FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … BETTOR STRAIT N UP caused a “b.e.” recall … SWEET KISSES went into the pocket before the 3/16, waited until headstretch, then moved outside and paced away. DANCE TICKET took control from the pole, got a 1:00.1 middle half, was still outsprinted home, clearly second. SWEET AND FEISTY was uncovered into turn two, worked up gradually, held pretty well. IDEAL DESTINY was third-inside, not much late. TRULY gapped down the back, along for the last check. BETTOR STRAIT N UP never got close. TIP OF MY TONGUE got away midpack, fell back through the last half.
SECOND RACE – GOLDEN GESTURE spotted behind the early fighters, then moved second-over, left raw when the first-over went wide 11/16,went up to take over the lead midturn, easily. JAMAICAN COWBOY gapped cover, then had a good late rally that put him far clear in second. SPIDER MAN HANOVER joined the outer flow, got to second into the stretch, but was tiring. BJ’S GUY made two speed moves, set the pace challenged by two different horses, yielded midturn and fell back. CHANCELLORCULLEN N never surfaced; nor did BEACHMASTER TWO. CODE MEISTER was innermost of three leavers, yielded, on the move as soon as the retaker made the top just past the 3/8, bore out 11/16 and faded. PIG IRON was three-wide just past the 1/8, made the lead at the ¼ while rough-gaited, yielded for the pocket, had no forward gear the last ¼.
THIRD RACE – A PERFECT HELEN left between horses, tucked third, then was quarter-mover #2 to the lead 3/8, looked in control throughout. HEART MATTERS took the top, yielded, was QM#1, yielded again, stayed close to midstretch, good effort in a fast mile. MATTER OF TRUST made the lead just past the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, gapped some the last ¼. JAI ALAI S started raw before the 5/8, went up but then couldn’t sustain the move. RAVIOLI went out raw at the ½, got cover 5/8 but gapped. THE NEXT TWO were always near the back. HURRICANE BLUES started gapping before the second turn.
FOURTH RACE – RYCROFT N decided to use his geometric advantage and cut the pace, game in holding off the inside thrust of WINNING IS SWEET. The latter went out between horses, went into the pocket 3/16, took his shot in the Pocono Pike, good but second. JUST A WRANGLER started uncovered towards turn two, grinded up, held well. NIHILATED TRUTH had a good trip second-over but no late response. SEAL O’NEILL did not like being taken back at the start, came three-wide from fourth-over to the ¾, OK. BASS PLAYER was three-wide in the early stages, tucked third past the 1/8, started to gap past the 5/8. SOCIAL THEORIES was third-over, blindswitched, little once clear. MY FRISKIE BOY sat in and was never a factor.
FIFTH RACE – TEDDY BROSEVELT was well off the fast pace, first entered the picture far turn, swung widest and came on in the 31 kicker to be just up. MATT’S MUSCLES sat the pocket behind the quick tempo, outside late turn and gained the lead, did his best to the line while bearing out. MOON BRIDGE came out ¾, got cover on the turn and then was blindswitched, had to wait for clearance then found it inside the place horse midstretch, just missed. GREG moved outside on the turn and went three-high midturn, OK, looked in tight quarters late. FRAC gapped on the far turn, evenly in the Pocono Pike. FASHION WINNER gapped the last half. CHUCKY DE VIE shot to the top and set a very fast pace, little left late. CHOCO CHARLIE was three-wide towards turn one when breaking. … There was a general inquiry after the race; no placings were made.
SIXTH RACE – FRAZZLEBERRY yielded then came off the first turn to go to the top, under attack from PINEBUSHDRAGONROLL 5/8 and saw that one go by midturn, but stayed game and caught that rival up the inside. The latter gapped a bit much of the first half, then moved quickly going to the 5/8 to challenge, did cross over to the rail midturn, but wasn’t able to handle the resurgent winner. JOINT ACCOUNT was the only leaver, top 3/16, yielded, couldn’t go with the top two but was next-best. VARNEY moved with cover, gapped it late backstretch then was left raw, evenly. TSM BATMAN got the last check over BEACH CHIEF. STEWARDOFTHELAND was never in the picture. SPORTS TELLER was gapping by the 1/4, broke off turn two.
SEVENTH RACE – DYLAN THE GREAT quarter-moved, didn’t have any anxious moments on the lead and was Marcus Miller’s 4000th driving victory. WINGS UP was uncovered into turn two, went into the pocket left by a tiring horse ¾, did OK. NICE STUFF was three-wide early, raced into the pocket 3/16, shuffled behind a tiring one late backstretch, out into a blindswitch late turn, back inside and regained good ground. PHANTOM RUSTY backed out just past the 5/8, retucked third, not too much late. KEYSTONE SERGEANT had his cover break, went three-wide far turn, too far to come. BUTTER TOFFEE could offer little. LAZER JET was second-over, initially gapped then started to gain when breaking 9/16. HORNS FOR THREE left quickly to the top and put a foe in behind, yielded to the winner, all done 11/16.
EIGHTH RACE – WIN PLACE N SHOW tucked third at the 1/8, stayed in, found a small path between horses midstretch and responded well to squeeze through and get the decision. PROSPECTORS GOLD came out 3/8 looking like he wanted to circle a gapper and just kept going, came his last half in 56 and was trying to the wire – and this was only his first start. POWER RANKINGS made the lead past the 1/8 and set his own pace, couldn’t quite make the advantage stand up. GIBOR left and yielded to sit the pocket, into the Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite get there. ALL BETS DOWN backed outside to the ¾ but couldn’t keep up. MR UNTITLED was gapping by the 3/8.
NINTH RACE – MASSIVE OPULENCE left well, forced a tuck at the 1/8, and was clear of the only rival who could stay close the last half. WHAT THAT IS would have liked the top but had to settle for the two-hole at the 1/8, was loose in the pocket the last half but did well as he was f-a-r ahead of the others. CRITICAL MASS was three-wide leaving, took back to tuck fourth 3/16, got third late on the turn as a foe broke, and had to work to save it. O JONNIE was underway on turn two, got unhelpful cover 5/8, three-wide far turn, passed a couple. PONDA’S MUSCLE MAN did get a check. BIG BILL BREEZE moved outside 5/8 but never gained. NO NAME YANKEE lost contact the last half. SPIT AND VINEGAR left some for third, started to gap in that spot late backstretch, was very tired when making a break midturn and going to the infield.
TENTH RACE – ROUSER HANOVER tucked third at the 1/8 and sat off the fast pace, moved ¾ and went up on the turn, came home in 27.3 to leave these well in arrears. KJ HUNTER bolted out of the gate, enjoyed a clear lead most of the way until the winner came calling far turn, still could hold on for second. BELL FAMILY was far back off the second turn, moved three-wide 11/16 and was out in the three-path most of the way home, closed strongly to just miss second at 157-1. NIKI MINAJ left enough for the pocket but was loose most of the way, evenly late. HANDSOFFMYTITOS moved outside far turn but couldn’t make an impact. CAPTAIN KEN was hard to take back and put in a hole, no factor late. MELANIE’S NICK was off the gate and far back throughout. ROPE THE MOON was already significantly gapping early backstretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – RACINWITHTHEWIND had little early opposition for the lead, and in fact was in control most of the way, getting a little tired in the stretch but still went on gamely. SCRAPPIN GOLD was first-up into turn two, didn’t reach the leader and looked to be losing ground early stretch, but had a resurgence to the wire. BEACHESBECKONME left and took the two-hole, looked a little rank in the pocket 3/8 in a slow second quarter, went to the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. SPORTSMANSHIP was second-over, blindswitched on the far turn, found room to ease a little wider towards midstretch and finished OK. LOVE YOURSELF was third-in, looked to be trying the deep Pike but may not have had room and switched outside, blocked to the wire. IC A FREE SPIRIT was third-over but gapped, ducked back in, swung wide in the stretch and had some gain. PIRATES ALLEY was buried inside, not clear. WHATA TREASURE went three-wide past the 5/8 from fourth-over, flattened out in the lane.
TWELFTH RACE – BIG BEN HANOVER kept control from the pole and had too much speed for these, clear the last ½, had his mind kept to business late. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN got the pocket after an early challenger bore wide, became unconnected down the backstretch, tired but did hold on to second. DOLEMITE stayed flat, finished evenly. SPECIAL MISSION was outside midpack past the 1/8 when making a break, had just about caught the field when breaking on turn two, showed good foot when flat the last half. IT IS WELL left, was looking to get in second when bearing way out, recovered and settled third, again bore very wide ¾. COMELETUSADOREHIM broke for the first time off the first turn. MR TEE broke at the ¼.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BILBO HANOVER made the lead early, took up to the 3/8 to let a foe go then came back to go to the lead at the ½, shook off the first-over, was all-out to hold the late surge of BULLVILLE TERROR, but after an inquiry was placed because in taking back going to the 3/8 he bothered that rival. BULLVILLE TERROR left and went into the pocket past the 1/8, had to check to the 3/8 as the pacesetter took back in letting another horse go, was caught third-in, found room before midstretch and came with a big late surge, placed first. JANAID was double-looped, went up to take over 3/8, yielded at the half for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike but made no gain. JAGGER ROCKS was third-over and followed cover three-wide on the turn, did well late. LUZIANA came out to the 3/8, briefly wide then settled behind cover, three-wide midturn, flattened some. AMERICAN COLT N did not factor. CAN’T KNOCK ME was a little off the gate, never a major consideration. A BETTOR BEACH pulled at the 3/8, soon had cover, lost it at the half, challenged, tired through the last ¼.