Connors’ Comments for Sunday, April 3, 2022

2022-04-06

FIRST RACE – Rain prior to races had stopped, but track “sloppy +1” in 41 degree temperatures … DOUBLEORNOTHING N persisted to the lead 3/16, rated the half, then could not be caught. NORTHERN CREEK A took full advantage of track geometry to push the winner then yield for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, did well but second-best. EHRMANTRAUT tucked third, moved uncovered 5/8, didn’t really threaten but held his ground well late. BRAVO TEX N was urged going to the start, tucked fourth, moved out late backstretch but gapped cover and went back inside, fair inside late. KEYSTONE STEAM never got close. SOUTHWIND DREDGE was gapping not much past the 3/8. BELLOWS BINGE was three-wide far turn but didn’t gain.

 

SECOND RACEAPRIL AVA forced a lineup, then came home in 56.1 – 27.3 in off going to show her superiority. ANOTHER BEACH DAY vacated third before the 11/16 and did well very well in the last quarter. JUXTA COWGIRL was forced to back off and take the pocket, couldn’t keep up at crunch time and just did hold third over DEL DIGGITY. The latter went evenly after an inside trip. CHIPPER DAISY went three-wide headstretch and had some pace finishing. GREENHILL HANOVER raced inside, not much. BRING ME DIAMONDS was three-wide past the 1/8 then, seeing she was in no-mares-land, backed up all the way to last, not prominent again. DELILAH DE VIE came out into turn two, advanced until getting cover later in the backstretch but soon starting gapping it.

 

THIRD RACE – Some stretch tailwind, intermittent; here for one … BORN A REBEL headed down the road and was on an open lead throughout, far superior here with a 28.1 last quarter. PARTY CENTRAL went up early and went into the pocket 3/16, loose of the winner throughout, did fight some late to hold second over CRACK A SMILE. The latter got a forward spot, outside headstretch, couldn’t get the place. DARIO HANOVER sat in, gapped in a couple of spots. TUF COOPER didn’t have great cover, did get the last payday. ROAD MAN never factored. HUNTING ANGELS moved uncovered off turn two but made very little of a dent. BACK IN MY DAY lost gait soon after the start.

 

FOURTH RACESTATEMENT MADE A settled fourth to the 3/16, then was first-over on turn two, grinded away at the leader, made the lead early stretch and was a very good winner. UNCLE JORD A was third-over in a lively flow, widest stretch and outkicked RIFLEMAN for second. The latter got a fine trip behind the winner, three-wide late turn, just edged for second late. SHNEONUCRZYDIAMND A paced to command into turn one, yielded 3/16 for the two-hole, had immediate access to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have a sharp response. JAHAN HANOVER got an early spot, stayed in, moved outside in the stretch but didn’t show much. CIGAR SMOKING TONY was three-wide to the first turn then on two-wide to the lead 3/16, set the pace, no response the last 3/16. THE OTHER PAIR had no say in this.

 

FIFTH RACESWEET HEART AS moved uncovered just past the half, briefly had cover to the ¾ as the pocketsitter swept by the leader, then back to uncovered, gradually wore down DARTY after a long duel. The latter was away well to defend the pocket, came out 11/16 and stepped around the tiring leader right away, held gamely, finishing well ahead of the others. ALL RISE came out on the far turn and was the distant third. KEYSTONE THUNDER moved outside but gapped. CHOCO CHARLIE couldn’t close enough from as far back as he was. FRAC could offer little. ANDOVERS TOUCH was three-wide early, went in third 3/16, started gapping 5/8. CHUCKY DE VIE left and set the pace at a good clip, no resilience when challenged to the ¾.

 

SIXTH RACEINDIGO ART was first to show in front but took the pocket, outside to headstretch and gradually wore down TULHURSTSANTANNA A. The latter used the rail to get the lead, had no pressure, gave way grudgingly. ROCK KING DEO sat in, to the Pocono Pike, did OK+. CAVIART VAL was behind cover early, took fourth past the 1/8, was uncovered off the second turn, didn’t gain much but wasn’t bad. ROCK THREE TIMES took the inside route to the last check. BILBO HANOVER had dull cover, not too much. GOLDEN GESTURE had little to offer in the last ¼. BLACKLIGHT moved second-over but gapped out.

 

SEVENTH RACEKEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT left, yielded past the ¼ and sat an excellent trip in the two-hole, seemed all-out to win after the good trip. GIBOR was outside towards turn two, three-wide before the 5/8 to go up to first-over, kept on coming in an impressive showing. ONE OF THE GUYS got a forward spot, third-in, deep Pocono Pike, came close to taking it all. HUNTSVILLE PLACE stayed in, then angled wide headstretch and had good pace on the end. PLAY THE ACE gapped on the far turn, gained a bit late. JO PA’S TURN went up to the lead off the first curve, set a controlled pace, still had little in the lane. HUNTING FOR MILES followed the place horse but couldn’t stay with him. ALL BETS DOWN was very wide early, took back but saw no hole, had cover to the ¼ then went up to press the leader, fading from just before the 5/8.

 

EIGHTH RACE LEVITATION was well-driven: he parked an outer foe long enough to discourage an early mover from pressing on, let the outside challenger go but then moved to get the lead at the ½, then showed courage to hang on as a group was coming after him. BLENHEIM was between horses and tucked third just past the 1/8, came out at the quarter but retreated past the 5/16 as the outside foe took longer to clear than expected, followed the winner out and soon was in the pocket, tried that one up the inside but couldn’t go past. ALTUS HANOVER joined the cover flow on the second turn, was left raw early in the backstretch, kept going steadily (the last quarter was 30.2). SORTIE was second-over, narrowed in nicely but a bit too late. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was also in the two-wide flow but couldn’t stay with it. WINGS UP was three-wide to the 1/8, pushed well past the ¼ to get to the top, yielded at the half, faded the last 3/8. THE OTHER PAIR never achieved prominence.

 

NINTH RACEMARVELOUS KISS was four-wide early, three-wide 3/16, and finally up to the lead 5/16, let a foe go but was quick on the retake, showed courage to keep her advantage to the line. ELLEOFADELI backed out to second-over behind advancing cover, ducked inside ¾ when the cover faltered, came up the Pocono Pike and raced well. SWEET SALLY SUE had cover past the 5/16 then pressed on for the top, yielded before the half, vacated the two-hole headstretch, bore out, didn’t gain, then broke nearing the wire; an inquiry showed no reason for a placing. LOVIN MISS DAISY was three-wide early, made the lead 3/16 and yielded to the winner an 1/8 later, stayed in, gapped down the backstretch. MORROCKIN K went uncovered from last 3/8 and got as close as a half-length just past the 5/8, but there her bid stalled. TRAFFIC JAM backed out to follow cover but didn’t do much. THE LAST TWO did not make their presence felt.

 

TENTH RACEBUZZ was three-high to turn one then onward to the lead 3/16, set a fast pace, dug in gamely late. LADY’S IMAGE was in front going to turn one then let the winner go and stayed right up tight, Pocono Pike, again very game but again second. MOSCONI HANOVER left for early position, unplugged from the top two 5/8 but still beat everybody else. BANZAI AS was out behind poor cover, three-wide before the ¾ but could not make up ground. WILLIE B WORTHY came up the inside later in the backstretch, not too much. SUNDANCEDIAMOND gapped the top three on the first turn, moved uncovered into turn two but never generated any forward pep. B YOYO was always far back. VOSS VOLO miscued just past the start.

 

ELEVENTH RACEBRANDON HANOVER got around the tiring pacesetter and retucked ¾, advanced up to the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and earned the decision. CINNABAR DRAGON was uncovered going to the half and quickly got by an unresponsive leader, was pressured, tried hard but bore out and had to settle for the deuce. ROLLIN IN NEW YORK yielded for the pocket, was shuffled way back when trapped behind a fading leader, went outside, wide in the stretch, closed well, may have been in close quarters with the place horse late, hard-luck mile. TREASURE MACH was away slowly, stayed in, had some pace between horses late. LORD OF MISRULE followed cover, three-wide into the stretch, outpaced. TULLOW N was second-over but soon lost cover, continued two-wide raw, tired. CURIOUS CORTEZ made the lead 3/16, was gotten after 5/16 to keep rolling, had a challenger into the backstretch but was empty.

 

TWELFTH RACEBRILLIANT BEAUTY went on between horses to the lead before the ¼, yielded but immediately retook, then threw a pair of 28.2 quarters to see her go clear in the last ¼. CAVIART CHERIE was three-wide past the 1/8, had cover for a bit then went up to grab the racetrack 5/16, yielded to the winner, tired the last 3/16 and just did hold off the rest for the place. FILLY SPEAKS sat in, got clear along the inside early stretch and narrowed in on the second horse. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER pushed the early action, yielded, fell back in the last quarter. GEORGIE MARTIN N had nonflowing cover, back inside late turn, blocked upper stretch, then had pace in tight quarters between horses. DELISHKA N tucked fifth 3/16, moved outside into the backstretch but never got close; NO WHERE TO HIDE followed her cover, three-wide far turn but also had no gain.

 

THIRTEENTH RACETEMPURA HANOVER left, had the pocket, vacated same past the ¼ before the parked horse came up, extended to grab the top into turn two, kept on rolling and withstood a late surge from ALTA MADEIRA N. The latter left very well for the front, pushed the winner then settled for the pocket, moved out headstretch and gave some ground to the winner, then regathered and was narrowing back in late. MOSSDALE LOTTEE N found no holes on turn one, hustled up to grab the 3-spot when the winner moved in front of the stands, couldn’t keep up in the last ¼. MILLENIUMS GIRL stayed in, evenly. DRESDEN found a spot fifth past the 1/8, launched an uncovered bid early backstretch and gained steadily until the ¾, then started to back up. OFF THE PRESS was second-over, three-wide when her cover tired but couldn’t gain contention. THE OTHER TWO were far back most of the way.

 

FOURTEENTH RACECAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN let early traffic clear then went up to get the lead at the ¼, rated the half, didn’t have a challenge until the stretch, looked to be working to defeat BETTORS AUTHORITY. The latter pulled raw from midpack 5/8, went three-wide past midturn as the pocketsitter vacated, finished steadily to be in the photo. SCOTT ONTHE ROCKS got good position early, inside, to the pocket late turn then to the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. SEAL O’NEILL went in front at the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole, moved outside nearing headstretch but couldn’t gain. MOVE THE LINE took back early, stayed in, some pace deep in the Pike. CAPTAIN KEEN was behind the place horse, couldn’t stay with him the stretch. THE OTHER TWO were the last two all the way.

 

FIFTEENTH RACEWHO’S SMOKIN N had the early pocket, stayed in third, got right to the deep Pocono Pike and could outfinish TSM PRINCESS TEDDI to her immediate right. The latter was in front at the 1/8, yielded to the brusher to sit the two-hole, Pocono Pike, got the lead just past midstretch, paced on gamely. BROOKDALE JESSIE quarter-moved and set the pace, came up shy in the last 1/16. SHADOW ONE improved position early, then moved 3/8 and went up first-over, got to within a length on her challenge, held her ground well. BYGONE HANOVER swung widest after a cover trip and gained. CATIE FAYE HANOVER gapped cover on the far turn, a bit late between horses. LOVELY LADY MAY got in fourth 3/16, stayed in, gapped ¾. BYTHEWAY HANOVER moved up second-over, three-wide headstretch, came up empty.

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