FIRST RACE –Slight stretch tailwind to start … JEREMES GENERAL left and got the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and worked past LYONS JOHNNY. The latter was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead shortly thereafter, rated quarter two, gave a good fight but settled for second. GRANTOR HANOVER left inside the top two and stayed behind them, so-so late, won show photo over TERLINGUA. The latter came up the inside after a rail journey, evenly. MEADOWBROOK FLASH moved out before the half, got cover to the 5/8, gapped some, picked it up a little late. HES GONE BADDER moved uncovered nearing the 5/8 but couldn’t get into contention. SHARKNADO was last at every call.
SECOND RACE – BETTER B ROLLING moved second-over and stayed right on cover, paced right on past the first-over late. GOLDEN GESTURE was looped early, finally found a seat third nearing the 5/16, didn’t stay in long going uncovered to the half, applied real pressure ¾, got a short advantage but couldn’t clear, kept that lead a long way in the lane until getting overhauled after a very difficult route. BRINGITONHOME N surrendered to sit the two-hole, out in a blindswitch behind the first-over to headstretch, next in line. ALL ABOUT RUSTY was third-over, gapped before the ¾, fair late. BEACHMASTER TWO had to come widest from last, OK late. ARTACUS never factored. BIG GAME HUNTER gapped inside. A REAL MIRACLE left well from the outside and was inside and on the lead by the 1/8, set the pace, had pressure ¾, had little left in the stretch.
THIRD RACE – AGGIORNAMENTO was away third, inherited second at the half, narrowed in on the leader down the back, outside stretch, went by in hand. DONZEL HANOVER had an open lead until late backstretch when the leader got close, not enough to hold him off. MUSCLE DAN stayed flat. EDITORIAL LICENSE had the pocket while rough, broke before the half. KHAL DROGO broke well before the start.
FOURTH RACE – FASHIONWOODCHOPPER was three-wide to the first bend, went into the pocket past the 1/8, popped out ¾ and sailed right by, all alone at the finish. BIG NUDGE moved uncovered into turn two, finally got cover 5/8, saw the winner steal away, kept on going at one gear and along for second. WHOUCALLNCRAZY was stuck in on the final turn then moved out into a blindswitch, cleared towards midstretch and gained a bit. NOBLE ANTHONY made up some ground from far back. KANDY KORN finally committed outside 5/8 but didn’t do much. GRAN PARAISO got positioning early, stayed in 5/8, struggled, blocked late turn, but little once clear. CHUCKY DE VIE went out to get the lead and forced the winner to tuck 3/16, all done when challenged early far turn. LAKEVIEW TAMMY broke at the half.
FIFTH RACE – DARTY was first on top, was challenged and yielded to the 3/8, then was shuffled to last as the rest of the field went by the new pacesetter down the backstretch, then outside midturn, angled wide early stretch, was still fifth at the pond but showed great heart in rallying back. STOP RESISTIN followed a brusher to the pocket 11/16, outside to headstretch, got the lead four steps before the wire but couldn’t stall the winner. LUCKY JUNE BUG was uncovered at the half and got little resistance brushing to the lead, held on to the lead a long way. O JONNIE stayed in the two-wide path on the turn, closed OK but outkicked by the winner. ANDOVERS TOUCH retucked third 11/16 then stayed in and could summon no more. BILLIE BLUE was a little delayed going frontward early and needed until the 3/8 to clear, all done when challenged 5/8.
SIXTH RACE – Intensified wind … STICK WITH ME KID went to the lead towards the first turn, yielded at the 1/8, saw an early challenger break then himself made a quarter-move to the lead, had only TW LAUXMONT remotely close from past the 3/8 and pulled away from that one in a fast time for this class. The latter made the top just past the 1/8, yielded to the winner, tightened in a little down the back but then couldn’t keep going, a clear second. SHOSHIE DEO left an ever-increasing gap from the 3/8, just held off NICE STUFF for third. The latter stayed in, went evenly. MUSKINGUM was uncovered in the backstretch but couldn’t go this much. ULYSSES BI was well back at the end of the main group. KEYSTONE SERGEANT got early position, was starting a brush 3/16 when breaking.
SEVENTH RACE – SWEET TALKIN SATIN gapped the first half fireworks, uncovered early backstretch and to the lead 11/16, held the advantage to the line with encouragement. HIGHVIEW CONALL N was third-over in the lively outer flow, three-wide headstretch, came on steadily but was a step late. ARCHETTO HANOVER was second-over, left raw late on the backstretch, in the fight between horses late, not quite enough but far ahead of the rest. LORD OF MISRULE was three-wide to the 1/8, looped a foe and got the top 3/16, yielded to that looped foe 5/16, shuffled late backstretch through the turn, came wide in the stretch and outfinished the others. MYIDEALSON N was between horses, looped at the 1/8, needed until the 5/16 to get in front, yielded to a brusher, stuck behind that one from late backstretch until late far turn, couldn’t recover. REDHOT ROMEO gapped, went wide, didn’t enter the picture. ALL ABOUT HEAVEN pushed away from the rail, yielded, quarter-moved, put up a quick half, surrendered 11/16 and faded. THE OTHER PAIR never featured.
EIGHTH RACE – GEORGIE MARTIN N got early position and stayed with the first half of the field, great second-over trip, wide in the lane and steadily got on top late. JUXTA COWGIRL left very strongly and forced a tuck in a 26 opener, continued on at a fast pace, clung to the lead tenaciously as long as she could. ABIGAIL DAWN took the pocket 3/16, stayed tight-up, Pocono Pike, not enough, perhaps bottomed chasing the fast pace. SO NICE HANOVER gapped a gapper early then tightened on that one, outside late backstretch and in third-over position on the turn, widest, OK but had too far to come. ROLL WITH ANGEL spotted third, was uncovered at the 5/8 and went head-to-head with the leader from the 11/16, held on very well. VELOCITY MCSWEETS gapped down the back, closed some. LITTLE SANDY TOES left a gap virtually all the way around (but it was a very fast pace). TRAFFIC JAM was last throughout.
NINTH RACE — In a pacing race that went only as quickly as an earlier “nw2500” trot … ROCK THREE TIMES used the rail well early and wound up in the pocket, was able to back out to second-over 11/16 behind a strong first-over as a foe gapped, uncovered far turn, won a close decision. CASHNCAM went in fourth 3/16, uncovered second turn, went on and took over the lead after a brief duel to the 3/16, almost lasted to the wire. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N had cover leaving and got in midpack at the ¼, then second-over, gapped past the 5/8 allowing the winner to move out, three-wide briefly ¾ back to following the winner’s cover, a step shy. IMAGINEUWITHOUTME was out in a blindswitch ¾ and advanced in that position on the turn, ducked into the inside for the drive, slightly flattened. BARNABAS was three-wide from far back and four-wide headstretch, came on. ASTON HILL DAVE never factored. COLUMBO got an early forward spot, could advance to the pocket before the ¾ but then was blocked by the fading pacesetter, didn’t appear to have much once clear. DAAMERICANSKY, occasionally rough, was up to the lead at the 5/16, went a fast half but still could not answer the first-over foe.
TENTH RACE – DELISHKA N left strongly, yielded before the 3/8 to sit right behind the favorite, to the Pocono Pike and outgunned her home. TURNTHEFROWNAROUND was briefly three-wide early, lost cover past the 1/8 and needed until nearing the 3/8 to take over, set a good pace, held well but just not enough sprint. ALLI NUI left, took the pocket past the 1/8, stayed in, had stretch clearance and held third over DBLDELITEBRIGADE N. The latter had clearance in the Pocono Pike off the top two and narrowed in. SWEET ROCKIN GIA took back, then backed out to second-over 11/16 but could make no impact. BRONSKIMACKENZIE A came up in 27.1 raw down the backstretch but never headed the pocket horse, faded in the last 1/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – CERTIFIED IDEAL left enough to put everyone behind, seemed in charge to the wire even though LETS DRAW was closing along the inside. The latter tucked third, got room in the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter went outside, narrowed in with good late speed. DEJA VROOM stayed in, gained some up the back, blocked in far turn, some late pace. MARYMACISBACK sat close in the pocket until the far turn, weakened and bore out in the stretch. SUNRISE HANOVER finished well from last. BULLVILLEKARLA didn’t have the greatest cover, but still never worked into contention. ROCK N ROLL ROSIE never featured. JENORA N was raw before the half, got to joint-third but likely never closer, then faded.