FIRST RACE – Start of the second quarter of the year … and “second quarter” is also relevant in that there was an atypical Pocono stretch tailwind much of the card, helping horses in the even-numbered quarters … Temperatures in the lower 40s … CAPTAIN ROMANCE went to the lead quickly and just kept pouring on the heat, in hand at the end of a 1:50.1 mile, fastest of the year at Pocono. COALITION HANOVER left and grabbed the pocket, stayed close the rest of the way although not appearing threatening late. EXPLOIT tagged along third, to the Pocono Pike, did OK. JACKIE MOON tucked fourth, kept to the inner path and was next. ROGERS IMAGE gapped midrace, stayed in and got the last check. PRETTY RICKI was uncovered before the half, went 27.1 against the wind in Q3 but only got to the pocket horse’s hindquarters, faded. FULL MOON BEACH had little off cover. MUDVILLE was never prominent.
SECOND RACE – SYLVESTERAMERICA IT got forward position, moved uncovered 11/16 and grinded up, took over before midstretch and held off CUPID HANOVER. The latter got the early lead then yielded to the chalk for the pocket, loose some midrace then tighter, angled out behind the winner early stretch and finished well. DELTASUN A was three-wide early then two-wide to get the top 3/16, rolled on, met with pressure on the turn, not enough. MUSHANA was far back, widest in the stretch and finished well. WARRIOR WAY, wide early, tucked, moved out 5/8, got cover 11/16 but couldn’t go with it. TAG UP AND GO gapped inside. CAMPBELLINI was never a presence. MASSIVE OPULENCE broke soon after the start.
THIRD RACE – BASS PLAYER was first on top, yielded to the early mover and sat the pocket in a bunched-up field, to the Pocono Pike and just proved most photogenic. AMERICA’S GUEST, slightly off the gate, was third-over, three-wide at the 5/8 and circled horses to get to two-wide past midturn, held with great gameness. JUST A WRANGLER was shuffled to last in the early movement then followed the place horse, didn’t miss taking the whole thing by much. HOPETOBEFIRST sat third, stayed in and was shuffled far back, finally found a clear path midstretch and gained while in tight quarters. MY FRISKIE BOY moved from second early in front of parked opposition, set the pace, couldn’t hold on. BEACH FIRE K was second-over, blindswitched 5/8 and through the far turn, not all that much. BAMSKI backed off to tuck fourth 3/16, shuffled to last, in the three-wide lane on the turn but not enough. BLOW A CLOUD N was wide leaving, found no hole so gradually pressed forward in a soft middle half, tired after the hard trip.
FOURTH RACE – EL TORO LOCO was on the lead going to the first turn, yielded 3/8, moved again 5/8 and went right on by, opened a commanding lead, perhaps a bit tired late but still safe. PINEWOOD HANOVER followed the winner the entire way, steadily late. BIG BEN HANOVER was left raw as the top two got into the 1-2 spots late backstretch, OK for third. DONATELLO HANOVER got out of a shuffle and retucked, not all that much. MOJAVE HANOVER sat third, moved and retucked late backstretch, empty in the last ¼. DIABOLI HANOVER never surfaced. BRIGHT SIDE UP was looped and wide to the 1/8, pressed on to get the lead 3/8, was challenged past the 5/8 and surrendered. UNLEASH THE TITAN was right up on the gate but broke as soon as it sprang.
FIFTH RACE – DERECHO tucked fourth early, moved second-over, gapped a bit much of the backstretch but better on the turn, three-wide past midturn, went to the lead midstretch. CLASSIC PRO had cover to the 1/8 then went up and took command past the ¼, set a quick pace with second-half pressure, held second. HASH-TAG SWAG left well, then was the first-over at the half, challenged hard, held well. LITTLEBITASWAGGER was in front past the 1/8, yielded past the ¼ to sit the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, came up shy. KEYSTONE TENACIOUS was behind a wall of horses headstretch, went deep in the Pocono Pike and made up some ground. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO stayed in when the three in front of him pulled on the second turn, couldn’t find stretch clearance. THE BUS A, off the gate, rallied wide from last. NIHILATED TRUTH was third-over, blindswitched two- and three-wide, not that far off the winner.
SIXTH RACE – MALONE headed down the road, looked in control but then broke just before the wire; an inquiry revealed no reason for a placing. PAYMAQ started uncovered before the half, challenged, moved inside headstretch, finished steadily. JOYGO was three-wide going to the first turn and soon afterwards was in the pocket, a bit loose in the last half. DANDY was off the gate and gapping down the backstretch, finished very well. STRICT made a brief early break but caught quickly, OK at the wire. SOUTHWIND CAINE backed outside to second-over down the backstretch but gapped out by the ¾.
SEVENTH RACE – FOCUS POCUS was three-wide early and looped, went on to get the lead past the ¼, relinquished to sit the pocket, came up the Pocono Pike and won handily. CHAPOLIER left and pushed, yielded, quarter-moved, put up a quick half, couldn’t stall the pocket rocket. MISTER BOINGA left but took a hole, uncovered 5/8, faded a bit in the last 1/8. I HAVE A DREAM went outside 11/16 but gapped the top three. WORTHY OF HONOR was four-wide to the first bend and three-wide past the 1/8 to the top 3/16, saw two go by, inside, couldn’t keep up on the far turn. TRICKY DICK never got close. REAL MCCOY was no factor. BOASTER COASTER was outside when making a break before the ¾.
EIGHTH RACE – WESLYNN CROWN left and pushed the ¼, yielded, came out 3/8 to take the lead with a few taps near the fast half, remained in control. BEER CHEESE was third-over, three-wide ¾ and four-wide midturn, finished nicely (although into a slowing pace). TNT BLUE CHIP came second-over 5/8, three-wide midturn, best of the others. HIGHGATE took back early, passed a couple of tired ones late. BAR COINS was between horses then looped late on turn one, left raw before the 5/16 to the lead 3/8, yielded at the ½, started to unplug ¾. BJORNSSON was three-wide 3/16 to the lead at the fast quarter, saw two go by in quarter two, moved raw 5/8 but couldn’t sustain his challenge.
NINTH RACE – Wind diminished … WESTERN TYRANT let and tucked fourth by the 1/8, underway uncovered at the half and went up in 27.3 to put the heat on, stayed very game through the lane for a well-deserved victory. CAL used inside positioning to work out a pocket trip, to the Pocono Pike, not as much as the winner but beat the others. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL was three-wide leaving then on to 3/16 command, set a fast pace with second-half pressure, gave way. MAJOR DESIRE was between horses early and took a tuck, inside, looking for a clear path but found none, then ran right up on CLASSIFIED MATERIAL and had to steady deep stretch. FRONTIER ROLLO rode the mile outside, wound up second-over, blindswitched briefly far turn while gapping, one-geared. WON LAST FEELING moved outside third-over, blindswitched, didn’t clear until midstretch then went wide and had some late pace. OWEN sat in, backed out and went three-wide 5/8 but had flattened by midturn. HIGHRTHANANEAGLE A was gapping in front of the stands the first time, no factor.
TENTH RACE – EUROBOND tucked third and two battled early, then came out 5/16 and had made the top before the second turn, rolled home in 56.2 – 28 and won more easily than the margin may suggest in 1:52.3, fastest trot of the year at PcD. BIG OIL worked to the lead 3/16 in a fast ¼, yielded for the pocket, Pocono Pike, tried hard but couldn’t go by. HAVEK pushed the fast ¼ and yielded, came outside ¾, held his ground well. MISS MCKEE left a gap throughout. RICH AND MISERABLE stayed flat for the last check. MAJESTIC MARVEL was outside when breaking 5/8; P L NOTSONICE moved out at about that point, then lost gait 11/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – PRINCE OF TIDES was four-wide leaving and took back to tuck, then quarter-moved, made the lead near the 3/8 and kept rolling at a fast clip, not catchable. TITO ROCKS got a forward position, behind a gapper on the turn, to the inside in the stretch and along for a clear second. MYKINDACHIP was out 3/16 in the very fast ¼, yielded to the winner, wasn’t staying tight in the last ¼. GRAY DRAGON was second-over, three-wide before the ¾ to two-wide midturn, not too bad. TELL THEM LOU swung widest and had some late pace. FRISKIE ALL NITE followed cover two- and three-wide, left three-wide raw midturn, flattened. BENSON BOYS N never entered the picture. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO started uncovered into turn two, got to within a half-length early on the backstretch, gradually gave ground from soon afterwards.
TWELFTH RACE – MOVEOUTOFMYWAY N unleashed a big third quarter move to get close, held his ground on the turn, then found more towards midstretch and won nicely. STONEBRIDGE ARMOUR was quickly away, made an early mover take the pocket, continued on quickly, held nicely. ONE AFTER NINE came from third on a quarter-move but was given the cold shoulder, tucked in the pocket 3/8, gapped some on the turn, Pocono Pike, not quite enough. DAGON HANOVER raced into the pocket past the 1/8, couldn’t keep the hole closed 3/8 and let a foe into the two-hole, struggled some down the back, went on OK late. ROBBIE PEV had too far to come, finished with trot. HIP HOP GRACIE went evenly. MOON BRIDGE gapped second-over. DIVINE SPIRIT got a slow start then broke 3/16.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAVIART MAX showed speed and yielded, buzzed out of third at the half and went his third split in 26.1 to open up a huge lead, tiring late but too far ahead to be caught. Giving it a good try, though, was CAPTAIN MULZAC, who was three-wide early, then backed off to tuck fourth, briefly had the cover of the winner then had to go on raw, never gave up trying to catch the winner in a superior showing. CHICKEN NUGGET was in the outside flow off the winner, a clear third. LINCOLNJAMES was determined to make the lead and got there 5/16, couldn’t stall the winner’s move and gapped in the pocket, did not regain ground. BOBBY K HILL left to the front early, yielded, faded down the back. THE OTHER THREE were far out of it.
FOURTEENTH RACE – KINDA LUCKY LINDY let others make the top then kept on going to take control nearing turn two, drew briefly clear early stretch, had enough to hold off a bunch of horses. BROADWAY ATHENA was carried up well second-over, three-wide late turn and just second over MARION GONDOLIER. The latter started raw into turn two, kept digging to the wire. BELIEVER made the lead 3/16, saw two go by in quarter two, stuck inside, in tight quarters, gained a bit then shut off late. MYSTICAL WYNN left, yielded, moved in front of the winner to get the lead then yielded for the pocket, didn’t stay tight the last ¼. PAPI HANOVER was third-over, not enough late kick. IZOH gapped late on the backstretch. DISCUS HANOVER made a break off the second bend.
FIFTEENTH RACE – CLOSING STATEMENT was on the go 3/16 to get the lead and just kept pouring on the speed, urged to hold safe WAR-N-MUNN. The latter was uncovered from not long into the backstretch, just kept coming and coming in a very fine mile. HOT DEUCE made the front before the 3/16, yielded for the pocket, went a bit loose ¾ and couldn’t gain. CAVIART ROCKLAND left, yielded, stayed connected to the stretch then backed off. STARVIN MARVIN wasn’t keeping up in the third ¼. BAY MEADOWS was outside but never got close. MONTANA CHIEF A never featured.