FIRST RACE – More like March instead of May: 43 degrees, and a “sloppy +1” racing surface … Stretch tailwind … THE WALL was looped between horses and went on to command past the ¼, yielded for the pocket, eased out headstretch, went to the lead just past midstretch and held off GUINNESS PANIC. The latter didn’t like his prospects from fourth-over so went three-wide 11/16, kept on gaining to be second to a trip horse. SEVENTH SECRET made two speed moves to control the throttle, couldn’t sustain the advantage to the wire. SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL was three-wide much of the quarter before reluctantly taking back to tuck fourth, was caught inside, fair to the wire with inside clearance. GRIFFON HANOVER was third-over, blindswitched then followed the three-wide move, up for the last check. SHINEONUCRZYDIAMND A never reached contention. STATEMENT MADE A defended early inside position, came out off the second turn, tired midturn. CIGAR SMOKIN TONY moved raw before the ½, soon got cover, gapped it, was blindswitched, not a late factor.
SECOND RACE – SEXY BLUE CHIP quarter-moved after a fast first panel, was clear the last 3/8. MUDVILLE was away slowly and left a big gap early, locked in, got to the Pocono Pike and had enough late kick for second. WESTERN WALTZ took over almost immediately, yielded to the winner, was getting loose in the two-hole 5/8, held third over RACINWITHEWIND. The latter left well for the early pocket, stayed in until moving out headstretch, evenly. SEAL O’NEILL was rank going to the gate, got in the outer flow, three-wide the far turn, closed in a mile better than the line may indicate. BEEBEETEE wound up second-over, three-wide around fading cover on the turn to two-wide, but himself had little left. FIRST GLANCE pulled raw from midpack 3/8, advanced some then dropped back a lot. RENO DINERO was gapping before the second turn.
THIRD RACE – AMERICANLIGHTNINGN was parked 3/16 for the lead, yielded for the pocket and was content to wait, had room inside the leader in the stretch and won handily. BET ON BLAKE stayed third-in, had a good inside burst very late to edge CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN for second. The latter pushed and yielded, then retook, shook off the outer foes but bore out a bit and couldn’t save second. JACKIE MOON avoided the outer tiers to be next. SOUTHWIND PETYR was third-over, three-wide with cover on the turn then wider, finished with pace. ITALIAN LAD N moved raw to the second turn and made a significant backstretch challenge, but couldn’t sustain the move. LITERL LAD HANOVER was second-over, three-wide turn, little kick.
FOURTH RACE – CHAPOLIER went to the lead just past the ¼, let a foe go 3/8 to sit the pocket, came out late turn so as not to be pinched in, inherited the lead when the pacesetter broke and won handily. RED REDEMPTION pushed the ¼ and then saw two go by in quarter two, backed outside before the ¾, three-wide midturn, outtrotted the other for the major minor honor. PRACTICAL CAT followed the flowing three-wide outer tier, was closing well. TRICKY DICK was second-over, three-wide 5/8 when cover didn’t advance to two-wide 11/16, held evenly. NIGHT FLYER K left for the early pocket, stayed in, found room after the leader broke but didn’t have much punch late. TUIS SHADOW moved outside past the 5/16 and was left raw just past the 3/8, could offer little. ONE AFTER NINE left and was parked with cover until past the ¼, then went up to the lead just past the 3/8, set the pace, was getting right for a stretch fight but lost stride headstretch and went to the infield. SPREE broke early.
FIFTH RACE – ROLLIN IN NEW YORK was outside in a blindswitch late backstretch, then three-wide with cover on the turn, took the lead just past midstretch then held off CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL. The latter went to the early lead, yielded to the chalk for the pocket, then was caught behind that one when the wide tiers gained on the turn, had to back out then swing out widest, found a higher gear and was closing well in a very unfortunate mile. AMERICA’S GUEST was second-over, went three-wide before the ¾ and got to the lead late turn, couldn’t make the advantage stand up. CLASSIC PRO went uncovered before the half and put pressure on the leader, faded. HASH-TAG SWAG was looped, got to the front 3/16 in by far the fastest ¼ of the race, faced high heat the last 5/16, gave way an 1/8 out.
SIXTH RACE – SYLVESTERAMERICAIT left some, then was put into grind mode on turn two and challenged, had an advantage ¾ but couldn’t cross over to the pegs, but still proved the strongest late. CRAZY CAT was third-over and was backed up to last behind dull cover, three-wide late turn and made up plenty of ground in a slowing tempo. CUPID HANOVER left well, made the lead circling horses at the 1/8, yielded to an early brusher for the pocket, had room, OK+ along the inside late. PAPI HANOVER stayed in, angled wide for the drive and went on steadily. LADY’S IMAGE got the pocket between horses then moved to the top, had a hard battle with the winner from the half on while not letting that one to get totally by, weakened a bit late. LEVITATION was not a major danger. TUESDAY MORNING was well-positioned second-over but came up empty.
SEVENTH RACE – IDEAL WHEEL made two speed moves to 3/8 command, put the first-over in behind him ¾, went clear of that one, saw him make up late ground but not really threaten. ALI was looped and spotted fourth to the 3/16, moved uncovered 3/8, got to the pocket ¾, came on again in the stretch but wasn’t really menacing. WELL DONE SUN had fine cover, left uncovered past the ¾, couldn’t go with the top two but beat out the rest. DRAGON STRIKES stayed in, had to wait a long time to find room between horses in the stretch, then finished briskly. KILLER MARTINI had an excess of cover, three-wide ¾, finished steadily. BLOW A CLOUD N got early position off the top two, shuffled some, not that much late. THE BUS A was third-over, was blindswitched ¾ then gapped cover. SHOREVIEW left well to take the top 3/16, relinquished for the pocket, started getting loose 5/8 and kept fading.
EIGHTH RACE – SHADRACK HANOVER joined the outer flow to the second turn, went three-wide late on the backstretch and swept right by into the turn, opened up a huge advantage. MISTER BOINGA left some, started uncovered into turn two, got the lead at that turn’s end after the pacesetter broke, was swept by the winner ¾ but never the “new” first-over get by in holding the distant second. CHING CHING LUCKY went three-wide on the far turn and was just along for third. QUEEN OF ALL was second-over, left raw and then between horses to the ¾, held decently. DAGON HANOVER got backed up a little, didn’t enter the main picture. HURRIKANE WILLIE G made the pocket at the 1/8, “stayed in the pocket” early backstretch after the leader broke and a new horse took over command, tired late backstretch. BEYOND BELIEF gapped. BUXTON was on a speed mission, broke coming off the second turn.
NINTH RACE – PREMIER ROCKSTAR raced up to the pocket past the 1/8, was under a good hold behind duelers on the far turn, had room to angle out to three-wide headstretch, initially appeared to want to lug in but got straightened away and then took off from these. LITTLEBITASWAGGER left some, came out of third before the ¾ and challenged the leader, went on to win second in a photo. OWEN had flailing cover and went three-wide ¾, steadily late. LEGAL POWER was wide early, tucked in fourth, was going to come out at the half but rethought that strategy, evenly in the Pocono Pike. BEVANS CULLEN N sat in, not prominent. TOLLY-HO thought he was getting cover but was left raw when that horse ducked back in, never got close. BOBBY K HILL left quickly, kept up a good clip in the circumstances, nothing left in the last 1/8. LYONS AMUSEMENTS trailed at every call.
TENTH RACE – REBELLIOUS had a fine second-over trip, tipped three-wide headstretch and had the pace to get the job done. WAR-N-MUNN showed speed, inside, had to wait for the Pocono Pike then had a good response. CAPTAIN ROMANCE was third-over, four-wide in the lane, a little too far to come. MULLINAX was looped early, went on to get the lead before the ¼, didn’t have much pressure until late backstretch, couldn’t hold on. BETTOR MEMORIES also had a surfeit of cover, closed very well. MYKINDACHIP went right to command, yielded for the pocket, not much in the stretch. TOWN GOSSIP tucked midpack 3/16, then uncovered into turn two, gradually ranged up, was battling with the leader when breaking headstretch. HORSE never entered the picture.
ELEVENTH RACE – Wind has diminished … BRAVO TEX N looked at leaving but took back, then moved at the half, three-wide 5/8 to uncovered before the 11/16, challenged, wore down GO WEST GO FAST. The latter was three-wide to the 3/16 before settling third, came out before the early mover and took over in front of the stands en route to a fast half, just didn’t have quite enough today. MAJOR DESIRE left hard, needed to the 3/16 in a fast quarter to clear, yielded for the pocket, angled wide in the lane and went on determinedly to the wire. BAMSKI left well from the rail, yielded, came up the inside, OK. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP tried to circle up into contention on the far turn but could not. WESTERN TYRANT was extremely wide early as almost everybody wanted to leave, took back but then started up at the ¼, briefly had cover then was again raw, was looped past the 5/8, not much late.
TWELFTH RACE – SCIROCCO ROB went straight to the top, got a nice breather in quarter two then really had to speed up to ward off a serious challenger, then was game to keep MYSTICAL WYNN at bay the length of the Pocono Pike. The latter raced into the pocket 3/16, had his shot up the inside, game but just couldn’t get by. ROBBIE PEV got a fine second-over trip, caught JUDGE BOB for third. The latter was uncovered 3/8, went 27.2 down the backstretch to battle head-to-head with the winner, continued that battle on even terms through the turn, backed off only a little late. MARION GONDOLIER stayed in, found some room between horses in tight quarters and gained. RICH AND MISERABLE backed out to third-over but didn’t have too much. KENOGAMI COCO went offstride past the start. SWEET HEART AS broke while not a factor past the 5/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Again a stretch tailwind … TRENTE DEO left and took control, had parked-the-mile horses coming at him most of the way, but kept going right to the wire. JUST N ACE kept a hole closed past the 1/8 then was pinned inside from before the ¼ all the way to mid-far turn, quickly angled three-wide, just had too far to come. TOWNLINE FLIGHT raced out to the pocket, was loose in same much of the way and gave the two-hole far turn, into the Pocono Pike and rallied back some. A STUD NAMED SAM was parked with cover until going three-wide 5/8 to two-wide 11/16, got into the two-hole midturn, had the overland route catch up with him in nonetheless a quality try. DREAM OF LUCK was also buried inside, fair late. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO found no early hole and was outside raw, looped past the 5/8 and tired. DERECHO was “third-over” in the early parked flow, blindswitched, never a factor. BEACH FIRE K tried to go three-wide from last but couldn’t gain contention.
FOURTEENTH RACE – INNISFALLEN had the pocket after a rival broke 3/16, was very loose in it to the ¾ then tightened in, outside to headstretch and an easy winner. BLENHEIM fired away from the far outside to get command at the 1/8, was on his own most of the way, stayed ahead of everybody but the winner. NEWSBOY moved out with cover midturn, finished well to just miss second. WHAT A DAME came outside ¾, started to go three-wide when the winner pulled then ducked all the way in, flattened a bit. POSSESS THE STONE unplugged late. SUNDANCEDIAMOND was uncovered towards turn two but never got close. CAN’T SAY NO was looped leaving but was advancing when making a break 3/16. BANZAI AS broke into the first turn and ran most of the rest of the way.