FIRST RACE – A seasonable day over a “fast” track … P L LEEROY was three-wide early, to the pocket 3/16, stayed tight, outside early stretch, took over deep stretch and held off PIRATES ALLEY. The latter followed cover from third-over, tipped four-wide headstretch and finished very strongly. IC A FREE SPIRIT tucked early, stayed in, got clearance in the Pocono Pike before midstretch, may have found momentum a little too late. IYQ YQR headed down the road, kept a challenger parked, not enough in the last 1/16. DARK HORSE was outside behind cover leaving, then moved forward to challenge uncovered, held on very well. NEWBIE backed out to follow cover 5/16, had a good trip, swung three-wide but didn’t respond late. SANATTLE SLEW and SKYWAY BILLY were in close quarters while well back at the ¾.
SECOND RACE – SAMMY THE BULL N was looped early, proceeded up until taking over off the first curve, was in charge the rest of the way. WHATS GOIN ON started a long uncovered move on the second turn, held his ground nicely in the stretch. ROCKIN PANDA was quickly to the front before the first turn, let the winner go to sit the pocket, Pocono Pike, evenly late while well ahead of the rest. VILLAGE CHAMP angled wide late turn and had a bit of late speed. GOLDEN GESTURE looked to quarter-move but retucked when he couldn’t summon immediate quickstep, not prominent thereafter. HAPPY CAMPER struggled second-over. MT ADAMS never factored. SIR GENE G HANOVER tucked fourth 3/16, started gapping before the half.
THIRD RACE – TNT BLUE CHIP went right to the top, minded his manners, and won by half a block despite an only-moderate time. MOJAVE HANOVER advanced inside from midpack and took second. FRANKIE HILL was well back, moved wide late turn and was along for third. DANGA RUSS moved out second-over but was empty. SUMTER tucked third then got the pocket after the two-holer broke, gapped at several points. BIG BEN HANOVER was away in the pocket when breaking at the 1/8. DONATELLO HANOVER went uncovered past the 5/8 and had gotten to second when miscuing on the far turn. K J PHILLIP was offstride well before the start.
FOURTH RACE – SPINOUT was innermost of three leavers, yielded at the ¼ only to be right on the retake, proved the best here though not in fast time. BRADY TO GRONK started raw towards turn two, got cover into the backstretch, went three-wide before the ¾, back to two-wide past midturn, steadily for second. MONEYORROSES was third-over but couldn’t keep up two- or three-wide, along for show. MACHING TIME gapped inside down the back, to the Pocono Pike and made up some ground as the pace decelerated. TOWNLINE JATED left between horses, tucked third 3/16, moved again first-over, not much left in the last quarter. CONSTNTLYSIDEWYS A was three-wide 3/16 then two-high to the ¼ to reach the point, yielded for the pocket, wasn’t keeping up tight from the 5/8. SHADY MEMORIES broke while last past the half.
FIFTH RACE – 56.4 to the half, 1:01.1 home … TRULY moved up during a slow third quarter, swung four-wide headstretch and had the most pace late. IDEAL DESTINY left, yielded, stayed in third, regained the pocket 5/8 as an opponent ran, to the Pocono Pike, had a shot, not quite enough. SAN ANTONIO STROLL gapped much of the first half, then moved outside off turn two and made up a lot of ground (but it was in a 30.4 third quarter) to challenge for the lead, may have been ahead for a couple of steps midstretch but couldn’t sustain her forward gear. HOFFMAN HANOVER left, was a bit rough, made the top at the ¼, yielded 3/8, broke in the pocket 5/8, recovered quickly, gained back into a slow last ¼. COME ZOOM WITH ME went up second-over, three-wide far turn, flattened. TEEN DREAM stayed inside, spent most of the stretch looking for a clear path. JAGGED LITTLE PILL lost cover at the ¼ and continued on to the lead 3/8, tried to back things down as much as possible, but still had little late.
SIXTH RACE – MR BIG LOAD had to wait for dull cover to retuck, then advanced third-over, wide late on the far turn and caught SPORTSMANSHIP in a 30.1 kicker. The latter started uncovered into the backstretch, grinded up to challenge, made the lead and crossed over past midturn, failed to sustain the lead to the wire. LIMA SPARTAN was in the pocket, shuffled on the turn and out in a blindswitch late turn, kept angling wide and finished solidly after a luckless trip. AN THE THUNDEROLLS had good cover second-over, uncovered past midturn, evenly late. MCLEISH gapped, then made up some ground as the pace slowed. POLAK A dashed right to the lead, rolled on down the highway, was finished when challenged before the far turn. JAMES RIVERSIDE lost contact past the half. BAYONET moved out third-over but had no pace and moved back inside.
SEVENTH RACE – BLING IM A WINNER seated an early rival, walked the second quarter, then drew clear of these late. MYREANNA sat in and was far back, weaved between horses in the stretch and did well to be second. BOURBON CHESTNUT was far back, closed ground on the far outside. HOT CHOCO LATTE was three-wide leaving, accepted the pocket 3/16, tired and drifted left in the stretch. AMBERS CHAMPION left between horses and tucked third, gapped from the backstretch. BALLERINI was underway 3/8, made up ground midrace but then was tired at the end. TILL IM GONE got to be second-over from last, three-wide midturn, made a break midstretch. GHIBLI broke just before the half.
EIGHTH RACE – SOMWHERENBROOKLN N left, was used just past the 3/16 in a fast quarter to get the lead, rated the half, had HYPOTHETICAL banging away at him the last 7/16 but held determinedly. The latter got a forward early spot, was uncovered into turn two and soon was fighting with the leader, battled away very hard, held with great gameness. BADIX HANOVER left strongly to take over early and pushed the winner hard before yielding for the pocket, had a shot in the Pocono Pike, held OK but didn’t gain. HAYMITCH stayed in, found clearance early stretch and was moving well late. WHATA TWIST gapped early, then joined the flow second-over, gapped late backstretch, evenly. BEACHMASTER TWO flushed an excess of cover and went back in, not heard from thereafter. BEST SHOT N was third-over, tried going three-wide ¾ but had no gain. BJ’S GUY was fourth-over, not too much late.
NINTH RACE – GREG THE LEG headed right down the road forcing wholesale tucks, slowed the half, then came home in 56.2- 28 to defeat JO PA’S TURN. The latter was the innermost of the outside leavers and worked into the pocket, stayed tight, outside early stretch, did well but had to settle for second. C-BET HANOVER tucked third early, loose in the third quarter but better in the fourth. PARTY CENTRAL, wide leaving, needed until almost the ¼ to settle inside, came out raw 5/8, backed off the last 3/16. HUNTING FOR MILES moved with cover, went back inside far turn, not that much. THE OTHER THREE were always far back.
TENTH RACE – Stretch headwind picking up … A SHORE LEGACY quickly raced up into the pocket, pulled out 11/16 and soon went to the lead, withstood the late onrushers. ALWAYS BETTER moved outside towards the far turn, went wide and went past a lot of horses in the lane. SWEET SUCCESS started uncovered 9/16, got cover 11/16 but lost it early far turn, took the two-hole late turn, Pocono Pike, outpaced. DOWNTHEROAD Z TAM was wide to the first bend, got into third 3/16, gapped midrace, then was badly shuffled around the far turn as stuck in behind the fading leader, weaved clear and made up a lot of ground before being shut off nearing the wire for lack of room. RENO DINERO was way out of it throughout, had some kick late for the last check. MESSIER SEELSTER went down the road, yielded ¾ and tired. ETBAUER was in the outer flow, very little in the last 1/8. MESSIAH was away last and was always well behind.
ELEVENTH RACE – WINDY MICKI was quickly on the lead, went a fast opener then rated, had the pocket horse tire to let the first-over in behind, held that one off as she tried to come up the inside. MIKI ROSE was uncovered into turn two, steadily gained, got the pocket just past the ¾, tried the winner and gained a little late but not quite enough. CAVEN POINT was behind cover early then tucked midpack, moved second-over, inside midturn, so-so late. SHES A BULLVILLE was in the lively outer flow, went in headstretch and had some pace. HELLRUNNER HANOVER was third-over but couldn’t keep up in the last ¼. BYGONE HANOVER took back all the way to seventh early, sat in and was shuffled before the ¾, poor-luck outing today. CHERISH HANOVER was looped, worked up to tuck third, stopped badly 11/16. BARDMIRY maintained the pocket, stayed close to the ¾ then fell way back.
TWELFTH RACE – MAXIMUS RED A was last until the ¾, got out three-wide in a blindswitch then could swing four-wide late turn, had a good last eighth in him and relentlessly came on to catch BAY MEADOWS. The latter made the top, yielded 5/16 but was quick to retake, had a horse come at him at the ½, went a good 3/4s to dispose of that one, stole away to a clear lead, but was tired and could not last to the finish. LITTLE POWER advanced inside, found a slot early stretch (sacrificing momentum to the winner), was moving well late. TERRY A HANOVER was parked and urged to take over the lead 5/16, immediately yielded for the pocket, couldn’t keep up ¾. HEARTBEAT HILL gapped early, moved outside 11/16 then three-wide ¾, but didn’t gain. REYS N A RUCKUS tucked early and kept a hole closed, no factor late. BUSH MAN A went right after the pacesetter after he retook, but his bid stalled nearing the ¾. DRINKIN AGAIN went two-wide, didn’t gain and kept drifting further and further wide.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DEVISSER sat in third most of the way, outside with cover ¾, left uncovered later on the turn, kept coming and was along in the shadow of the wire. SPIDER MAN HANOVER was on an open lead virtually all the way, just failed to last to the finish. JAMAICAN COWBOY was the first to move before the 5/8, got to the pocket midturn, continued up the inside and wasn’t far off. READY TO RUMBLE N was far back until the ¾, then steadily made up ground. SPORTS HERO left and got to the two-hole past the 1/8, gapped virtually the rest of the way. IMIDEAL HANOVER didn’t offer much. THUNDER SOME WHERE was outside down the back but gapped badly, ducked in far turn. LAREDO TORPEDO N was already gapping in a strung-out field by the 3/8.
FOURTEENTH RACE – NIHILATED TRUTH was very wide early then fell in behind cover, left uncovered before the ¼ and pressed onward, hard-used to get the lead past the 3/8, but withstood anything thrown at him in a giant mile for this type. POINTSMAN left and forced tucks, finally yielded past the 3/8, stayed close, came out early stretch, good but second-best this day. ABSOLUTE INTENT moved to third-over, three-wide on the far turn, best of the rest. OHOKA JOHNNY N was outside, tucked before the ¼, then second-over, three-wide past the 11/16 to two-wide on the turn, was not a late factor. MORE DRAGON was never prominent. TODDLER TANTRUM left and had the early two-hole, came out early in the backstretch, went up a little then fell back a lot. CAVIART SAGE didn’t have much to offer here. QUEEN KENDALL gapped in trail position.
FIFTEENTH RACE – ROGUE CHEDDAR was in front before the 1/8, yielded to an early move to sit the two-hole, caught that one up the Pocono Pike. NATHAN FEELSGOOD set the pace with two moves, held nicely. WHATA TREASURE did not have flowing cover and was last ¾ as third-over, too far to come. SKYWAY FIREBALL was second-over, three-wide ¾, OK. RANSOM DEMAND sat in, swung wide in the lane and was moving well late. ARTACHE HANOVER was looped and parked, in at the ¼, uncovered into turn two but never got close, still not very far off at the wire after being used very hard. HEREHECOMESAROCKIN had some step away from the gate, but was then not a factor.