FIRST RACE – Warm day with a stretch headwind … BUSBOY HANOVER let outside foes go by at the 1/8, moved uncovered to the half and with a 26.1 third quarter went to the lead 11/16, an easy winner. CLASS SIX was three-wide just past the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead past the 5/16, didn’t have enough to keep the winner outside, but the only one who could be remotely close. BAMSKI had some speed, sat in and was trapped on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike and a distant third. VALIDUS DEO was uncovered into turn two, caught cover ½ but soon was gapping it and essentially raw, couldn’t come home this fast. DO YA THINK was last until late on the turn, went widest and was along for the last check. NEWBIE tried to go three-wide around cover ¾ but could not. BLOW A CLOUD N was between horses to the early lead, yielded 5/16, gapped from just past the 5/8. CAPTAIN HILL was never in the picture.

 

SECOND RACE – JACK RULES tucked, got underway at the half and soon had cover, three-wide late turn and trotted away from these – the start of the George and Darren Show. FINAL DREAM was far back most of the way, came off the rail late turn and swung wide into the path behind the winner, showed good stretch trot and photoed WISENHEIMER for second. The latter yielded then moved 3/16 before the parked horse came up, on top by the ¼, kept rolling down the back, no match for the winner and just caught for second. DARTY outleft everybody, yielded for the two-hole, not too much in the Pocono Pike. MIGHTY SURF bided his time early, then tucked third 3/16 as another foe went up to take command, uncovered into the backstretch, grinded up, fair. MUSKINGUM gapped third-over 11/16. ZOOMING never featured. KEYSTONE THUNDER gapped inside down the backstretch.

 

THIRD RACE – BENSON BOYS N made the lead, surrendered to the early brusher, moved outside behind the duelers on the far turn, moved three-wide and won easily. WARRAWEE VELOCE sat in, got room up the Pocono Pike and was along for place. BLACKLIGHT quarter-moved and kept going at a fast pace, was challenged from the 11/16, fought on with courage. CAVIART ROCKLAND took the early two-hole at the 1/8, inside, followed the path of the winner but didn’t accelerate as quickly exiting the far turn, gaining late. CAPTAIN MCKEE was never a factor. MELODIES MAJOR moved uncovered before the 5/8 and put in a big challenge, but could not sustain any gain in the lane. WALTER MITTY was third-over, gapped a gapping second-over BARNABAS. MAJOR OFFENSE had lost contact before the quarter.

 

FOURTH RACE – RIVER OTTER took over control at the 1/8, in charge of things throughout the last half. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY made the lead and yielded for the two-hole, started to get a bit loose by the 9/16, did hold second over PROTOSTAR. The latter was uncovered early in the backstretch, never reached the leader, OK late. KEYSTONE SERGEANT came off the rail late turn, evenly. ANDOVERS TOUCH moved second-over 11/16 but was soon gapping. MAJESTIC SUNRISE left a big gap well past the half, narrowed in a little, so-so along the inside. ICINGON DE CUPCAKE was never in it. THE OTHER PAIR were at the rear.

 

FIFTH RACE – ALBERGO HANOVER was three-wide leaving, considered a three-tuck 3/16 but decided to go on and took over past the 5/16, slowed the half then accelerated rapidly to deal with a huge charge from the first-over, kept him at bay, then maintained an advantage to the wire. LYONS AMUSEMENTS left strongly from the rail, did yield for the pocket, gapped a bit during the wicked third quarter but then tightened in, Pocono Pike, raced well to the wire. ROBBIE BURNS N also gapped inside in the third split, also got tighter, decent in the deep Pike. DECLAN SEELSTER was second-over, gapped in the third quarter, was coming back a little late. MIGHTY SANTANA N went first-over on a supersonic brush going his third quarter in 25.4(!) but not able to clear, held his ground to midstretch, where he understandably tired a bit. BULLVILLE TERROR went evenly. THE OTHER TWO never made their presence felt.

 

SIXTH RACE – EVANNA was three-deep to the 1/8 then two-wide most of the quarter to make the lead, got a slow second quarter into the wind then sped it up down the back, a comfortable winner. NICE STUFF was innermost of three leavers, yielded, stuck behind the gapping pocketsitter on the turn and had to wait for the Pocono Pike, then gave a good response to be a clear second. CRITICAL MASS backed out to second-over early second turn, got no help from his favored cover, three-wide ¾, not bad from a not-good spot. CELEBRATE WINNING left between horses to get the advantage 1/8, yielded at the ¼, couldn’t stay with the winner from the 11/16. CELEBRITY MASERATI got the last payday. EVERYONE’S TALKIN went first-over from sixth past the 3/8 but was badly on a line the second turn, never advanced. SWISS PLATINUM gapped out past the half.

 

SEVENTH RACE – WAR-N-MUNN went to the lead, yielded but moved again to the top in front of the parked horse, had no problem the last 5/16. SHANE ADAM was able to come first-over two-wide as the parked horse drifted out, went 26.3 down the back but could not clear over to the rail there or on the turn, held off INDIGO ART for second. The latter backed out to second-over 5/8, gapped cover a bit, then a little better late and just missed second. WHITE HAIR ROCKS had some speed, stayed connected, shuffled when the pocketsitter tired, but didn’t have much rebound once free. LOVE THE ACTION worked up to the front 3/16, yielded to the winner, gradually lost connection behind that one from the 11/16. REGAL SON was always well off the action. BELL I NO was three-wide early after being looped and decided to press on, saw the winner move in front of him just before the ¼, then again raw, drifted out entering turn two and started falling back just past the half. NATIVE’S SWEETLOU offered very little. KEYSTONE STEAM gapped then broke on the far turn.

 

EIGHTH RACE – GEMOLOGIST was in front just past the 1/8, slowed the half then sped up, didn’t come home particularly quickly but was more than enough for these. MARION GONDOLIER kept close the whole way, to the Pocono Pike and took second ahead of CONQUEST AS. The latter moved uncovered 11/16, a steady one-gear to the line. PRESIDENT moved outside on the turn, wide, OK late. TRUEMASS VOLO stayed in, ducked inside in the stretch, gained some then may have been shut off late. MANHATTANUP NO ICE defended the pocket, came up empty in the lane. NOTHING BUT MUSCLE fell back in the last half.

 

NINTH RACE – BABES DIG ME drifted out early, started going forward at the 1/8, had the pocketsitter vacate and get pushed to the 3/8 while following his cover, then went on to get the lead early on turn two in a fast half, put up a third straight 27.2 quarter, handled confidently late despite several late rushers – for the day, George Napolitano Jr. six wins, Darren Taneyhill five wins. OLLIE’S Z TAM shot right to the lead, pushed the first challenger to the 3/8 and yielded, inside, got to the Pocono Pike and closed well. TOOKADIVEOFFDIPPER had an excess of cover, widest in the stretch and flying towards the wire. SOMEBEACH BARON moved from second 3/16 but was left out until the 3/8 in clearing, yielded to the winner, a bit loose the last quarter but did come back with “b.e.” TOWN GOSSIP was second-over, three-wide late turn, finished steadily. BAY MEADOWS stayed in, wasn’t gaining late. THE WALL went 26.4 to challenge after moving raw 9/16, but his bid stalled. MACH WEST couldn’t get into the picture.

 

TENTH RACE – STONE HANOVER showed gate speed and was well-placed throughout behind the top two, moved outside late turn then wide, still fourth midstretch but kicked in and went by everybody. SOMBODYITREASURE made it to the rail at the 1/8 and soon was in the pocket, vacated same 11/16 and quickly moved to get a small advantage but not the rail, fought on gamely to the line. MIKE’S Z TAM came all the way up the inside from last to the pocket and then the Pocono Pike, briefly loomed midstretch but flattened a little. CURIOUS CORTEZ was three-wide to the first turn and made the front past the1/8, slowed the half, responded to a brisk challenge late backstretch to hold that foe outside and fought back to regain a small advantage, then tired some. BRAEVIEW BONDI A moved outside, couldn’t gain enough. JK MUSICMAN was a little off the gate, gapped a bit, no factor.

 

ELEVENTH RACE — RICH AND MISERABLE gapped considerably in the early dustup then narrowed in, uncovered 9/16 and trotted up to get to even to the ¾, lost a bit of ground on the far turn, but was resurgent under confident handling. THE LIONKING AS seemed determined to control the pace and went 26.4, slowed it down after an outside foe broke, had to pick it up when the heavy favorite came calling, held that one out on the turn and into the lane, finally gave way after a good mile. ARCHIBALD filled the early pocket, went a bit loose at the ¾ as the top two fought, went on evenly. BANK BOX TREASURE was third-over behind a gapper, three-wide ¾ and made up a good bit of ground. NEXTROUNDSONME was the first to pull and soon wound up fourth-over, no factor. TSM PHOTO BUGGER was off the gate a little and never factored. GRAPPLE HANOVER left a gap starting at the 3/8. MAJESTIC MARVEL was second-over, couldn’t keep up 5/8 and broke on the far turn. MUSHANA left hard, had the pocket kept shut on him and then broke 3/16.