FIRST RACE – Wind shifted to a stretch tailwind for the fourth race, after which a storm blew through, turning the track to “sloppy +1” for the rest of the day although little wind effect after the storm … MYIDEALSON N was outleft, took the pocket under a hard hold at the ¼, kept up pretty well behind the fast pace, outside past midturn, to the lead early stretch, held off the closing RAKSMACH N. The latter came out 3/8 and got cover at the half, well off the pace when moving three-wide ¾, made up ground well. WHATSTROUBLNUROCKY went raw at the half, didn’t get close, ducked in late on the far turn and took third along the inside. MEADOWBRANCH FLASH gapped cover, then had to angle very wide midstretch to avoid a drifting horse. ROCK IDOL began gapping off turn two. MOONWARDS HANOVER gapped from the 3/8 onwards. BETTOR B ROLLING was rolling right down the road with hot fractions, tired on the far turn and bore out in the stretch.
SECOND RACE – WINNING WORDS dropped into a yawning three-hole 1/8, uncovered at the half and snapped right by just past the 5/8 while pacing her third quarter in 27, came home strongly looking more like a 4-5 shot than a 42-1 bomber. ATORITOTELL was far back behind dull cover, was uncovered on the far turn, narrowed n nicely but couldn’t get to the winner. BULLVILLEKARLA followed the winner out, left raw just past the 5/8 and tucked in the pocket ¾, held OK, far ahead of the others. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER was in the outer flow but gapped, finally tucked in midturn. AVERYS HAILSTORM defended the pocket early, got shuffled out of it after the pacesetter was passed 5/8. TRUSSED UP TRUDY fell way behind. AP EMILY’S DANCE went out from the rail to set the pace, got a slow second quarter, still defenseless 5/8 and stopped badly.
THIRD RACE – MUAY HANOVER went right to the lead, rated the half, was the dominant force for three-time Amateur Driver of the Year Bob Krivelin. LIFE WELL LIVED left, was kept out of the pocket until the 3/8 then dropped in, kept up reasonably well in the last quarter. FASHION POSSESSED tried to keep the pocket closed and did so until the 3/8, started gapping at the 5/8. FRENCH MONI offered little. MARION GONDOLIER considered quarter-moving but rethought that plan, uncovered towards the 3/8, gained to the 5/8 then started melting back little by little. STONEBRIDGE GAMBLE miscued early.
FOURTH RACE – HE’S ELECTRIC was parked just past the 1/8 for the lead, yielded 3/8 for the two-hole, up the inside sharply into a good last quarter for the 4000th training win for Mark Ford, putting him the top seven of all-time. DIRT ON MY BOOTS came uncovered 5/8 and moved up well from the latter part of the backstretch, kept going and was along for second. LETS ROLL tucked third at the 1/8, quarter-moved to 3/8 command, came under pressure later on the backstretch, outfooted home. BARRAGE HANOVER was the first to the top, yielded, moved outside late on the turn, evenly late. DARK ENERGY N showed little spark; nor did ROCK THREE TIMES. MUSCLE MACH A was uncovered off turn two and got cover 5/8, but could not go with it.
FIFTH RACE – TSM PHOTO BUGGER showed speed, yielded, uncovered at the ½ and went right by 5/8, drew far clear. O JONNIE was buried inside, found room deep in the Pocono Pike and was along for the very distant deuce. STARSABOVEALLERAGE tucked fourth, moved behind the winner’s cover but couldn’t stay with it, evenly for third. SEVEN IRON was out 5/16 for the front, yielded for the pocket, shuffled badly before the ¾ and through the turn, clear in the stretch but didn’t gain. DYNAMIC EDGE set the pace with two moves, yielded 5/8 and unplugged. HOLIDAY HANGOVER was outside but never entered the picture. MUSKINGUM tried swinging three-wide from last ¾ but broke.
SIXTH RACE – CHANCELLORCULLEN N left and got command, yielded 5/16 and sat the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and had the most of these. (The last two winners were 14YO and 13YO – do they benefit from the softer track after a rain?) LIMA RAIDER wheeled out raw before the half and quickly took it to the leader, stayed gamely in the fight right to the line. DARTH FADER went to the lead 5/16, set the pace, really hounded by the first-over, held OK. BRINGITONHOME N had some speed, sat in, blocked on the far turn and through the stretch. GRANTOR HANOVER backed out to third-over, swung wide and was gaining late. IMAGINEUWITHOUTME tucked midpack 3/16, then moved second-over but gapped. THE LAST THREE were the last three throughout.
SEVENTH RACE – MOTIVE HANOVER decided to put two early rivals in behind him, kept up a good pace, rebuffed the far turn challenger and won safely. AMAZON was three-wide early then took back to tuck third, moved uncovered 11/16 and made inroads on the leader far turn, good as second-best. TAKEITOTHEFACE gapped until the stretch, then did a little better. DIVISION BELL did not get into contention. STEUBEN GLADIATOR never factored. NATIVE’S SWEETLOU was already losing contact not much off the first turn.
EIGHTH RACE – CANDYONTHEBEACH left between horses, tucked third 3/16, went uncovered 9/16 and pressured the leader hard, got a small advantage on the turn but could not clear, got the better of the duel only very late. ROCK IS SWEET left well, yielded, quarter-moved, went at a good clip under pressure from the winner, very resilient late. LUCKY ARTIST A was out to the 3/16 to get command in a 26.4 opener, yielded, pocket, but struggled in the latter stages. TRAFFIC JAM gapped down the back, couldn’t rally enough in the Pocono Pike. PERSISTENT BETTOR gapped inside; LITTLE SANDY TOES and DEJA VROOM gapped outside.
NINTH RACE – A great Nap-Nap stretch battle … RUNHAPPY TEN wanted the lead but had to accept the pocket at the ¼ after a brisk duel, outside 11/16, just did get by VALRHONA in the last step. The latter went to the lead in 26.2 forcing tucks, got somewhat of a breather in the middle then stepped it up when the winner came, held tenaciously. GOLDEN GESTURE was three-wide to the 1/8, backed off to third 3/16, couldn’t keep pace late but completed the Trifecta. BLUEBERRY HEAVEN moved out 5/8 and got cover a 1/16 later but couldn’t go with it. PICKLED PREACHER did not feature. DARK HORSE had an excess of cover, three-wide ¾, couldn’t reach. THE OTHER DUO did not factor in this mile.
TENTH RACE – CRAZY CUTE led a lineup with a sharp early burst, sprinted home but bore out and caused LATE NIGHT DATE A to be grabbed into, hit the wire first but was placed for interference. ROLL WITH ANGEL was uncovered before the 11/16 but never made much of an advance, picked up her speed in the latter stages, placed first. LATE NIGHT DATE A maintained the pocket, outside to headstretch, seemed to have a chance but lost momentum when the leader bore out, stayed on well. GALLERIA GAL swung widest from last and was flying the last 1/16. JUXTA COWGIRL stayed in, evenly. SWEET ROCKIN GIA moved outside, gapped, not bad late.
ELEVENTH RACE – HES GONE BADDER left well to maintain the pocket and stayed tight in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and passed JEREMES GENERAL midstretch, but that rival held stubbornly. The latter was quickly on top, got pressure from the first-up 11/16 into the stretch, passed midstretch but never gave up the fight. SUNBURST CRUZE was second-over, picked it up a little when tipped three-wide, good outing. SPORTSMANSHIP made a long raw grind from the half, reached the leader late backstretch, gave ground grudgingly. NEWS WATCH sat in, was not a late factor. HERE COMES SWIFTY also sat in, out in a blindswitch towards headstretch, never could find a clear path. PREPPY ART was too far back, OK late. PAR INTENDED dropped further and further back.
TWELFTH RACE – ARTACHE HANOVER dashed out to a big first turn lead in 26.1, yielded for the pocket, taken to the Pocono Pike and had good pace to claim the victory. LITTLE ADMIRAL was away second, moved 5/16 to the lead 3/8, proved second-best. BARON MICHAEL went first-up at the half, put pressure on the leader, fell back in the last 1/8 but in all a good showing. DOC SEMALU was able to gain significantly up the rail down the back after a lot of right-line pulling, so-so late. FOX VALLEY NEMITZ gapped most of the first half, then came out to be third-over, three-wide around dull cover midturn, fair. DATELINE HANOVER and ALLGONOWHOA never were in the main picture. CAPTAIN HILL was well-placed second-over but struggled from the 11/16. HIGHVIEW CONALL N was very wide leaving towards the first turn, made a break.