FIRST RACE – Stretch tailwind … STEP ON THE GAS did so early and made the top past the 1/8 in a fast quarter, set the pace, looked to have warded off the first-over and was clear midstretch, then had enough for that resurgent one. LOUD SPLASH was looped and tucked fourth past the 1/8, started raw on turn two and went up in 27.1 vs. the wind to challenge, fell back a bit off the turn but then found renewed speed in a big try. BEACH FIRE K sat in, had to wait until midstretch to find room between horses, closed well once free. FEHERTY left well and yielded to sit in the two-hole, a little loose down the back, even response inside late. MR DS ROCK gapped cover third-over, finished with some speed. R MADDY BLUE CHIP, a little off the gate, went up second-over, did not tip wide from behind cover, so-so late.
SECOND RACE – THE WALL left swiftly and got everybody in behind, set the pace as he pleased, then had a 27.2 last quarter to win decisively. BABES DIG ME raced into the pocket at the 1/8, could make no inroads into the winner’s margin late, held second over BLACKLIGHT. The latter sat third-in, to the Pocono Pike, OK. MCNEIL Z TAM stayed in, not prominent. SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN backed out third-over past the 5/8, ducked in for the drive home, got a check. AMAZON caught up to advancing cover second-over, three-wide late turn, couldn’t reach. FEELING CAM LUCKY was wide leaving, took back, came with a rush at the half but never got to the leader’s wheel, started to back off midturn.
THIRD RACE – CREWS HILLTOPPER headed right on down the road, got mild fractions, able to stay clear to the wire. WINNERESS sat in third, had access to the Pocono Pike but couldn’t make up enough ground. MUAY HANOVER tucked in the pocket past the 1/8, slightly off the leader most of the last half, but went along steadily. DARK POOL sat in until midturn, angled all the way to four-wide headstretch, finished solidly. SILVERMASS VOLO went uncovered from last before the 3/8, got ahead of the pocket horse ¾ but never reached the leader. NEVER SAY UNCLE backed out to second-over behind a one-gear sort, wide late turn but couldn’t make up the distance.
FOURTH RACE – BAMSKI raced up into the pocket past the 1/8 and enjoyed a golden journey, tightened back in some on the far turn, outside stretch and to the lead midstretch. CLASS SIX stayed in, outside far turn, moving best of all late. ATTA BOY DAN charged right out to the lead, wouldn’t yield and kept up good fractions, tired late. ABSOLUTE INTENT sat in, outside midturn but quickly ducked back to the pegs, outside again in the stretch, evenly. CLASSY HILL gained inside far turn, not bad late. BARNABAS was mired behind too much dull cover. SOUTHWIND DREDGE moved behind the parked horse on the second turn, started a three-wide move to go around him but didn’t have much. DREAM OF LUCK pushed up on the first turn but didn’t have enough speed and was on the rim throughout, fell back.
FIFTH RACE – CHOCO CHARLIE moved second-over, three-wide 11/16 to two-wide raw midturn, proved the best of this group late. BROADWAY BRUISER was right on the back of the leader, three-wide before midturn, dropped back down to second-over late turn, couldn’t step with the winner but outstepped the rest. DAYTONA DREAMIN was parked almost to the ¼ for command, went 28-29-30 (wind appropriate) on the lead but still had no late answer. ARCH CREDIT made the top to turn one then yielded at the ¼, sat the pocket, evenly late. LIGHTS COME ON gapped at the 3/8, got closer but then fell back again in the lane. GREEK LEGEND was uncovered into turn two, never threatened, tired significantly.
SIXTH RACE – MISS MCKEE was away second, moved past the ¼ but was made to work well past the 3/8 before reaching the top, continued on, had a 28.2 coming home and needed it to deal with THE LIONKING AS. The latter left strongly from the pole, made the winner work before accepting the pocket, came back up the Pocono Pike and put in another good mile. GRAPPLE HANOVER moved uncovered 11/16, not in the league of the top two but did take third over a pair. MARION GONDOLIER moved raw past the 5/8 and then soon got cover, drifted wide through the stretch and gained some ground. MUFASA AS seemed all-out at times just to stay with the main group. BANZAI AS, off the gate, offered little. MUSHANA moved outside, made a break at the ¾.
SEVENTH RACE – LORD OF MISRULE blasted away for early command, then yielded to sit the pocket behind a fast pace, outside late turn and went on to win comfortably. DIALAMARA showed some speed, stayed third-in, could use the Pocono Pike and just nipped TJ BLAST for second. The latter quickly worked to the top and rambled off very quick numbers on his own, just couldn’t last to the wire. ROLLIN IN NEW YORK took back early, was far back behind unresponsive cover, was closing very impressively. ROCK KING DEO moved outside mid-final turn, some at the end but outkicked. LEAR SEELSTER never surfaced; PICKLED PREACHER didn’t surface either after being wide early and taking back. RAYS N A RUCKUS was uncovered to the half but never got beyond midpack.
EIGHTH RACE – THE CANDYMAN CAN was outside most of a good quarter to make the top, came home in 55.2 – 27.3 under a hold, uncatchable. SOMEBEACH BARON was fastest away and made the winner work hard to clear, stayed tight until the stretch but didn’t have the winner’s sprint, held second over BLOW A CLOUD N. The latter sat in, outside before midstretch and narrowed in on the place horse. RHP moved outside down the back but gapped, ducked in, no factor. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N came out raw 5/8, got to the wheel of the winner but no closer, fell back in the lane.
NINTH RACE – SNOWBALL’S ROMEO circled the field with good gate speed early, yielded for the pocket, sent to the Pocono Pike, went right on by and held off the closers. ACTOR HANOVER was looped and got into the early pocket past the 1/8, inside, angled out then wide headstretch, took a while to get in gear and was still fifth with little more than 50 yards to go, then was moving very well at the wire. BULLVILLE TERROR came all the way up the inside from second-last, deep in the Pike and just edged for second. DREAMS BEACHBOY quarter-moved and kept rolling, couldn’t last until the wire. BENJI’S BEST was third-over, had his cover lose its forward momentum on the turn, widest and very good late. WHITE HAIR ROCKS tucked fourth 3/16, moved uncovered at the ½, did got a head ahead of the winner on the turn, held fairly well considering the hard trip. CAPTAIN MCKEE was second-over, gapped. BAY MEADOWS was at the back throughout.
TENTH RACE – CURIOUS CORTEZ left hard to get control at the 1/8, yielded just before the ¼ but was quickly on the retake, had a clear lead far turn and was not seriously threatened late. REGAL SON parked the winner a ways then yielded, moved uncovered nearing the ¾, was game late and got up for second. STELLAR BB went up and took most of the quarter to make the lead, yielded to the winner, couldn’t go with that one far turn, raced commendably. BELLOWS BINGE moved out late backstretch, got cover, went back inside on the turn, to the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. ALEX TYE never entered the picture. MAJOR DESIRE was gapping before the 5/8.
ELEVENTH RACE — … Unfortunately, the video transmission went off the air just about at the 3/8 pole, so I cannot really say what I “saw” that you cannot infer from looking at the charts. The biggest puzzle is how SULLIVAN got out from behind the tired leader, and I would guess behind INDIGO ART. Sorry.