FIRST RACE – RESPECT OUR FLAG waited until the 11/16 to go raw from third, charged up to the lead headstretch, then just withstood a big late burst from MCMIKE. The latter sat in, went inside of a gapper down the back, angled wide headstretch and finished in high gear (his own last ¼ was 26.1) to just miss out. RHP battled for the lead then finally accepted the two-hole 3/16, came out as the winner went by headstretch but didn’t have much gain. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N forced an early tuck, went 27 down the back, had no answer for the winner’s challenge and gave ground through the lane. MIGHTY SANTANA N never made it into contention. A BETTOR BEACH gapped to the half, then moved out down the back but went backwards. LEAR SEELSTER brought up the rear throughout.
SECOND RACE – STELLAR BB pushed the 1/8 and yielded, moved at the ¼ but was pushed the length of the frontstretch to clear, rolled on without a challenge until the stretch, when the resurgent ALBERGO HANOVER made him work hard to hold on. The latter was three-wide early, made the top at the 1/8, forced a tuck, made the winner work to get the lead, sat behind him then challenged him again late, gaining gamely but just a bit shy. BABES DIG ME was four-wide early, two-wide 1/8, reluctantly took the pocket nearing the ¼, didn’t gain in the stretch but did hold third. AMERICAN CHROME was two-wide and backed off to tuck, inside, not enough in the last ¼. SWEET N FAST N avoided the outer tier to get the last check. BUSBOY HANOVER came out down the back but could make no impact; the TWO BEHIND HIM two-wide down the back similarly could make no impact.
THIRD RACE – DEWEY ARNOLD charged out to command, got a little breather in quarter two then went on, gamely to defeat RICH AND MISERABLE. The latter moved uncovered 5/8, grinded relentlessly (own back half 55.2) but just could not reach the winner. NEXTROUNDSONME gapped late on the backstretch, moved outside on the turn and was just up for the distant third. THE LIONKING AS dove for an early tuck but did not prevent a foe from gaining the pocket, blocked behind that one on the turn, to the Pocono Pike, good but never generated any big closing thrust. MACMORRIS HANOVER gapped in last. SMALLTOWNTHROWDOWN left with the winner, just did back in to the pocket to the 3/16, nothing left in the last ¼.
FOURTH RACE – DO YA THINK went to the lead at the 3/16, yielded 5/16 but came back for the retake, rebuffed a big challenge from the first-over, then continued strongly to the wire to keep DREAM OF LUCK at bay. The latter went forward on a briefly-delayed basis, three-wide past the 1/8 then two-wide to the front 5/16, yielded for the pocket, came out in the stretch, raced well but wasn’t to catch the strong winner. DRINKA BEER was last, waited for the deep Pocono Pike, then closed well. BAMSKI sat in, gapped on the turn, never a major danger. URBAN RENEWAL moved second-over but gapped ¾. INDIGO ART left and yielded, uncovered past the 9/16 and made a strong pass at the leader, but could not sustain the charge and faded.
FIFTH RACE – ALL CHAMPY left between horses, was double-looped, had cover to the 3/16 then went up and worked to the lead 3/8, went on at a quick clip and was much the best in here. CON AIR HALL was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide 3/16 in pursuit of the lead, yielded to the 3/8, not catching the winner but not to be caught for place. LIBERO HANOVER went to the early lead, yielded, inside, won a three-horse photo for a distant third. SHADY MCCOY fanned wide in the stretch and had some trot finishing. CIRCLE OF LIFE AS was uncovered 5/8 and gained well until nearing headstretch, then tired. SHEER MUSCLE was never on the main radar.
SIXTH RACE – BENSON BOYS N rushed away three-wide and took the front, slowed the second quarter then tacked on a pair of 27.1 panels to draw clear. BENJI’S BEST moved before the 3/8 and became second-over from seventh, gapped his cover a bit later backstretch, left uncovered ¾, good late. REGAL SON sat in, shuffled some, to the Pocono Pike and was along for third. CLASSY HILL was flushed out 3/8 and gained in the second split, continued to progress and made the pocket ¾, faded some. WALTER MITTY sat in then backed out fourth-over, wide in the lane, OK. WAR-N-MUNN was five-wide leaving and decided to take back, was last, then moved third-over, gapped down the back. SPORTS TEEN worked to get the pocket, then had no more left in the last ¼. ROCK THE NITE stayed in and was shuffled to last, could not get back into it.
SEVENTH RACE – NICE STUFF worked to the lead just past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, came outside headstretch and gradually worked past JACK RULES. The latter quarter-moved from the early pocket, kept up a steady pace, couldn’t hold back the winner, far clear of the rest. BIG MONEY HONEY vacated fourth ¾, just up for third over KEYSTONE SERGEANT. The latter showed early foot, sat in, not a great response late. ZLATAN was last, came between horses through the stretch with willing trot. LANDONFITZ did not make his presence felt. TW LAUXMONT came uncovered 5/8, got cover ¾, wide in the stretch but couldn’t advance. KANDY KORN never was a factor.
EIGHTH RACE – ROCKIN INTHE HILLS was in front past the 1/8, got pressure from the first-over past the 5/8 into the turn, went clear. DIALAMARA was second-over, gapped 11/16 despite encouragement, blindswitched ¾, was able to swing wide into the lane and finished steadily for second. VALIDUS DEO got early forward position, uncovered off the second turn and applied pressure a good way, then began to inch back from midturn. STEP ON THE GAS was third-over behind a gapper, three-wide ¾, widest in the lane and OK. NEEDLESS TO SAY left, under a good hold to take the pocket 3/16, didn’t have much late response. LOUD SPLASH stayed in, gapped, not too much to offer today.
NINTH RACE – CHIEF JUSTICE sat last behind the wild battle, circled three-wide midturn and trotted over the field. TWO AM stayed in, could go right up the deep Pocono Pike and closed steadily to just miss. DISCUS HANOVER went to the lead just past the 1/8, was under severe pressure two- and three-wide from the ¼ and 3/8, respectively in fast fractions, held up very well. RIVER OTTER stayed in, outside early stretch, took a while to find a better gear but was narrowing in late. DARTY left well, yielded, maintained the pocket while having horses all over the place around him, to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have much of an answer late. ARCHIBALD moved before the ¼ with cover, three-wide 3/8 trying to sweep but was left out three-deep until past the 5/8, then two-wide, lasted until mid-far turn after a horrorshow trip. WISENHEIMER was three-wide early then had cover past the 1/8, two-deep but was refused the lead, between horses from the 3/8 past the 5/8, faded before the ¾.
TENTH RACE – J M MANDAMIN made two speed moves to control the pace, came home in 26.4 and left these far behind. OLLIE’S ZTAM left well to the front past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, clear second. YS MATHIS sat in, gapped ¾, just was along in the battle for third. THE WALL was third-over in a dull flow, ducked in, fair finishing. IMAROCNROLLEGEND N was second-over, went three-wide mid-far turn but didn’t offer much. ROCK THE TOWN was losing contact most of the last half.
ELEVENTH RACE – TULHURSTSANTANNA N was reluctant to take the pocket but did so as they neared the 26 quarter, outside towards the ¾, finally put away the pacesetter then withstood CAPTAIN MULZAC up the inside. The latter had access to the Pocono Pike because the winner pulled the pocket, finished steadily but came up shy. ATTA BOY DAN came out 5/8, didn’t gain but did better when the winner gave him cover going to the far turn, not a win threat but stayed on sturdily. CAPTAIN CASH forced a tuck with a 26 opening stanza, no pressure most of the middle half, not enough late. BULLVILLE TERROR gained some up the deep Pike. LESPNDNITETOGETA N moved out but ducked back in as cover did not progress, not prominent late. THE OTHER TWO were near the back throughout.
TWELFTH RACE – BELLOW’S BINGE was three-wide to the first bend then went behind cover to the 3/16, made the front 5/16, came under no pressure and was in control. KEYSTONE STEAM was fourth-in, could finally go outside past midturn, was moving well late and just caught MACH WEST for second. The latter traveled two-wide to the top 3/16, yielded 5/16 to sit the two-hole, not enough to hold second. DUCHESS DYNASTY was the innermost of the leavers, pushed then yielded, couldn’t keep up ¾. WINNING LINC had nonflowing cover, then had some finishing pace. BLACKLIGHT and PARTY BOY did not feature. CLIFFHANGER tucked midpack, then went out uncovered at the half but could offer very little.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TRUEMASS VOLO went to 1/8 command, shook off the first-over, easily in the finale. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT yielded for the pocket, a clear second. INNISFALLEN tucked third early, wasn’t tight on the top ones 11/16, next in line. MANHATTANUP NO ICE was stuck inside, rallied some in the Pocono Pike. FOREVERHILLREIGN started raw at the 3/8, trotted his own third quarter in 27.2 to reach the leader, continued his challenge until an 1/8 of a mile out, then started to tire. STOP RESISTIN tucked, stayed in, went wide, a bit on the end. KEYSTONE THUNDER never factored. CREWS HILLTOPPER, a bit off the gate, tried to go up second-over but couldn’t stay with cover.