FIRST RACE – Track was “fast +0” for the first six races; then the rain came through and the track was “sloppy +1” for the last six races … Stretch headwind of varying degree until the storm came through … HIGHVIEW CONALL N left well, then quarter-moved to control the tempo, a safe winner. VALRHONA moved raw just before the half, didn’t reach the leader until the ¾ then made a good challenge around the turn, gave a little bit of ground grudgingly. PICKLED PREACHER was third-over, three-wide far turn and passed many horses. BUGGER BRUISER was urged leaving and cleared 3/16, yielded, pocket, not much left in the lane. NORTHERN SPORTSMAN sat in, had room to the inside but couldn’t get to be a major player. DARK HORSE was second-over, gapped, did not tip wide. BLUEBERRY HEAVEN was inside, actually had a bit of pace finishing.
SECOND RACE – URBAN RENEWAL tucked third at the 3/16 but didn’t stay there long, quarter-moving to the lead, had some pressure in the third quarter while rolling along, drew clear through the stretch. MOVE THE LINE used the pole to advantage, then yielded to the winner, could not gain in the lane but saved second. ROCKINWITHTHEBEST was carried up by moving cover but had to go four-wide when it failed him late on the turn, came on sharply. ROCK THREE TIMES went evenly along the inside. DATELINE HANOVER also went along evenly. MAJOR HUMOR was not in the picture. ZINNY MACH N moved second-over but gapped, went three-wide before late on the turn but didn’t offer much. P L MUNSON hustled through to maintain the early pocket, came uncovered just before the half, got as close as the leader’s hindquarters, faded late on the turn.
THIRD RACE – IDEAL TYSON didn’t keep up until the second turn, moved past the 5/8 and soon got cover, wide and got to the faltering DARTH FADER. The latter left between horses, went enough to force a pocket tuck, opened a clear lead into the far turn, but couldn’t quite last to the line. KABOOM POW had some speed, moved uncovered 11/16 and kept edging closer, came up a step shy. MAYFIELD DUKE stayed in, edged to the path behind the winner past early stretch, steadily. LIMA RAIDER gapped early, moved outside but didn’t get into the fight. ARTACUS was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked in the pocket past the 3/16, couldn’t keep up ¾. BIG GAME HUNTER fell way back in the lane.
FOURTH RACE – ROCK IS SWEET had the early pocket, moved 3/16 to get command, was in command to the finish. TRAFFIC JAM left well to the lead before the first turn, yielded for the pocket, stayed just off the leader to the wire. DEJA VROOM edged out late backstretch, got cover that proved useless so three-wide past midturn, OK. AVERYS HAILSTORM sat in, gained inside late while possibly not having a fully-clear path. BULLVILLEKARLA couldn’t enter the picture. PAPPY ROCKS gapped off the early tussle, narrowed in, edged out to the ¾ but made no impression. TRUSSED UP TRUDY went outside into turn two but bore wide, then fell back.
FIFTH RACE – CHANCELLORCULLEN N made the lead then yielded to the chalk to sit the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and overhauled JEREMES GENERAL to become the second “teenaged” son of Christian Cullen to win today. The latter foe was three-wide for a spell then took the lead past the 1/8, set the pace as he pleased, overhauled late. HES GONE BADDER stayed in, utilized the deep Pike and finished OK. GRANTOR HANOVER stayed in, beat out the outer tier. HERE COMES SWIFTY was third-over in a dull flow, ducked between horses in the stretch and had a little pace late. MIKE’S POWERHOUSE tucked third at the 1/8, started the outer tier before the half but never really challenged. REGAL HOPE settled in 3/16, then was second-over, three-wide far turn but had little response.
SIXTH RACE – Rain started to fall, and the headwind picked up strongly … INAPERFECTWORLD made the lead and could force a tuck, rated the half, turned back the first-over and handled the drifting pocket horse easily. LIFE WELL LIVED went into the pocket before the 3/16, came out near headstretch, couldn’t gain and bore out through the lane. SILVERMASS VOLO was third-over and hampered by dull cover, four-wide mid-far turn, was making up a ton of ground late. CALL ME THEFIREMAN came up the inside down the backstretch, but that wasn’t enough to make him a factor. FRENCH MONI was first-up into turn two, gained some with the wind down the back but was tired by midturn. LUCKY JUNE BUG was second-over, gapped, a little closer ¾ and three-wide midturn but had little to offer. HOLIDAY HANOVER was never a factor.
SEVENTH RACE – Track now “sloppy +1”; wind is calm … MEADOWBROOK FLASH started uncovered after the battle to the 3/8 for the lead, steadily advanced uncovered to clear mid-far turn, just held off LAREDO TORPEDO N. The latter made the front right away, pushed the early brusher to the 3/8 before relinquishing the lead to sit the pocket, edged out behind the winner late turn, came on very nicely late. MYIDEALSON N left well to get the early pocket, stayed in, had some rally up the Pocono Pike. ARCHETTO HANOVER was on the move before the quarter, but needed encouragement to overcome the resistance of the leader and clear 3/8, came under attack by the winner, saw that one cross over midturn but kept on pacing gallantly to the line. ROCK IDOL had an excess of cover, moved three-wide uncovered past the ¾, got cover then ducked inside that cover, fair late. MOONWARDS HANOVER was second-over, went three-wide mid-far turn but had little to give. SPORTSMANSHIP was never close. FRISKY PEDRO was third-over but gapped. R U MACHIN ME was already gapping by the 3/8.
EIGHTH RACE – The fractions were posted as 25.4, 55.4, 1:23.4, and 1:51.4, but in the official charts they were corrected to 26.3, 57.1, 1:25, 1:53.1 … JUXTA COWGIRL was quickly away to take the lead, radically slowed quarter two, held off the field nicely late. ALII NUI left and sat a great trip in the pocket, Pocono Pike, just could not make up the necessary ground. A CRAFTY LADY went uncovered before the 5/8, challenged, couldn’t quite keep pace late. SWEET ROCKIN GIA stayed in, OK at the wire while possibly not fully clear. LYNBAR ROSE N got a little rank behind the gate and jumped 100 feet before the start, recovered, got cover, wide headstretch, couldn’t recover enough.
NINTH RACE – CAPTAIN HILL controlled the pace, went 27.2 down the back to try to lose the field, got tired but had just enough in the 30 kicker to hold out over the closers. BARON MICHAEL tucked third, came uncovered 5/8, made good headway from headstretch and just missed, holding off LITTLE ADMIRAL by a whisker for second. The latter stayed in, decided to go between horses in the stretch and was “flying” the last 1/16 of the slowing mile. GOLDEN GESTURE made a small break shortly after the start, righted, wide in the lane and finished steadily. ARTACHE HANOVER was asked leaving but didn’t have enough response and was taken back into a hole, second-over, came up a bit shy. RECORD MACHINE angled wide from last and had a belated rush. AN THE THUNDEROLLS got the pocket at the 1/8, started gapping at the 5/8.
TENTH RACE – DELISHKA N made a foe work to the 3/8 at a fast pace to get the lead, waited for the Pocono Pike, paced to the lead midstretch and held off opposition to both sides. BETTORS HEART N was buried in last, to the deep Pike and almost got past everybody in the last ¼. ABIGAIL DAWN left and kept the pocket shut, inside, shuffled then out in a blindswitch late turn, had room to swing wide and finished well. WATCH ME NOW N was four-wide early then retreated to tuck, came first-over 9/16, stayed in the heart of battle to the line. ECLIPSE ME N had no hole for a tuck and pressed on to the lead after very hard usage to the 3/8, again came under attack from the first-over, paid the price for fast involvement in the lane. CRAZY CUTE gapped 3/8, moved second-over but still gapped.
ELEVENTH RACE – DON’T SASS ME was looped early and followed cover to the 3/16, then went up to take the lead past the 5/16, dealt with a tough first-over, established superiority late. BIG NUDGE was second-over and gapped lively cover slightly, angled wider midstretch and just did catch SWEET HEART AS for place. The latter was looped early and took a tuck, led the outer charge towards turn two and went 27.4 in the off going to be a big threat, went on gamely. FOREVERHILLREIGN was third-over, wide off the turn and went wider, finished steadily. MAGIC VACATION left, yielded 3/16, stayed in, shuffled when the pocketsitter tired, waited for the Pocono Pike, so-so once clear. ZOOMING was out to the 3/16 before hitting the front, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, struggled from the 11/16. ALEXANDER HANOVER was never a factor. EVANNA backed out to fourth-over, went between horses into the lane but made a break midstretch.
TWELFTH RACE – BULLVILLE TERROR left very hard, did yield past the 1/8 and sat the pocket, wheeled out for the stretch and had far more sprint than the other favorite. BLOOD BROTHER worked to the top past the 1/8, wasn’t under much pressure in the stretch, clearly second here. CLOUSEAU HANOVER tucked behind the two early fighters, struggled the last 3/16 but held third. KEYSTONE STEAM gapped some much of the way, a little better late. DIRT ON MY BOOTS was second-over behind not-great cover, wide on the turn, some late. MORE DRAGON gapped midrace, not prominent. REPEAL OR REPLACE was not a presence here. ROJAN’S WAY started uncovered into turn two, stopped any gain before the ¾.