FIRST RACE – Not as cold as yesterday, but still sub-40o … Stretch headwind, not as brisk as on Saturday, and decreasing later on the card… FATHER SARDUCCI left, forced a tuck, let an opponent go by off the first turn but was quick to reclaim the lead, held together gamely. LEGAL POWER was away third, moved 3/16 to make the top off the first bend, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, out again midturn, did well but wasn’t really threatening the winner. SKYWAY FIREBALL came uncovered at the half, retucked third 3/16, saw the top two get away ¾, next. ABSOLUTE INTENT was last, passed tired stock. WHAT’S GOIN ON moved with cover, lost cover 11/16, couldn’t get close. GOLDEN GESTURE took the pocket at the 1/8, stayed in, all done 5/8.
SECOND RACE – TODDLER TANTRUM was three-wide to the 1/8 and went on to take over nearing the ¼, wasn’t pressured on the lead, all-out late to defeat TOWNLINE FLIGHT. The latter was between horses leaving, tucked third 3/16, gapped in quarter two then was uncovered past the 5/8, one-geared up and was never closer to the winner than at the finish. NIHILATED TRUTH was behind the first turn breaker but wasn’t bothered severely, stayed in, Pocono Pike, OK. NEWBIE left well, yielded for the two-hole, stayed close, but tired late. ROCK THREE TIMES was bothered early, caught up and got cover but gapped it. JACKAMINO made a break 3/16 and went to the infield, caught the pack and was three-wide on the far turn, made a decent recovery but was placed for causing interference. CHARLIES DRAGON was pushed very wide in the breaking incident, never heard from thereafter.
THIRD RACE – ENCHANTED MISSION quarter-moved, wasn’t pushed on the lead, looked good holding off SHAKE IT OFF LINDY. The latter went right out to the front, forced a tuck, yielded to the winner and stayed tight, came outside late turn, narrowed in a bit but had to settle for second. MY LINDY WINNER was outside behind nonadvancing cover, went three-wide 11/16 and was wide the duration, steadily. BANZAI AS left, took the early two-hole 3/16, not too much late. AWOL HANOVER was last, finished mildly. PILGRIM CAVIAR was outside raw at the half, didn’t advance much before fading.
FOURTH RACE – UNCLE COZ was in front early then yielded to sit a tight two-hole trip, to the Pocono Pike and had the most response late in a slowing kicker. BJ’S GUY backed out to follow the favorite 5/8, three-wide midturn, steadily for the deuce. SPORTS HERO went around a gapper, then swung wide in the stretch and had some late lick. YS SUNSHINE was out past the 1/8 for the lead, would not surrender the top to intense pressure, paid a price late although not bad. SPORTSMANSHIP was on the move from fifth at the ¼, went his own middle half in 56.1 raw challenging hard for the lead, eventually gave way after showing much energy. GRANTOR HANOVER gapped out. DUCKIES DYNASTY had a problem early and was pulled up.
FIFTH RACE – ROCKIN SPEED bided his time outside early until things settled up front, went on to take over 3/8, stormed home in 55.4 – 27.3. NORTHERN CREEK A left, yielded then came out in front of the favorite, went to the lead then yielded to the winner, all-out, held his ground well. TERRY A HANOVER left swiftly, saw two go by before the 3/8, kept up OK for third. DEETZY stayed in, was last, some along the inside in the sprint home. MUSCLE MACH A was uncovered 5/8 but couldn’t make much headway in the quick numbers to the wire; nor could second-over INDIGO ART.
SIXTH RACE – PRESIDENT worked quickly to the top, turned back the first-over headstretch and drew away. ARCH CREDIT settled in the two-hole at the 1/8, not in the league of the winner but held place. POWERFUL YIELD was away well and spotted fourth at the 1/8, came raw past the 5/8 and raced the leader through the turn, backed off a bit in the stretch. PUERTO RICO was away for good forward position, couldn’t gain along the inside late. GINGER TREE KNOX left a big gap the first half, did get the last check. SHOOT THE THRILL and WHOUCALNCRAZY were always far back. ARGENTO was out on the move off turn two, broke just as he got cover just past the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – MAJOR SHOW gapped a gapping pocket horse early, tighter down the back and outside to the 3/4, wide stretch and went to the lead to midstretch, enough. MASK ON MASK OFF moved outside late backstretch then moved to the pocket on the turn, back out behind the two-wide horse headstretch as fearful of losing momentum waiting for the Pocono Pike, may not have found full clearance until too late. IVY STUD was far back, but moved outside midturn and had crisp pace through the lane. YER SO BAD left, took the pocket then gapped until the 5/8, pulled to challenge the leader, held his ground pretty well. TREVOR’S HUNT looked to go between horses in the lane, may have been in tight quarters with some pace. MESSIER SEELSTER blasted away and was on a clear lead until just past the 5/8, battled the outside challenger, tired, reported back with “b.e.” MELANIE’S NICK never was a factor.
EIGHTH RACE – WINGS UP was innermost of a gaggle of leavers, wound up third, gapped a little as the pace picked up down the back, outside turn and wide stretch, kicked in nicely and was along to post the upset. MOON BRIDGE was between horses leaving, on top to the 3/16, yielded, retook 5/16, slowed quarter two then sprinted quarter three, opened a clear lead headstretch but couldn’t hold the advantage to the wire. NOTMEITSYOU was able to come all the way up the inside in the last quarter and had some trot on the end. CHUCKY DE VIE was four-wide to the 1/8, three-wide nearing the 3/16 then two-wide to the lead at the ¼, yielded for the two-hole, came out near headstretch but couldn’t gain. O JONNIE avoided trouble. VOSS VOLO had the dull cover of CONSUS VICTORY, who was wide early then tucked, and neither of these two got close the last half. KEYSTONE SERGEANT looked to leave but took back, broke nearing the first turn.
NINTH RACE – Wind calmer … EASYRUNNER HANOVER left, settled in third briefly then quarter-moved, rated the half, pressured only in the stretch, but there they came from every direction, and she had to be good to hold on. WANNASHAKEYOURTREE was out quickly and grabbed the racetrack, yielded for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike and narrowed in well. CATIE FAYE HANOVER left enough to protect the early pocket, moved outside ¾, paced stoutly late. LOVELY LADY MAY stayed connected, outside mid-far turn and wide early stretch, gained steadily. CHEEKIE BABE was uncovered into turn two, was done past the 5/8; THE OTHER TWO were out behind her, also never entered the main picture.
TENTH RACE – GETYOURLICENSELIAM took the pocket at the 1/8, then was quarter-mover #1, made the top then yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and responded sharply when shown open ground. MUDVILLE raced uncovered from early on in the backstretch, came home in 55.2 and was still pacing strongly at the end. LINCOLN BOULEVARD was quarter-mover #2, made the top before the second turn, came home well but was outpaced. NOTYOURTYPICALMAN was second-over, gapped much of the last ¼. PARKLANE TERROR had a touch of pace finishing. ESAI HANOVER burst out to the front, saw two go by in quarter two, wasn’t keeping up going to the ¾. BETTORS AUTHORITY trailed throughout.
ELEVENTH RACE – WINDSUN GOTHAM made the top fairly easily, yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, gapped some in the fast third quarter and through the turn, eased outside early stretch, up in the last step in a bang-bang-bang finish. FULL MOON BEACH pressed on to the lead at the ¼, slowed the half, then had to speed up dramatically to fend off the tough first-over, held until the final step while going his last half in 55.4. RIFLEMAN (who went his own last half in 54.4) was third-over, ducked inside on the turn and kept coming up the Pocono Pike, missed by a tiny margin. BETTOR BE OSCAR A was on the move at the 3/8, went his own third split in 26.4 pressing the stubborn leader, backed off in the last 1/8, but only a little. MIKIMOTO had fine cover second-over, couldn’t quite go enough in the stretch. WILSONS VINNER left well, stayed in, gapped. GONNAHAVEONEMORE was never close. BLACKLIGHT was going fourth-over from last when making a break entering the backstretch.
TWELFTH RACE – HURRIKANE WILLIE G kept going early and made the top just past the 1/8, had the field strung out despite a slow second quarter, then sprinted home nicely. HIP HOP GRACIE got an easy tuck third, moved outside just before the ¾, just along for second over BY A HOFF HANOVER. The latter seemed reluctant to yield early but then did so and sat in the two-hole, almost lasted for place. IDENTITY POLICE never moved. GROSETTO AS came out on the far turn but was outtrotted. DRY CREEK STALKER had the best view the whole way.
THIRTEENTH RACE – JACANA left sharply then yielded to the ¼ to sit the golden trip, to the Pocono Pike and had a good response when asked. GEORGIE was out most of the ¼ to gain command, backed off the half, not enough sprint late while maybe bearing out a little. PARTY LINE settled fourth at the 1/8, moved raw 11/16, couldn’t reach the top ones but beat out JAGGED LITTLE PILL for third. The latter got a forward position, not too much late. TREACHEROUS GIRL was directly behind the breaker at the half and never got back into contention. TWIN B BEACHDREAMS broke at the 3/16. TSM PRINCESS LEXI made a break at the ½ and was pulled up.
FOURTEENTH RACE – NEW NUMBER WHO DIS took control early, like most pacesetters this day got an easy second quarter, stayed strong for Matt Kakaley’s sixth. TSM ARTEMIS T raced up to the pocket at the 1/8, stayed close, second-best here. BET LIGHT scooted up the inside, gained between horses late. KIANNA got an early spot, came out raw early backstretch and went up to take on the winner, didn’t give ground until the stretch. NARINA HANOVER stayed in then angled wide and finished well. SWEET ROCKIN GIA was hampered by dull cover, went three-wide ¾ but didn’t reach. SHADOWNTHETWILIGHT looked to leave but took back, not heard from again. BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT gapped second-over.
FIFTEENTH RACE – RANSOM DEMAND went enough to keep the early pocket closed then had a foe fill the 2-spot 5/16, attacked full-bore down the backstretch, got the lead but couldn’t go by on the turn, continued to slug it out until getting the nod at the wire. SADIQ HANOVER left with high speed and crossed right over, wouldn’t yield in 27.2 and got an outside foe in behind, rated Q2 while clear to the 5/8 then was really pressured by the winner, fought that one tooth-and-nail the rest of the way, very big outing. JK MUSICMAN left but was looped, did get into the pocket 5/16 but gapped the leader most of the way, third-best. SPIDER MAN HANOVER sat in, was blocked on the turn, came clear early stretch and gained a bit late. EXTRADITE N came up the inside for the distant last check. DO YA THINK was behind the gapping second-over cover of WAIMAC ATTACK N, wide on the turn, little. SIR GENE G HANOVER gapped.