FIRST RACE – Temperature started at 78, dropped 10 degrees as rain came through … Track “fast +0” races 1 and 2; then rain: “sloppy +1” races 3 through 7 and “good +1” races 8 through 11; then track had dried and “fast +0” the remainder of the card … Stretch headwind to start, although the rain calmed it midcard as it often does here post-rain; it reemerged later … LAZER JET moved with cover early backstretch then soon was left without it, kept going up after the tired leader and easily went by on the turn, drew away. SUNDANCEDIAMOND was in the outside flow, not as quick as the winner but came on steadily. SUM FOR ALL had forward position, was first to move into the backstretch and went into the newly-vacated pocket, in turn saw the top two sweep by, backed out headstretch, far-back third. PHANTOM RUSTY gapped early, never a major factor. BULLY BOY motored out to a 26.4 quarter in establishing a clear lead he maintained until late in the backstretch, then hit the wall. TUIS SHADOW was looped and looking to settle fourth when breaking to the 3/16, recovered but was never a big consideration. HORNS FOR THREE left wide to the pocket before the 3/16, unplugged off the second turn. KEYSTONE THUNDER broke an 1/8 before the start.
SECOND RACE – Darkening skies … WHATA TREASURE was underway from third before the half, went 27 down the back to fight with the leader, got all the way past past midturn and briefly was clear, then saw opponents battle on late. AIN’T IT FUN made the lead and got a soft half, turned up the speed to battle the winner, held him out until midturn, then continued on gamely to make up a little ground late. ROUGH ODDS had the pocket after the early breaker, slightly shuffled late turn, Pocono Pike, next-best. REGAL ESCAPE was third-over behind gapping cover, finished well. BASS PLAYER mostly avoided the early breaker, then second-over but gapped in the fats third spilt and thereafter. SPORTSMANSHIP was not prominent. NIHILATED TRUTH left and was severely bothered by the breaker being pushed very wide, took back to last in the main pack and never reemerged. BEACHESBECKONME was leaving well but made a break into turn one.
THIRD RACE – Rain, and track to “sloppy +1” … SPECIAL MISSION wound up in the early pocket after a breaker, moved 3/8 to the lead and set a fast pace, was far clear most of the last half in a big mile. WINE BAR was dueling with a foe 3/16 when that one broke, yielded to the winner, almost immediately could not go with that one, but stayed a well-clear second both forward and backwards. IT IS WELL and U BAKE THE CAKE had their own private race for third the last 3/8, which the former one. KOLB HANOVER was out with cover almost to the ¼, then raw, faded past the half. ROSE ABOVE IT was three-wide leaving and going up two-wide to try to wrest control when breaking just past the 3/16. RESOLUTIONS was last when running at the ¼.
FOURTH RACE – MR MCDREAMY was innermost of three leavers, let one go then came back with a quarter-move and rated the half, got pressure from WHAT’S GOIN ON from the 5/8, game to hold off that one. The latter was underway from fifth just past the 3/8, speed-grinded in 27.3 to challenge, held his ground well but couldn’t get by. RIOT was three-wide to the first bend, on top past the 1/8, yielded to the winner, stayed tight, Pocono Pike, a step or so shy. SPIDER MAN HANOVER left between horses then took back to tuck, semi-close to the top three the last 5/16. JAMAICAN COWBOY was behind dull cover and three-wide ¾, made up good ground from where he was. BEACHMASTER TWO gapped much of the last half mile, as did CHANCELLORCULLEN N. BJ’S GUY moved second-over, but was not keeping up with cover from the 11/16.
FIFTH RACE – THOSE BLUES was looped, tucked third then inherited the pocket as a challenger broke, moved 3/8 and cleared just past the ½, pressured some on the top, but was handled confidently to the line. CANTERAWISHING gapped inside to almost the ¾ then was closer, outside late turn and wide midstretch, narrowing in. AMBERS CHAMPION came out 5/8 and made a bid, held pretty well. GOO GOO LU LU avoided trouble. IVORY ROAD left very quickly and got the top, yielded to the winner just past the ½, nothing left the last 3/16. PERFECT DESTINY came through at the start, made a break in the pocket 3/16, recovered and back outside but didn’t get close before breaking again. INFANTA DEO was three-wide to the 1/8, went up late on the first turn and was challenging for the lead when miscuing 5/16.
SIXTH RACE – SILVERSTONE took command at the 1/8, rated the half, met with the stretch challengers. BUCHANNON HANOVER had a fine trip in the two-hole, Pocono Pike, maintained place. ZEUS HANOVER moved with cover 11/16, wide in the lane and closed very well. QUARANTINI was reluctant to go into a 4-tuck 3/16, moved out 11/16, couldn’t sustain his bid. PLAY THE ACE sat third, fell back in the last ¼. MR UNTITLED was gapping from early in the mile, drifted out and fell far back. ARTY’S ON TIME broke off the turn before the start, caught the field but faded, then made the kind of misstep associated with “b.e.” far turn and was pulled up.
SEVENTH RACE – Stretch headwind picking up … EXTRORDINARYLADY S left well to the top at the 1/8, went a fast ¼ and had a clear lead after the pocket horse broke, went the last 3/4s in 1:31.2 but retained control. PRAY AND HUSTLE inherited the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, gained a little late. SUNSEEKER HANOVER moved out ¾ but gapped on the turn, wide stretch and won a three-way photo for third. EXPLOSIVE SESSION went evenly hugging the inside. PRAIRIE TRINKET took back to a 4-psot at the 1/8, improved to third after a breaker, got in gear 11/16 and moved outside, evenly. GIRL FOR QUEENS gapped. BOINGALICIOUS went to the lead then yielded for the pocket, broke 3/16, couldn’t get back into contention. IWISHNOTTOBTOUCHED went offstride just before the start.
EIGHTH RACE – Track rerated to “good +1” … STRAIGHT UP COOL was looped, went in third 3/16, gapped in quarter two then got underway raw at the half, reached the leader 5/8 and fought with that one until taking over early stretch, impressive winner. NOME HANOVER was away second then on the move before the ¼ to take over the racetrack, had hard pressure from the 5/8, couldn’t resist in the stretch but held very admirably. THE BUS A was second-over, gapped then tightened in nearing the far turn, found his best strides a bit too late. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO was on top very quickly, yielded for the pocket, struggled to keep tight in same from before the ¾. I’M NO PANSY was parked in the back early, worked up to third-over, got the last payday. SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN and BAY MEADOWS were behind BORN DESIRE, who started gapping at the half, and none of the three entered the main picture.
NINTH RACE – Sunshine … FINN PALEMA tucked in 3/16, uncovered before the 5/8 and put pressure on the leader, couldn’t go by so ducked in the pocket briefly late turn into the stretch, then tried the leader again with renewed vigor and got by. BEER CHEESE was out at the ¼ and to the lead 3/8, looked like he may have put the winner away headstretch but got outtrotted on the end. DONATELLO HANOVER moved second-over but couldn’t stay tight, some at the end to get third. DOUBLE VODKA DON left, was three-high to the 1/8 then two-deep to the lead just past the ¼, yielded, couldn’t keep up ¾. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN went right to the top, yielded past the ¼, gapped on the far turn. THE OTHER THREESOME were always in the back of the field.
TENTH RACE – KJ HUNTER spotted, then came out at the half, three-wide 9/16 to two-wide raw 5/8, challenged hard, found enough as the pace slowed down to get the decision in a long photo. FRAZZLEBERRY tucked third at the 1/8, got the pocket 3/16 after a breaker and kept the hole pretty well closed, to the Pocono Pike and appeared to get a brief lead midstretch, just missed. BULLVILLE FRANK followed cover three- then two-wide, three-wide again headstretch, keep getting closer in the slowing pace. WIN PLACE ‘N SHOW was shuffled to last, wedged in a very tight space between horses midstretch and gained. TE AMO BLUE CHIP left a big gap in the frontstretch, narrowed in and looked to go outside to perhaps sweep the parked horse then went back in at the ½, gapped to headstretch, to the deep Pike but didn’t get there. BAY CITY made the lead at the 1/8, got pressure in the third quarter from the winner, didn’t fade too badly. CAPTAIN KEN was outside 5/16, couldn’t follow the winner’s sweep but eventually circled the fading horse, not enough. ETBAUER pushed the 1/8 and yielded, broke 3/16, recovered and tried to regain the lead but was rebuffed, faded through the last half.
ELEVENTH RACE – MUSCLE HALL went to the lead, saw an early challenger break, yielded to another foe past the 3/8 then regained control the half, opened a good-sized lead, but was on fumes late and had the wire come at just the right moment. CHELIOS stayed in, had to wait on the turn, then to the Pocono Pike, gained as the tempo slowed, ahead a step past the finish. BEYOND THE HILL was in the outer flow, three-wide headstretch, gained late as the tempo declined; same story with SKRILL, who was four-wide headstretch and appeared to be bearing out late. BAR COINS sat in, blocked upper stretch with horses across the racetrack, had trot at the end. BACKSTREET PLAYER was three-wide early in traffic, went up 3/16 to the lead just after the 3/8, yielded early in the backstretch, loose from the 5/8. TNT BLUE CHIP got the pocket when an early foe jumped, moved outside before the 5/8 but didn’t reach the winner and then faded. TALISMANO was bidding for command 3/16 when making a break.
TWELFTH RACE – The sun and wind had dried the track and it was rerated “fast +0” … LIGHTNING LEIA moved raw past the 3/8 as the pace slowed, went 27.2 the third quarter with the wind and reached the leader by the ¾, drew away in the latter stages. SHES A BULLVILLE followed the winner, a little bit off her far turn, ducked to the Pocono Pike and was along for second. HELLRUNNER HANOVER used inside positioning to see one early challenger break and force another into the pocket, slowed the half then spurted, had a clear lead in quarter three, but couldn’t make the lead last. MS TREACHEROUS was three-wide early, dropped into the pocket 3/16, struggled when the pace quickened down the back. BETTOR STRAIT N UP backed out to third-over far turn, just missed fourth. RAINBOW RISING left some, then was not a factor. TRULY gapped from midrace, broke early stretch. IRISH SONG was four-wide early and had the lead while three-wide when making a break near the 1/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – STORM IS RAGING went in fourth 3/16, pulled while well off the brushing pocket horse early backstretch, left raw and gradually moved up to challenge, didn’t color the leader until headstretch but quickly drew away in a powerful performance. MOON BRIDGE defended the pocket in a fast quarter, pulled same early in the backstretch and went by, getting to the ¾ very quickly, tired but still way ahead of the rest. CHUCKY DE VIE tucked third, went around a tired one ¾ but then had little. CRITICAL MASS gapped midrace, evenly. FRAC never got close; nor did CHOCOLATE MATTERS. CAMPBELLINI jetted away to command in a fast opener, extended a backstretch challenger to the 11/16 and then folded. ANDOVERS TOUCH was off the gate and always last.
FOURTEENTH RACE – GONE BEFORE DAWN was three-wide to the first turn then on to command 3/16, slowed the half, held out the pesky parked horse, went clear. TSM BATMAN was second-over, up late for second. BOBS REDEMPTION left and had the pocket, couldn’t stay with the winner in the last ¼. BEACH CHIEF was three-wide midpack well past the 1/8, to two-wide and went up to challenge in both a slow second ¼ and a fast third ¼, held very stoutly. ROPE THE MOON took back to tuck early, then third-over but gapped. STEWARDOFTHELAND offered little. PINEBUSHDRAGONROLL couldn’t keep up far turn. KJ UNREAL was looking to leave but broke early.