FIRST RACE – Due to early moisture, the track was rated “sloppy +1” for the first five races, “good +1” for races six through eight, and “fast +0” for the remainder of the card … Stretch headwind at the start, slightly diminishing late … HORSE went to the top, yielded to the early brusher to sit the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and along safely. JACKAMINO briefly went into the early pocket then quarter-moved, got pressure from the 11/16, no match for the winner but withstood MUSCLE MACH A for second. The latter was uncovered off the second turn and made a nice brush to contention through the backstretch, held his ground well to the wire. CENTURY ENFORCER sat in and was shuffled some, split horses headstretch with some pace. MOVE THE LINE had no more to give 11/16. PRAIRIE MIDNIGHT gapped second-over. THE OTHER PAIR were always at the rear.
SECOND RACE – GINGER TREE LIZ left and made the pocket at the 1/8, sat tight until headstretch, worked her way to victory. JK ALWAYSBALADY was double-looped and three-wide early, took third nearing the quarter, was going to back out to follow cover 5/8 but went back in, decided to go out behind the winner and the wide midstretch, finished strongly. AVAYA HANOVER left sharply for command, got a breather in quarter two then sprinted down the back, not quite enough to last to the wire. WIGGLE DELIGHT gapped second-over, best of the rest. BLONDE ON THE BEACH started uncovered on turn two, made some progress but then couldn’t sustain it. THE REST were in the back half of the field throughout and did not make their presence felt.
THIRD RACE – HURRIKANE WILLIE G moved outside 5/16, uncovered to the 3/8 to the lead past that point, went 28.2 to leave the opposition far back. MANUKA drifted out, gradually worked to command in front of the stands, yielded for the pocket, gapped down the back, got tighter on the turn, then couldn’t gain back any more ground while far clear of the rest. LAVANTE was the early leader, saw two go past in quarter two, struggling before the ¾ but still far ahead of the rest of the field. COMMAND THE MARKET and TEST YOUR MAGIC, both gapping at the back, got up for the last checks. GAVINATOR took the early two-hole 3/16, gapped a gapper the last 7/16. LEGION OF HONOR went outside 5/8 but never went forward.
FOURTH RACE – MIKI THE CLOWN was three-wide early, looped a foe to 1/8 command, slowed the half, then remained in control of these to the wire. DEL DIGGITY left enough to protect the pocket, outside in the lane but didn’t have quite enough. NEVER NOT DANCING kept a hole closed past the 1/8, stayed inside and third. ODDS ON CARLY was between horses leaving, couldn’t get a forward spot and retreated, fell back. IMONABEACH HANOVER was uncovered at the 3/8 and made a nice gain raw going in 27.2 down the back, but then flattened. THE OTHERS IN THE FIELD were never a threat, with ROARING SURREAL, an early gapper, breaking at the ¾.
FIFTH RACE – WHAT A DAME left between horses, tucked, then quarter-moved and rated the half, left the opposition behind in the stretch. CIAO BELLA had cover then lost it late backstretch, gained some on the turn, gave ground to the winner in the stretch but held second over CUSTOMARILY. The latter found room when a foe broke late turn and ate up a lot of territory through the stretch. KRISTIE LEIGH had early speed, moved to the 5/8 and retucked in the pocket 11/16, not much more to give late. BARNUM was in front 3/16, yielded to the brusher, unplugged 5/8. A MILLION CHUCKLES was never close. MISSBULLVILLYANKEE broke while not close on the far turn. MISS MAYTRIX misbehaved early.
SIXTH RACE – Track rerated “good +1” as sun began to break through … ONE AFTER NINE moved uncovered off the second turn, speed-grinded up to the leader nearing the ¾, trotted his last half in 57 as he kept on going en route to victory. CAMDEN HILLS defended the early pocket, quarter-moved, really backed the half down, trotted home very well but just couldn’t handle the winner. SCIROCCO BIG JOHN took a midpack tuck, then moved second-over, gapped down the back but got closer on the turn, outfooted the others. CARTIER BI got in front then yielded for a two-hole journey, tired. F X HANOVER and ARGENTO never got close. HEARTBEAT HILL tucked in third 3/16, stayed connected, but broke headstretch.
SEVENTH RACE – HIGH BALLER really pushed a foe before yielding at the ¼, slightly loose in the pocket, but had enough to catch the leader up the Pocono Pike, coming his own last half in 55.3. MICKEYS SPIRIT wouldn’t take a big two-hole, was hard-used to get the front at the ¼, rated the half, held well through the stretch. LIFEMAKER gapped most of the way but still had enough for third. SPINNAKER HANOVER went raw at the half and paced up in 27 to challenge, fell back some late. MAJOR SHOW was stuck inside, angled out towards midstretch and finished rapidly. BEACH FORECAST tried second-over but gapped. THE OTHERS never got into the main action.
EIGHTH RACE – BALDAQUIN was last in the main bunch, started to roll wide past midbackstretch and soon had cover, stayed three-wide until late turn then two-wide, closed steadily after the fast early pace and was along. WORTHY OF HONOR pushed most of the quarter then yielded for the pocket, kept the 2-hole tight, trapped in far turn then got out when the parked horse backed off, closed strongly midtrack. CAVIART EMMA moved outside 5/8 and three-wide 11/16, swept to the lead past midturn, couldn’t quite sustain. GERARD was outside most of a 26.3 quarter and then parked a foe to the very fast half, passed towards late turn and faded. CAN’T SAY NO was third-over, blindswitched by the winner then followed him wide midturn but couldn’t match that one’s late speed. TRICKY DICK tucked, then was not heard from. SVF BLUSHINGBRIDE was behind cover most of the ¼ then went up raw, couldn’t clear in demanding fractions, faded in the last quarter. BANZAI AS broke at the start.
NINTH RACE – Track now rerated to “fast +0” … BILLIE CLAIRE and FINLANDIA were 1-2 from the 1/8 pole, opened a huge gap between them and the rest of the field, and held their respective positions to the wire. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR moved three-wide past the 5/8 to circle foes and get to a distant third, where is where she wound up. QUICKEST HANOVER followed the show horse, was wide on the far turn, couldn’t gain. BLESS YOUR HEART went in third at the 1/8, started gapping before the half and faded badly. HEARTOFGOLD DEVIE was disconnected by the 3/8. SPIT AND VINEGAR moved out to try to go around the bad gapper but herself had even less.
TENTH RACE – IM A GIGOLO N was between horses early, tucked third at the 1/8, out with a roar towards the half and went right by the leader, soon had pressure from BELMONT MAJOR N despite going a 25.4 third quarter, opened up a little daylight headstretch but kept to active handling to repel his pesky foe. The latter moved with the cover of the winner then kept going raw and paced his third split in 25.3, lost a little ground straightening away but hung in there relentlessly while clear of the rest. TELL THEM LOU was third-over but couldn’t keep up in the streaking two-wide flow, ducked inside for the stretch and paced well. ACTOR HANOVER went OK in the blistering back half, returned with “b.e.” DOUBLE METAL stayed in and didn’t factor. STELLAR BB pushed the pace early, then came back for the retake, rated quarter two but then had no response to the winner’s challenge and gradually fell back. CIGAR SMOKING TONY was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-deep to 3/16 command, yielded, struggled to keep close the last 3/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – CALLE PALEMA left in 26.4 while clearing before the first turn, drastically slowed quarter two then went faster, mildly-urged to stay clear of the oncharging CHING CHING LUCKY. The latter came off the rail at the ¾ and went three-wide headstretch, had a huge last 1/8 to just miss. DAGON HANOVER sat in the two-hole, took some rough steps in close quarters nearing the wire; there was an inquiry to see if DAGON HANOVER’s rough gait caused BALLET BARRE any interference, but the order of finish stood. The latter ducked inside in the stretch, did go wide of the third-place horse very late but was judged not to have been interfered with. HIP HOP GRACIE gapped from when a breaker left a hole at the quarter almost until moving raw 5/8, gained some, held OK late. OLYMPIC GLORY had some trot on the far outside. DUKE OF LINDY appeared to have room inside in the lane but couldn’t get close enough. CHOCOLATE MATTERS never was a factor. TRUFFLES TOO had just settled into a 4-tuck when breaking near the ¼.
TWELFTH RACE – GAMBLIN MO decided to go up for the lead nearing the fast ¼, made the front just past the 3/8 and put up very fast numbers, held off the gallant MIKIBYTHESEASIDE. The latter was outside midpack early and looked to have a notion to try for the lead but tucked when the winner moved, came out second-over, soon three-wide as the cover was stale, two-wide ¾ while well off the leader, kept chopping into that margin in an impressive (and unlucky) race. RHETT SEELSTER followed the cover of the place horse, couldn’t quite go with it but was along for third. BEACH TIME BOY stayed in, found room to angle wide coming into the stretch and finished with pace. SIX DEGREES crossed right over to the lead, yielded, was stuck behind a gapper the third quarter and around the turn, couldn’t build enough momentum after the Pocono Pike came. STELLAR YANKEE never factored; nor did BRAZEN BRAZILIAN. CAPTAIN ROMANCE was first to show, was looped and took the pocket, then moved to take over the stick, yielded to the winner, gapped that one in fast fractions from the half. CANDYS IMAGE ROCKS moved uncovered before turn two but went backwards.