FIRST RACE – About 60 degrees all day … “Fast +0” for races 1-3, then “sloppy +1” thereafter in drizzle … Not much wind at start … BAYONET left, made the pocket 3/16, edged out late on the turn and drew off. IMIDEAL HANOVER tucked early, evenly to hold second. BJ’S GUY took control from the pole, set a pretty good pace for this type, had no late response. Both PETER PUMPKINEATER and NAKED CITY went around a gapper in front of the stands; the former had pace finishing, while the latter never factored. SHARKNADO was way behind. FRANKIE ROCKS A was already leaving a big gap late on the first turn, finally broke due to an equipment failure and was pulled up.
SECOND RACE – IVY STUD left and went into the two-hole at the 1/8, was locked in by a gapper until midturn then could get two-wide, came a good piece to take the decision. CAPTAIN COOK tucked, started uncovered 9/16, brushed up into the fast 3/4s, grabbed the lead at headstretch but couldn’t make it last to the wire. HUNT FOR CASH put several foes in behind early, let one go at the 3/8 but came back out to get the lead approaching the half, had to keep up the hot pace with a backstretch challenger, didn’t fade too badly after doing quick early work. HUNTSVILLE PLACE didn’t have great cover, three-wide far turn, finished well. MELANIE’S NICK couldn’t find an early tuck so had to press on to get the lead in a fast 3/8, yielded before the half, tired late. JO PA’S TURN spotted midpack, then came again second-over but couldn’t go enough. THE OTHER DUO were always far back.
THIRD RACE – As the drizzle starts … POLAK A put ‘em all in behind early, slowed the half, then strung ‘em out with a 27.3 third quarter, had built too big a lead to be caught. DARK HORSE moved raw 3/8 and advanced, retucked third to the 11/16, back out again before the stretch, kept on coming in a good race. ROGUE CHEDDAR was shuffled to last, made up a lot of ground. GOLDEN GESTURE was third-over, evenly. SANATTLE SLEW was second-over 3/8, left raw 11/16, couldn’t gain and went back inside on the turn. YS SUNSHINE left between horses for the pocket, started gapping to the 5/8. HEREHECOMESAROCKIN was three-wide to turn one, went into third 3/16, no more to give fairly early on the backstretch.
FOURTH RACE – Now “sloppy” … EPOS OSTERVANG DK was three-wide towards turn one to 3/16 command, went fast odd quarters, was under pressure 5/8 through the turn, but proved strongest. SORTIE was behind dull cover, finally saw that one tuck in, didn’t reach his new cover though gradually making up ground, then closed well belatedly. VOLARE had the lead into the first curve then yielded for the pocket, vacated same 5/8 and battled vs. the winner, not quite enough though good. CHUCKY DE VIE gapped early, got closer, saw the pocketsitter vacate 5/8, couldn’t get into major contention. KARETS went uncovered towards turn two but had little and went back to the rail. DAYTONA DREAMIN gapped after getting away slowly. PRAYERS DO MATTER was not in the hunt when breaking on the far turn.
FIFTH RACE – WHATA TWIST initially stayed in, backed out to third-over from last, three-wide with cover midturn to four-wide headstretch, worked his way by. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N moved at the ¼ and with urging cleared 3/8, got a slow second quarter, couldn’t quite make his advantage stand up. BEACHMASTER TWO was second-over, three-wide through the far turn, OK but outkicked. BADIX HANOVER left enough to take the early lead then yielded 3/8 for the pocket, gapped a little down the back then tighter on the turn, to the Pocono Pike, came up short. LIMA SPARTAN left, settled in the pocket 3/16, was shuffled inside, not clear in the lane. LAREDO TORPEDO N launched an uncovered move 3/8, never was head-to-head with the leader, faded in the last quarter.
SIXTH RACE – SHEZABARHOPPINCHIC finally yielded off turn one to sit in the two-hole, snapped out at the ¾ and trotted right by the leader, won for fun. SHALL I FEAR ALL was for all intents coverless from seventh from the 3/8, continued on gamely and did get the place honors. BLING IM A WINNER sat in, outside midturn after a slight shuffle, steadily to hold third over RAVIOLI. The latter was shuffled back, stacked widest and finished well. MYREANNA made the lead just past the ¼ (by far the fastest fraction in the race), got a slow second quarter, but still was powerless when challenged far turn. BUCKET HEAD settled in third at the 1/8, then was caught behind the tiring pacesetter on the turn. AMBERS CHAMPION had dull cover. BALLERINI, off the gate, moved second-over but then gapped most of the last half-mile.
SEVENTH RACE – QUEEN KENDALL got the three-spot, had the inside open up when the pocketsitter came out nearing headstretch, and was the easiest $135.60 winner you’ll see for a while. P L LEEROY bypassed a pocket opportunity and got the lead in a 27.2 quarter, stole clear down the back, held off all but one. CONSTNTLYSIDEWYS A left, tried to force a tuck but then yielded, loose in the pocket much of the way, outside stretch, wasn’t gaining. LOVE YOURSELF sat in, evenly. SPORTS HERO was behind nonadvancing cover, three-wide far turn, had some pace at the end. SPIDER MAN HANOVER never factored. MACHING TIME was uncovered into turn two but never advanced beyond midpack.
EIGHTH RACE – HEARTBEAT HILL was parked to the ¼ for the lead, yielded and sat a tight pocket, Pocono Pike and along in a slowing last quarter. REYS N A RUCKUS wound up third-over, three-wide past the 5/8 for the duration, kept at it through the stretch. SIX DAY WARS was a gapping last except going around a recalcitrant horse, moved three-wide mid-far turn then four-wide, made up a lot of ground in a decelerating pace. BILBO HANOVER was parked with cover to the ¼, on top 5/16, had constant intense pressure in a fast pace over the off going, tired. WHAT THE LUCK yielded at the ¼, sat in, so-so late. CANT KNOCK ME stayed behind outside leavers early, was left raw 5/16 and challenged in solid numbers, held to the stretch in a pretty good race. ALL CHEDDAR was outside the duration, blindswitched towards the 11/16, wasn’t keeping up on the turn. HULOU moved out fourth-over near the half but had no forward motion and then broke.
NINTH RACE – MCLEISH got to the lead, rated the half into what was by now a strong stretch headiwnd, sped up to meet a stern challenge, held on in a blanket finish. AN THE THUNDEROLLS was uncovered to the second turn, was a grindmaster deluxe, fought very hard through the stretch. WHAT’S GOIN ON was third-over, didn’t fancy his chances going four-wide late turn so waited to find a seam between horses, closed well in very tight quarters. BRADY TO GRONK had a very good second-over trip behind a contested pace, wide, not enough. LUZIANA stayed in, not prominent. CLASS HERO sat in the two-hole, came up empty ¾. JAMES RIVERSIDE gapped at the back down the backstretch.
TENTH RACE – CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN, unhurried early, moved out before the ¼ and was in front just before the 3/8, was under no pressure here. MASK ON MASK OFF pressed on rather than take an early pocket tuck, went to the top at the ¼, yielded for the two-hole, held that position late over CAPTAIN EMOTION. The latter improved position early, sat in then backed out to follow cover 5/8, inside again on the turn, held pace in the Pocono Pike; an inquiry into his move down the back showed no reason for placing. YER SO BAD came uncovered into the backstretch, grinded but didn’t get to the winner, tired. I DUNNO was outside, gapped, briefly three-wide towards the 11/16, had nothing to offer late. PERFECTLY SAID pushed a fast quarter and yielded, empty ¾. DOWNTHEROAD Z TAM made a nasty break 3/16, the made another due to broken equipment past the ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – SKYWAY FIREBALL was urged to get in gear to the 5/8, was able to retuck in the pocket, outside headstretch and proved to have the most. OHOKA JOHNNY N backed into fourth 3/16, outside before the 5/8, had cover, retucked third, came up the Pocono Pike, just got by SPORTSMANSHIP for second. The latter dashed through the muck in a speed show, opening a big lead early in the backstretch, came back to the top two in the last 1/8 but held on pretty well given the fast fractions. OWEN didn’t come off the rail until the far turn, finished well. TOWNLINE JATED gapped throughout. PIRATES ALLEY sat in the two-hole, came up empty going to the 5/8.
TWELFTH RACE – FAST MACHINE came out with cover near the half, slightly off that cover down the back, wide in the stretch, barely able to get past BYGONE HANOVER. The latter grinded up first-over, took over approaching midstretch and almost lasted to the line. JAGGED LITTLE PILL was wide early and took back, then backed out to third-over, didn’t go wide in the stretch but gained behind the top two. HELLRUNNER HANOVER gapped badly in the middle of the race, but found her pacing shoes on the far turn, stacked widest and was moving well. SOME LUCKY MAGIC was three-wide early, got on top 3/16 and yielded a like distance later for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike but did not gain. GENESIS didn’t have much when called upon. BOTTOM BLUES was looped between horses early, pressed on to take over 3/8, still in the fight to early stretch then gave way.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Precipitation stopped, wind gone down … TODDLER TANTRUM insisted on the lead on the first turn, rated the half, stepped it up when WHATA TREASURE came to challenge, held very gamely to get the decision. The latter was uncovered near the half, paced a 26.4 third quarter raw to fight hard with the leader, continued that fight right to the wire, very good. CAVIART SAGE had gapping cover, saw it tuck in on the turn and gained two-wide, then continued that gain to the finish. ROCKIN PANDA actually outleft the winner but because of track geometry took back for the pocket, didn’t quite have enough at the end. SAMMY THE BULL N was second-over, couldn’t keep up, went back in on the far bend. MR MCDREAMY gapped most of the way.
FOURTEENTH RACE – JK WILL POWER was quarter-mover #1 from the pocket and never had QM#2 reach him, probably because he paced two back quarters in 28 while easily winning. STATEMENT MADE A left sharply for the lead, yielded for the pocket, held his ground OK. INDIGO ART sat third, stayed in and maintained that position. KEYSTONE STEAM was on the move at the ¼ but never showed enough steam to go up to challenge, did grind pretty well in the fast back half. BLACKLIGHT sat in, got the last check. HE’S ELECTRIC was third-over in the nonflow, three-wide far turn, too tough a spot. NOTYOURTYPICALMAN was second-over behind dull cover, blindswitched far turn, never a factor.
FIFTEENTH RACE – Raining again … CONSUS VICTORY refused to yield early, walked to the half, then was tons the best in here. CAJOLE HANOVER left and pressed the winner but finally accepted the pocket, held second over SWEET HEART AS. The latter came out third-over at the half in a not-great flow, three- and four-wide far turn and came home in 57 with very good stretch speed. MOON BRIDGE needed until almost the ¼ to get in fifth, then started uncovered on turn two, never reached in the fast back half but still gave a respectable showing. INNISFALLEN was never prominent. DARTY backed into fourth 3/16, gapped to the ¾. CRUSHWORTHY broke at the start, recovered and was second-over, wide towards headstretch but no more left to give. CHRISTOPHER CRAZO was never a factor.