FIRST RACE – Swirling wind, sometimes stretch tailwind (fractions may be guide) … Low to mid 60s … ROLL WITH THE FLOW drifted out two-wide, went up uncovered 3/16 after the front end settled, pushed to make the top 3/8, held off a backstretch bid, then was best of these. KINGSVILLE was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, yielded 3/8 after some contesting, pocket, a bit loose headstretch and never regained serious ground. CRACK A SMILE left, yielded, stayed third-in, Pocono Pike, good in fight for second. CAPTAIN COOK was third-over, four-wide late turn, closed with pace from far back. HUNTING FOR MILES was second-over at the half, three-wide midturn, drifted a little wide headstretch, never got much going in the lane. TUF COOPER stayed in, not prominent. GUSSY’S TRUMP CARD moved out fourth-over down the back, had an excess of cover. MASK ON MASK OFF tucked at the 1/8, then came first-up at the ½, challenged, then tired through the lane.
SECOND RACE – MYSTICAL WYNN was looped and three-wide early, finally got in fifth 3/16, started uncovered to the half, went up in the slow third quarter, put away the leader headstretch, then trotted off (fractions suggest stretch tailwind for this race). MARION GONDOLIER was three-wide to the 1/8 and cleared past that point, pushed a foe to the 3/8 before a fast half then let that one go, came out behind the winner late turn, did well for second. RICH AND MISERABLE trotted three-wide around a bunch of horses taking back, kept going forward and finally made the top 3/8, put up a fast half, was challenged late backstretch, tired after the heavy early work. EPOS OSTERVANG DK stayed in, moved out far turn and wide headstretch, moving well late. LEVITATION had forward position, didn’t do much late. CUPID HANOVER was actually the first horse to show as the gate sprung but saw a potential cavalry charge and took all the way back to last, Pocono Pike, not terribly far off third. CRAZYCAT was third-over then second-over after the original second-over broke, not enough late. SWEET HEART AS moved out second-over, gapped as the winner went up then was getting closer when breaking 5/8.
THIRD RACE – SOUTHWIND PETYR was looped, made the pocket 3/16 and sat a great trip, to the Pocono Pike, gained inch by inch until finally getting a little clearance in the shadow of the wire. CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN outhustled everybody away, rated the half, got pressure at the 11/16, held very gamely until the last few steps while pacing his back half in 55. JACKIE MOON sat in then backed out second-over 11/16, just third in a good last quarter. BET ON BLAKE moved raw before the 5/8 and challenged while going his third split in 27, held determinedly. BEACH TOWN BOY was never close. CHIEF OF STAFF was last from the rail 50 yards into the race, moved outside but couldn’t gain.
FOURTH RACE – ROBBIE PEV was outside midpack with cover early, uncovered 3/8 to the lead well before the 5/8 in fast fractions, drew away in an impressive showing. CHAPOLIER was three-wide to the 1/8 then tucked 3/16, uncovered past the 9/16, grinded up, lost ground to the winner in the stretch but held OK for second. COCKTAILS N DIAMONDS was double-looped early and three-wide to the 1/8, kept outside 3/8 in a quick tempo until making the top, yielded not too far down the back, pocket, tired after hard use. SHADRACK HANOVER was far back, three-wide around trouble midturn, next. NIGHT FLYER K gapped down the back. KISS AN ANGEL moved outside but had very little to offer. RED REDEMPTION was pushed to almost the ¼ to get the top, yielded, backed out on the turn in tight quarters, broke. MON AMOUR was first on top, yielded, shuffled some then backed out two-wide, broke looking for more far turn.
FIFTH RACE – JUST N ACE was uncovered before turn two and grinded up to challenge, fell back a bit on the turn into the stretch, but showed good determination and wore down PREMIER ROCKSTAR. The latter was three-wide to turn one and got on top 5/16, slow second quarter, looked to have turned back the bid of the winner early stretch but couldn’t hold the lead to the line. A STUD NAMED SAM was last behind dull cover, ducked in turn, found room between horses late and finished well. DERECHO was in front past the 1/8, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, a bit loose from deep backstretch, evenly. BLOW A CLOUD N was forwardly-placed but gapped. SUPER PAC HANOVER was second-over but gapped.
SIXTH RACE – DEWEY ARNOLD came through at the start to the top then yielded to sit the two-hole, stayed tight, outside headstretch and had the most in the fastest local trotting mile of the year. ANGEL NATION left strongly to the lead past the 1/8, kept much of the field strung out while going very good fractions, held very tenaciously. MELADY’S MONET tucked third, not quite enough in the last ¼. SWAN IN MOTION advanced up the inside in a pretty good mile. P L NOTSONICE couldn’t gain. KENOGAMI COCO moved out from last but never entered the picture. SCIROCCO ROB had trouble keeping up at multiple points.
SEVENTH RACE – Wind now looked like a stretch tailwind … WESTERN TYRANT was three-wide to the 1/8, raced into the 3-hole, gapped in the frontstretch, but got in gear 9/16 and grinded up, into the pocket ¾, had room to move outside headstretch, still had the energy to pace right to the top after involvement in the quick pace, claimed for a Pocono-record-equaling $40,000. MAJOR DESIRE moved second-over into the backstretch, gapped down the backstretch, left uncovered ¾, couldn’t keep the winner locked in, then came on well late. ROLLIN IN NEW YORK went outside behind gapping cover and was blindswitched just past the 5/8, ducked in on the turn and just missed second. CAVIART MAX left between horses, needed until the 5/16 to clear, rolled along at a fast clip, got pressure from the winner, couldn’t sustain. KILLER MARTINI moved three-wide from third-over past the 5/8, didn’t really gain that much until the pace was slowing late. WON LAST FEELING was never in the hunt. TULLOW N showed little but came back with “b.e.” DRAGON STRIKES pushed a foe past a fast ¼ and yielded, started to unplug 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – NICHOLAS BEACH burst to the top, had no one pull on him until past mid-far turn, was clear early stretch then was given some encouragement to keep going as AMERICAN COURAGE was coming hard. The latter sat third the whole way, outside shortly into the stretch, had a wicked last 1/16. LYONS STEEL had the pocket, getting loose ¾, far ahead of the others. SHOOBEE DOO A spotted fourth early, maintained position. CAPTAIN MULZAC gapped 11/16. CAVIART LUCA appeared to be struggling to keep up much of the way.
NINTH RACE – TOWNLINE FLIGHT gapped some in third midrace then went tighter, to the inside of the leader in the stretch and just got a nose up as the pace was slowing. LEGAL POWER charged through at the start, three-wide early en route to the lead near the 1/8, clear down the backstretch and on the turn, just missed making the advantage stand up to the finish. HOPETOBEFIRST left between horses and got the pocket, loose much of the backstretch and through the turn, outside into the lane, not quite enough. BEVANS CULLEN N sat in, gained in the deep Pike late into the slowing tempo. TOLLY-HO spotted fifth, was second-over behind dull cover and went three-wide ¾, got a check. DREAM OF LUCK moved uncovered off turn two but couldn’t offer much. THE LAST PAIR were the last two throughout.
TENTH RACE – LANJO LEE never went to the rail, moved between horses to the 1/8 and went up to get the front off turn one, hung his main foe 3/8 then yielded for the pocket, came outside headstretch and had a big burst in a fast quarter to take the victory. ALL OR NOTHING was wide early then dropped down behind the winner before the 3/16, left uncovered past the ¼ and went on to the lead 3/8, closed speedily but was outsprinted. GREG THE LEG circled right to the top, stayed inside, good for third. LETMECALLYOUBACK eyed getting early position but took back to a midpack tuck, inside, OK. BULLVILLE FRANK avoided the outer tier and got the last check. CAPTAINGIDDYUPNGO was on the move from last 3/8, got to second-over but gapped down the back. SHAKE IT moved raw off turn two and had a big burst to challenge the leader, but had little left late. KEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT could not get into this one.
ELEVENTH RACE – GO WEST GO FAST had the top easily, went four sub-28 quarters and drew away in the last ¼. HASH-TAG SWAG left well for the pocket, unplugged gradually the last ¼ but held second. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL got away third, gapped at the ¾, went to the Pocono Pike, OK. INDIGO ART had to go three-wide around fading cover late turn and closed steadily. LORD OF MISRULE and SPORTY DRAGON did not keep up during the swift fractions. ALI went up on a slightly-delayed basis and got in fourth at the 1/8, uncovered 9/16 but couldn’t threaten. LINCOLNJAMES struggled at the back.
TWELFTH RACE – SHAKE THAT HOUSE made the lead at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket and defended it during the vicious duel up front, moved in the Pocono Pike and won going away (29.2 last quarter). SHVAIKO yielded at the 1/8, stayed attached, outside past the ¾, looked on a line upper stretch, but paced on. VIRGIN STORM also stayed connected, moved out late turn and wide headstretch, not enough. DA DELIGHTFUL was looped early, went up to challenge but was left out in the air in very hot fractions, faded at the 5/8 and tucked in before the back gappers reached, inside and beat out the horse that parked him. IMAGINARY LINE was one of the two behind a bad gapper who made up a lot of ground in the last 3/8. CAPTAIN ROMANCE was out to a hot quarter, had to continue to go wild numbers with a challenger, ran out of gas. ITSROCKANDROLL A was the other horse who made up a lot of second-half ground. WARRAWEE UNIQUE was leaving a huge gap by the 3/16.
THIRTEENTH RACE – COALITION HANOVER laid off the early fighting then was second-over, blindswitched just past the 5/8 and rode the blindswitch to early stretch, then had clearance and closed into the 29.3 victory to be going away. CAPTAIN KEEN was three-wide past the 1/8, then two-wide, looked for a pocket hole but there was none so went on to the lead 3/8, yielded grudgingly before the 5/8 and is one of the very very few horses you’ll ever see first at the half, last at the ¾, and then coming back to get the lead midstretch via the Pocono Pike, good second. ITALIAN LAD N went to the front at the 1/8, yielded 3/8, came back out going to the second turn, had to work to get the lead to the 5/8, had immediate pressure – all in fast fractions – and then tired. LITERL LAD HANOVER yielded, helmetbumped near the ¼, started to go outside at that point but stayed in, did go out near the half with cover, lost it and challenged raw, had a slight lead far turn, but tired. BEACH FORECAST moved out from last and three-wide 5/8 the duration, flattened early stretch.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CHING CHING LUCKY was out third-over, three-wide 11/16 and gained, to two-wide and the lead headstretch, proved the best. PRACTICAL CAT was last, angled from the rail midturn to four-wide just past headstretch, finished strongly. HURRIKANE WILLIE G set the pace, shook off the first-over but couldn’t hold on. TRICKY DICK got away well for the pocket, Pocono Pike, not enough late. DAGON HANOVER was second-over, blindswitched by the winner 11/16, may never have had full clearance thereafter, steadily late. LEPANTO tried to follow the wide move of the winner but couldn’t. TUIS SHADOW tucked third and rode third-inside, deep Pike, didn’t gain. BEYOND BELIEF made fourth to the 3/16, again underway to turn two, challenged, faded in the last 1/8.