOY couldn’t go with backstretch cover, went in on the turn, out again in the stretch but not able to gain. CAPTAIN ROMANCE found these a bit much. DILLINGER was between horses early, tucked third at the 1/8, started backing up 5/8. THE LAST THREE were always far behind.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BEACH FIRE K went behind cover early, lost it 3/16 and got to the lead 5/16, in complete control from there, hone in 55.2. MCNEIL Z TAM went on to take over 3/16, yielded 5/16 for the two-hole, unplugged in the last 3/16, still second. SOUTHWIND DREDGE was uncovered from far back 5/8, gained enough to get third. ALWAYS ON THE HUNT was outside far turn, next. TERRY A HANOVER was shuffled on the turn, outside in the lane and salvaged the last check. ROCK IDOL was always far back. FULL VIEW had some speed, started gapping in third off the second turn. JUNIOR MAN slowed to a jog in the last quarter.