FIRST RACE – Around 40 degrees throughout the twilight card … JAHAN HANOVER was out with cover then continued on when cover tucked in the pocket, attacked the leader, went by early stretch, held off the closers. NOWHERE CREEK A was in the outer flow behind the winner but gapped, inside early final turn then back out, wide, steadily (in a 30.3 kicker) to come close. WAR-N-MUNN left some, moved 3/8 but was left outside, got into the pocket 5/8, to the Pocono Pike, had his chance, didn’t have enough after the middle half hard usage. DO WORK SON was wide taking back early, was in the gaining flow, OK. DOUBLEORNOTHING N had excess cover, went up the inside, then had no clear path late. MOHAWK SEELSTER pulled on the lead with the driver laying back parallel to the ground in the middle half, didn’t have enough in reserve. OCEAN BLUE gapped before the half. BAY MEADOWS went to the top and yielded, was all done at the 5/8.
SECOND RACE – Stretch tailwind … TRAFFIC JAM went to the lead, yielded for the pocket and was the only one to stay close to the leader, outside headstretch and just up on the money. MORROCKIN K pulled the pocket at the 1/8 to gain control before the ¼, couldn’t hold off the pocket rocket. LOVIN MISS DAISY N gapped most of the last half in third but was still far ahead of the rest. ELLEOFADELI had bad cover, three-wide far turn, mild late response. TINKER TAXI moved early, retucked down the backstretch then gapped, not too much. RHYME N ROLL was uncovered into turn two but never gained. RELLA TIVITY was never in it. KCK GIRLIES broke 3/8 and was taken to the infield.
THIRD RACE – TUF COOPER waited outside early then took command at the ¼, rated the half, didn’t have an anxious moment. ROAD MAP showed good speed to quickly grab the top, yielded for the pocket, not much late and just held second over DARIO HANOVER. The latter was forwardly-placed, couldn’t gain enough late along the inside to get second. HURRIKANE JUNIOR was wide early, tucked 3/16, then second-over, three-wide far turn, had pace in spots while not looking sure-gaited. BACK IN MY DAY got around the others. SEASIDE MEDITATION was uncovered 9/16, gained a bit down the back but faded past the ¾. BLAZING BLACK broke 5/16, raced two-wide or wider the rest of the way. MR UNTITLED was never a consideration.
FOURTH RACE – LADY’S IMAGE left then yielded for the pocket behind the favorite, stayed tight, went to the Pocono Pike, and left him well behind late. BUZZ went up to take command before a quick ¼, not pressured, but had no response to the winner’s powerful charge. POSSESS THE STONE stayed in close attendance of the pace, good. SUNDANCEDIAMOND got in fourth at the 1/8, moved raw at the 1/2, couldn’t get close to the lead but held well. TEDDY BROSVELT took the last payday. GROSETTO AS moved out 5/8, wasn’t helped much by cover, four-wide late turn, fair. WILLIE B WORTHY spotted sixth, then was second-over, moved wide far turn but had little. MOSCONI HANOVER never featured.
FIFTH RACE – Blanket finish … BYGONE HANOVER went from fifth-inside to the pocket on the far turn, just along in a contested finish. BROOKDALE JESSIE wound up third-over from fourth at the ¾, four-wide headstretch, ran out of racetrack. IRISH DAYDREAM set the pace, first asked for more 5/8, lasted very well. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI got a forward spot, moved with cover ¾, three-wide late turn, not really a good excuse relative to the others’ positioning. DRAGONS LAST defended the pocket, pulled out to the ¾, battled to the line. GEORGIE stayed connected, to the deep Pike, not quite enough. LADY AKILA did not keep up.
SIXTH RACE – HOPETOBEFIRST tucked past the 1/8, moved uncovered at the half then got cover 5/8, three-wide late on the turn, powered away after the disputed pace. BAMSKI was last most of the way, angled widest early stretch and gained in the slowing last fraction. WINNING IS SWEET was looped leaving, needed almost to the 3/8 to make the top, yielded, pulled the pocket 5/8 and challenged, held OK after hard usage. BLOW A CLOUD N outgunned everybody leaving, yielded, stayed in, struggled a bit in the third split, to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have a great deal left. MY FRISKIE BOY went three-wide far turn, followed the winner into the stretch but couldn’t pace that much. BASS PLAYER was third-over, blindswitched, in tight quarters through the stretch. SOCIAL THEORIES was not prominent. RYCROFT N came out at the ¼, had cover almost to the 3/8 then went on to get the lead, used in fast fractions, tired.
SEVENTH RACE – D P ROCKET worked to the lead 3/16, rated the pace evenly and had no problem. DARTY was on the lead early, yielded for the two-hole, got a bit loose midturn, OK. SORTIE needed until the ¼ to get inside, then was second-over, three-wide midturn, finished pretty well. BLENHEIM went uncovered into turn two, gained in the third quarter then stopped progressing. CONSUS VICTORY had a forward spot but couldn’t do much from it. WINGS UP moved third-over early backstretch, a bit at the end. ITSONLYMONEYHONEY never factored. KEYSTONE SERGEANT broke going to turn two.
EIGHTH RACE – WESTERN TYRANT was three-wide early, settled in the pocket before the ¾, worked to stay tight in the fast third quarter, to the Pocono Pike and a sharp winner. MAJOR DESIRE didn’t want anybody to go by early, got a relatively soft half for these, then had to step it up to meet the hard challenge of the first-over, shook that one off but then was caught to his left. TULLOW N raced in prime position second-over, lost some ground going wide early stretch but then came back on. CAVIART MAX was looped between horses early, took back to fourth, then led the outer tier and went 26.3 vs. the wind down the back to get a small advantage but not clear, couldn’t sustain late. LORD OF MISRULE was third-over, gapped, ducked between horses in the stretch and had some pace. THE BUS A had early speed, stayed in, gapped down the back. CINNABAR DRAGON and LEAR SEELSTER were at the back throughout.
NINTH RACE – Wind change, with a stretch headwind … SURREAL FEELING got in front going to the first turn, yielded, was third-in, came clear only in midstretch, angled wide and finished with a furious burst to be just along. THINK OF GALAXIES gradually advanced to get the lead off the first turn, pushed a challenger before yielding for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, edged by the leader but was nipped on the money. CRAZY CUTE yielded early, moved at the ¼ but needed the frontstretch to clear (now going vs. the wind) despite Q2 being only 29.3, set the pace with little pressure, couldn’t quite make the advantage stand up. FILLY SPEAKS was second-over from next-to-last, best of the rest. ANOTHER BEACH DAY stayed in and got the last check. BRONZE OVER N backed out to third-over but gapped. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER, looking to be on a line on the turns, could offer little. NO WHERE TO HIDE started out from sixth, got no cover, advanced until tiring headstretch.
TENTH RACE – And the wind goes back to swirling … TEMPURA HANOVER was chased after early and got in front at the 1/8, got a slow Q2 after the fast Q1, didn’t have much pressure, withstood ALTA MADEIRA N to her left. The latter went to command then yielded to sit a good two-hole, held her chance in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t reach. SHADOW ONE came out from fourth 11/16, moved up some, held on OK. MOSSDALE LOTTEE N sat in, shifted out in the lane and caught PLEASURE SEEKER for fourth. The latter left a very big gap the first half, not too much late. PREMIER DELANEY left a big gap to the half, then moved outside, got cover late on the backstretch but couldn’t go with it. THE FINAL TWO were always the final two, well off the action.
ELEVENTH RACE – HOT DEUCE was behind a gapper, finally came out 5/8, bore out in the stretch but had a big last 1/8 and was along in time. CAVIART ROCKLAND steamed to the quarter, then had little pressure on the lead, almost held at 20-1. MACHEASY A didn’t want to take the pocket early but did so 3/16, edged out on the far turn but went back inside in the stretch, a step shy. CLAYTONS BETTOR N tucked third then gapped much of the rest of the way, a little better late. DREAM OF LUCK stayed in, gapped. INDIGO ART came out before turn two, finally got cover 5/8 but then didn’t have enough. THE OTHER DUO got slow starts and never surfaced.
TWELFTH RACE—ROLLIN IN NEW YORK made the lead at the 1/8, yielded to a challenger to sit the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, got a small advantage midstretch, finished in a tie with AMERICA’S GUEST for the first win dead-heat of the season here. The latter moved uncovered off the second turn and came at the leader with heat, looked like he might be “outtripped” to the inside but continued on resolutely for the DH. CLASSIFIED MATERIAL quarter-moved but went 27.3 in the second split in clearing, got very little of a breather from the first-over, lasted until midstretch and then not beaten by much. BRANDON HANOVER left hard, yielded, backed out 11/16, step-and-a-half shy of the top ones. THE FINAL THREE all gapped at some points and were never in the main battle.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN pushed his right-hand foe past the ¼ before surrendering, out to regain the lead near the fast half, got a breather down the back, then drew clear midstretch. BEACH TOWN BOY was carried up second-over, three-wide into the lane, not bad for second. BETTORS AUTHORITY backed off early and filled the pocket, was shuffled badly as the pocketsitter tired, moved out into a blindswitch near headstretch then once clearing the laggard went right back inside, finished well in a hard-luck mile. MOVE THE LINE was third-over, four-wide headstretch, not bad at all. SOLARCTIC was uncovered at the half and advanced in the slow third quarter, fell back as the speed increased in the last split. SCOTT ONTHE ROCKS battled for the lead between horses and finally got it 5/16, yielded before the half, couldn’t keep up ¾. SEAL O’NEILL was very wide early, backed off to follow cover, got to the inside 3/8, faltered. GETYOURLICENSELIAM was well off the gate and kept falling further back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – NUTTINBUTTHEBEST was driven as if she were nuttinbutthebest, and proved to be so, holding off CHIPPER DAISY. The latter maintained the pocket in a lineup-minus-one, moved out early stretch, a bit slow to find best strides but narrowed the margin late. NARINA HANOVER gapped early but was closer by the 3/8, stayed in, gapped far turn, but still was far clear in third. SHECOULDBEGOOD N moved out 5/8, gained some, but tired in the last 1/8. YES DOUBLE DOWN had dull cover, three-wide ¾, up for the last check. BRING ME DIAMONDS never entered the main radar. SWEET ROCKIN GIA gapped from midrace both inside and outside. GRANT ME THIS never got close.