FIRST RACE – There had been moisture overnight, but the track was rated “fast” in temperatures around 40 degrees … Stretch headwind – average last quarter just over 30, seven races 30+, and two of the last four races 31.1 and 32.1 … SPORTSMANSHIP tucked third, came uncovered grinding off the second turn, wore down the pacesetting SPINOUT late. The latter made two speed moves to control the throttle, held on very gamely. CAVIART SAGE changed gears to the 1/8 and went up to tuck fourth 3/16, backed out 11/16, wide, OK. BEST SHOT N took command 3/16, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, had his chance in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t quite reach. HYPOTHETICAL was first outside, got cover but gapped it 5/8. THE OTHER TWO brought up the rear throughout.
SECOND RACE – GONNAHAVEONEMORE was looped leaving, proceeded onward to the top before the ¼, went a good third quarter, all-out through the stretch to defeat a rival to both sides. SOCIAL THEORIES came raw out of third at the half and paced 27.3 down the back to challenge, seemed to stall far turn but then found renewed vigor and tried hard to the very end. A STUD NAMED SAM looped the field early, yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, a step shy. BULLVILLE TERROR had a great trip second-over, three-wide late turn, simply did not have enough late speed. DIVISION BELL had to swing very wide in the lane and had some foot finishing. AMAZON was third-over, tipped four-wide but had no gain. FOUR-STAR FLASH had room to go up the inside down the back but gapped.
THIRD RACE – GEORGIE took control from the pole, avoided confusion from breakers, and raced well as much the best. RAINBOW RISING benefited from two second quarter breakers and got the pocket second turn, couldn’t keep up in the last quarter but did photo SOUTHWIND MOLLY for second. The latter also advanced two spots in Q2, uncovered 5/8, could not sustain her forward gain. HELLRUNNER HANOVER gapped late backstretch, evenly late. YOUNONOTHINJON avoided trouble and got the last check. LIGHTNING LEIA tucked third, came on a quarter move but broke 5/16. LADY ELECTRA had the early pocket, looked a little rank running up on the leader and broke 3/8.
FOURTH RACE – CAN’T SAY NO maintained the pocket early, was loose of the pacesetter much of the last half then closer on the turn, outside stretch and went right on by. WHATS THE WORD used track geometry in setting the pace, sprinted a fast third quarter with the wind, but couldn’t hold on to the finish. CHUCKY DE VIE raced up to third at the 1/8, stayed connected until the last 1/8. O JONNIE and CRITICAL MASS were no factors. CHECKMATE HILL moved outside towards turn two but didn’t generate any gain before breaking past the ¾.
FIFTH RACE – YER SO BAD set all the pace, urged to hold off CURBSIDE PICKUP. The latter had a fine trip, came outside towards headstretch, had dead aim, not quite enough late. WHERESJIM backed out to follow cover 11/16, uncovered midturn, along to take third. WAR OF WILL came out raw 5/8 after the parked horse faded, gained, went inside third midturn, couldn’t quite hold the show. CAPTAIN KEN was outside midpack early when deciding to go up, tired before the 5/8. SETHIEMYBOY bore out 3/8 and fell back. TRAVIS SAID went up to tuck third, backed up badly in the last ¼. GRATEFUL KISS was away slowly and was losing contact not much past the ¼.
SIXTH RACE – AMBERS CHAMPION moved 5/8 as the pocketsitter faded, looked like she tucked briefly in the pocket then back on the attack ¾, made the lead midstretch, held on for the victory. MATTER OF TRUST followed the winner, moved wide in the lane, found her best strides just a trifle too late. RELENTLESS JACKIE controlled the throttle with two moves, got a little tired midstretch. IWISHNOTTOBTOUCHED passed tired horses. HURRICANE BLUES left back took back, moved outside to the 5/8, couldn’t reach cover, went back in, little. BARSTOOL BELLA was out to the ¼ to get the lead, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, started to struggle from not that long into the backstretch. KEYSTONE VIENNA broke coming off the turn before the start. BETTER SINCE broke midpack 3/16.
SEVENTH RACE – PIRATES ALLEY stayed connected to the pocket horse until the 11/16, moved out around him and retucked, outside late turn and quickly drew off. SCRAPPIN GOLD got going midbackstretch and went around moribund stock, uncovered much of the far turn, wide stretch, beat out MY FRISKIE BOY for second. The latter tailed the cover of the place horse, ducked in late turn and came up the Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite manage second. WINNING IS SWEET set the pace on an open-length lead but was done when challenged headstretch. LOVE YOURSELF was shuffled to last behind a gapper, had some pace in the last 3/16. DEVISSER couldn’t keep up most of the way. SPORTS TEEN was away to get the pocket but gapped most of the way to the ¾, then really started backing up.
EIGHTH RACE – ARGENTO quarter-moved and took over going to the second turn, just held together in a 31.2 last quarter. CHELIOS finally was in gear 5/8 and kept gaining but just missed taking it all. KASEVILLE was wide into the first turn, cleared everybody, pushed the winner in the frontstretch and yielded going to turn two for the pocket, came out of same midturn but had no late gain. ORIGINAL SMOKEY was looped and three-wide past the 1/8, up into the pocket 3/16, no response in the last stanza. REDEMPTOR got a check. FATHER OF IRELAND couldn’t keep up the last half. CHROME PACKAGE broke past the ¼. RAISIN DOUGH was in the middle of a pack of horses looking for position early, was trying for the pocket when two-wide past the 1/8 but broke.
NINTH RACE – Lots of motion here, with the chalk prevailing … KAUAI KING pulled at the ¼ so as not to be caught in by a parked horse, had cover most of the way to the half, then up raw to get the lead ¾, maintained the advantage to the wire. MUSCLE MACH A was backed up then joined the outside flow, wide headstretch and narrowed in well. ROCK IDOL was second-over, lost cover ¾ and was making a menacing move past midturn when going offstride, recovered quickly and made a sharp comeback; no reason for placing due to the break. FIRST GLANCE was hard to take back, three-wide much of the ¼ then followed the winner, gapped 3/8 and let a foe out, then kept up steadily in the flow, left raw when a foe broke past midturn, paced on very solidly in a hard-luck mile. BILBO HANOVER was three-wide to the 3/16 then two-wide to get the lead 3/8, yielded, was shuffled when the pacesetter tired, moved to the right a path or two (or three) in the stretch, clear far too late. YANKEE KEELER yielded the lead 3/16, then found himself second-last via a shuffle, outside midturn, blindswitched by the recovering breaker, raced better than the line may look. JANAID went on between horses to 3/16 command, yielded 3/8 but regained immediately, done when challenged ¾. SIX DAY WARS lost contact the second half.
TENTH RACE – LADY’S IMAGE tucked third early, moved out early backstretch and three-wide to the 5/8 to retuck in the pocket, came out again late turn and sharply went past the pacesetter. BUZZ headed down the road, powerless to stall the winner though far clear of the rest. NICE STUFF and MATT’S MUSCLES passed troubled horses to be in the next two spots. MASTER CLASS was moving up some far turn when having to go wide when PIERCEWAVE HANOVER broke, flattened out. SUNDANCEDIAMOND was always far back. R HERBIE BLUE CHIP gradually worked his way frontward, challenged from before the 3/8 but was left out in the air, tucked in a vacancy fourth 5/8, fell back. PIERCEWAVE HANOVER was away in the pocket and kept the hole plugged until the half, then was getting loose, broke late on the far turn.
ELEVENTH RACE – MELANIE’S NICK pushed to the ¼ then sat a nice pocket trip, to the inside and had the most of these. WIN PLACE’N SHOW had position early, uncovered 5/8, grinded, never ahead but went on steadily. AMERICAN ZESTAR was second-over, gapped a bit ¾, wide stretch, couldn’t quite reach for second. HURRIKANE JUNIOR was four-wide early, up two-wide at the 1/8 to the lead at the ¼, rated the half, came up short at crunch time. ALTERNATE UNIVERSE had cover then ducked inside of it, kept coming up the inside and finished OK. DARIO HANOVER was never prominent. ROAD MAP went uncovered before turn two, got cover to the 5/8 but couldn’t go with it. POLARIS BEACH lost contact with these early.
TWELFTH RACE – Rain … A slow last quarter often produces a blanket finish … BULLY BOY was underway early to get the front and set the pace, kept to business late in a 31.1 kicker to prevail. CHOCOLATE MATTERS was a gapping last at the ¾, suddenly found a higher gear, four-wide stretch and passed everybody save the winner. KEYSTONE THUNDER moved second-over 5/8, three-wide late turn, OK though outtrotted for second. TEDDY BROSVELT moved up from being far back early, kept grinding raw, stayed in the fight to the finish in a brave showing. WORTHY OF HONOR left well, yielded for the pocket, not much the last 1/8. CHOCO CHARLIE stayed in and used the Pocono Pike but couldn’t reach. ALEXANDER HANOVER wasn’t keeping up at the ¾.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MADELYNN SOPHIA used the rail to maximum advantage and forced tucks, absorbed a late backstretch first-over challenge, then drew clear again. ALLYOUCANBET moved just before the half, powered up in 27.1 to challenge the leader 11/16, could not sustain the forward move but was nonetheless impressive second. BETTE TINA took the pocket, struggled in the two-hole much of the rest of the way, did last for third in a three-way picture. CLEAR THE WAY was shuffled late backstretch, outside far turn then ducked between horses to midstretch and finished with good pace. JAGGED LITTLE PILL was three-wide leaving, took back to fourth past the 1/8, retucked around a gapper down the back, so-so. SWEET KATIE BUG had little to offer. GOTTALUVIT HANOVER kept a hole closed before the 3/16, all done past the 5/8. SWEET HELLO was last when breaking at the ¼.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BRAVO TEX N drifted out then gunned up 3/16, went out to the three-path past the ¼ as a retaker surfaced, went right around that one to the lead, met a big challenge in the third quarter, then stamped himself as the day’s standout by coming home in 28.2 into the wind. BECKHAMS Z TAM left between horses to the lead, yielded, moved at the ¼ before the winner could keep him in, made the top again and yielded again, sat the two-hole, outside stretch but didn’t have the sprint, showed good energy. MAJOR OFFENSE was second-over but struggled to keep close to cover in the fast third panel, three-wide midturn, next in line. ROLLINWITHAMBITION was three-wide most of the first 3/16 and went on to take over, saw two go by in quarter two, sat in, to the Pocono Pike, almost third. DREAM OF LUCK went uncovered nearing turn two, paced in 27 with the wind down the back to challenge, couldn’t sustain. THE NEXT TWO never entered contention. DUCKIES DYNASTY was the innermost of three leavers, yielded, never surfaced again.
FIFTEENTH RACE – This race’s last quarter was almost four seconds slower than the one before it … GOLDEN GESTURE was three-wide early then two-wide between horses to the lead, yielded, thought about a retake then decided to stay, third-in down the back, got access to the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter pulled late turn, took this one though not coming home much. SPIDER MAN HANOVER was off the gate, came all the way up the inside and was along for second. SMOOTH AS CHEDDAR stayed in and was shuffled to last, widest in the stretch and gained as the pace slowed. BEACHMASTER TWO didn’t get much help from cover, three-wide from the 11/16, so-so. REYS N A RUCKUS moved uncovered ¾ and went right by past the half, went to the ¾ in fast time, but didn’t have much left. BJ’S GUY went with cover but was soon left raw, never advanced beyond midpack. PIG IRON was four-wide to the 1/8 then three-wide most of the ¼, got in front, yielded just past the half, gapped down the back but closed in on the turn and actually came out near headstretch, couldn’t gain, then was actually shut off at the wire in tight quarters.