FIRST RACE – Temperatures just under 50 degrees, with a strong stretch tailwind, and a “sloppy +1” track throughout the day … JK MUSICMAN tucked, then moved off the first turn to make the top 3/8, set the pace, game to hold off the late bid of GIVENUPDREAMIN. The latter was behind cover early, then went up 1/8 to 3/16 command, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, outside headstretch and kept narrowing in but just missed. BLACKLIGHT left and went to the lead to the 1/8, yielded, third-in, up the Pocono Pike, steadily but not quite enough. MY MIND IS MADEUP scampered up the rail down the back, next-best. ART SCENE never entered the main scene. BULLVILLE TERROR was second-over behind dull cover, three-wide turn but didn’t gain. SHINY BLACK BEAUTIFUL and MILENNIAL was already far off the rest at the half. INDICTABLE HANOVER pulled raw but never gained, then fell back.
SECOND RACE – WAR-N-MUNN tucked third, sat in, gapped on the far turn but then narrowed in, deep in the Pocono Pike and along. FASHIONONTHEBEACH left, moved from the pocket 3/16 to the lead, set the pace, couldn’t quite last to the line. VALIANT IVY sat in, angled wide early stretch and made up a lot of ground late. BLOW A CLOUD N made the top early, yielded for the pocket, had room inside the pacesetter but not enough kick. BARNABAS tucked fourth at the 1/8, uncovered into turn two, challenged to headstretch, held decently. CLASS SIX moved third-over behind the struggling cover of BAMSKI; neither was a major danger.
THIRD RACE – LOUD SPLASH spotted early, then led the outer tier’s move towards the half, pressed the leader hard on the final turn, then paced away late. NEWBIE left sharply and cleared easily, got a breather in Q2 then picked it up, second-best. LENWOODS REAL DEAL landed midpack early, got to second-over, couldn’t stay with cover on the turn, steadily for third. ARTACHE HANOVER was forwardly-placed, outside past the ¾ to avoid a shuffle, three-wide headstretch, not bad. LORD OF MISRULE was urged leaving, got into the pocket, but started to back up before the ¾. ALWAY’SYOURWAY and GIVEN UP TERROR never featured; nor did MAJOR ASSET and PLAY THERAPY, both of whom suffered broken equipment.
FOURTH RACE – PRINCE OF TIDES was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-deep to the ¼ in pursuit of the lead, shook off one challenger and then kept SOMEBEACH BARON at a safe distance. The latter was between horses past the 1/8 before getting to the pegs, yielded for the pocket, outside into the lane, finished steadily. SAWYER’S DESIRE moved out second-over but then went in again ¾ as his cover failed, evenly along the inside late. CAPTAIN CASH gained up the inside down the back, didn’t go with the top ones. DARK ENERGY N was slow to the gate, came outside first but wound up third-over in a nonflow, three-wide late turn, evenly. LYONS AMUSEMENTS was locked inside on the turn but had little once clear. VILLIAM was shuffled to last, blocked in the stretch. ALWAYS THE SUN was outside in a dull flow, never prominent. ISLANDSPECIALMAJOR was away well, yielded, came out raw into the backstretch, gained a little the third quarter then fell back a lot in the fourth quarter.
FIFTH RACE – BUSBOY HANOVER, looking to like the off going, was tight on cover second-over, three-wide past midturn, easily to the front late. DO YA THINK started first-up into turn two, steadily gained, made the lead to midstretch, held quite well. URBAN RENEWAL was third-over, gapped cover a bit, wide in the stretch and with pace. CAPTAIN HILL stayed in and was shuffled far turn, out in a blindswitch to headstretch, found room and was OK through the lane. A REAL MIRACLE left, yielded, got underway before the ¼ to reclaim the lead, set the pace, came up empty at crunch time. ALL IT TAKES went to the lead at the 1/8 then yielded to the retaker, a bit loose in the pocket much of the last half, not much late. VICTORIA’S MAVERICK gapped through much of the mile.
SIXTH RACE – REGAL SON was three-wide to the 1/8, got a spot behind the early battle, gapped it then closed the hole after the ¼, stayed in, got to the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter moved outside, had the most to the wire. ROCK THE NITE got around the breaker and pressed on for the lead but had to reluctantly take the pocket nearing the 26.4 quarter, came out headstretch, was never ahead but battled on gamely for place. KEYSTONE STEAM came raw 3/8, one-geared it up, looked done on the far turn but dug in with courage and was gaining late. WHITE HAIR ROCKS saw a contender break early, then seated another in a fast quarter, rated the half, didn’t have pressure, but could not maintain the advantage through the stretch. BABES DIG ME was second-over, three-wide midturn, went on steadily late. FIREBALL didn’t factor. SWEET N FAST N was shuffled to last, had a bit of pace on the end. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT was leaving with speed when breaking before the first turn, caught the pack and was third-over but could not reenter contention.
SEVENTH RACE – HATIKVAH followed strong cover second-over, three-wide headstretch, bore out noticeably in the lane but just caught GREAT UNKNOWN. The latter was uncovered from fifth at the half and gained a good bit against the wind (in not much of a quarter) down the back, battled the leader through the turn, took over early stretch and just failed to take it all. MUSHANA was outside third-over, gapped cover then got tight on it later in the backstretch, went inside the winner when that one started drifting and had some trot. CONSUS VICTORY made the lead past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, passed the spent leader in the Pocono Pike, then wound up outside the place horse late in the lane with some trot. BAND BOX TREASURE was looped but still got early position, not a late factor. PAPI HANOVER was not heard from. CONQUEST AS gapped at points. HEAT WAVE HANOVER was three-deep a good part of the opening split, made the lead off the first turn, strung out the field in quarter two despite going 29.4, came under pressure, had nothing left to give late. TAD KRAZY HANOVER was last at every call.
EIGHTH RACE — LOVE THE ACTION went right to the top, took the day’s normal second quarter breather (with the wind) then picked it up, had the two behind him swing wide in the stretch but held off their moves. BELL I NO spotted sixth, advanced up the inside past the half, swung three-wide into the lane and closed well in just missing. ROBBIE BURNS N sat a nice trip in the pocket, outside midturn, fought hard but came up just shy. THE CANDYMAN CAN came all the way up the rail from last, not close but next-best. NATIVE’S SWEETLOU also avoided the outside congestion, not much late. ALBERGO HANOVER was caught behind the wide clog in the back, swung four-wide in the lane and passed the rest. WAGON MASTER was third-over, tried to circle up three-wide 11/16 but could not. SPORTS TEEN moved first-over before the half but never gained before fading. ROCKIN INTHE HILLS was looped and tucked, then second-over, blindswitched 11/16, could not regain anything lost in the shuffle.
NINTH RACE – CASUAL COOL hung a pair to the ¼, yielded, moved before the half to the lead after the half, yielded to the ¾ but stayed close, then rerallied in the Pocono Pike to gain the lead in a game outing. BRAVO TEX N was two-wide down the back, behind a gapper, accelerated when that one tucked far turn, closed in strongly to just miss. TOOKADIVEOFFDIPPER improved position early, followed the winner outside, was left uncovered at one end of the backstretch and took the lead at the other end, held well right to the finish. HORSING AROUND went three-wide around a dull one, best of the rest. LEAR SEELSTER had live cover but gapped it, left raw, ducked in far turn, little to offer late. HEISMAN PLAYER backed out to avoid a shuffle but didn’t gain. CURIOUS CORTEZ was very wide early, between horses on the first turn and a bit more than two-wide coming out of that bend, made the lead, yielded 3/8, then gapped. CLOSING STATEMENT was six-wide leaving and took back to last, never back in the picture thereafter. HP NAPOLEON was five-wide early, three-wide to the ¼ then two-wide to 3/8 command, passed off turn two, slowed a lot in the stretch after all the real estate covered early.
TENTH RACE – CRYSTAL FASHION left and yielded, was moved out 3/8 and had the lead before the half, drew clear in the 28.1 last quarter in a solid performance for the classy veteran. SCIROCCO ROB made the lead early, saw two go by in the next 3/8, outside 11/16 and got to a nonthreatening second. MELADY’S MONET was looped leaving and went on to get the front past the ¼, relinquished to the winner at the half, was in the fight for second until late. BAUTISTA and THE LAST CHAPTER trotted steadily. KINDA LUCKY LINDY started to not keep up ¾. RICH AND MISERABLE was last throughout.
ELEVENTH RACE – BLAZEN RIVER N left between horses and persevered to the 3/16 command, not under pressure in front, drifted out in the lane but held together enough to resist MAYHEM HANOVER. The latter left and protected the pocket, gapped early backstretch but later tightened back in, had a clear shot late but came up just shy. HICKFROMFRENCHLICK was three-wide and ahead most of the 1/8 but realized he wouldn’t clear and took back to third, stayed in on the far turn, along the inside and OK+ late. ON THE CARDS N slid down into an early tuck, then started first-over towards turn two, got into a better gear 11/16 and headed the pocket horse around the turn, then tired some. MYKINDACHIP gapped down the backstretch. REDBANK BLAZE A moved past the 3/8 and soon had cover, then soon was gapping it. SOMETHING FANCY never had a say in this one.
TWELFTH RACE – JACK’S LEGEND N made the top past the 1/8, pushed a foe well past the quarter then yielded for the pocket, shuffled a bit late turn into the lane, but showed great acceleration when shown the Pocono Pike, got the lead quickly, then held off BRAEVIEW BONDI A. The latter was second-over, gapped a little then caught up to cover, wide in the stretch and pacing very well late. VETTEL N was uncovered off turn two, in gear 5/8 and kept gaining, couldn’t clear on the turn but had the lead entering the stretch, went on well. MIKE’S Z TAM did well from third-over. HIGHALATOR was urged leaving, couldn’t do better than wind up third, sat in, slow to clear angling wide, some acceleration at the end. FILIBUSTER HANOVER was three-high to turn one, then two-wide 5/16 before getting the lead, got serious heat from the 5/8, tired.
THIRTEENTH RACE – SPLASH BROTHER was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead 3/16, was the front part of a two-horse breakaway that saw him keep ahead of his inside rival LYONS KING safely. The latter yielded for the pocket and stayed close, very good and second way ahead of the others. VIRGIN STORM moved second-over, left uncovered on the turn, had some pace late for the distant third. FABRICE HANOVER was uncovered before the 5/8, never threatened, tucked in on the far turn, evenly. ATTA BOY DAN was rocked leaving, got a 3-tuck, struggled to keep up the last half. JM’S DELIGHT never contended. GLACIA backed out to third-over but didn’t gain. THE OTHER DUO were always far back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – AFTER ALL PAUL had cover to turn one then went on to get the lead to the 5/16, yielded for the pocket, stayed close, outside late turn, outtrotted WITH OUT A DOUBT. The latter had gate speed, yielded, outside 5/16 to be on top just past the 3/8, did well but had to settle for second. GRAPPLE HANOVER gained the front at the 1/8, saw two go by, a bit loose in the three-hole 11/16, tired but did hold show over BURN NOTICE. The latter gapped past the 3/8, stayed in, to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite make third. REFI went first-over at the half, never got close to the lead but carried on steadily. SEVEN IRON never was head from. THE FINAL PAIR were near the back throughout.