FIRST RACE – The twilight card opens in 70-degree temperatures, which go down only a bit through the racing … Strong stretch headwind … OFF THE PRESS was last and didn’t come off the rail until past the ¾, tipped wider off wide cover headstretch and was along in the last step. SHECOULDBEGOOD N moved outside ¾ and three-wide late on the turn, closed to get the lead three steps out but just missed. SHECANDANCE N left and defended the pocket, waited for the Pocono Pike, took command midstretch but couldn’t quite hold up. NEW NUMBER WHO DIS made a strong move with the wind down the backstretch, battled all the way to the line. BYE BYE MICHELLE looped a foe early, set the pace while slowing the half, tired a bit late though only a length behind. BRING ME DIAMONDS left between horses and was looped, got in third at the ¼, stayed in, wasn’t fully clear in the lane but not tight on the horse in front of her.
SECOND RACE – MOSCONI HANOVER secured the early pocket and kept the hole shut behind a duel, edged out ¾ and found himself with a huge lead as the leader broke, won in hand. PRESCOTT was far back nearing the far turn but unleashed a huge move that had him picking horses off one by one until reaching second, solid move. MAYDAY VOLO gapped at a couple of points but stayed flat and was a clear third. PUERTO RICO didn’t have enough in the last 3/16. SIR CROMWELL forced a tuck and then kept another rival hung out, was getting ready for a challenge from the winner when making a miscue due to broken equipment past the ¾, was taken to the infield, came back to pass far-back horses but was placed. FLY FLY EAGLE never moved. VANISHING ACT left, was left out to dry after challenging for the lead, tired before the 5/8. JOE JOE JOE gapped early, then broke entering turn two.
THIRD RACE – COLONEL BAYAMA started uncovered 5/8 then soon got cover, wide in the stretch and along in the latter stages. BRAZEN BRAZILIAN got a forward spot early, then moved out raw 11/16, never ahead but finished steadily. WESTERN WALTZ bolted away to an immediate lead, went 26.4 to the quarter, maintained the lead until midstretch but couldn’t quite sustain the advantage. SEAL O’NEILL was looped early, made the pocket 3/16, went to the Pocono Pike, looked a little rough and didn’t gain. BETTORS AUTHORITY may have been in tight quarters coming up the deep Pike. THE OTHERS did not achieve prominence.
FOURTH RACE – SUNDANCEDIAMOND got to the front at the 1/8, slowed at the half, accelerated to meet the first-over, pulled away. RENTIER came out raw 5/8 and made a challenge, flattened early stretch but took second over NOTMEITSYOU. The latter sat the two-hole, struggled to keep up the last 5/16, tried to come back for second but couldn’t. MASTER CLASS couldn’t keep pace most of the last 3/8. PRIME POWER N, way off the gate, tired to move up outside entering the backstretch but had no power. BANZAI AS broke at the start. KATKIN AND COKE could offer little.
FIFTH RACE – DEL DIGGITY got two “breaks” – she tucked third then advanced to the pocket as another leaver broke, then got to move out from behind the pacesetter when the first-over ran – and finally drew clear very late. JACANA looked ready to give up the lead 3/16 when a foe erred, so she set the pace, fought pretty well but had to settle for second. MAKE A SCENE was second, briefly checked and was wide after the first-over broke, evenly late. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI had a little on the end. BET LIGHT appeared all-out to keep up midrace, got closer, then faded in the lane. CATHY HANOVER appeared to be ready to cross over to the lead when breaking 3/16, was taken wide and to the back, never resurfaced. SHADY MEMORIES spotted, then came first-over before the 5/8 and was putting in a strong challenge when going offstride past the ¾.
SIXTH RACE – MUSHANA wouldn’t get in behind the pole horse, was parked 5/16 for the top, rolled along as several opponents had misfortune, won easily. One who was unfortunate was ALEXANDER HANOVER, who was actually the first to show off the gate but then was three-wide to the 3/16, took back to two-wide with cover to the 5/16, where he was left raw and finding no seat, trotted steadily in the two-path and had great endurance to stay second. ALL RISE kept a hole closed in the early fighting, to the Pocono Pike, third. LIBERO HANOVER used the rail to get forward position, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, but faded in the stretch. VOSS VOLO looked at leaving and soon took back, moved second-over, thee-wide 1/16 but quickly back to two-wide covered, three-wide again late turn, couldn’t gain. PHANTOM RUSTY did not factor. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was looped early, briefly four-wide to the 1/8 then three-wide without cover to the 3/8, where he made a break while looking to try to take back and follow the parked horse, ran home and was placed. ARGENTO ran at the start.
SEVENTH RACE – THE CHARGING MOA N was looped and three-wide to the first turn, made the top 3/16, slowed the half, sped up when a challenger came, then held off SPEAKING OF COFFEE to her left with active encouragement. The latter blasted right to the point, relinquished for the two-hole, steady in the Pocono Pike but had to settle for the deuce. JERICHO DIVA was uncovered at the half and went 27.2 down the back to get closer to the lead, held well. KCK GIRLIES was second-over, three-wide headstretch, couldn’t reach. THE OTHER THREE gapped out at various points of the last half.
EIGHTH RACE – HIP HOP GRACIE was in good position second-over, gapped a bit past the 5/8 was but better on the turn, kept coming to catch LOVE THIS BAR. The latter, not tight up in the fast opener, started raw into the backstretch, went up to the leader to challenge near the ¾, had a small advantage from late on the far bend, just missed in a good race. HALL IT OFF was looped, moved up to take over off the first turn, got a stiff challenge on the far turn and wasn’t equal to it, lasted for third. CHING CHING LUCKY was last, finished well. FINAL CLASS was forwardly-placed, not too much at crunch time. DUKE OF LINDY circled other leavers for the early lead, yielded for the pocket, struggled in the last ¼. THE OTHER DUO were never in the hunt.
NINTH RACE – NARINA HANOVER pulled from third 5/8, grinded, went on nicely and got the decision. SWEET ROCKIN GIA took the pocket early and stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike and got to even terms with the winner midstretch, second-best here. TSM WESTERN SOUL set the pace, lost her head number at the ¼, rated the half then sped up, started tiring into the lane. SILVERHILL MISSY gapped much of the last half, then did a little better late. BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT came uncovered before the half, got cover 5/8, couldn’t go with it in the last quarter. RELLA TIVITY was off the gate and already gapping before the ¼.
TENTH RACE – BOUNTIFUL BRITTNEY was looped, three-wide early to go into the pocket 3/16, then quarter-moved, slowed the half then really sped up to keep out a brushing challenger, went clear again early stretch then had enough to resist SPUNKIN’SROCKETMAN. The latter was third-over, wide far turn, finished with a big rush (the pace was declining a bit). CUPID HANOVER, from the far outside, outrushed everybody to the top, yielded to the winner for the pocket, gapped much of the last half, was still trotting OK at the end. FOCUS POCUS sat in and was shuffled, outside headstretch and angled out to the path behind the place well, late speed. CAVIART EMMA was second-over, gapped off the backstretch duel, blindswitched, evenly. DAGON HANOVER raced inside, not that much late. DIVINE SPIRIT was fourth-over, four-wide past midturn, tough spot. PIVOTAL settled in midpack to the ¼, came with a rush 3/8 and got a short lead to the 5/8, but then tired significantly nearing the ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – DIRT ON MY BOOTS got a great second-over trip behind a contested pace, tipped three-wide and paced away from these. MONTANA CHIEF N went right to the front then strung out parked foes to the 3/8, yielded, out in a blindswitch, to the path behind the winner and closed well in a top race. BRAVO TEX N was outleft, went on between horses, grabbed command 3/8 then yielded in a fast half, to the Pocono Pike, OK. NUTCRACKER SWEET was very wide leaving then was hung three-wide to the 3/8, cleared shortly thereafter, couldn’t get a breather against the first-over, paid the price for the big energy usage late. YUPPER gapped near the back, was in tight quarters late while gaining. DEETZY was first-over on the second turn, made a bid but couldn’t sustain it. FULL MOON BEACH didn’t have much from third-over. MUSCLE MACH A was never in the hunt.
TWELFTH RACE – RED REDEMPTION left strongly to swoop everybody, yielded past the ¼ for the pocket, outside midturn, went by midstretch, enough to defeat BOASTER COASTER. The latter sat in then angled wide headstretch, was eating up the ground only to come up just shy. NIGHT FLYER K started uncovered past the 5/8, made steady progress. TRICKY DICK gapped in the back midrace, stayed in, had willing trot late. WORTHY OF HONOR went out for early position, stayed in, not much punch in the latter stages. REAL MCCOY was looped, parked past a fast quarter for the lead, gave way through the stretch. AP HALL OF TRIX couldn’t go with cover. ADELANTE S lost manners at the ¼.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MUDVILLE remained outside early, gunned up from sixth 3/16 (perhaps noting a 50-1 shot was on top) and brushed right to the lead 3/8, put the pedal to the metal down the back to keep out a determined challenge in a 27 third quarter, then drew away impressively. MICKEYS SPIRIT kept the pocket early, moved uncovered at the half and went his own third quarter in 26.3 to challenge well ahead of the rest, couldn’t clear and took the pocket midturn, very good. LINCOLN BOULEVARD did not have good cover, picked up the rest late. THIRD POWER started raw into the bottom turn but soon had cover, but then couldn’t go with it and never was a factor thereafter. ARTS ATTITUDE settled in fourth at the ¼, shuffled along the inside, had pace finishing in tight quarters. GETYOURLICENSELIAM was never in the picture. SHORE OF HIMSELF took the lead early, yielded to the winner 3/8, then couldn’t keep up when the pace increased down the back, was tired late.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MARION GONDOLIER briefly tucked third behind the two outside speedsters, then moved to take over 5/16, rated the half then left the field gapped out with a 57 back half. CAMPBELLINI had good speed to reach the top quickly, yielded to the winner, didn’t have the sprint of that one but had staying power to be a clear second. WINGS UP left and tucked behind the place horse, couldn’t keep up in the last half. CHOCO CHARLIE grabbed an early forward spot, inside, then outside stretch and made some headway. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN avoided the outer tiers and got the last check. ZSA ZSA DABOR backed out to second-over in front of the stands, three-wide when his cover tired on the turn but didn’t make progress. KEYSTONE THUNDER never factored. ANDOVERS TOUCH got away last from the rail, then started up raw from the ¼, got fairly close before giving way.
FIFTEENTH RACE – JK MUSICMAN was looped leaving and had early cover, then was raw 3/16 and went on to 5/16 command, slowed the half then came home in 55.4 – 27.3 and needed every bit of it to withstand RIFLEMAN. The latter vacated third towards the 11/16 and had a big battle with the winner from the ¾, coming his own last half in 55.2 to just miss. BAY MEADOWS left well for command, yielded for the two-hole and stayed connected, to the Pocono Pike, just not quite enough sprint. MR CENSI couldn’t go enough in the last quarter. ONE OFF DELIGHT A backed into a tuck 3/16, moved again second-over but couldn’t do much damage. SOCIAL THEORIES was last throughout.