FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … BENJI’S BEST was last, moved uncovered early in the backstretch, got cover ¾ but was still a bit off of it, but once straightened away just overpowered this field. WALTER MITTY sat in, out in a blindswitch headstretch and behind a wall early stretch, had to wait for the winner to go by then could angle wider and finished very nicely to just get second. BABES DIG ME was looped leaving, had cover then dropped in the three-hole past the 1/8, outside ¾, steadily. WAR-N-MUNN was wide early, hung out 3/16 in a fast quarter to get the lead, yielded for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have a big late move. CURIOUS CORTEZ set the pace with two moves and just kept right on going, ran out of gas. SWEET N FAST N was always far back. REGAL SON gapped at times, had little to offer.
SECOND RACE – ROCK PARTY was looped early, went on to 3/16 command, rated the half, fought off the first-over, finished well. DARTY took over immediately, yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t make any but the slightest of gains. INNISFALLEN had some speed, backed out to second-over but gapped on the turn, wide and better late. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT stayed in, not clear in the stretch. CRAZYCAT was uncovered off turn two, went 27.4 the third quarter to challenge the leader and kept fighting, then went evenly late. SLATED TO WIN was not heard from. DAYTONA DREAMIN moved off turn two, didn’t gain much in the outer flow, three-wide far turn, not prominent. MUSHANA broke going to turn one.
THIRD RACE – SPORTS TEEN gapped in quarter two, then in gear to second-over, three-wide the entire far turn as the pocketsitter pulled, still paced away from that one. VALIDUS DEO defended the pocket in a fast quarter, came out late turn before the three-wide horse could pin him in, went to the stretch lead, raced well. DREAM OF LUCK took back to tuck 3/16, stayed in and gained inside to pocket position, angled out behind the top two early stretch and finished steadily. CLASS SIX was under constant pressure leading from the rail, faded. ROCKIN INTHE HILLS tried to follow the winner but could not. BAMSKI was between horses early and put in third 3/16, decided to try again but was left outside and fought with the pacesetter, faded the last ¼.
FOURTH RACE – DO YA THINK tucked third, came out first-over going to the half, went 27 down the back to have the lead going into the far turn, lengthened the advantage. WHATA TREASURE was crucially locked in late backstretch and much of the turn, finally came free and paced home well for second. LOUD SPLASH also took the inner route, went past a tired NEEDLESS TO SAY for third. The latter was briefly three-wide early, to the top 1/8, set the pace, faced an argument from the winner down the backstretch onwards, faded. JANAID got out second-over but immediately gapped cover. STEP ON THE GAS broke at the start. POCKET WATCH N came through at the start and got the pocket, was laboring from the 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – BERMUDA looked to leave but saw the inside two buzzing away and took back to her lineup position, outside 5/8, could tuck into the pocket at the ¾, outside stretch and gradually worked by JAZZED late. The latter took control from the pole, slowed the half then sped up, held gamely against a determined winner but had to settle for second. NO FOOLIN defended the pocket early, started to gap off the second turn, gave the pocket to the ¾, held third. LIFELUVN YANKEE couldn’t go enough. SWEET HELLO got very tired in the last quarter.
SIXTH RACE – MANHATTANUP NO ICE pulled at the 1/8, raw 3/8 and went right to the lead, not under pressure the last half. ZLATAN was outside 3/16 before getting the front, saw two go by, inside and blocked on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike, cut into the winner’s margin but wasn’t threatening. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was looped leaving and out with cover to the 3/16, then uncovered to the lead towards the 3/8, yielded for the two-hole, a bit loose most of the last half. KEYSTONE THUNDER yielded early for the “pocket” and was shuffled back to last, backed out to follow cover, tipped wide, mile may be a bit better than it looks. DA BOOGIE MAN, the only one not to have the lead at some point, made a good uncovered move commencing before the half, tired past midturn.
SEVENTH RACE – STELLAR BB had cover past the 3/16, then raw to gain control 3/8, dealt with whatever he had to and won nicely. ATTA BOY DAN was looped leaving, got the front past the 3/16, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, had a good trip, did not gain late but held his ground well. CAPTAIN MULZAC was uncovered at the half, got to even with the pocket horse on the turn, didn’t fade too much. LOU’S SWEETREVENGE was second-over, wide stretch, not enough. MIGHTY SANTANA N went evenly along the inside. LYONS AMUSEMENTS made the lead at the 1/8, yielded, started to gap ¾. LEAR SEELSTER never featured.
EIGHTH RACE – GLOBETROTTING was unhurried early, in gear from fourth 3/16 to the lead 3/8, set fast fractions, perhaps a bit tired late but seemed to be in control. THE LIONKING AS charged right to command, yielded 3/8 for the two-hole, didn’t keep up into the ¾ and around the turn, then made up some ground in the Pocono Pike. NEXTROUNDSONME was uncovered from near the back of the field, cover on the turn then three-wide headstretch, finished well. MIND YOWN BUSINESS went into the early pocket 3/16, sat in, outside midturn, evenly. NO DRAMA PLEASE narrowed in a bit late. MOON BRIDGE gapped from midbackstretch. POND JUMPER gapped from the half.
NINTH RACE – BENSON BOYS N moved before the 3/8 to command before the second turn, had his task made much easier as a brushing contender broke nearing headstretch, won easily. BUSBOY HANOVER moved outside down the back and may have briefly retucked third before following the sweeper, gapped that one before he broke, steadily for second. CLASSY HILL was in the flow, blindswitched midbackstretch, moved three-wide late turn, had to pause when a foe broke, recovered well. ALBERGO HANOVER was best of the rest. ALEX TYE left, yielded, quarter-moved, yielded again, couldn’t keep up ¾. MONTEFALCO N moved three-wide from a long way back early backstretch and paced his third quarter in 26.4 to get to two-wide, still looked in contention for a big share when breaking late turn. INDIGO ART was three-wide early to the lead 3/16 in a 25.4 opener, yielded, faded the back half.
TENTH RACE – HIT ME UP was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the ¼ and got control, slowed the half, then came home in 55.4 – 27.2 as much the best. JK I FEEL FINE protected the pocket, was loose in same most of the last half but still was clearly second-best. GALLERIA HANOVER took a forward position at the 1/8, steadily. COLLUSION ILLUSION went evenly. HOFFMAN HANOVER gained some with an uncovered bid down the back, but tired ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – BLAZEN RIVER N left as did four horses to his left so was taken back to two-wide, underway 3/16 and had the lead well before the ¾, kept on rolling stringing out the field, bore out in the stretch but had enough to hold off OLLIE’S Z TAM. The latter left rapidly four-wide to get the top, yielded to the winner, stayed pretty tight behind him, then came up the inside as he bore out but still couldn’t reach the wire first although very good. MYKINDACHIP left to sit behind the place horse, next in line. PATERNITY SUIT A went evenly in the fast mile. CAVIART ROCKLAND stayed in and got the last check. QUALITY BUD moved out late backstretch but couldn’t gain. BIGONPERSONALITY N was at or near the back throughout.
TWELFTH RACE – MORAIRTIME made the lead 3/16 and kept up free-for-all fractions, much the best. Also very good was P L NOTSONICE, who was uncovered from sixth into the second turn and kept gaining while trotting her third quarter in 27.3 and then continuing to game behind the monster winner. RICH AND MISERABLE stayed in, backed out second-over, did well late for third. KING ALPHONSO sat in, shuffled as the inner tier collapsed past the ¾ then outside, not enough. AFTER ALL PAUL had little chance from this spot. JUST MAYBE THE ONE hung the winner past the 1/8, gave the pocket before the ¼ and looked all-out to stay close, did get shuffled far turn but was rough-gaited and couldn’t gain once free. WINNERUP was three-wide to the 1/8, got to two-wide then got to the pocket in the 26.3 quarter, got bottomed out chasing the fast fractions.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TUXEDO BAY utilized the rail well and wound up tight in the pocket, outside headstretch and wore down frontstepping MCMIKE. The latter went on between horses to 3/16 command, rated the half, never really got any pressure, not as much late kick as the winner. CLIFFHANGER was second-over in a so-so flow, three-wide nearing late turn, passed several horses in the lane. MACH WEST was three-wide to the 1/8 then took back to tuck fourth, inside, tried hard to the wire. HEREITIZ was first-over just before the half, never could get close to the main action. MOTIVE HANOVER had an excess of cover, blocked to midstretch then angled wide and finished briskly. BLACKLIGHT had an inside gap in which to game down the back but didn’t get really tight. BARNABAS moved third-over 9/16 but gapped 11/16.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MISSISSIPPI RABBIT was between horses three-wide leaving, tucked third at the 1/8, backed out to third-over late backstretch, swung first three- and then four-wide on the turn all the while gaining, had the most pace in the latter stages. WINNING LINC was second-over, had his hand forced by the winner ¾ and was three-deep through the turn, had a small, short advantage to deep stretch but was caught. FERDINAND N left some, gapped for a spell, then gathered and was first-over to turn two, put high-intensity heat on the leader, took over into the lane and had the lead for a while but couldn’t sustain. MAJOR DECEPTION was in a tough spot, swung wide, couldn’t go as much as the first three. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was four-wide to the first turn to the lead 3/16 in a 26.1 opener, slowed the half but then had to restoke against the first-over, tired the last 1/8. CASHNCAM left and got the pocket, behind the pacesetter headstretch, but couldn’t summon much once clear. HE’S ELECTRIC was last when breaking before the second turn.