FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … JAGGER ROCKS sat third-in, went up the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter went outside, won easily. BAY MEADOWS came through at the start and took the lead, yielded to the brusher to sit the two-hole, outside early stretch, won a three-way photo for second. DA DELIGHTFUL backed out to third-over before the half, was blindswitched ¾ and went back in, had pace up the far inside. SKIP TO MY LOU was away second then improved that positioning by one before the 3/8, couldn’t last until the line. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN backed outside 11/16 and soon went three-wide, four-wide late turn and lost ground straightening away, finished well. JK MUSICMAN was out with cover at every call, moved three-wide midturn but couldn’t gain. ROCK THREE TIMES never factored. MCNEIL Z TAM was looking to go in the 4-hole to the 3/16 but got rank and went wide, stayed on the outside uncovered, tired.
SECOND RACE – KING ALPHONSO was second-over, left raw to the ¾ as the first-over cleared, was in a good fight in the stretch and proved the best late. ROCK PARTY moved first-up before the half, took over 11/16 as the leader broke, almost maintained the advantage to the wire. GEMOLOGIST was quickly away to the lead, hung a foe 5/16 then yielded for the pocket, wound up maintaining the pocket after the grinder cleared and the pacesetter broke going to the infield, had a chance in the Pocono Pike, just a bit shy. SWEET HEART AS gapped earlier in the backstretch then caught up with cover, not quite enough late. JOEY PRO went evenly inside. KEYSTONE SERGEANT went outside ¾ but couldn’t make an impact. BROADWAY BRUISER was far back throughout. CHUCKY DE VIE was looped leaving, found no hole so pressed on past a fast quarter to get the lead, was challenged down the backstretch, tired, broke, went to the infield. MUSHANA broke before the ¼.
THIRD RACE – WALTER MITTY was third-over from last, three-wide ¾ through the turn, continued on with the most late pace. SWEET N FAST N was second-over, crucially blindswitched ¾, worked between horses early stretch and finally with room to close for second. KILLER MARTINI went uncovered 5/8 and challenged hard, got a slight advantage late turn which he maintained until deep in the lane. SULLIVAN yielded for the two-hole, went to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite summon enough late. PICKLED PREACHER was third-in, didn’t have stretch clearance. BLOW A CLOUD N was under encouragement to clear early, went on with a good second split into the wind, got pressure late backstretch, no more to give from midturn.
FOURTH RACE – WILBERFORCE left and got an early distant pocket, narrowed in and pulled out off the second turn, worked by past the fast ¾, only finished in 31.1 but that was more than enough. MUAY HANOVER sat in, gapped down the backstretch, then finished evenly. LIBERO HANOVER shot out to a good-sized lead in a fast quarter, rated the half then got pressure from the winner, resisted it to past the ¾ then yielded, held well for third after hard usage. ZOOMING was outside early, gapped second-over down the back, wide and did OK late. URSIS DES CAILLONS got in the outer flow, a little late. SWANCREDIT didn’t enter the main picture. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT was three-wide early to the 3/16, got into third off the first turn, back outside far turn but had little to give. MONTALBANO BI was loped and between horses, found the pegs past the ¼, not a factor thereafter.
FIFTH RACE – INDIGO ART was last, moved third-over ¾, three- then four-wide late turn, had strong late pace to win going away. THE CANDYMAN CAN was three-wide to nearing the 3/16, thought about taking back to tuck but went on and was urged to get the lead just past the 3/8, had no pressure until the 11/16 but still rolled along, couldn’t handle the winner but was game to retain second, was reclaimed to tie the Pocono record again at $50,000. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N moved out to the 11/16 and soon got cover, three-wide midturn, outkicked and just missed second. BELLOWS BINGE looked at leaving but tucked, third-in, not clear until the stretch, then OK in the Pocono Pike. T J BLAST blasted away and forced a hot quarter, yielded, came back out 11/16 but didn’t quite have enough. SOMEBEACH BARON was between horses early, used to make the lead at the 26.3 quarter then strung the chalk out just past the 3/8 before yielding, not much left in the stretch.
SIXTH RACE – GANGSTER HANOVER went to the lead, got a slowed half, then sprinted in 27.1 to leave the rest gasping, finished out strongly to leave these well in his wake. MAX left and worked into the two-hole past the 1/8, couldn’t quite stay with the winner to the ¾ but had enough to retain second. PLAY TRIX ON ME sat inside, to the Pocono Pike, OK. KENOGAMI COCO stayed in, outside late turn, fair. TWO AM gapped at the back. SYLVESTERAMERICA IT, hard to steer, was three-wide much of turn one, then went forward but never appeared to threaten the winner and fell back. SORTIE went up behind the parked horse into turn two, three-wide far turn but didn’t have much late.
SEVENTH RACE – ARTISTS RUFFLES moved out uncovered from last before the half, put in a fine third quarter to grid methodically to the leader, battled that one on the turn while well ahead of the rest, the strong horse late. DING DING DINGER moved from fourth soon off the first turn to gain command before the second bend and a fast half, fought with the winner from before the ¾ and through the turn, no match for that one but did hold onto place in a three-way picture. DIALAMARA was shuffled to last then moved out ¾, went between horses in the stretch and squeezed through with some pace. AMERICAN CHROME backed out, was behind the winner but couldn’t stay with him, got to a clear third midturn, but couldn’t sustain. LORD OF MISRULE tucked second after vying for the early lead, then was shuffled out of it as the pacesetter gave way. DRAWING DRAGONS left and would not yield in the 26.3 first fraction, did yield nearing turn two, couldn’t keep up late backstretch.
EIGHTH RACE – A STUD NAMED SAM got forward positioning, then quarter-moved, had an easy time of it. FEHERTY made the front at the 1/8, yielded, moved out midturn, found better steps late to be a clear second. SPORTS TEEN, four-wide to turn one, took control 3/16, yielded a like distance later for the pocket, couldn’t go enough in the last ¼. ASTAIRE sat in, evenly. MAJOR DESIRE was well off the gate, moved outside 3/8 and got cover at the half, went three-wide 11/16 and gained until midturn then tired. SPORTY DRAGON gapped inside. FAR BETTER took back early, went raw at the half but never got close. TOPVILLE CRUISER was far back early, never got closer, then faded badly in the lane. STEP ON THE GAS misstepped going to turn one.
NINTH RACE – The video system malfunctioned and did not record this race to watch for replay. From notes while watching the race live: STELLAR BB quarter-moved, had the pace he wanted and was very good; also taken for $50,000. REGAL SON took over at the 3/16, yielded at the 3/8, stayed very game to the wire. BENJI’S BEST vacated last 11/16 to go up raw, solid. ALEX TYE pushed the early pace, yielded, had room in the Pocono Pike and certainly wasn’t far off.
TENTH RACE – Same technical problem – sorry. From the notes watching the race live: CHIN CHIN HALL worked to get the lead in a fast opener, yielded to the first parked horse and sit tight behind that one as he fought with a parked challenger, came through on the inside for the score. WARRIOR ONE pushed the pace early, yielded, was shuffled to last, went to the deep Pike and had a good response (in the 30.1 last quarter). JOEY moved with cover on turn two, went three-wide past the 5/8, ducked in to second-over, went on for third. NEXTROUNDSONME went to third-over in a blindswitch, swung three-wide as JOEY went to the two-path, flattened. CRYSTAL FASHION was three-wide to the 3/16 then two-wide to the lead 3/8, immediately under constant pressure in the fast fractions, tired. MORAIRTIME stayed outside behind cover before the ¼, left raw 3/8 and battled hard but couldn’t clear, tired.
ELEVENTH RACE – ROLLIN IN NEW YORK was two-wide in a four-way early dogfight, got to the inside at the 1/8 and accelerated to not let anybody by, fought off two separate challenges while going big fractions, went clear late in an impressive showing. SOMBODYITREASURE was three-wide to the 1/8 then took back for the pocket 3/16, kept up OK in the lane but wasn’t getting to the winner. SCOOTNROLL was out following cover wide early backstretch, left three-wide raw for a while then to second-over, three-wide headstretch and did well. LYONS NIGHT HAWK was in the early mix, stayed connected, not quite enough late. BULLVILLE TERROR got going to the half and was three-wide soon off turn two to get to uncovered just past the 5/8, pressured the leader but couldn’t sustain in the last quarter. PATERNITY SUIT A was out in the wide flow but couldn’t keep with it. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO was four-wide early, had to take the air two-wide the duration, looped just past the 5/8 and faded. MAJOR OFFENSE didn’t have anything from the start.
TWELFTH RACE – JUST MAYBE THE ONE, not smooth at several points but always battling, was first to show, yielded off the first turn to sit in the two-hole, came through in the Pocono Pike and won over MARION GONDOLIER. The latter was between horses past the 1/8 then settled inside, started first-over off the second turn, gradually improved then challenged the leader hard on the final turn, drifted out through the stretch but still was going forward. CASINO CUTIE IT moved second-over, went inside the drifting horse late and was along for third. WINNERUP was three-wide to the 3/16 in a quick opener, made the lead off the first turn, kept on going, had a challenger before the ¾, tired in the stretch. THE LIONKING AS sat in, had some late in the Pocono Pike. SEVEN IRON was involved early, yielded, gapped far turn. BANK BOX TREASURE moved outside but couldn’t keep up.
THIRTEENTH RACE – P L MUNSON moved outside 5/8 and was three-wide not long thereafter to two-wide raw ¾, put away the leader and drew off at 45-1. AMAZON was stuck in until midturn, angled out three-wide and was along for second. PEMBROKE JOEY made the lead to the first turn, yielded, kept the pocket closed in the midrace duel, outside late turn, third-best. LINCOLNJAMES left between horses for command, then would not yield to the parked rival in wicked early fractions, got a new challenger to the ¾, tired in the lane. HURRIKANE GEORGIE gapped in quarter two, tighter, then didn’t have much in the last 3/16. DREAM OF LUCK had no good luck, parked three-wide past the 1/8, then briefly having cover until being left raw, urged to clear but couldn’t in a fast duel, looped ¾. BEACH FIRE K and ABSOLUTE INTENT never entered the main picture.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BABES DIG ME led the outer tier going into turn two, one-geared it up solidly, kept on going until he made the lead, then held off WHITE HAIR ROCKS. The latter had a perfect cover trip, three-wide stretch, moving well late to just miss. IMAROCNROLLEGEND N left wide, had cover early, got in full gear 3/16 to work to the top 3/8 in a fast half, under relentless pressure from the winner, held his ground well. CAPTAIN CASH had the lead at the 1/8 and yielded 3/16, inside, gapped on the turn then moved out into a blindswitch, coming back a little late. MAC ANOVER was buried inside, went to the Pocono Pike and gained. TUXEDO BAY was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to 3/16 control, yielded and sat in the pocket, little late response. BLACKLIGHT was moving well at the wire from last. KINGOFTHEJUNGLE gapped third-over. YS MATHIS was not heard from.