FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … JO PA’S WARRIOR tucked early, came raw early backstretch and went at it with the leader from the 11/16 around the turn, lost a length straightening away but kept digging and was along late. OCTAVE gapped in the pocket behind an early runaway, then moved out 3/8 and had the leader before the half, came under pressure, almost lasted to the line. PHILOSOPHIZER went second-over 5/8, clearly third-best. BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE tucked third, sat in then backed out to third-over before the ¾, blindswitched far turn, next-best. HANDSOFFMYTITOS gapped horribly the first half, got in gear down the back, three-wide ¾ through the turn, flattened a little bit. HONALI was outside near the back with little. ZEUS HANOVER left sharply and crossed right over, had a big early lead, yielded before the half, started gapping out 11/16. BET ON ZETTE didn’t factor here.
SECOND RACE – CAVIART CARMEL went to the early lead, wouldn’t yield to a parked rival, then did give the led to the 3/8 for the pocket, outside early stretch and right by. IMONABEACH HANOVER moved from fourth at the ¼ and easily got the lead before the 3/8, went on at a good clip losing everybody but the winner, had no answer for that one late. JACANA was parked early, forced to take a tuck at the ¼, behind a big gapper, outside midturn, along for third; SOME KINDA ANGEL followed the show horse from the ¼ and had some late pace. SANTAFE’S MJ maintained the early pocket, then gapped out from the ½. ALWAYS B ROYALTY couldn’t enter contention. HAD ME AT COOKIE was off the gate, then fell progressively further back.
THIRD RACE – EL KISMET held the pocket, sat coolly in reserve to headstretch, then moved out and trotted away easily. WILD KAT G raced third, outside far turn, caught BUCKET HEAD for second. The latter went to early command and was briefly clear, set the pace, no match in the stretch and couldn’t preserve second. PRAY AND HUSTLE broke taking back early. DREAM ZETTE stayed flat but had little from the 5/8. SOMETHING PINK was in the three-hole when miscuing nearing the ¼. COOL MISS WENDY lost gait before the start.
FOURTH RACE – MIGHTY ANGEL yielded at the 1/8, occasionally loose in the two-hole but tightened back in, to the Pocono Pike and had enough in a 31 kicker against the wind. AMBERS CHAMPION moved outside ¾ and finished well. KRISTIELEIGH was in front at the 1/8 and set the pace, couldn’t sustain the advantage to the wire. MOODY BLUE stayed connected, moved outside to midstretch and finished willingly. TICKET TAB had trouble staying tight throughout. MATTER OF TRUST was a gapping last, outside on the turn and may have been earning the last check when breaking.
FIFTH RACE – VARNEY went to the front at the 1/8, rated the half while still stringing the field, had pressure from GUSSY’S TRUMP CARD but had enough for the victory. The latter vacated third past the ¾, had a good last quarter to make it interesting. STEWARDOFTHELAND looked to leave but took back, sat midpack, to midtrack midstretch and up for third. KEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT made the pocket, but didn’t have much pace in the stretch. JITTERBUG FLIP went evenly and got the last check. DOWNTHEROAD Z TAM and DARIO HANOVER were always near the back. REGENTS HANOVER moved uncovered to the 11/16, started to go three-wide ¾ as the place horse came out but lost composure.
SIXTH RACE – SUM FOR ALL sat third until midturn, then summoned enough to be along into the 31.1 kicker. KATKIN AND COKE worked up into the pocket 3/16, to the Pocono Pike, second-best. GROSETTO AS was loose for the first 5/8, came out with cover midturn, not far off second. PUERTO RICO left in 27 opening a big lead, moderated the pace, still tired. CELEBRITY MASERATI was not a factor most of the race, finished with trot along the inside. SCIROCCO JAKOB never made his presence felt. KANDY KORN was looking for early position when making a break.
SEVENTH RACE – VELVET STYLE was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead past the 3/16, controlled the race in the last quarter. CALIFORNIA GOLD went out between horses to 1/8 command, yielded for the pocket, not enough late but still well-clear of the rest. ZETTE FLAME followed the cover well off the pace, wide and got the distant third. TEST YOUR MAGIC moved raw 5/8, passed tired horses. VICTORY YANKEE was in the early scramble, took back and was not heard from again. PLAYER ONE showed some speed and yielded, then was struggling by the 5/8. GAVINATOR was not heard from.
EIGHTH RACE – TSM PHOTO BUGGER, a sprightly 14YO, made the lead at the 1/8, yielded to the early brushing chalk and stayed right with him through bruising fractions, outside midstretch and got his game nose to the line first for the 61st time. MACMORRIS HANOVER was underway before the ¼ to take over and put up very quick fractions, caught only by the pocket rocket. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY was second-over, switched inside and to the Pocono Pike for the stretch, good gain (though the pace was slowing). SWEET HEART AS was uncovered 11/16, steadily narrowed in. CREWS HILLTOPPER was heard to settle in early, not heard from. DARTY was first to the top, yielded, inside, not a late factor. DYNAMIC EDGE never got into the dynamic of this race.
NINTH RACE – AMERICAN CHROME had the early pocket, then sat third until past the ¾, closed steadily and just held off A BETTOR BEACH (on a day when many last quarters were not fast going into a headwind). The latter followed cover then lost it to a tuck-in, got new cover on the turn, finished well and just missed. HE’S ELECTRIC reluctantly accepted an early midpack tuck, then charged out off turn one and took control, tried to lose the field with a 27 third quarter but couldn’t quite hold up. DIVISION BELL stacked wide from last and did well late. DARK ENERGY N moved outside off turn two but retucked in front of a gapper, surrounded in the stretch but still appeared to be outpaced. ROCK THE TOWN had overcome the outermost draw and crossed over before the first turn, yielded for the pocket, tired in the stretch. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS did not keep up in the last half.
TENTH RACE – JUST MAYBE THE ONE left strongly to take the lead, kept on strongly into the wind when the pocketsitter sought to make the lead, rolled on, drew clear through the stretch in a big mile. BLENHEIM defended the pocket, came out 5/16 but quickly rethought that move, outside ¾ but didn’t gain, held off MUSHANA to retain second. The latter was raw past the 5/8, got cover from the pocket horse on the turn but couldn’t quite work by him. WISENHEIMER took back early, sat midpack, no late response. BANK BOX TREASURE moved outside from last on the far turn but didn’t show much.
ELEVENTH RACE – BLOW A CLOUD N had a clear lead within 50 yards of the start, kept rolling, more than enough for this field. MONTEFALCO N raced up into the early pocket, pulled same down the back but didn’t get closer than the winner’s flank, in stretch, good to be far clear of the others. ABSOLUTE INTENT gradually advanced outside to get third over ROCK THREE TIMES, who tucked third but couldn’t go with the top two late. THE REST OF THE FIELD either gapped or were too far back to have an influence or both.