FIRST RACE – Stretch tailwind … KEYSTONE STEAM was quarter-mover #2 to the lead just past the 3/8, drew away from these the last 3/16. JESSE DUKE N moved out on the far turn and wide for the stretch, got past ABSOLUTE INTENT. The latter moved outside midturn, just outkicked for second. MISSILE SEELSTER was parked 3/16 for the lead, saw two go by in quarter two, lost ground when shuffled behind a tiring pocketsitter headstretch, almost rerallied for second. HOW ARE YEE JOHN made two speed moves then yielded for the pocket, all done late on the turn. GIVEN UP TERROR and SUNSHINE WEST were always far back. DEVIL OR ANGEL broke w-a-y before the start, was pulled up.
SECOND RACE – KEYSTONE THUNDER left and got to sit in the pocket right behind duelers, got to the Pocono Pike and steady worked to the lead. KANDY KORN moved out 11/16 then three-wide midturn, may have had a short lead early stretch but outkicked to the inside. TROTTING Z TAM wasted no time getting the lead, had a persistent challenger hounding him through fast fractions, tired. NOBLE ANTHONY followed the two- and three-wide tiers, some late. PUERTO RICO gapped at the ¾. GRAN PARAISO was never in the hunt. CHUCKY DE VIE was left hung the mile outside the leader, lasted longer and better than most do from that tough spot. DEVIOUS HANOVER went to a break and into the infield nearing the half.
THIRD RACE – AGGIORNAMENTO made the lead between horses, relinquished but was quick to reclaim, got a slow middle half and still lost everybody but pocketsitter BACKSTREET PLAYER, came home in 28.1 to ward off that one. The latter was three-wide to near the 1/8 and went on to take over the racetrack, yielded for the pocket, outside stretch and well but just not quite enough sprint. BEETLEJUICE was gapping before turn two and had a big gap behind the top two open up, held on to third. BANTAM gapped the gapper show horse, made up a little ground. JOBAVA HANOVER moved outside before the 5/8 but was soon offstride.
FOURTH RACE – Wind calm … IDENTITY POLICE was outside near the back, went frontward 3/16, got into a tuck third at the ½ and rested, then pulled before the ¾ and swept right by late turn, tons the best. CHERRY MASON made the front, yielded, sat the pocket, backed out behind the winner late turn and was left raw, a clear second. MANUKA went to the lead, yielded, gapped to the half and allowed the winner in, moved out down the back but didn’t gain and went back in, then surprisingly angled wide and found a good late gear for third. FATHER PATS SECRET tucked third, then moved shortly before the ¼ to the lead 5/16, got a breather down the back but still had no answer when the outer horses came on. GAVINATOR gapped, didn’t show too much. GOTCHA HANOVER was away last from the rail and never entered the picture. THE PAPA BEAR moved outside from far back but didn’t gain.
FIFTH RACE – SUN TEMPLE got an early spot, then moved 5/16 to command, got a slow half and didn’t face much of a challenge. CHAMBERS COVE left between horses for the pocket, moved out ¾, was in tight quarters with TURN THE TAB turning for home, came on well. BUCKET HEAD gapped early, stayed in, next-best. TURN THE TAB was uncovered before the 5/8, got cover ¾, appeared in get in tight with the place horse headstretch and made an “ix,” recovered some. LATIFAH HANOVER was three-wide to 1/8 command, yielded for the pocket, had little left in the lane. GOO GOO LU LU never featured. WILD KAT G broke while far back late turn.
SIXTH RACE – CELEBRITY SERENA gapped slightly midpack down the back behind a fast pace, outside ¾ and gradually ground down BIZET. The latter left some, moved 5/16 to 3/8 command and kept up hot fractions for this type, reluctant to give up the lead but finally did late. KISS ON FIRE AS was three-wide towards turn one, took the pocket 3/16, stayed connected, backed out with cover past midturn, distant best of the rest. ANDOVERS TOUCH left between horses and pressed on to command seating a rival, yielded to the chalk, seemed empty far turn. SPEED BALL SWAGGER moved outside but didn’t gain. THE OTHER PAIR had no say in the outcome of this one.
SEVENTH RACE – BLING IM A WINNER was uncovered to the 5/8, grinded up into a 1:01 back half and proved the best. YOUNG MICHELLE gapped in the rear at the ½, tightened in 11/16, to the deep Pocono Pike, may have been in tight quarters upper stretch but then was along for second. AMBERS CHAMPION was off the gate, inside, moved out far turn then gapped, evenly late past tired horses. PRAIRIE TRINKET was away third then gradually narrowed in in the pocket when the pocketsitter broke 3/16, Pocono Pike, not much. KRISTIELEIGH went a relatively fast quarter and half, but had nothing left headstretch in a race with a 1:01 last half. MOODY BLUE broke not long off the first turn. CIAO BELLA was in the pocket early when breaking 3/16 and going to the infield.
EIGHTH RACE – A stretch tailwind picking up a little … MUAY HANOVER forced tucks from inside leavers then yielded to the widest leaver 5/16 to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and drew away from this field (despite 30.3 with a tailwind). FRAC was first-over before the 5/8, went on steady to nab second over MUSKINGUM. The latter left but backed off early, inside, to the Pike, couldn’t go with the winner but had a little gain. CON AIR HALL was urged while four-wide at the 1/8, got to two-wide and then the lead 5/16, rolled on, not enough for the latter stages. GOLDEN ZETTE was stuck inside far turn, clear in the stretch, so-so. WHOUCALLNCRAZY was behind the gapping cover of ELO HANOVER, blindswitched far turn, didn’t seem to have too much once clear. CELEBRITY ROLEX was off the gate, tried to gain three-wide ¾ but could not.
NINTH RACE – MAGIC VACATION was three-wide to the 1/8, then went on to take over 5/16, yielded to be well-placed behind a fast pace, came on and drew away easily. MAX’S BEAST used the rail early, yielded but came back to get the lead, went on quickly, had to settle for second. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY was outside early on the backstretch, one-geared along for a steady third. TSM PHOTO BUGGER left, tucked at the 1/8, not enough late. ICINGON DE CUPCAKE moved third-over 11/16, four-wide headstretch, finished with trot. CIMERONKEN was second-over, three-wide midturn, not as sharp as some of the others. O JONNIE came five-wide headstretch, had no chance but still missed show by only 1¼ lengths, as did CASH FOR GOLD, who sat inside then used the Pocono Pike. PRESIDENT couldn’t offer much.
TENTH RACE – SPANISH ART moved second-over but gapped cover, kicked into a higher gear late and won going away. FLYINGEVENBETTOR N quarter-moved and kept up a good clip, met the head-to-head challenge of the first-over BULLVILLE TERROR, but then couldn’t kick enough late. The latter was first-up and reached the leader by pacing in 27.1 down the back, not much between these two to the line. CAPTAIN CASH made the front at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose on the turn, came back some in the Pocono Pike. PREMIER ROCKSTAR took the pocket leaving, stayed in, in the deep Pike and steadily. GONNAHAVEONEMORE couldn’t enter into it. IN ROCK WE TRUST was gapping at the back when breaking at the ¼.
ELEVENTH RACE – OOH RAH was parked 5/16 for the lead, turned back the first-over and briefly drew clear late turn, then barely lasted at 1-5 in a 1:00.1 back half. EVANNA came out to second-over 5/8, wide for the stretch and was closing in rapidly late. BARLEY was third-over, wide but still far back midstretch, motoring fastest of all late. CAJOLE HANOVER left hard and surrendered only to the favorite, sat the pocket, Pocono Pike, came up a bit shy. HOLIDAY HANOVER was three-wide past the 1/8 then took back, tucked third off the first turn, inside, OK deep in the Pike late. CRITICAL MASS never factored. KATKIN AND COKE and GREEK LEGEND gapped at the back. WHAT THAT IS came uncovered 9/16, progressed up to the flank of the leader ¾, soon tired.
TWELFTH RACE – FLIP MY CHIP was quarter-mover #2, had cover to near the 3/8 then went on by, never in doubt thereafter with a 27.1 last quarter. SHAKERTOWN gapped from before the ¼ past the half, then underway raw past the 5/8, closed solidly. ZEUS HANOVER went to the top 3/16, saw two go by in quarter two, stayed connected on the rail, then moved outside midstretch as HARRY HANOVER tired and went past that one for third. The latter left, yielded, was extended a little to clear to the lead then yielded to the winner, tired in the stretch. TWIN B MUMBLE never got close. CEDAR HALL HEIR slowed considerably on the backstretch then made a late break.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TW LAUXMONT left strongly, put a rival in behind, yielded to the early brusher to sit the two-hole, outside late turn, bore out in the stretch but still worked by KEYSTONE SERGEANT. The latter was away third then quarter-moved in front of a parked rival, set an even pace, fought hard but came up second here. SUM FOR ALL was uncovered from far back just past the 3/8, never got close but went on steadily to be next in line well off the top two. BLUEBIRD KEEPSAKE was double-looped and three-wide to the 1/8, then two-wide, mostly with cover, until tucking 3/8, out again but gapped cover, still went on determinedly late. SHOSHIE DEO was never in the main equation. MEADOWBROOK GLIDER moved outside but did not gain. LIBERO HANOVER was put into the early pocket, stayed, gapping before the 5/8. CLASSIC VENTURE moved out from last into turn two but quickly broke.