FIRST RACE – Temperatures at a season’s high 78 to begin the card, 69 at the end … Stretch headwind … B LIKE CRUISER was between horses to the lead, yielded to the fast quarter but came back out to control the throttle, looked to have handled the first-over around the far turn, but had to stay good to defeat that one. REDBANK BLAZE A was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked fourth, uncovered on the second turn and paced in 27 to go up and challenge, lost ground on the turn but came back on with very good gameness. DO WORK SON was third-over, four-wide into the stretch and was just up for third. HEARTBREAK HILL was second-over, three-wide midturn, not quite enough. TREASURE MACH took the inner path, didn’t look like he had any room nearing the wire. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO was four-wide to the first turn and three-wide to the 1/8, on top past that call en route to a very fast quarter, yielded for the two-hole, couldn’t come back on late. STARVIN MARVIN left, sat in, to the deep Pike, didn’t appear to have that much. CENTURY ENFORCER was outside but immediately started gaping.
SECOND RACE – GEORGIE MARTIN N put everybody in behind with a 26 opener, yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, just got by TALL POPPY N. The latter tucked third 3/16, moved 5/16, made the top and slowed the half, under little outside pressure, just failed to withstand the pocket rocket. ARNIE’S ANGEL moved first-over towards turn two, never reached the leader, a distant third. CHIPPER DAISY was third-over, three-wide far turn, so-so. JUXTA COWGIRL took back early, needed until the ¼ to settle inside, then second-over but gapped from midbackstretch. DELISHKA N was last, circled wide, couldn’t get close enough. CAVIART CHERIE was wide early and three-wide past the 1/8, took the pocket nearing the 26 opener, started backing off before the ¾.
THIRD RACE – CAN’T SAY NO made two speed moves to the 3/8, backed off the half, opened up a big lead with a 57 last half despite going a little wide far turn, much the best. CHUCKY DE VIE had cover early, then left raw and grabbed the racetrack 5/16, immediately yielded, held the distant second. FRAC went evenly, as did ANDOVERS TOUCH. SCIROCCO PATRICK got the last check. GINGER TREE KNOX gapped much of the way. PEE WEE HANOVER lost contact. BROOKVIEW BLUTO was forwardly-placed, was looking for more when breaking midturn.
FOURTH RACE – SHEZAFREAKLIKEME left well to take command, had a horse at her outside from the 3/8 but didn’t have to go fast to keep that one outside, drew clear in the latter stages. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI filled the pocket and kept it closed, not that much late and just held second in a four-way photo. CATIE FAYE HANOVER was out behind the parked horse, three-wide just before midturn to get alongside the pocket horse, evenly. BYGONE HANOVER sat in, was blocked on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike and had an opportunity to be second but couldn’t get there. WHO’S SMOKIN N was third-over, three-wide covered then uncovered far turn, fair. BROOKDALE JESSIE had little inside. LOVELY LADY MAY went three-wide but soon stopped gaining. TINOS BADGIRL was a bit rough leaving, outside midpack first turn, then went up to race outside the winner from the 3/8, was tapped but didn’t have the speed to clear, backed off in the last quarter.
FIFTH RACE – SORTIE left, was challenging for the lead when the pole horse broke 3/16, set the pace, clear the last 3/8. POSSESS THE STONE was second early, second again 3/16 as a challenger cleared a breaker and he kept the pocket, started to unplug 5/8 but still was a clear second. POWERFUL YIELD went evenly as a no-factor third. MASTER CLASS sat in, no factor. KEYSTONE SERGEANT moved outside but never got into it. PHANTOM RUSTY moved outside 5/8, start to back up ¾. CHOCOTURE had very little to offer. LAZER JET left well from the rail, had the winner moving up on him 3/16 when he made a break and was taken to the infield.
SIXTH RACE – ONE OF THE GUYS headed right on down the road, urged late to preserve the win over BUCHANNON HANOVER. The latter was away well for the pocket and stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike, made up ground but not quite enough. SEASIDE MEDITATION gapped a bit in the first half then got tighter, nipped POWER RANKINGS for third. The latter sat third, came out late turn but didn’t have too much. THE NEXT THREE became well-detached from the field. HURRIKANE JUNIOR was wide early, took a bad step and broke equipment (not necessarily in that order), was pulled up.
SEVENTH RACE – WHAT A DAME raced into the early pocket, then made a quick move 3/8 to take control, rebuffed a challenge, drew away easily. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR vacated third 5/8 and made a pass at the leader, was rebuffed, couldn’t quite get into the pocket late turn, but still enough for second. BOASTER COASTER took back early, couldn’t stay with the top three nearing the ¾, evenly along the inside late. PADRE was wide early to get the lead just before the 1/8, yielded just past the 3/8, went loose in the pocket ¾. SLEW FOOT didn’t offer too much. KAACHING KAACHING was never close. GOLDEN GLIDER broke at the start, recovered, outside at the back down the back, fell back.
EIGHTH RACE – TIAMOGONEDANCEN was left outside to the ¼, cut the mile, opened a big lead, then perhaps a bit tired late and had her mind kept to business. MORROCKIN K moved outside from third 5/8 when the pocket horse left a bigger gapper, retucked, Pocono Pike, steadily. ELLEOFADELI came outside 11/16, left uncovered on the turn, well-clear in third. RHYME N ROLL pushed the ¼ and yielded for the two-hole, went loose in same down the backstretch. BUFFALO HEART never was prominent. SWEET SALLY SUE was outside on the final turn, had some pace and may have reached third but went offstride midstretch. RELLA TIVITY moved outside but could make no impact. NEW NUMBER WHO DIS also gapped out.
NINTH RACE – VIRGIN MARY S had the top immediately and forced tucks, s-l-o-w-e-d the half, dashed clear through the stretch with a 28.2 kicker. BEYOND BELIEF started well and got into the pocket, outsprinted by the winenr but did hold second. NEWSBOY moved from last 3/8 and grinded up a long way (though in a 1:00.2 middle half) to challenge, held well. VELVET STYLE backed out to go second-over, tightened on cover late backstretch, wide headstretch, not quite enough for a more major minor honor. SHARE THE WEALTH slid into the three-hole at the 1/8, not prominent late. GREG took back to slot in fourth past the 1/8, stayed in and was shuffled to last, wide stretch, evenly. GLACIER HANOVER lost contact ¾.
TENTH RACE – ALTA MADEIRA N was underway before the ¼, took the lead 5/16 and rated the half, had enough to withstand the late blitz of MILIEU HANOVER. The latter was second-over, went wide in the lane and had a powerful last 1/16 that didn’t miss by much (own last half 55). BEACH CRAZY went right to the top, yielded for the pocket, had a chance up the Pocono Pike but couldn’t quite put enough together. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER left well and went into the pocket past the 1/8, evenly inside late. SUMMER RAE gapped a bit early then found better strides and started raw into turn two, challenged, tired. SHADOW ONE was four-wide through the stretch, made up ground in a fast back half. THE OTHER PAIR did not figure into the major plot of this one.
ELEVENTH RACE – BEACH TOWN BOY was uncovered early on turn two, sprinted up in 26.4 the third split to really fight with the leader, having a small advantage much of the way but not clearing despite urging, finally put away that rival for good before midstretch, withstood the late bid of BETTORS AUTHORITY. The latter left well and couldn’t have enjoyed a better trip in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, good but had to settle for the deuce. MOVE THE LINE forced a tuck 3/16, rated the half then stepped it up when the winner moved up to challenge, prevented that one from crossing over to the rail, held well considering being under much pressure. BULLVILLE JONATHAN was two- and three-wide on the far turn, next-best. MAJOR SHOW gapped in last much of the way, moving well along the inside late. BEEBEETEE sat in then backed out second-over when the “original” second-over gapped, accepted a blindswitch late turn and didn’t have much late. SOLARCTIC was outside, drifted a bit wide and couldn’t offer much. GETYOURLICENSELIAM was quite wide early, settled into fifth, originally moved second-over but drifted wide down the back and faded badly.
TWELFTH RACE – FRISKIE ALL NITE raced up to the top just past the 1/8, yielded, gapped in the 26.3 backstretch quarter, but tightened on the turn, moved out, and was along in time. CAVIART ROCKLAND stayed connected, to the Pocono Pike and got second away from WAR-N-MUNN late. The latter left well from the rail, yielded but came with a quarter-move, went 26.3 down the back trying to steal clear, but that plan could last only to just past midstretch. HE’S ELECTRIC had cover but wasn’t getting much from it so ducked back inside, best of the rest. GRIFFON HANOVER tucked fourth, moved raw at the half but never made any inroads. THE LAST THREE were the last three throughout.