FIRST RACE – Never above freezing all day, with a cold stretch headwind often reflected in the fractions (the second half of the card saw the second quarters rated to a greater degree) … CAVIART MAX hustled up between horses going to turn one to get the early pocket, flushed out from third to the 5/8 and grinded well, gradually got by on the turn, the best in the opener. SUPER PAC HANOVER was third-over behind a late backstretch gapper, wide in the lane and closed very nicely. MARCO BEACH got the winner out to the 5/8, gapped a bit behind that one the last ¼, just caught for second. DREAM OF LUCK was three-wide to the 1/8, worked on to get the lead at the 3/8, challenged later in the backstretch, held on pretty well. WINNING IS SWEET left well from the rail, forced a tuck then finally yielded at the 3/8, no power left in the stretch. THE OTHER TWO were at the back throughout.
SECOND RACE – FRISKIE ALL NITE gapped in third early backstretch, moved uncovered 11/16 and gained nicely, had a tough foe to pass in ZANETTI but worked by while appearing a bit hard to steer. The latter defended the pocket then quarter-moved, went clear early in the backstretch and reached the ¾ in fast time, was challenged by the winner then suffered “b.e.,” did not give up the fight. REDBANK BLAZE A gapped in the third quarter, outside on the turn then inside in the stretch and finished very well to just miss second. BRAVO TEX N was far back on the far turn, went three-wide and was the best of the rest. CAPTAIN CASH stayed in, could offer little. CLOSING STATEMENT was outside with little. WAR-N-MUNN left between horses, looked to be taking back to third past the 1/8 when making a break. PARMESAN N was three-wide to the 3/16, made the front then yielded, gapped out from the ½.
THIRD RACE – HEARTLANDBANYSBRO cleared at the 1/8, then got to sit in the pocket behind all-out battlers for the lead, to the Pocono Pike, gradually along. BUSH MAN N yielded, was out before the ¼ to go to the lead, appeared to want to yield but then went on when the rival didn’t go by in a 27.4 second quarter into the wind, took the pressure from the favorite, finally did yield reluctantly to the winner. DREAMS ARE TRUE was third early, came on a quarter-move and was urged to clear but did not in that big second panel, kept up the battle to the wire. FERNADO gapped behind the top three, stayed in, was fair late. CARRACCI HANOVER moved out second-over but couldn’t reach his cover, was blindswitched, evenly late. JANAID was out behind gapping cover, went three-wide before the ¾ but couldn’t go enough.
FOURTH RACE – BEACH FIRE K was the only outside leaver, took the pocket at the 1/8, gapped in the second quarter then attacked raw not long into the backstretch, went on grinding and proved the best in here. PARKLANE JET quarter-moved, set the pace, looked a little tired midstretch and was caught. SPORTY DRAGON moved outside midturn and made up ground in a decelerating tempo. AIN’T IT FUN forced the winner to tuck then yielded for the pocket, had his chance in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t make it. SPANISH ART gapped ¾. POINTSMAN moved out but had little to offer. VAGANOVA trailed.
FIFTH RACE – GO WEST GO FAST, looking hard to steer, left some, quarter-moved and strung out the field in quarter two, aided when the pocket horse broke on the turn, just had enough to hold together with 1:00.1 – 30.4 back fractions. LORD OF MISRULE was three-wide past the 1/8, took the early pocket 3/16, stayed in, benefitted greatly when the pocket horse broke, came out early stretch, battled on to the finish. CAROLINA MAGIC was last, benefitted from the outside confusion, to the Pocono Pike, outpaced. THE BUS A moved out 5/8, was shoved three-wide by the breaker on the far turn then had to go inside that one in the stretch, did well considering the bad racing luck he had. JUMPIN JACK FLASH followed cover, also was pushed three-deep far turn, couldn’t rally enough. CLASSIC PRO was between horses to the lead 3/16, yielded and was up tight in the pocket, got rammy in the hole ¾ and made a break midturn while bulling out, ran home.
SIXTH RACE – EUROBOND was content to trot three-wide past the 1/8, moved up after a foe tucked and made the lead off the first turn, stretched his lead through the last quarter in a big race. SOUTHWIND FROST retucked around a gapper down the back, moved out on the far turn, closed well. SWEET HEART AS defended early position, moved outside far turn, made second midstretch but couldn’t hold that position. TIMEFORM left well, yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, started to unplug past the 5/8. SEVEN IRON left and was between horses, took a 4-tuck past the 1/8, never a factor thereafter. ZSA ZSA DABOR (off the gate) and KEYSTONE THUNDER were never close. MOSCONI HANOVER broke w-a-y before the start.
SEVENTH RACE – SPORTSKEEPER got the early pocket then was on the move before the ¼ to claim the top, had a clear lead from nearing the half all the way to early stretch, then had to be roused to withstand IC A FREE SPIRIT. The latter came off the rail 11/16, rallied steadily (although not into a quick tempo), came up a little shy. MCNULTY Z TAM was three-wide to the first turn to the lead at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, gapped in same the last half, distant third. DARK HORSE had some speed, stayed in and was blocked on the far turn, but didn’t have much late. LOVE YOURSELF came out with cover but didn’t gain.
EIGHTH RACE –BOUNTIFUL BRITNEY was looped, tucked at the 1/8, moved second-over into the second turn, three-wide 11/16 to two-wide raw ¾, proved to have the most. DAGON HANOVER sat in then came outside towards midturn, got in gear a bit too late, along for second over RED REDEMPTION. The latter put in a big first quarter, rated the half, had pressure throughout, held respectably. WORTHY OF HONOR was away enough to defend the pocket, tired in the last quarter. REAL MCCOY moved three-wide from fourth-over 5/8, couldn’t reach the winner’s cover. TRICKY DICK was rough behind the gate, never a factor. NIGHT FLYER K was underway 3/8 and wound up third-over, was blindswitched towards the ¾, didn’t have much. ADELANTE S took bad steps well before the start, recovered and rushed up towards the start, was stuck on the outside challenging, held fairly well until the ¾.
NINTH RACE – LYONS AMUSEMENTS was out 3/16 to make the top, didn’t have much pressure on the lead despite the parked favorite, won handily. THISJETSABOOKIN was first to command, yielded for the two-hole, moved out midturn and looked to threaten but didn’t have enough. CINNABAR DRAGON improved position at the start, gapped down the back while staying in, evenly. TREASURE MACH stayed inside, never factored. KILLER MARTINI came out at the half, was able to advance a little two-wide, got cover on the far turn but couldn’t sustain any gain. KEYSTONE TENACIOUS was three-wide early then tried to get the lead but was on a line badly (mostly on turns), never did make the top, bore out early backstretch and faded. ARTISTS RUFFLES was away last and fell far back.
TENTH RACE – WESTERN JOE gradually went up early, briefly went into the 3-hole before the 3/16 then quarter-moved, rated the half, then sprinted home in 55.2 – 27.3 (the last number into the wind) as tons the best. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO grabbed the top at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, unplugged ¾ but held well for a clear second. DANCIN DRAGON left and got a good forward spot, started gapping midturn, settled for third. IDEAL ARTILLERY stayed along the inside. SOUTHWIND OZZI spotted 3/16, then backed out second-over at the half, didn’t have lively cover, three-wide late turn and up for the final check. DO WORK SON never featured. CIGAR SMOKING TONY swung wide in the lane after trailing, not that much. AFLAME HANOVER was uncovered 3/8 from seventh but never headed the third-in horse before fading.
ELEVENTH RACE – DERECHO cleared easily to the lead, forced ALL CHEDDAR back in, got a very slow half, then had enough to roll on to the wire. PREMIER ROCKSTAR gapped in third to the 3/8, uncovered just past the 5/8, appeared to be tiring on the far turn but found much better steps in the stretch. ALL CHEDDAR took the early pocket, tried to move frontward 3/16 but rethought that strategy at the ¼, stayed in the two-hole, evenly. HAPPY CAMPER went second-over, three-wide to mid-far turn when it looked like the first-over was done, couldn’t gain late. SKYWAY BILLY never featured.
TWELFTH RACE – KENOGAMI COCO got to the top past the 3/16, got a breather in quarter two, fought off the first-over, then held gamely to edge out pocketsitter TWO AM. The latter was on the lead going to the first turn, yielded to sit second, gapped nearing the ¾ and through the turn, but did better late and just missed. MARION GONDOLIER came uncovered at the half and made a big challenge, lost a little ground gradually the last quarter. SPIRIT OF DEO was outside behind nonadvancing cover to the 3/4, went back inside midturn, evenly. ALTUS HANOVER gapped early, moved outside 11/16 but never got close. FOCUS POCUS trailed. SKY CASTLES had shown little before making a break in the lane.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MY FRISKIE BOY was outleft and tucked fourth, then came out before the 5/16 to take the lead under the wire the first time, not challenged until SEAL O’NEILL came on midstretch, had enough to down that foe. The latter was three-wide to the first bend, made the lead before the 3/16, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, came out in the lane, couldn’t quite reach but still a big mile at 35-1. LITTLEBITASWAGGER yielded, stayed in, to the Pocono Pike, third-best. RYCROFT N was uncovered before the 5/8, gained cover past that station but lagged it, three-wide headstretch, a bit late. BASS PLAYER moved out raw just past the 5/8, but his bid was short-lived. MONEYORROSES gapped early, did not enter the picture. PICKLED PREACHER moved out from last but couldn’t get involved.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BOBBY K HILL was the only fast leaver, had his own way to the half, turned back a challenger and drew off much the best. MAJOR DESIRE started raw near the half and went up in 27 to contest the lead, dropped into the pocket ¾, left behind in the lane. BLOW A CLOUD N was away in the two-hole, couldn’t keep up in the fast third split, evenly. HOPETOBEFIRST couldn’t quite go enough. THE NEXT TWO were always far behind. YANKEE KEELER moved out just past the half but gapped out.
FIFTEENTH RACE – WON LAST FEELING tucked behind early dueling rivals, then quarter-moved, came home in 28 to ward off the railshooting GUINNESS PANIC. The latter refused to yield the front early, then did let the winner go by under a hold, stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike and finished well. BENSON BOYS N had to take back for the pocket to the 3/16, came out on the turn but couldn’t go with the top two while far ahead of the rest, who were all in a photo for minor honors. SHAMMA LAMMA left a big gap in the second quarter, moved outside down the backstretch but couldn’t offer much; LEAR SEELSTER had that one’s dull cover, never got close. SO SO DE VIE was well-placed but came up empty. WESTERN TYRANT was near the back throughout.