FIRST RACE – Mid 60s up to 70 by card’s end … MUSCLE MACH A backed out to third-over 11/16, briefly blindswitched then was able to swing three- then four-wide near headstretch, wore down JAGGER ROCKS late. The latter took an early tuck, followed second-over at the half, went three-wide past midturn, went to the front midstretch, just failed to hold. FROMASHESTOASHES N left between horses and tucked, came out just past the ¼ but was left out on the limb to battle with the leader, held gamely. LOVE THE ACTION went three-wide at the ¾, couldn’t keep up midturn, then gained some belatedly in the slowing pace. SPECTRUM went into the pocket 3/16, to the Pocono Pike, wasn’t gaining late. CANT KNOCK ME was last, went to the deep Pike, also could not enter contention. FATHER FRED took the lead early and refused to give it up under long, hard pressure, tired in the lane.
SECOND RACE – Mild stretch headwind … RIVER OTTER used the rail to impose his will on the field and set a fast pace, stayed game to ward off KEYSTONE SERGEANT. The latter spotted, then was uncovered at the half, didn’t reach the winner until near headstretch, then cut into the margin inch by inch but didn’t quite make it. GREEK LEGEND took some funky steps 5/16 and stayed two-wide until retucking down the back, out again mid-far turn, along to be best of the rest. FINAL DREAM accepted the pocket just past the 1/8, started to get a little loose down the back, then lost more ground the last 3/16. BOSCH was last, passed the others. SPIT AND VINEGAR was forwardly-placed, came up empty far turn. SCIROCCO PATRICK left a big gap early much of the way. NO NAME YANKEE was gapping when breaking off turn two.
THIRD RACE – YES INDEED moved outside 5/8 and steadily made up ground as she paced her last half in 55.4 raw, just up over NEW VIEW. The latter was looped and three-wide early, went on to get command past the 3/16, strung out the field, had the winner range up to her on the turn, held her ground very gamely. BETTE TINA outstepped everybody getting away, yielded, stayed connected to the main action, Pocono Pike, not quite the equal of the top two but far ahead of the rest. SWEET KATIE BUG left OK, in, started gapping 5/8. JAVA was along for the last check. TEEN DREAM came out down the back but never reached contention. COME ZOOM WITH ME gapped out from the half.
FOURTH RACE – SPY BOOTH left between horses and took control, rated the half, far superior to these. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR was innermost of the three leavers and retained the pocket, stayed close most of the way, held onto second. KASEVILLE was three-wide heading to turn one, took back to slot third just past the 1/8, outside late turn, couldn’t catch the place horse. CRAZY FOR CJ got a slow start, moved outside mid-far turn and was the very distant fourth. BILLY RAY HANOVER trailed most of the way. GOLDEN GLIDER started to struggle to keep up 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – Wind has picked up … HAZEVILLE was looped then motored right up to take over past the 3/16, set the pace as he pleased and drew away as he pleased. GIBOR outleft everybody from the outside, yielded for the pocket, did well for second. WARRAWEE XTREME settled third, had a little bit of pace late. JERSEY JUSTICE never achieved prominence. JITTERBUG FLIP, carrying his head to one side at times, moved behind nonflowing cover, three-wide far turn, evenly. TWIN B MUMBLE came out just before the 5/8 but could make no serious inroad before fading. STRATEGIC BOMBER was last and kept falling further back.
SIXTH RACE – MASSIVE OPULENCE had the pocket early, moved at the 1/8 to command before the ¼, stayed on steadily. MISS MUSCLE went right to the top, yielded to the winner, was asked from the 11/16 onward, did well. WILLIE B WORTHY moved off the rail from third just past the ¾, evenly. PRAIRIE VIRTUE came off the rail ¾ but couldn’t reach the front ones. DUDELOOKSLIKELINDY stayed in, not too much late. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT needed most of the quarter to settle back to last, never in the hunt. ALL RISE did not factor.
SEVENTH RACE – GOLDEN GESTURE was on top into turn one, yielded past the 1/8 for the pocket, shuffled ¾ then outside past midturn and wide in the lane, kept coming on into the breeze and was up in time. MILITARY MASTER A came out of third 9/16 and went to the lead ¾, still clear midstretch but was tiring and was caught. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N was outside, got going in the flow and was left raw into the far turn, just missed second. DJ’S BIG ELVIS tightened up with the main crew, outside on the turn, gapped a little, then finished steadily as the pace slowed down. SAMMY THE BULL N was part of a well-separated three down the back, made up a good bit of ground. SPORTS TEEN was three-wide to the first curve to the top before the 3/16, was challenged down the back, yielded and got tired. THE OTHER TWO were never in the picture.
EIGHTH RACE – EDEN ON THE HILL was three-wide towards turn one to command 3/16, steamed right along and won both eåsily and in very fast time for maiden trotters. DOWN THE PIKE MIKE went on between horses to the top and yielded, battled to stay close to the fast winner, fell back some in the lane. LUXURY BRAND had some speed, started going loose in the three-hole at the ½. FAMOUS DAN was locked in late backstretch and around the turn, clear and up for the next check. ROJO MAN never featured. THE AMERICAN EAGLE looked at leaving then took back to last, out behind dull cover, three-wide late far turn, couldn’t reach. MAGNIFICENTCHAPTER moved raw before the 5/8 to try to circle a gapper but never did, faded.
NINTH RACE – DAAMERICANSKY made the top quickly, had to keep rolling as there was pressure from ARTACHE HANOVER, felt that pressure increase at the 5/8, finally got a bit of a clear lead upper stretch but that pesky shadow wouldn’t go away, won measuring. The latter went up with cover early then was let out raw on the rim, reached the leader 5/8 and challenged to the point where he had a small margin ¾, suffered a bit from track geometry on the turn, but never stopped trying in a top-caliber performance. RUFFLE UP pulled at the ¼, gapped the place horse, but one-geared it nicely to be third. DARK HORSE sat in, had traffic trouble to headstretch, angled inside the show horse late and had some gain. ROCK KING DEO tried to advance three-wide far turn but could not. BEST SHOT N got third early, inside, couldn’t reenter the picture. SOLARCTIC moved three-wide off cover 5/8 but couldn’t make much of a dent on the top two, fell back. REYS N A RUCKUS came through at the start, took the pocket 3/16, struggled to stay with the duelers late backstretch, little left late.
TENTH RACE – NAUTICAL HANOVER put a foe in behind early, set the pace, came home in twin 27.2s as an impressive winner. VICIOUS went to the outer flow, three-wide before headstretch, came home in 53.4 with fine late speed, one to watch. ONE OF THE GUYS retucked around a gapper early backstretch, blocked on the far turn and had to wait for the Pocono Pike, then came on for show. DIVINE RIGHT moved with cover but was left coverless 9/16, advanced in 26.4 the third split, held on well. WOLFTRAX took the pocket tuck just past the 1/8, got loose of the winner on the turn. WAR OF WILL was always far back. RENO DINERO was away third, started falling back just past the half.
ELEVENTH RACE – MISSY TRIX started outside raw 5/8, went 56.3 – 28.1 the back half and relentlessly wore down IN A TINY WAY in the final couple of steps. The latter was wide early, hit a higher gear nearing the 1/8 and went to the top 3/16, rated the half, did very well on the front end and just did miss on the money. LILYBET was first on top, yielded to sit the pocket, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, close at the finish with a good mile. MIGHTY ANGEL moved outside with cover midturn, decent. MATTER OF TRUST sat in, couldn’t get closer in the stretch. GHIBLI gapped inside. CRUSHWORTHY needed most of the ¼ to settle back inside, never was prominent. NEWELL PLACE was starting to get going when breaking at the half.
TWELFTH RACE – HUNTED HOUSE took the pocket early, then took over control with a quarter-move, had fairly constant second-half pressure but prevailed to the line. GRATEFUL KISS spotted third, sat in, waited for the deep Pocono Pike and did well to get the nod over MELANIE’S NICK for second. The latter was fifth at the START point but used track geometry to emerge with the lead, yielded for the two-hole, straight to the Pike, not bad but was photoed for place. NIKI MINAJ was shut out of an early hole and took back to tuck, best of the rest. GUSSY’S TRUMP CARD kept a hole closed before the 3/16, started uncovered at the half and made a good third quarter challenge, but couldn’t sustain it. LATEST ATTRACTION gapped ¾. CAPTAIN EMOTION was gapping early, moved out but made no inroads.