FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … HURRIKANE WILLIE G was pushed to the 3/16 for the lead, yielded to a brusher and sat the pocket, outside stretch and got to the lead late in a good time for this class. CASTYOURCROWN moved from fourth at the quarter to the lead at the other end of the frontstretch, rolled along, didn’t miss by very much. BJORNSSON pushed the early pace, yielded and stayed third-in, inside stretch, just held third over MISTER WALKER. The latter was on his way from the back of the pack not much past the ¼, left uncovered before turn two, held on decently. CREATE moved outside 5/8, had cover but couldn’t go with it 11/16. F X HANOVER was the original second-over, gapped 9/16 and broke before the 5/8. LEGION OF HONOR showed little. DANZON HANOVER left and tucked third early, broke to the 5/16 and went inside the pylons.
SECOND RACE – CAVIART CARMEL was four-wide early, three-wide to the 3/16, then two-wide to the top 5/16 after hard usage, rated the half, had to pick it up and battled with ODDS ON CARLY fiercely the last 5/16, very game to hold on. The latter made the top between horses at the 1/8, yielded, vacated third raw before the 5/8 and went nose-to-nose with the winner to the wire, very good effort. BETTE TINA came outside ¾, found her best strides a little late but still grabbed third. KISSIMMEE BEACH was involved in the early action to the 1/8, moved second-over, got to tuck in the pocket on the turn, Pocono Pike, not quite enough punch. TSM WESTERN SOUL couldn’t keep up in the last ½. SOUTHWIND MOLLY was three-deep to the 1/8 then on the lead 3/16, pushed the winner to the 5/16 before yielding, went loose 5/8. LADY ELECTRA was slow to the gate and rough once she got there, broke before the start, would eventually pull up.
THIRD RACE – CHAMP CHARBEL tucked, then gapped in third most of the middle half, outside on the far turn, wide and had the best finishing move. BALI BEACH was looped and worked up into the pocket, was also loose until the ¾, to the Pocono Pike, had a chance but outkicked, did get second. KAUAI KING moved uncovered 5/8 and made steady progress until the stretch, held on decently late. SICILY BEACH looped the field in short order, had an open lead after a fast quarter and a rated half, had the others catch up to him to the ¾, tired a bit after hard work in front. THE OTHER PAIR were not factors here.
FOURTH RACE – CARAMELA HANOVER moved out raw 5/8 and retucked in the pocket, gradually reeled in the leader on the turn, outside stretch, held off PAINT BY NUMBERS in the 32.2 last quarter. PAINT MY NUMBERS tucked fifth, then followed the winner (also retucking) until headstretch, went inside and just missed. MYREANNA tucked third and sat behind the gapping pocket horse, finally out two-wide midturn, just edged MISS MAYTRIX for third. The latter gapped behind the main pack, three-wide far turn and gained into the drastically-slowing tempo. THESUNRISESAGAIN made the lead and try to scorch the field with a giant quarter and half, still had a huge lead down the back but was tiring and gradually gave way. CIAO BELLA never made her presence felt. LILYBET sat second, gapped virtually the entire way until breaking far turn and going to the infield. TSM EMILIA T misbehaved 50 yards before the start.
FIFTH RACE – BLONDE ONTHE BEACH looked at leaving but took back, came raw 3/8 and went right by before the 5/8 in a 26.4 backside, had to deal with CAPSAICINN but went on enough to get that foe into the pocket towards headstretch, drew away. The latter moved second-over from last and then challenged when left raw 5/8, couldn’t go by and tucked headstretch, held second over some late rushers. JUBILEE QUEEN quarter-moved after a fast opener, had the winner rush by 5/8, couldn’t stay with the top two at the end of the fast third quarter, but kept on steadily. BAREFOOT’NPREGNANT was shuffled to last, came back some on the end. EASYRUNNER HANOVER, wide early, took the pocket 3/16, was shuffled back, evenly late. AVAYA HANOVER left between horses to the lead 3/16, yielded to the second quarter brusher, gapped the main action at crunch time.
SIXTH RACE – GROSSETO AS was three-wide to the 1/8, wanted to go on but was wrestled into the pocket off the first turn, closed the distance between himself and the leader late backstretch, out headstretch and trotted away late in a quick time for this level. INFINITE ZETTE spotted early, uncovered at the half far off the lead, kept gaining steadily for a good second. ARMANI HANOVER was determined to set the pace, got a breather to the half then took off again, out of gas headstretch. THINK I CAN was a very distant next-best. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN gapped down the back. COMMAND THE MARKET as forwardly-placed, but was leaving a gap soon off turn two. THE OTHER DUO were always far back.
SEVENTH RACE – MORROCKIN K came uncovered at the half, got around a gapping three-holer, could have ducked in far turn but chose to advance two-wide, a very confident half length winner. REMY AURORA defended the pocket, got a bit loose on the backstretch but narrowed in, to the Pocono Pike, got the lead midstretch, not quite enough to resist the winner. WATERBOARD took the lead and slowed the half, tried to steal away with a 27.1 third quarter, held on to midstretch, not beaten by much. SILVER TAIL moved second-over but gapped on the turn, had a good if belated rush. SURE R LOOKIN GOOD tucked third at the 1/8, started to leave a gap not long into the backstretch.
EIGHTH RACE –ONE AFTER NINE was three-wide and looped early, to two-wide and in front 5/16, went on and strung out the front part of the field, drew away. QUICKEST HANOVER circled four-wide and lived up to her name getting the lead, yielded to the winner 5/16, couldn’t go enough late but did hold on to second in a three-way picture. LAA DEE GAA one-geared it raw from the half, good race. ME TOO BABY used the rail to achieve a forward positioning, Pocono Pike, didn’t have a solid pop late. CHARMING BANK gapped out far turn. I’LLALWAYSBEBACK and FINLANDIA were never factors. STORM BRINGER tried to gain outside but could not.
NINTH RACE – ISLAND LILY went outside with cover past the 5/8, uncovered midturn as her cover got the lead and the inside, worked her way to the front without seeming to have much trouble. DAGON HANOVER sat in the two-hole, remained in that positioning after the leader broke and a new leader crossed over, Pocono Pike, just second over TEQUILA N ROSES. The latter went uncovered 5/8 and was going past the pacesetter when that one broke, came up just a bit shy at crunch time. SERRANO VOLO avoided trouble. BALLET BARRE was well-placed until the ¾, then tired. BREEZING PRAYER was looped early and went on belatedly, was making a play for the lead when breaking at the ¼, recovered and went outside but couldn’t sustain the comeback. RED REDEMPTION made the top near the 1/8 in a fast quarter, slowed Q2 then picked up Q3, was giving way when he broke midturn and went inside the pylons. BILLIE CLAIRE and CUSTOMARILY both broke soon into the race; the latter suffered “b.e.” and was pulled up.
TENTH RACE – PRESTO grinded up from the 5/8 and proved the best in a three-horse duel. SO LONG HANOVER was in front at the 1/8, yielded and was a bit rough, left a gap behind the leader until late backstretch, to the Pocono Pike, didn’t appear to ever have the lead but steadily for second. SWEET HEART AS was three-wide to the 1/8 and went in front 3/16, set wind-appropriate fractions as many did on this card, held the lead until just past midstretch. CAN’T SAY NO couldn’t make his presence felt. LAZER JET moved outside in an effort to gain but was ineffective. BANG BANG BOINGA was always far back. BIG NUDGE ran at the 3/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – CAPTAIN ROMANCE went out between horses and wound up in the early pocket, quarter-moved then yielded again at the half, accelerated 11/16 to be in position to move outside for the stretch, did so and wore down a stubborn STELLAR YANKEE to make George Napolitano Jr. only the 12th driver in North American harness racing history to record 11,000 victories. The latter was looped, had the winner move to the lead in front of him and followed him to command after a taxing half, held his ground dead game. BEACH TOWN BOY tucked third, came out into turn two and was briefly in tight quarters, continued up raw, tucked third ¾, couldn’t go with the top two on the end but bettered the rest. BOLTMAN tailed the show horse’s cover then was left raw on the turn, OK. THE COOKIE MONSTER came on from far back to get the last payday. THE NEXT THREE were never major dangers. ITZALLDOWNTOLUCK N was very wide to the first turn and three-wide to the 1/8 before getting the lead, yielded, a bit rank in the hole towards turn two, fell back.