FIRST RACE – It had been raining, causing a “sloppy +1” surface, and the rail started again as this field went to post; the field was briefly sent back to the paddock until the immediate downpour lessened … MYSWEETBOYMAX went to the front 3/16, kept a second-quarter brusher at bay, then dealt with the backstretch brusher in a long fight to the wire. RHETT SEELSTER was out at the half, moved three-wide before the 11/16 to get around the parked horse and take up first-over duties, kept gaining little by little, but not quite enough. LOU ED ZEPPELIN left well for the pocket, stayed close, neither gained nor lost ground late. CAPTIVATE HANOVER was three-wide ¾ to two-wide a bit off his cover, finished steadily. MCNEIL Z TAM and CAPTAIN KEEN never were heard from. MOVE THE LINE pulled from fifth at the ¼ and gained through the frontstretch but never got by, faded just past the 5/8.
SECOND RACE – A delay between races as the track surface received additional work … CAPITAL T STORM used the rail to advantage and did not let anybody go, had a clear lead from the 5/16 onward, an easy winner. CHROME PACKAGE came out with cover past the 5/8, three-wide at the ¾ then two-wide as cover ducked in, steadily late to nip DON for second. The latter was between horses early, backed off to the pocket before the 3/16, was loose in the two-hole from the 5/16, just missed lasting for second. FATHER OF IRELAND backed outside late far turn, went evenly. PREACHER MAN was three-wide early, backed off to tuck third 3/16, came back out raw past the 5/8 but did not gain and tucked back in. SHELL SHOCK broke just before the start; STONE CHIP HALL broke just after the start.
THIRD RACE – The rain had stopped … SERIOUS MIKI was three-wide to the 1/8 after being looped, then two-wide and went to the lead 5/16, had a serious challenger from the 11/16 but seemed to have things in hand late confidently – in 1:51.3 in a “nw2” in the slop. UNCONTROLLABLE fired away looping everybody, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, gapped slightly off the battle on the far turn, but stayed trying hard right to the wire. MIKIBYTHESEASIDE got forward position, came out 5/8 and reached the leader by the 11/16, fought hard with him into the stretch, drifted wide a bit and couldn’t sustain the charge. WARRAWEE WHYNOT was looped and four-wide early before taking back to last, moved again into turn two and got cover 5/8, couldn’t stay with it midturn. HIGH BALLER was third-over but couldn’t get into it. DILLINGER left some but then was not heard from. BAY BRUTE was not a major player.
FOURTH RACE – TRUFFLES TOO was away second then moved 3/16 to gain control by the ¼, went along at a decent clip, enough to withstand FLEMSTEEN. The latter went to the front towards turn one, yielded out of that turn for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, good but second-best here. DYNAMITE VOLO went evenly along the inside. SOOT HANOVER moved uncovered 5/8 but couldn’t sustain any gain late. RARE MUSCLE gapped. CARTIER BI broke soon past the start. ARTHUR BOY miscued 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – PAULAS BET HANOVER got away fourth, appeared to wait for the third horse to pull but did so herself 5/8 when the other stayed in, brushed right to the lead ¾, saw the tailing BEACHBLANKETLINDY move to her on the turn but had more than enough. The latter as noted followed the winner, left raw ¾ and gained on the turn, couldn’t sustain the move but a clear second. QUICK SIX was between horses to briefly take the lead past the 1/8, settled for the pocket off the first turn, shuffled behind the tired pacesetter then out in a blindswitch nearing late turn, came on between horses. MORROCKIN K was in the outer flow, three-wide around a stalled one headstretch, had finishing pace. BARDMIRY was in the early mix then yielded, looked to be considering going raw but stayed in, then was shuffled, in a blindswitch, not that much once clear. HURRIKANEMYSHANNON was in the lively outer flow but didn’t have enough in the last 1/8. MAJOR HOULIHAN offered little. IDEAL IN MIRACLES looked at leaving but took back to last and wasn’t heard from again. ITALIA SEELSTER was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide the rest of the first turn to get the lead, had no answer when the winner came calling and backed through the field.
SIXTH RACE – A shower would pop up intermittently … PRAIRIE VIRTUE wound up in the pocket, came out headstretch and was up by a nostril over KOKOMO. The latter was away second then first when the leader broke 3/16, set a slow pace to the half, responded to the first-over, then just missed as the winner came on. GOODGOLLYMISSMOLLY stuck to the inside and was along for third over EVIL EMPRESS. The latter angled behind a four-wide wall into turn one and tucked, stayed in, evenly late. BROAD STROKES was second-over, had just started three-wide when the first-over ran, couldn’t make up ground. BLESS YOUR HEART gapped. MISS MAYTRIX was four-wide into the first turn and gradually eased her way back to last, broke past the half. TWO PIECE TANLINES made a nice gain going up raw the third quarter, but tired and broke early far turn. A MILLION CHUCKLES went to the top, but took a bad knuckling step and ran 3/16.
SEVENTH RACE – HURRIKANE GEORGIE was in front at the 1/8, yielded just past the 5/16 to sit the pocket, outside early stretch and got up in time over BET NINETEEN. The latter was outleft but stayed outside, in gear past the 1/8 to the lead just past the 5/16 and got a little breather to the half, paced on well to the wire but was nipped by the pocket rocket. GRATEFUL KISS went out third-over then went back in ¾, gained up the inside late for the distant third. DESIRED ART was second-over, three-wide to headstretch, couldn’t gain. THE BIG PICTURE gapped in last, came between horses late for the last check. JASPER HANOVER left and secured the early pocket, stayed in, not much late. PATRIOT LINE was uncovered at the half but never was menacing before backing off.
EIGHTH RACE – KISS AN ANGEL took control right away and fronted these throughout, no problem. SOUTHWIND RITZ raced up into the pocket, held on for a pretty good second. CUSTOMARILY went to the Pocono Pike from third-in, evenly. FAWN DE TOUCH moved out behind the parked horse, had to go three-wide far turn, finished in a good gear. FINLANDIA did not factor; nor did SALT AND VINEGAR. NANCY BAR left, found no hole and had to take all the air, fell back 5/8. GOLD STONES sat in then backed out third-over, couldn’t keep up and ran before midturn.
NINTH RACE – SUNRISE HANOVER moved out before the 5/8 and went on to challenge, wore down the leader by midturn, won with sharp speed. FOLLOW YOUR NOSE got in fourth at the 1/8, then was second-over, couldn’t stay with the leader in the stretch but went on to grab second. LOOKING SANTASTIC yielded for the pocket, shuffled far turn as the leader gave way, waited for the Pocono Pike and collected third ahead of SWEETONTHEBEACH. The latter set the pace and slowed the half, but wasn’t quick enough in the last 3/16. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER was out with cover and wide headstretch, evenly. WINNING WORDS appeared to have a strap dangling near the ¼, never in it. NARINA HANOVER was outside on the far turn but got rough, not prominent late.
TENTH RACE – GRAY DRAGON left and had cover before the 1/8, went three-wide before the ¼ as a breaker moved to two-wide, continued on to get the lead towards the 3/8, met the challenge of the onrushing first-over, then gave the field the slip in another impressive victory. IM A GIGOLO N was out to the ¼, avoided the incident and took the open pocket, used the Pocono Pike to rally for the distant second. TELL THEM LOU was third-over, four-wide headstretch and closed very well. BLU CREW gapped early and (even though gapping) briefly checked nearing the 1/4, in gear to the half and came up a long way first-over, rebuffed but stayed game in the fight for minor honors. CIGAR SMOKING TONY was trying to hold on to the early lead when the pocket horse ran up on him to the ¼, got a foe to tuck and then let the winner go 3/8, did not have enough late. HURRIKANEKINGJAMES struggled second-over, went three-wide but couldn’t get into it. GET LIT tucked, had to check when the horse in front of him made a break nearing the ¼, inside, was blocked in the stretch. SHVAIKO was always far back. HORSE was maintaining the pocket past mid-first turn, looked to get a little rank and ran up on the leader near the 3/16, made a break and went outside.
ELEVENTH RACE – WORTHY OF HONOR went to the lead before the first turn and had things his own way, won safely. ISLAND LILY stayed third-in, used the Pocono Pike when the pocket horse pulled, gained some. TUIS SHADOW sat the pocket trip, came out headstretch, neither gained nor lost ground. ALTUS HANOVER made a break while fourth at the ¼, quickly caught back on and was uncovered and one-gear advancing the bulk of the race, held together very well late. CHING CHING LUCKY was second-over, three-wide late turn, evenly. CHOCOLATE MATTERS slipped into a midpack tuck, not much to offer thereafter. SERRANO VOLO was three-wide early outside and steadied past the ¼ when a foe broke, got inside, little late. SHEER MUSCLE was third-over, made a break nearing headstretch.
TWELFTH RACE – Sunshine! … AP HALL OF TRIX got position leaving, on the move just past the half and hit a higher gear 5/8 to clear to the lead after a fast third quarter, had 2½ lengths past midturn, saw all but a neck of that gobbled up by MAGNIFICENT SEVEN but did last to the wire. The latter had cover but didn’t stay with the winner’s quick move into the far turn, but never gave up and kept getting closer. DIVINE SPIRIT was stuck in, out in a blindswitch far turn then inside in the lane and was next-best. BANZAI AS was fourth-over, four-wide into the stretch and outkicked HUNTING AS. The latter got a tuck, then was third-over and three-wide, outtrotted. PRESIDENT never factored. CAN’T SAY NO got into the pocket well into the fast first quarter, was shuffled when the leader gave way ¾. PETER’S EXPRESS went up between horses to take over and went 26.4 to seat a foe, under attack down the back and was finished 3/4.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MANKAT was first on top then yielded 3/16, vacated the pocket 11/16 and challenged, got a short lead, looked possibly in danger of being swallowed by the second-over but that one broke midstretch, went on gamely. CAPTAINOFROCKNROLL was three-wide to the first turn, tucked third, stayed in and went to the pocket as it was vacated 11/16, to the Pocono Pike, coming on well. DRAGON ROARS AGAIN made the top 3/16 and kept up a fast pace, was challenged from late backstretch and then on both sides in the lane, held pretty well. EMBLAZE HANOVER and SOMEWHEREINVERONA were two-wide slightly off the top bunch far turn, both finishing very strongly wide. BEACH FIRE K gapped most of the second quarter, got going uncovered and then got cover 11/16, wide in the lane and may have had the momentum to go by but broke midstretch, placed. TRANSPARENCY was buried inside, had no room upper stretch then was in tight quarters with the breaker midstretch.
FOURTEENTH RACE – FULL MOON BEACH got forward position, moved quickly 3/8 to get the lead, left these far behind from the ¾ in a quick mile over a drying but still-off surface. KAUAI KING moved uncovered 5/8, got to a clear second early stretch, urged to hold that position. CAPTAIN ROMANCE was first to go outside, got cover but gapped, narrowed in a bit. MAJOR SHOW gapped in front of the stands, a bit late. HULOU was first on top, yielded, stayed in and was shuffled badly when the pocketsitter gave way. KEYSTONE CATALYST gradually made his way up to the lead off the first turn, yielded to the winner, couldn’t keep up in the pocket ¾. ANDRES HANOVER was off the gate and gapped in last throughout.