FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … LORD OF MISRULE was hustled to keep the pocket closed behind the dueling frontenders, came out headstretch and worked his way past DREAM OF LUCK. The latter went to the lead, under pressure from a parked rival from the 5/16 to the ¾, held well but had to settle for the deuce. DRINKA BEER advanced along the inside and finished steadily for third. AMERICAN CHROME stayed in, not that much late. CLASS SIX was third-over behind no-good cover, three-wide 11/16 back to two-wide ¾ to three-wide again midturn, couldn’t go forward. BAMSKI got stuck outside, had a brief advantage at a couple of points but never cleared to the inside, faded ¾. VALIDUS DEO moved out at the half but just clogged that path.
SECOND RACE – RICH AND MISERABLE needed until just past the ¼ to get in front, rated the half then stayed in control. MACMORRIS HANOVER came out of third ¾, good to edge out THE LIONKING AS for second. The latter was first on top, let the winner go off the first turn for a two-hole trip, to the Pocono Pike, steadily but couldn’t hold on to second. BURN NOTICE moved out 5/8, didn’t advance much, got cover ¾ but still didn’t advance much. ER SOPHIA was last, swung wide and had some trot on the end. WINNERUP started gapping 11/16.
THIRD RACE – LOUD SPLASH tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved second-over but gapped off the backstretch duel, narrowed in and went three-wide late turn, paced right on by as the tempo slowed. SPORTY DRAGON was last, angled widest and was along for second over WHATA TREASURE. The latter stayed in and was shuffled, spent the first half of the stretch angling for clearance, found it inside the place horse midstretch and matched strides with that one to the wire. STEP ON THE GAS was urged leaving and tried hard for the early lead but ultimately took back to tuck, came with a rush 9/16 and got ahead of the pacesetter but couldn’t clear, tired. RUNHAPPY TEN quarter-moved, hustled to keep the first-over challenger parked, gave way. CAPTAIN HILL left very well, forced a tuck, then was urged down the back to keep the first-over from clearing, paid the price for his use of energy in the lane.
FOURTH RACE – MARION GONDOLIER was parked 5/16 before getting the lead, yielded to the retaker, got a little loose past mid-far turn, then eased out early stretch and was along for the decision. TWO AM came all the way up the inside in a good showing. GEMOLOGIST used the rail to advantage, yielded 5/16 but retook in front of an advancing foe, kept that one out in a fast third quarter, got a bit tired and bore out, came back with “b.e.” JOEY PRO left, went behind the pacesetter at the 1/8, stayed in, not a major factor. MANHATTANUP NO ICE circled four-wide from last and came on. ARCHIBALD looked to get a little rammy when a horse tucked in front of him early, was moved out raw 5/16 and put hard heat on the leader but never cleared, gave way far turn. OOH RAH was third-over, three-wide before midturn, didn’t gain. STOP RESISTIN was second-over, not much to offer in the last ¼.
FIFTH RACE – DYNAMIC EDGE led from the first step to the last. PUERTO RICO moved uncovered before the 5/8 and got cover before the ¾, one-geared home to edge the next two. LIBERO HANOVER moved out from third ¾, OK. FINAL DREAM left, took the two-hole 3/16, weakened a bit late. KANDY KORN sat in with little response. WHOUCALNCRAZY moved outside but gapped ¾.
SIXTH RACE – ALBERGO HANOVER streaked right to the top in a 26.2 opener, backed off the half, then came home in 55 as a sharp winner. DO YA THINK gained along the inside down the backstretch, gradually just wore down ALEX TYE for second. The latter went away quickly enough to retain the pocket, couldn’t stay with the winner around the turn and lost second late. BENJI’S BEST was third-over behind the last two finishers, swung four-wide into the stretch and closed well. BABES DIG ME was three-wide before the first turn, went in third 3/16, out again raw before the 5/8 but couldn’t make much of an impact. BUSBOY HANOVER flushed cover out for himself, three-wide far turn but little.
SEVENTH RACE – WINNING LINC didn’t move out until the far turn, went up then tipped wide, had a strong finish and just caught BAY MEADOWS on the line. The latter was out a good part of the quarter for the top, had things his own way on the lead, just failed to hold on. MAJOR OFFENSE came raw out of fourth ¾ and finished steadily. AMAZON sat in, spent half the stretch angling to widest and then narrowed in nicely. SI SEMALU pushed early then yielded for the two-hole, empty in the lane. BLACKLIGHT was never a factor.
EIGHTH RACE – REGAL SON roared out uncovered at the half and went 26.4 down the back to blow right by the leader 11/16, won by himself. WAR-N-MUNN had the early lead, yielded to an early mover, then was stuck behind that one when he quit to the ¾, had to wait for the Pocono Pike then recovered to be clearly second. PREMIER ROCKSTAR sat in and was shuffled to last, angled four-wide past mid-far turn and made up a lot of ground. WALTER MITTY was third-over, three-wide later on the turn, not too much. CLASSY HILL moved behind the winner but gapped, was no factor after being left uncovered. BENSON BOYS N made two speed moves, was passed late backstretch and faded.
NINTH RACE – BIZET made the top past the 1/8, yielded, backed out 5/8 and retucked in the pocket, outside again on the turn, had enough to take the decision. FOREVERHILLREIGN moved out with cover, briefly uncovered then got cover again from the winner, drifted out in the stretch, gained but not enough. BANK BOX TREASURE moved with cover 5/16, left uncovered 3/8 and quickly went on to the lead, opened a big lead after the half but the contenders caught up with him by backstretch’s end, tired late. KEYSTONE SERGEANT went outside to circle the fader, then ducked in, evenly. ZLATAN had cover early then was left two-wide raw, needed until almost the 3/8 to clear, was soon passed and then soon gapping badly. LANDONFITZ was always far back, as was SPLITSVILLE, who broke headstretch.
TENTH RACE – PATERNITY SUIT A got the early pocket, sat in third when the outer tier formed, gapped a little far turn, then chose the deep Pocono Pike and came on steadily enough to get the decision. ROCKIE GOT FRAMED backed out to second-over, three-wide late turn, but saw his late rush come up just shy. OLLIE’S ZTAM went out to a quick big lead, let a brusher go just past the 3/8, suffered “b.e.” down the backstretch, went from the Pocono Pike to the lead midstretch, just failed to sustain. SCOOTNROLL sat in then backed out to third-over, inside on the turn, then angled out for clearance and had pace on the end. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO stormed from last in 26.3 down the back to get into contention, but then melted a bit late. REBELLIOUS moved 5/16 to the top just past the 3/8, nothing left late.
ELEVENTH RACE – DIVISION BELL made the lead to turn one, set the pace, just had enough to withstand the late rush of WAY TO CLOSE. The latter maintained the pocket and stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, came on strongly late and just missed. DARK ENERGY N tucked third to the 1/8, came raw 5/8, held his ground well. DATELINE HANOVER was underway raw to turn two, got cover but gapped it, evenly late. ABSOLUTE INTENT was not prominent. CODE MEISTER gapped 5/8. P L MUNSON was away slowly and never got any better.
TWELFTH RACE – CAPTAIN MULZAC was looped but never went inside and continued in the two-path until making the lead past the ¼, yielded 3/8 and sat the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and just worked past MCMIKE very late. The latter was looped and left out three-wide to the fast ¼, then to two-wide to the lead 3/8, sped up again when a challenger came on, held courageously. IMAROCNROLLEGEND N flew away to the top to the first turn from the outside post, saw two go by in quarter two, sat in, to the deep Pike, a step shy. PRAIRIE PANTHER moved up raw at the half and pushed the leader, couldn’t sustain the move. BULLVILLE TERROR was behind gapping cover, three-wide ¾ through the turn, fair late. MONTEFALCO N swung wide from last and had a bit of pace finishing. Y S MATHIS was second-over but was gapping past the 5/8 despite left-handed tapping.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DIRT ON MY BOOTS was innermost of a whole host of leavers, maintained the pocket, battled pacesetter RHP just about the entire length of the stretch to his inside and just got his nose to the wire first. The latter was outside most of the fast quarter, never took his foot off the gas, almost held in a big race. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N was three-wide leaving, almost got aced out of the three-hole but did get in 3/16, outside ¾, not far off the top pair and far ahead of the rest. JASPER ROCKS slid a tuck behind the four-across early fighters, sat fourth, gapped most of the last ¼. REDBANK BLAZE A was far off the pace, alone for the last check. SHANE ADAM retucked around a gapper but had little otherwise. NOBLES FINESSE started to gap out before the 5/8. IN ROCK WE TRUST had lost contact by the half.