FIRST RACE – DAAMERICANSKY, continuing his rejuvenated form, made the lead 3/16 and headed right down the road, held off DING DING DINGER with the mildest of encouragement. The latter left well then yielded for the pocket 3/16, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, tried hard but just couldn’t get there. BLOW A CLOUD N was three-wide leaving, tucked back fourth, uncovered down the backstretch, urged ¾, neither gained not lost ground late. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN followed good cover second-over, three-wide late turn, had closing speed. AMERICAN CHROME kept a hole closed at the 1/8, sat third-in, room inside, not that much. LORD OF MISRULE was last-in, gained in very tight quarters near the line. SWEET N FAST N moved to third-over 5/8, four-wide nearing the stretch, couldn’t make up the needed ground.
SECOND RACE – THE LIONKING AS was first to show three-wide, but took back to tuck third, was reserved off the very fast pace until the 5/8 when he went raw, had the lead ¾ and the pegs midturn, far head enough so as not to be caught by BELIEVER. The latter stayed in and was shuffled to last then joined the lively outer flow on the turn, went three-wide and ate up real estate late. MISS MCKEE went in fourth at the 1/8, then moved second-over, left uncovered midturn, went along nicely. CASINO CUTIE IT was slightly off cover third-over, did not tip wide for the drive, passed tired horses. ZLATAN gapped at the half, then was stuck in, not too much in the lane. LIGHTFOOTEDLEGEND came away sharply, yielded at the 26.4 quarter to sit the pocket, shuffled back as the leader gave way around the turn, looked o be on a line once clear and didn’t gain. WINNERUP paid a 26.4 price to get command, continued to go fast, tired in the last quarter.
THIRD RACE – FEHERTY left between horses for the pocket, tried to quarter-move but abandoned that attempt, broke away behind the leader from the rest, outside before headstretch, just along after a long duel. SPORTS TEEN was three-wide most of the 1/8 to take over the lead, went off to discourage an early move, paced in 27.2 down the back causing a two-horse breakaway, looked to bear out slightly in the lane but was very game in just missing. MAJOR DESIRE was a little off the gate, went around a straggler on the turn then came up the inside to grab third late. R MADDY BLUE CHIP was second-over well off the leaders, uncovered on the far turn, just missed third. A STUD NAMED SAM moved out raw 5/8, retucked third on the turn, not all that much late. FAR BETTER was innermost of three leavers, yielded, retreated from the half.
FOURTH RACE – MUAY HANOVER stayed in, tightened in late backstretch through the turn, had full clearance in the stretch and trotted right off. DARK POOL moved uncovered to the 5/8, never quite reached the leader, able to get around the midstretch trouble and edged BROADWAY BRUISER for second. The latter was outside early then backed off to last, came through on the inside as the pace slowed down, almost second. CIMERONKEN followed cover but couldn’t keep up with it, then had to be quickly steered wide to avoid the two hooked horses. GEMOLOGIST was on the move 3/16 to get the lead 5/16, went on at a quick clip, bore out in the headstretch and hooked wheels with RIVER OTTER, placed. The latter outleft everybody, yielded for the two-hole, edged out early stretch but got hooked by the pacesetter. SLATED TO WIN was third-over, broke 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – KILLER MARTINI was three-wide most of the 1/8 then went up to tuck third, moved raw to the 5/8, reached the leader late backstretch, had a small edge around the turn but couldn’t clear, finally put away the leader, then all-out to hold off SULLIVAN. The latter left nicely and sat in the pocket, backed out late turn behind the winner then went wide of him, gained ground but came up just shy. WALTER MITTY was third-over behind gapping cover, widest in the lane and beat out MAJOR OFFENSE for third. The latter was second-over but gapped lively cover, a little better late but still caught for show. DIALAMARA headed on down the road, was under attack from late backstretch, not equal to this stretch challenge. PICKLED PREACHER was inside, little late. LOUD SPLASH was away last and lost ground from before the half.
SIXTH RACE – TWO AM went away quickly and got everybody in behind him before the quarter, extended a brusher to clear and sat the two-hole behind fast numbers, to the Pocono Pike and trotted right on by. HOCKEY HANOVER got an early position, quarter-moved but pushed almost the length of the frontstretch to clear, kept up the good pace without pressure until late on the turn, second-best. PLAY TRIX ON ME was uncovered at the 11/16, grinded up, flattened just a little bit very late. KING ALPHONSO left, took the pocket past the 1/8, sat third-in, got what he could. MARION GONDOLIER was second-over, came home steadily. DEE’S RED DELICIOUS went around a gapper then gapped during the third quarter, outside on the turn, OK finishing. GRAPPLE HANOVER offered little. KAZANS POWER lost contact in front of the stands, broke late.
SEVENTH RACE – REGAL SON was looped and three-wide to the 1/8, went to the pocket 3/16, not tight not long into the backstretch as the winner sped up, not tight until early stretch, outside and wore down THE CANDYMAN CAN. The latter was away well and circled the field for the lead, rested a little in quarter two then sprinted in 27 the third split to be clear, stayed clear until into the stretch, then couldn’t sustain late. ARTISTS RUFFLES was uncovered before the 3/8, kept on coming, never closer to the lead than at the wire. BELLOWS BINGE stay connected, but was outpaced in the Pocono Pike. TJ BLAST took back at the 1/8 to tuck, sat in, gapped a little on the turn, evenly late. SO SO DE VIE was never involved.
EIGHTH RACE – STATEMENT MADE A was away powerfully to clear right to the lead, never appeared in danger. LEAR SEELSTER tucked third, moved out early backstretch but soon tucked back in, went to the Pocono Pike and won a multi-horse battle for second. There was inquiry to see whether LEAR SEELSTER had bothered HULOU and made him go inside pylons when retucking; after a long debate, no placing was made. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS retained the pocket as there was only one strong leaver, not quite enough in the last 3/16. HULOU sat in, was in close quarters shortly into the backstretch, went to the deep Pocono Pike and did OK. AMAZON stated uncovered into turn two, never got near the lead but stayed contending for minor awards. BEACH FIRE K was second-over, not particularly helped by his cover, fair late. ROCK THREE TIMES never was heard from. PEMBROKE JOEY was last at every call.
NINTH RACE – EUROBOND left, was behind cover then briefly three-wide to the 3/16 as the pocket horse squeezed out, back to two-wide and went around that one to the 5/16, set the pace, was passed past midstretch by RICH AND MISERABLE but responded gamely and got the nod. The latter was away second, got out to the 3/16 to take the lead before yielding to the winner, sat the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike and got a nose up before deep stretch, just caught. KENOGAMI COCO came outside ¾ and closed very solidly. LUCKY MATTER went uncovered 5/8, advanced but not quite enough, still a good mile. SORTIE never entered the main picture. JUST MAYBE THE ONE went to the front, yielded to two horses, was moving into the deep Pike but made a break before midstretch.
TENTH RACE – SNOWBALL’S ROMEO went right to the top, yielded by to a quarter-mover and sat tight behind that one, to the Pocono Pike and gradually worked his way to the front in a long duel with SOMBODYITREASURE. The latter was second early then improved that position by one past the quarter, accelerated down the backstretch, paced his last half in 54.4 and still was caught. IM A GIGOLO N started an uncovered grind 9/16, gradually advanced, never closer than at the wire. STONE HANOVER stayed in third, was surrounded to the wire. SCOOTNROLL went to second-over, finished very strongly. QUATRAIN BLUE CHIP gapped at the back.
ELEVENTH RACE – IMAROCNROLLEGEND N showed speed, then quarter-moved after the front end settled, rated the second quarter, then sprinted off in 26.4 down the back and just kept pouring it on to win by a country mile. PALOMAR started the outer tier, one-geared it raw and was good to be the very distant second. BLACKLIGHT left between horses to command past the 1/8, forced a tuck, yielded to the winner, couldn’t go on with that one. YS MATHIS gapped significantly second-over during the backstretch sprint, then was better in the last 1/8, wide and gained some. MAC ANOVER was three-wide just past the 1/8 then went into the early pocket, stayed in, had to wait on the far turn, Pocono Pike, didn’t gain late. CLASSY HILL was looped and tucked fourth, also caught inside far turn, not too much late. MCNEILL Z TAM gapped down the back, then was blocked in the stretch pursuit for minor awards. JK MUSICMAN didn’t make his presence felt here.
TWELFTH RACE – The wind, which occasionally has surfaced then soon faded, picked up to a stretch tailwind … STELLAR BB was three-wide almost to the 3/16 in the four-horse field, got to the top in 26.1, rated the half then had twin 27.3s for these coming home and won handily, another $50,000 claim. BENJI’S BEST used positioning to force his early foes to work past the 1/8 then yielded, came outside midturn and did well to be clearly second. INDIGO ART was between horses to get command 3/16, pushed then yielded at the ¼, not enough the last 3/16. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N started gapping midbackstretch.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ALEX TYE was on the grind at the half, advanced steadily, took over to midstretch, then just held off GOOD ROCKIN. The latter spotted early, then was second-over, three-wide late turn, had a spurt near the wire that made it interesting. BAY MEADOWS was in front at the 1/8, strung a foe to the 5/16 then yielded for the pocket, had room in the Pocono Pike but did not have a crisp response. PATERNITY SUIT A was three-wide to the 1/8 then up to command to the 5/16, set the pace, didn’t have enough at crunch time. CAPTAIN CASH yielded, sat in, had room in the lane, fair. P L MUNSON was third-over, four-wide headstretch, OK. BULLVILLE TERROR sat in and was badly shuffled, angled all the way to five-wide in the stretch and had solid pace. KINGOFTHEJUNGLE lost contact at the back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CAN’T SAY NO raced away to grab control, rated the half, was in a three-horse breakaway from late backstretch, urged to maintain the lead. CHOCO CHARLIE enjoyed a pocket trip, to the Pocono Pike and did well but settled for second. SIMPLY VOLO went up to tuck fourth at the 1/8, came uncovered off turn two, reached the wheel of the leader but no closer, held his ground well far ahead of the others. Then came the second group of three battlers: JOEY PRO stayed in, outfooted his two rivals in this group. FRAC left and eased in third just past the 1/8, stayed with the front ones until nearing the 11/16 then gapped them. SKYWAY JAGUAR moved outside but didn’t make much of a dent. Then came the last three: NICE STUFF and MAGNIFICENT SEVEN were always far back. GERARD broke early, couldn’t recover.