FIRST RACE – Strong stretch tailwind (see the fractions for race one) … ROCK THE DEVIL got a good early spot fourth, uncovered into the wind 9/16 and reached the leader by the 11/16, had a long fight with that one, up right on the money coming home in 26.3 (with the wind) despite the hard trip. WHICHWAYTOTHEBEACH was quarter-mover #2, left uncovered 3/8 and soon made the top, hooked up with the winner from the 11/16, unlucky to get outnodded. SOMBODYITREASURE made two speed moves to the 3/8, yielded, couldn’t stay with the top two in the last quarter. TULHURSTSANTANNA A made the front 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, couldn’t stay tight. SCOOTNROLL never got a call. CAPTAIN MCKEE was uncovered at the half, soon got cover but soon after that gapped it. BABES DIG ME wound up third-over, went three-wide but couldn’t gain contention.
SECOND RACE – BUSBOY HANOVER was on top just past the 1/8, pushed a foe to the 3/8 then yielded, popped out of the pocket 11/16 and went right on by, opened an insurmountable lead. VALIANT IVY wound up behind dull cover on the turn, wide and finished nicely. LORD OF MISRULE yielded, stayed in, trapped when the pacesetter tired as the winner got away, waited for the Pocono Pike then had some response. THE CANDYMAN CAN didn’t care for being taken back early, was far back, angled widest midstretch and finished with a good rush. INDIGO ART started uncovered before the 5/8, briefly got cover then was left behind by it, clogged the two-wide tier. SPORTS TEEN refused a big 3-hole and worked to the lead 3/8, couldn’t hold out the winner and clogged the one-wide tier. AMERICAN CHROME didn’t show much. KINGOFTHEJUNGLE was last at every call.
THIRD RACE – MACKIE HANOVER was three-wide just past the 1/8 and in front past the 3/16, rolled on at a good tempo, resisted bids from both sides in a very close finish. SO MIKI HANOVER came uncovered 9/16 and gradually worked up to challenge, lost a little ground swinging into the stretch then was resurgent midstretch and just failed. STAYCATION HANOVER left between horses, took over just past the 1/8, and yielded just past the 3/16, pocket, Pocono Pike, may have had a nose up past midstretch, right in the fight to the line. CAPTAINANDTELLY was the innermost of the leavers, yielded and stayed in, not quite enough along the inside late. STAR CAPTAIN moved out third-over, ducked between horses headstretch, finished OK. ODDS ON WHITNEY was second-over from last, three-wide midturn, couldn’t reach.
FOURTH RACE – REGAL SUN was first-up to the half, went at the leader from the 5/8 while going 27 vs. the wind down the back, fought hard then pulled away late. ALBERGO HANOVER had cover early, lost it 3/16 and went to the lead 3/8, under pressure from the winner, held second over an inside-charging RHP. The latter made the front 3/16, yielded after a like distance for the pocket, Pocono Pike, step-and-a-half shy. CURIOUS CORTEZ was second-over and advanced behind live cover, three-wide late turn, finished well to be in the picture for second. ALEX TYE sat in and was shuffled back, out in a blindswitch towards headstretch, so-so late. SCOTT ROCKS yielded 3/16, looked all-out to keep up from the 5/8. WAR-N-MUNN was third-over, slightly gapped cover down the back, wide with cover on the turn, fair. BENJI’S BEST was last, had some late pace on the far outside.
FIFTH RACE – GUARDIAN ANGEL AS had the lead immediately and dictated his own terms en route to an unchallenged victory. P L NOTSONICE vacated third 11/16, outtrotted the pocket horse for second in another good mile for this overachiever. ANGEL NATION was loose in the pocket at a couple of points, faded in the lane. WARRIOR ONE gapped but stayed flat. CHIN CHIN HALL broke right at the start. RICH AND MISERABLE broke easing back early.
SIXTH RACE – DARBY HANOVER was in front past the 1/8 and was in charge from that point, kicking home in 27.1. FIGHTING EVIL grabbed command before turn one, yielded to the winner, commendable that she could stay that close to the strong winner in a 27.1 last quarter. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME was out behind fading cover and ducked in on the turn, swung wide headstretch and passed the others for the distant third. BEACHBLANKETLINDY didn’t have much to offer. CAPSAICINN spotted fourth, not heard from again. FILLY SPEAKS came uncovered at the half but never headed the third-in horse, then slowed to a jog late.
SEVENTH RACE – PREMIER ROCKSTAR tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved out raw 5/8, charged up to the leader on the far turn, then wore that one down in a long duel. FEELING CAM LUCKY was headed down the road, stringing out the field until late backstretch in fast fractions, held off all but one. SWEET N FAST N couldn’t go with the winner’s cover but chugged along to be third. SOMEBEACH BARON was last-over behind all kinds of traffic, ducked in headstretch and followed the show horse’s path to gain stretch ground. WALTER MITTY was caught behind a tired pocketsitter, to the Pocono Pike and fair. DO YA THINK did not feature. LINCOLN JAMES was urged leaving and got the pocket, may’ve been bottomed behind the fast pace, empty the last ¼. ARTISTS RUFFLES was first to move out but didn’t gain much on that first move, went three-wide to try to circle into contention but offered little. BENSON BOYS N developed a problem in the last half.
EIGHTH RACE – LOUD SPLASH got the lead easily and didn’t have much pressure, was tested by WILSONS VINNER late but had a 27.3 last quarter in him and held on. The latter was speedy early and took the pocket, tightened back in late backstretch, outside in the lane, closed well but looked second-best. SPORTY DRAGON sat third the entire way, not in the league of the top two late. STEP ON THE GAS moved outside 11/16, gained a little on the turn then flattened. THE OTHER PAIR could not get into the main action of the race.
NINTH RACE – BILLY BADGER N, on the right line most of the way, was looped, worked his way to the lead 3/8, went steadily with individual splits of 27.3 – 27.4 – 27.4 – 27.1, the last needed to ward off the potential pocket rocket J B MAUNEY N. The latter looped the winner and got the top 3/16, pushed a like distance before yielding, outside headstretch, very good race. HE’S ELECTRIC was first on top, yielded, sat third from the 3/8, not in the league of the top two but better than the rest. LESPNDNITETOGETA N stayed inside, beat out the others. JK MUSICMAN was uncovered into the backstretch, grinded but never headed the pocket horse before tiring. JAGGER ROCKS was third-over, a touch of pace on the far outside. BULLVILLE TERROR could do little from second-over. THE LAST TWO were the last two throughout.
TENTH RACE – GRACE HILL needed until the past the 1/8 to take the top in a 26.1 opener, set the pace, gave the crowd a brief thrill when CHASE LOUNGE dropped to the Pocono Pike and had a momentary surge, but responded like a top filly should and withstood her. The latter was the innermost of three leavers and got herself a pocket trip, as mentioned briefly loomed going inside in the stretch, tried hard but second best. THEBEACHISCALLING was three-wide to the 1/8 then dropped back to tuck third, did well along the inside late. MILIEU HANOVER went up belatedly to tuck fourth, was first-over off the second turn, held on pretty well. THE OTHER TWO moved outside with cover down the back but couldn’t go enough to be factors here.
ELEVENTH RACE – NASHVILLE ELGENNA left quickly right to the lead, yielded for the pocket, outside headstretch, snapped by midstretch as the leader tired. PODIUM GIRL was looped early and worked up to command off the first turn, rolled at an even clip, defenseless midstretch. CAPTAINS MAID was uncovered past the 9/16, didn’t get near the front but had enough to decision TONIANNE for third. The latter showed some early foot, then was loose in the 3-hole the last half. UPTOWN HANOVER gapped second-over. DOUBLEOFFTHEWALL never contended. NATCHEZ BELLE was last at every call.
TWELFTH RACE – MIKALA jumped right out to the lead, got a breather to the half, then came home in 54.3 – 27 with nobody able to make much inroad. FIRE START HANOVER took back early and was last, then third-over in a dull cover flow, three-wide before the ¾, actually paced her last half (54.2) than the winner (54.3) but was far back, passed a couple of horses late to save second. SO IRRESISTIBLE went to the pocket 3/16, not enough late and couldn’t hold second. PAULAS BET HANOVER sat third, outside late turn, fair. INCASEYOUDIDNTKNOW was second-over, gapped, blindswitched before the ¾, ducked in, not enough. BEACH CRAZY came raw at the half but didn’t get too close before falling back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BILL HALEY N left outside the quick pole horse and protected the pocket, came out before midstretch and said, “See ya later, Alligator!” to J M MANDAMIN. The latter took control from the pole and set a fast pace, came home well but got caught by the pocket rocket. ROCKIE GOT FRAMED stayed in and was clear if distant third. SOUTH BEACH STAR was second-over, three-wide far turn as cover faltered, fair. PATERNITY SUIT A gapped down the back, fair late. HIGHALATOR was very wide towards turn one, dropped into the 3-hole near the ¼, uncovered off turn two, but was subpar today as his bid sputtered towards the ¾.
FOURTEENTH RACE – KILOWATT KID N showed some early foot, moved raw into turn two and brushed to command before the 5/8, was in control the rest of the way. HEREITIZ followed the cover of the winner then was left raw 5/8, fought on gamely for a good second. MAJOR OFFENSE cleared quickly to the front, yielded to the winner 5/8, stayed close until late on the turn, won third in a photo over DIVISION BELL. The latter was in the two-wide flow, gapped far turn, some late. FERDINAND A gapped early, went wide in the stretch and passed horses. BLACKLIGHT never was in the main action. WAY TO CLOSE got in fifth at the 3/16, then lost all chance being shuffled behind a tired one from late backstretch. TAKEITTOTHEFACE had the early pocket, wanted to quarter-move but had to reconsider that decision, then was empty from the 5/8.