FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … GET LIT was three-wide to the first turn, had cover for a bit then moved on to the lead 5/16, yielded to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and had a good late bid for the tally. OFFICIAL DELIGHT tucked at the 1/8, came again uncovered 5/8, paced steadily to the wire. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN was second-over, tipped three-wide for the stretch and did well. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS tucked, moved 5/16 to the lead 3/8 and set a hot pace, gave way some, returned with “b.e.” MAC ANOVER was four-wide early and circled everybody past the 1/8, yielded, stayed in, to the deep Pike, OK. ROCK ON LOU stayed in, did not have a clear stretch path. DIVISION BELL was in the outer flow, wide, flattened a little. CAPTAIN MCKEE was last, stacked widest and was going forward at the end. URBAN RENEWAL was outside but gapped.
SECOND RACE – TORONTO was looped and three-wide to the 3/16 then covered to just past the ¼, went on to command 3/8, came home in twin 27.4s to win easily. MIKIBYTHESEASIDE moved uncovered into the second turn, was able to tuck into the pocket in front of a gapper 11/16, no threat to win but not threatened to be caught for second. MICHAEL’S MONSTER was in the two-wide tier, moved three-wide before midturn but was a bit rough, still was next in line. ARTIST BEST cleared everybody from PP9 before the first turn, pushed a quick quarter before yielding, shuffled a bit as the original pocketsitter couldn’t keep up, finally to the Pocono Pike, made up a little. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH was looped between horses, went up to get the front past the ¼, yielded to the winner 3/8, did a slow fade from the half. KAUAI KING was shuffled to last and had to stack four-wide, OK on the end. BEACH PARTY was two-wide on the turn, blindswitched, not a big factor. BALI BEACH got early position, stayed in, gapped out ¾. AMAZING BET moved out behind the place horse, but couldn’t keep up gumming up the traffic flow.
THIRD RACE – MILIEU HANOVER got a forward spot, rethought a quarter-move, then brushed on the second turn to the lead not far off that bend and went a 26.4 third quarter, held very gamely to the finish. REALIZATION followed the winner then was left raw early backstretch, went 26.2 down the back to get to the leader to the ¾, battled that one all the way home. NATCHEZ BELLE left and made the lead in a quick quarter, reluctant to yield but did so before the 3/8, quickly retook, quickly passed by the winner then stayed tight in the pocket, had a chance in the Pocono Pike but didn’t have enough response, way ahead of the rest. DEJA VROOM was outside early, followed midpack cover then was three-wide ¾ and a distant best of the rest. AVERYS HAILSTORM got the last check. MORROCKIN K was outside the duration without ever getting close. THE NEXT TWO were stuck inside horses who couldn’t keep up. JK’S JENNA was outside leaving and went onward, finally got the top to the 3/8, immediately yielded, suffered “b.e.” in the third quarter and dropped out of it.
FOURTH RACE – PADRE headed down the road, kept a foe parked despite getting a breather in quarter two, stayed in control. TART TONGUE moved second-over, left uncovered 5/8 when his cover dropped into the pocket after the occupant of that spot broke, kept on coming steadily. ARMANI HANOVER had an excess of cover, aided when the horse in front of him broke late turn, closed for the distant third. BY A HOFF HANOVER was three-wide past the 1/8, then hung out until getting a break when the pocketsitter broke 5/8, dropped in, far ahead of the rest. I’LLALWAYSBEBACK stayed flat. F X HANOVER was inside and caught behind a tiring horse, broke nearing headstretch. MISTER WALKER was able to maintain the pocket until breaking 5/8 and going to the infield. CREATE broke right after the start. ONE AFTER NINE was in a good flow and was tightening on cover when miscuing mid-far turn.
FIFTH RACE – BAY BRUTE was three-deep before turn one, took the pocket just before the first quarter, stayed connected, outside stretch and snapped right by the leader. HIGH BALLER edged out late backstretch, wide and found very good strides a bit too late. YER SO BAD made the lead, got a breather in quarter two but went a combined 54.1 in the quarters on either side, gave way. THE BIG PICTURE had some speed, gapped then tightened in and outside to the ¾, not too much late. BOLTMAN was outside but ducked in on the turn, no factor. THE OTHERS were always far back.
SIXTH RACE – AWESOME TRIX was looped and pressed on to take over 5/16, never in doubt in the crucial stages. MISS ZELDA was second-over, three-wide towards headstretch and just got second over THE QUEEN B in the last stride. The latter had some speed, then gapped from going into turn two until the 5/8, then pulled raw and went up some, almost held onto second. BILLIE CLAIRE was third-over, didn’t tip off cover until midstretch, finished OK. KAYLA’S PLAYMATE gained up the inside when the three in front of her pulled 5/8. SALT AND VINEGAR was four-wide leaving but quickly dropped down to take the lead at the 1/8, yielded to the winner, stayed close most of the way until the stretch. THE LAST THREE were always in the back.
SEVENTH RACE – SOUTHWIND XENA quarter-moved and quickly took over, bottomed these out in a 27.4 third quarter, won for fun. BARDMIRY went into the pocket past the 1/8, came outside into the stretch and took the distant deuce. SNUF ENUF HANOVER gapped early, stayed in, used the Pocono Pike for third. MIKI THE CLOWN moved outside early far turn, had some late foot. TSM WESTERN SOUL was away well, yielded for the pocket, struggled in the last ¼. THE LAST TWO couldn’t go enough.
EIGHTH RACE – THESUNRISESAGAIN outfooted these away by a good margin, had an open lead to the half despite a 30.4 second quarter, then left the rest far back in the shade. KOKOMO got into a distant second after an outside contender for the spot broke 3/16, in effect cut her own 1:58.1 mile to retain the deuce over CARTIER BI. The latter tucked, moved outside past midturn but couldn’t pass the pocketsitter. BARKEEPER moved with cover far turn, had some belated trot. THE NEXT THREE were over their heads against this winner. INCENTIVE broke early and then again before the half. MISS MAYTRIX was looped, going up to try to get in the pocket when losing gait 3/16.
NINTH RACE — DREAM CHASER went to the top and set a good pace while not under pressure until late, when she had to be good to ward off GINGER TREE LIZ. The latter came through on the rail to secure the pocket and stayed close, outside in the stretch, narrowed in and almost made it. RAPUNZEL BLUE CHIP tucked third, gapped most of the middle half, better on the turn and good late in the Pocono Pike. STEPHANIE DEO was second-over, three-wide late turn and closed well. WICKED WAYS left, took the 4-tuck 3/16, sat in, a bit inside late. IN LOU OF MONEY came first-up before the half and went a third quarter of 27.1 but only got to the winner’s wheel, backed off in the last quarter. CAPSAICINN was third-over but didn’t offer much. CAPTAINS MAID looked at leaving but backed off and was three-wide taking back to last at the ¼, swung wide headstretch but couldn’t gain, luckless outing. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER was never a presence here.
TENTH RACE – TRU LOU quickly made the top, rated the half, went 27.3 down the back and still saw the first-over’s bid continue, finally disposed of that one but needed all of a 26.3 kicker to withstand CIGAR SMOKING TONY. The latter tucked third, stayed in, angled out past midturn and wide headstretch, appeared to want to lug in through the stretch and had to be kept on course, still ate up the ground furiously. MANKAT yielded for the pocket and had a golden journey, not enough sprint in the Pocono Pike. COALITION HANOVER moved uncovered before the 5/8, went his own third split in 27 and continued to challenge the winner through the turn, then tired. BELMONT MAJOR N showed little. REIGNING DEO tired to go with cover but could not.
ELEVENTH RACE – BEYOND ORDINARY was three-wide to the 3/16 then briefly behind cover, left raw off the first turn and to the front before the 3/8, had a foe rush to him late backstretch but held that one off, drew away. SVF BLUSHINGBRIDE moved with good energy raw from the 5/8 until early stretch, then flattened, still held second over CAN’T SAY NO. The latter was between horses until making the top 3/16, pushed almost that far before yielding for the two-hole, gapped nearing the ¾, just missed place. BANZAI AS was second-over but couldn’t go with cover. ALTUS HANOVER was underway before anybody else but couldn’t get close. GINGER TREE KNOX never was a presence here. TUIS SHADOW was innermost in a three-horse duel early, yielded, had little left in the stretch. AP HALL OF TRIX never featured.
TWELFTH RACE – MARSALA HANOVER had the lead going to the first turn and stung a rival before releasing her to sit the two-hole, outside past midturn, didn’t find her best strides until late, but soon enough to catch CLASSICIST. The latter was three-wide before the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead at the ¼, rolled on at a fast clip, went a big mile and wasn’t caught by much. PODIUM GIRL maintained good position throughout, was outstepped by the top two late but a clear third. INCASEYOUDIDNTKNOW was uncovered from the 5/8, paced home in 54.2 – deceptively sharp. EMMA moved outside to little avail. FIGHTING EVIL fought geometry while four-wide almost to the 1/8, took back and went inside off turn one, started to gap 3/8, faded. ATORITOTELL offered little. THE OTHER PAIR lost contact down the back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – LOU ED ZEPPELIN was rarin’ to go and set the pace with two moves, got a slight breather from the 3/8 to the half, then came home in 54.2, had to be good to defeat the unrelenting SOMEWHEREINVERONA and was. The latter was about to be looped so took the 3-hole, moved raw 5/8 and kept coming at the leader, unlucky to lose. GAMBLIN MO moved out second-over, wide and was a quarter-step off the top two. CAPTAIN SLEAZE was outside just past the 1/8 to make the front, pushed the winner then yielded 3/8, stayed close until early stretch then really ran out of gas. STELLAR YANKEE gapped midpack, but not as badly as THE REMAINING THREESOME did.
FOURTEENTH RACE – ABOVE THE CLOUDS stayed connected, moved out past the 11/16 and went forward, proved to have the most late. ALPINE kept a foe hung most of the 3/8 before yielding for the pocket, inherited the lead when the pacesetter broke past midturn, held second in a photo over NANCY BAR. The latter gapped much of the middle of the race then was closer on the far turn and moved outside, closed (into the 30 kicker). DAGON HANOVER took back to take third 3/16, came through the trouble then went to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t summon a sufficient late response. FAWN DE TOUCH was hard to take back early, stayed flat afterward. CAPITAL T STORM broke early, caught the field, but couldn’t contend. PILOT HANOVER was behind a gapper much of the way, wasn’t on the move when breaking late turn and going inside the course. KEYSTONE BARRACUDA was three-wide to the 3/16 then worked to the lead before the 3/8, kept up a fast pace, but broke when challengers came up past midturn, went inside the pylons. TUFF TO BE LINDY broke off the first turn.