FIRST RACE – Temperatures in the mid-40s all day … SPORTSMANSHIP had the three horses immediately in front of him pull out into the second turn and was last, fourth-over, three-wide through the far turn, made the lead late (30.1 last quarter). TODDLER TANTRUM was third-over, blindswitched late turn and had to wait to back out behind the winner, gained late (again into a slowing pace). DARK HORSE tucked fourth past the 1/8, then was second-over, ducked to a vacant pocket past midturn, Pocono Pike, brief lead midstretch, outkicked late. ARTACHE HANOVER led the outer parade into turn two, challenged, held well. REYS N A RUCKUS bypassed a pocket tuck and went on to command past the ¼, continued at a good clip, tired. BEST SHOT N stayed in, gapping down the back, then blocked when a horse fell back late turn, nothing once clear. JUMPIN JAKE FLASH left, pushed a rival then yielded for the two-hole, started to gap out 11/16.
SECOND RACE – R HERBIE BLUE CHIP took over at the 1/8, rated the half, then put in twin 28.3s in drawing away from these. MASTER CLASS got a forward spot, uncovered 5/8, never threatened but up late for second over PIERCEWAVE HANOVER. The latter got away well and sat the pocket trip, not too much in the latter stages. POSSESS THE STONE steadily improved on the inside from last. SCIROCCO PATRICK moved at the half, got cover at the 5/8, gapped it at the ¾. GROSETTO AS was no factor after racing inside. NICE STUFF was third-over but did not enter contention. PRESCOTT was not prominent.
THIRD RACE – DONZEL HANOVER used the rail to good advantage, pushed the favorite through quarter two then was the only one to stay with him past the half, moved to the lead ¾ and drew away. CREATARMA was behind nonflowing cover, three-wide late turn and trotted steadily late to take second ahead of FRANKIE HILL. The latter had cover then lost it ¾, not quite enough to preserve place. RAISIN DOUGH had some late kick on the far outside. COMELETUSADOREHIM tucked early, moved uncovered 5/8, got to the rail as the winner went by, Pocono Pike, not too much. MISSILE made an elongated quarter-move to a fast half, done when challenged ¾. SHOCK PROOF left, tucked second 3/16, started to gap at the half. K J PHILLIP broke w-a-y before the start, recovered, then made another break due to “b.e.” down the backstretch.
FOURTH RACE – Small stretch tailwind starting … SWEET KISS left, yielded to the chalk, loose in the pocket from the 3/16 to midturn, then closer, to the Pocono Pike and went right on by. MIKI ROSE took over at the 1/8, had the first-over only get to her wheel, but then couldn’t handle the burst to her left. SWEET OMEN moved raw off turn two, went in 28 down the back against the wind, held pretty well. SAN ANTONIO STROLL was well back, came out headstretch, first looked like she wanted to split horses, then in midstretch angled to the far outside, steadily. SEAHUNTSIDEAL BEACH was behind dull cover, ducked in, put in a good last 1/8 between horses. BETTOR STRAIT N UP got into the 3-hole 3/16, gapping late on the backstretch. SHE LOVES THE HUNT was second-over but fell far back.
FIFTH RACE – Wind picked up some for a spell … THOSE BLUES got improved early position, then moved with cover, left raw just past the ¾, was handled confidently in the win. PHANNYS MATTER left between horses, took third just past the 1/8, was uncovered before the half and got in tight quarters in that spot, kept grinding against the wind, made the lead early into the turn, fought hard but had to settle for second. STORYBOOK ENDING retucked around a backstretch gapper, stayed along the inside and finished well. BUCKET HEAD was innermost of three leavers, yielded for the pocket, came out midturn as the pacesetter tired, not all that much late. BOINGALICIOUS was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, didn’t have a fast pace to contend with but didn’t have much the last ¼. MOOLA MAKIN CONNIE broke at the half. SISTERALICE gapped down the backstretch then broke.
SIXTH RACE – JACANA left well, pushed the ¼ then yielded to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and a good winner. SOME KINDA ANGEL started a long uncovered move towards turn two, went 27.2 to battle with the leader down the back, may never have gotten the lead but raced giant nonetheless. APRIL ANGEL stayed connected third-in, spent much of the stretch gradually angling wider, finished well once in high gear. HORIZON was parked almost to the ¼, set the pace, sharpened the speed in the third quarter, had little left from early stretch. YOUNONOTHINJON got the last check. MYMONSTERSAREREAL backed out to follow cover 9/16 but couldn’t stay with it. GOTTALUVIT HANOVER gapped the last half.
SEVENTH RACE – WE COULD BE HEROS was leaving, wound up in the pocket, used the Pocono Pike to get home first. LOVELY ECHO sat until almost to the ¾ then went out raw, steady coming home but outkicked. WORKOUT GIRL left for command, got a 1:00.1 middle half, and still gave way. RAVIOLI moved with cover ¾, wide, evenly. DIGNITY HANOVER was leaving between horses but broke, righted at the 1/8 and trailed the main pack. MAISYS MUSCLES broke an 1/8 before the start.
EIGHTH RACE – JILLIAN B MIKI left between horses and wanted to cut the pace, had an open lead from the ¼ and won handily. MUST BE NICE was three-wide to the first turn, tucked second 3/16, a bit off the leader throughout, but clearly second. COVENANT WOMAN made a 28 uncovered burst from last in the third quarter and got to second on the far turn, but flattened the last 3/16. MAINLINE CHARMER passed the rest in the stretch. CHERISH and YES OUI SI had little to offer in the second half.
NINTH RACE – DEVIOUS DUSHI was in a lively cover flow, left uncovered before the 5/8 and battled with SUNSEEKER HANOVER the rest of the way, proved the stronger late in a nice career debut. The latter had cover which broke two seconds later, continued up to get the top as the pacesetter lost gait early backstretch, battled with the winner, second-best well ahead of the rest. P L PANDERA avoided trouble, came off the rail nearing the ¾ and was next in line. SOUTHERN AUTUMN got to the top, yielded for the pocket before turn two and still had the two-hole off that bend as the leader broke and the first-over went by for the top, weakened in the last ¼. MIMI OCEAN HANOVER was three-wide to the first turn, third two-wide at the 1/8 when first breaking, recovered, third-over, broke again 9/16, showed good speed when remaining flat. STUNNING LOOK had the early pocket, stayed in, weakened. TIL IM GONE was starting uncovered into turn two but ran. BOURBON CHESTNUT got away third, needed the entire frontstretch in a 30.2 quarter to clear to the lead, then broke going off turn two and went to the infield.
TENTH RACE – SILENT CROSSING left well putting opponents in holes, yielded on the second turn and sat in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and shaded 28 home to catch DANCE TICKET. The latter was three-wide early and settled in third past the 1/8, moved just before the 3/8 and took over on the second turn, came home in 56.3 and still was caught. FOX VALLEY CACHET was last, came up the inside and finished very strongly. AMERICAN JAZZ took the early pocket, moved out of third midturn but was empty. SOUTHWIND MOLLY was behind the dull cover of SHADOWY, who gapped the first half, and this last pair never factored.
ELEVENTH RACE – SHARE THE WEALTH got early forward position, came out raw 5/8, gradually narrowed in, got by early stretch, held off the closing CHING CHING LUCKY. The latter gapped in the second quarter, got second-over cover but gapped that, hit his best gear midstretch but couldn’t quite make it. SLEW FOOT was last in the main pack, stacked widest and passed tired horses. TORN TO PIECES AS was so-so after an inside journey. FINAL CLASS sat in the pocket, made little headway in the Pocono Pike. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR left very strongly and quickly had a big lead, sailed along, gave way before headstretch. CAPITAL T STORM broke off the first turn. KAACHING KAACHING lost stride at the half.
TWELFTH RACE – SUNSHINE SALLY was wide early, worked her way into a 4-tuck 3/16, stayed in, angled out behind the pocketpuller into the stretch and outfooted that one late. THROW THE DICE wanted the lead but settled for the pocket 3/16, outside past the ¾, got a small advantage early stretch, couldn’t make the lead stand. CAVEN POINT wouldn’t yield in the 27 opener, set the pace, couldn’t close the deal out. IQ HANOVER drifted out, settled inside at the ¼, outside again past the 9/16, three-wide when cover faltered ¾, didn’t show any great pop. COME ZOOM WITH ME sat inside, not too much. TRULY came out just before the 3/8 looking to want to brush to the lead but didn’t have the needed speed, backed off to the ¾, looked a bit hard to steer past midstretch. THE OTHER DUO weren’t in the main picture.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CHOCOTURE was looped early, went on to quarter command then yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and wore down NIGHT FLYER K. The latter left, was outside before the winner cleared and went on to 3/8 command, held well but couldn’t last to the line. POWERFUL YIELD sat in, to the deep Pike and closed well while possibly in tight quarters. LIONBACKER KIDD left well to grab the racetrack by the 1/8, saw two go by, inside the pacesetter in the stretch but not too much. CRUSHWORTHY grabbed a midpack tuck, then was first-over, got to the flank of the pocket horse but never really closer. LAZER JET didn’t have great cover, three-wide on the turn, moving well late (in a slowing last quarter). WILLIAM STAR was second-over, blindswitched, eased wide headstretch, evenly. PHANTOM RUSTY was last-inside, behind a wall in the stretch.
FOURTEENTH RACE – RYCROFT N just refused to let anybody get the better of him in a fast race, won for fun. WINNING IS SWEET came uncovered 3/8, was forced to take the pocket at the half, held on for the distant second. AIN’T IT FUN was away quickly, took the pocket 3/16, gapped and couldn’t hold the two-hole at the half, sat in, Pocono Pike, did OK late. LOVE YOURSELF backed out to second-over, got going too late. IC A FREE SPIRIT went uncovered 9/16, got to even with the pocket horse to the ¾ but gained no further. THE OTHER THREE were the last threesome all the way around.
FIFTEENTH RACE – SPORTS HERO went up in a lively flow (during a slow third quarter), left uncovered midturn, drew away in the stretch. SPINOUT was second-out, left raw ¾ and went right by, well clear of the others. BJ’S GUY was three-wide early and on top past the 1/8, yielded before a fast 3/8, stuck behind a tired pacesetter and shuffled to the ¾, out in a blindswitch early turn, next in line. BEACHMASTER TWO and GRAND PRIORITY were in the outer flow, both three-wide far turn, couldn’t reach. AN THE THUNDEROLLS took a tuck at the 1/8, came out off the second turn, urged to clear in a 29.4 third quarter, did so but was all done heading into the turn. SANATTLE SLEW never kept up. SPIDER MAN HANOVER was four-wide early, three-wide to the 1/8, then out past a 26.3 opener and almost to the 3/8 before making the lead, passed ¾ and tired.