FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind early … GOLDEN GESTURE dashed right to the lead, was in total control of this group with his two 27.3 back quarters. BRINGITONHOME N moved up steadily after coming uncovered from sixth at the half, retucked in the pocket, no threat but clear for second. SPORTSMANSHIP squeezed out down the back to avoid a shuffle as the pocketsitter gave way, got inside late on the turn, far ahead of the rest for third. DARK HORSE tried to go with the winner but couldn’t quite go that fast, three-wide midturn, won a photo for fourth over MISTER TRUTH. The latter was shuffled some behind the fader then squeezed out just past midturn, not that much. LITTLE ADMIRAL was wide early then taken all the way back to last, had a touch of belated pace. SAULSBROOK LANNY never featured. HIGHVIEW CONALL N went to the early pocket, all done before the ¾.
SECOND RACE – CLASSICALITY was three-wide to the first turn and on top 3/16, set wind-appropriate fractions, responded to the challenge of the first-over then was left with a huge lead when that one broke. CAPTAIN KRUPNIK was trapped in as two horses broke away late backstretch, finally got to the Pocono Pike and was up for second. O JONNIE came out on the second turn but couldn’t go with cover at all. TEDDY BROSEVELT was stuck in a two-wide non-flow, wide, a bit at the end, came back with “b.e.” ARCH CREDIT was away alertly, yielded, couldn’t keep pace with the duel from nearing the far turn. NAMJE went raw at the half and went 27.3 down the back to fight with the winner, but broke midturn. GREEK LEGEND had little to offer.
THIRD RACE – CHILLIN BYTHE POOL was in front at the 1/8, never really challenged and preserved the lead to the wire. RACING LIFE yielded for the pocket, stayed close throughout while second-best. INHERENT RESOLVE stayed in and was shuffled to last, went to the Pocono Pike and outclosed a pair for third. SOUTHWIND MOLLY gapped in front of the stands then narrowed in, had little left late. CHEEKIE BABE also left an early gap, then backed out second-over, three-wide late turn, evenly. NOTHING TOSEE HERE moved uncovered from last and worked up to the saddlepad of the pocket horse by midturn, but soon thereafter started to fade.
FOURTH RACE – WILBERFORCE dashed out to the lead, parked his main foe to the ¼ then yielded for the two-hole, loose most of the third quarter but tightened in, up the inside and caught SOUTHWIND FROST late. The latter was out to a very fast quarter to seize control, slowed the half then took off again and had a clear lead until the stretch, tired just a little late. ZOOMING stayed in, best of the others. CIMERONKEN was second-over at the half, three-wide midturn, never made up enough ground. LIBERO HANOVER had little to offer here. SLATED TO WIN was in very tight quarters to the 1/8 and had a wheel come to him, made an “ix,” recovered and remounted an uncovered offensive that he could sustain to the far turn, then tired. MUAY HANOVER was in tight quarters on the first turn when his left wheel was struck and had the tire knocked off, pulled up.
FIFTH RACE – JEREMES GENERAL sped away to command, yielded well past the fast 1/4 to sit the two-hole, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, made the lead midpond then had enough to defeat HALF A BILLION. The latter was shuffled to last as the outer tier formed early, joined it fourth-over, advanced in a blindswitch then was three-wide with cover far turn, wider midstretch and finished very strongly. IMAGINEUWITHOUTME was looped early and was hard-used to get the front 5/16, had hounding pressure much of the rest of the way, held OK. I AM GOLDEN was out with cover early then spotted fourth at the 1/8, sat in and was shuffled badly, spent the first half of the stretch gradually angling wide, then was flying once straightened away. PAY LATER was third-over, advanced inside a drifting horse late backstretch, three-wide late on the turn, not quite enough. CHANCELLORCULLEN N stayed in, had inside room in the lane but didn’t show much of a response. SUNBURST CRUZE was outside near the back when getting in gear 3/16, went up to the leader in the slow second quarter and got to his wheel nearing the 5/8, stayed there until getting tired in the stretch. CODE MEISTER moved from last to be second-over, drifted three-wide past the 5/8 and fell back.
SIXTH RACE – JUMPINTHEJAILHOUSE roared away to the lead, yielded for the pocket 3/8, to the Pocono Pike and roared away from his opposition again. VITANI AS was far off the top two until past the 3/8, went outside 11/16 and challenged the leader, edged that one for a distant second. TW LAUXMONT worked to the early pocket far off the leader, gradually got close and moved 5/16 to the front 3/8, rated the half, had pressure on the far turn, lost the photo for second. EVANNA stayed in, blocked on the turn, finally could split horses and had mild trot. UNABATING could not keep with cover on the far turn. KANDY KORN could not keep with cover down the backstretch and ducked in. MONEY MAVEN broke approaching the start.
SEVENTH RACE – Wind has diminished … LINCOLN JAMES was three-wide leaving and went on to take over 3/16, dealt with the first-over, urged early stretch to draw clear, then withstood CAPTAIN MALICIOUS. The latter hit the front at the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole, couldn’t catch the leader, clear of the rest. SOUTHWIND DREDGE moved with cover past the 5/8, wide headstretch, OK at the end. HYPNOTIC DREAM was last most of the way, unwound with some kick at the end. SI SEMALU went around a gapper and retucked, didn’t factor late. HOW ARE YEE JOHN got early position, moved uncovered 5/8, couldn’t sustain the bid. GRANTOR HANOVER gapped down the backstretch, then had no clear path despite searching for one in the lane.
EIGHTH RACE – BAY MEADOWS made the lead then yielded to sit the two-hole, came out in the stretch, was passed by the Pikeshooting CAPTAIN TERROR but stayed game in a 27.2 kicker and put a nose over the line first. The latter sat third-in and had all manner of horses outside him on the turn, bolted through when the inside opened and got a short lead late, just outnodded on the money. JAGGER ROCKS was parked 3/16, rolled along, had a clear lead early stretch and came home well but was outsprinted. DIVISION BELL moved out into a blindswitch past the 5/8, didn’t clear until the top three were gone in the fast last quarter, had some horse. LEAR SEELSTER was uncovered to the 3/8, moved up but never quite reached the leader, fell back. ABSOLUTE INTENT never made his presence felt. P L MUNSON backed out to second-over then went three-wide coming off turn two, remained in the three-path unable to gain enough, tired.
NINTH RACE – TALL POPPY N tucked third at the 1/8, one of several leaving a gap in quarter two, uncovered 5/8, put in a big challenge and took the lead past the ¾, stayed clear. ABIGAIL DAWN showed first but was denied the top, took back and sat the pocket, wedged out midturn to avoid losing more ground to a shuffle, did well. BRING ME DIAMONDS was behind gapping cover, three-wide far turn and next in line. THE NEXT THREE were near the back and never a factor. STOWAWAY HANOVER wouldn’t yield in a 26.1 opener, set the pace, gave way early far turn. CANDY ON THE BEACH made the 4-hole past the 1/8, moved out again just past the 5/8 but gapped and clogged several looking to advance in that path.
TENTH RACE – DAAMERICANSKY made the front 3/16 and had no problem fronting this field. ROCKNROLL CAPTAIN came out off the second turn, moved three-wide before the 5/8 and was left out three-deep a ways as a horse came off the rail, got that one’s cover before the ¾ but then went three-way again midturn, just second late over MUSCLE MACH A. The latter kept a hole shut into turn two, then popped out past the 5/8, was left behind by the winner and couldn’t go enough to get the inside pocket, caught for second. MORE THAN KUTE was not prominent, edged another groundsaver, VAGANOVA, for fourth. CAPTAIN KEEN went out to the lead then yielded to the winner, stayed tight in the pocket until nearing the ¾, then tired. STOP ACTION and DASH POINT HANOVER both started slowly and were not in contact. CENTURY ENFORCER was looped and left outside, found no hole, faded down the backstretch.