FIRST RACE – Floating around 90 degrees today … Stretch headwind … Being inside or first-over were very important today … SEXY BLUE CHIP was three-wide 3/16 then two-wide 5/16 to get the lead past the fast ¼, wouldn’t let the potential retaker go by, opened up a clear lead and drew even further clear in the lane. MAJOR DESIRE spotted early, pinned in on the turn, to the Pocono Pike and could get second over a logjam. MANNY was the innermost of three leavers, put one in behind, let the other go 5/16, sought to retake but rethought that strategy, a bit loose in the pocket down the back, then fell back a little more. SULLIVAN left between horses and tucked third 3/16, out uncovered heading towards the backstretch, didn’t really threaten, held decently. INDIGO ART sat in and was blocked late. BRAVO TEX N was third-over, three- and four-wide on the turn – not the place to be today. LITTLEBITASWAGGER moved second-over, gapped cover down the back then tighter nearing the ¾, three-wide past midturn, didn’t gain. WESTERN TYRANT was last, searched for stretch room but didn’t find any.
SECOND RACE – GO WEST GO FAST was three-wide before the 3/16 to the front just past a 26.1 opener, rolled on, was in a huge struggle with PLAY THE FIELD to his left in the stretch, got the DH1, claimed yet again for a Pocono-record $40,000. The latter was out sharply, saw one tuck behind then yielded to the chalk off the first turn, stayed connected then to the Pike, may’ve had a nose up 100 feet out, gained the dead-heat. CAVIART MAX was out with cover until entering the backstretch, then three-wide to sweep up to second-over 11/16, three-wide again late turn, big mile. DRAGON STRIKES took a tuck at the 1/8, popped out 11/16 as the sweeper approached, challenged, held OK. COXCOMB was last-inside, fanned out three-wide far turn, tough spot. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL gapped the last 5/16. BELLOWS BINGE found no hole early and drifted outside midpack, looped down the backstretch and faded.
THIRD RACE – PRACTICAL CAT led from the first step to the last: forcing a rival to take the pocket 3/16, really slowing the half, meeting the challenge of the first-over, and then staying clear. STRIKING GENSON gapped in third on the first turn, came out at the half, challenged down the back, could tuck in the pocket past midturn, trotted steadily to the line. MOON BRIDGE left, battled with the winner before reluctantly taking the two-hole 3/16, a bit loose down the back and on the turn, but trotted well late. HOOLIE N HECTOR stayed in, was blocked on the far turn, Pocono Pike, not all that much. CREDIT CON didn’t enter the main picture. CHING CHING LUCKY was third-over, pushed a little wide by the headstretch breaker, never a major consideration. TRICKY DICK gapped inside. ONE AFTER NINE moved 5/16 and passed a lot of horses in the slow second quarter, finally checking second turn to accept the cover of the favorite, couldn’t stay with cover ¾.
FOURTH RACE — PIRATES ALLEY stayed in, came out in a blindswitch on the turn but the decided to duck back inside, to the deep Pocono Pike and up in the last steps (in a slow last quarter). RYCROFT N was looped and went on to take the top at the ¼, set the pace, had one horse outside him and two inside through the stretch, fought gamely to be second. BOBBY K HILL left sharply to get the top right away, yielded at the ¼, pocket, a bit loose 11/16 then closer, to the Pike, appeared to get a short lead deep stretch, not far off at all. BLOW A CLOUD N made a quarter-move but didn’t have crushing speed and grinded outside, held well (again, the last 1/4 may’ve helped). BELIEVEINTHESPIRIT got closer to cover, three-wide ¾, held evenly. TRENTE DEO had an excess of cover. ARTISTS RUFFLES as gapping before the half, a little closer, then had little left.
FIFTH RACE – ROCK OF CASHEL went out between horses and worked to the lead 3/16, set the pace including turning back the first-over, withstood a good late challenge to win in fast time. KENOGAMI COCO was uncovered at the half but soon got cover, gapped it slightly down the back, then in gear three-wide midturn, cut into the winner’s margin but couldn’t go by. LEVITATION was again a horse using inside position to get the pocket trip, a little loose on the turn, Pocono Pike, did well late. CRAZYCAT was caught inside, wedged between horses past midstretch and had finishing trot. BLENHEIM was three-wide to turn one then took the 3-hole at the 1/8, moved raw 9/16 and challenged in a quick third quarter, not bad late. TEDDY BROSEVELT was last of the main pack, wasn’t gaining late. SORTIE was out on the rim the whole way, had cover from the half, couldn’t mount a bid. BANZAI AS broke while last 3/8.
SIXTH RACE – HOOSIER SHARK pressed on to the top early, rated the half then sped up down the back, saw horses coming to him late but had enough for the decision. SEAL O’NEILL made a delayed move and went up to tuck in front of an early gapper, got a little grabby, outside 11/16 but gapped, better and three-wide late turn, up for a DH2 with WESTERN WALTZ. The latter was three-wide past the 1/8 and went in third 3/16, back out raw 5/8, looked shaken off on the far turn but went on doggedly. RACINWITHEWIND used an inside post to work out a pocket trip, Pocono Pike, came up a step shy. MUDVILLE got around backstretch gappers and retucked, running over horses at the wire with no place to go. THE OTHER TRIO were never a part of the action.
SEVENTH RACE – THIRD SHIFT went up in the early flow, left uncovered at the ¼ and reached the lead just past the 3/8, looked momentarily threatened when the favorite pulled the pocket far turn, but just ran away from this crew in fast time. RED REDEMPTION circled horses to get the early lead, yielded and sat third-in, had a clear Pocono Pike path after the pocketsitter moved out, not catching the winner but not to be caught for second on this day. QUEEN OF ALL was looped between horses, went on to the front at the 1/8 then yielded to the winner before the second turn, came out midturn and looked like a danger, but had zero forward trot in the stretch. BEERTHIRTY K didn’t benefit much from cover. MISTER BOINGA never entered the picture. DAGON HANOVER came out at the half but never got close to the lead. SWEETLIES N ALIBIS was last when running approaching turn two.
EIGHTH RACE – PREMIER ROCKSTAR was three-wide to turn one, took the pocket 3/16, a little loose down the back but then closer, exploded when shown the Pocono Pike and a solid winner. CLASSIC PRO pressed on between horses and got the front at the 1/8, dealt with pressure, couldn’t resist the favorite but held well otherwise. ROLLINWITHAMBITION was third-in, moved outside when the first-over backed off midstretch and finished well. WELL DONE SON was second-over, three-wide mid-far turn, best of the others. LYONS AMUSEMENTS took back to last, evenly inside. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO took an early spot, went first-over before the second turn and applied pressure, weakened in the stretch. LEAR SEELSTER tried circling wide from fourth-over to the ¾ but couldn’t enter the main frame. KILLER MARTINI was third-over, gapped 11/16.
NINTH RACE – MUSHANA came out towards the 5/8, inched up and kept grinding into a slowing tempo, proved the best here. IN MY DREAMS was behind a gapper, wound up second-over from seventh 11/16, wide, went past foes in the last 1/8 on a day when it was rare to see the 1-2 horses come from behind. STEUBEN HANOVER worked to command before the 3/16, yielded to the brusher, a bit loose far turn after a fast 3/4, Pocono Pike, evenly. GREAT UNKNOWN tucked, then went 56.3 in the middle half with no pressure, couldn’t make his advantage last. SWEET HEART AS gapped inside, moved two- and three-wide late turn, evenly. CAN’T SAY NO gapped at a couple of points after staying in. CUPID HANOVER was last most of the way, had a touch of trot on the end. PAPI HANOVER left, yielded, nothing to offer late after a third-in trip.
TENTH RACE – TITO ROCKS was between horses 3/16, yielded off the first turn but regained right away, didn’t let anybody get close in the second half. WAR-N-MUNN was the innermost of three leavers, stayed third-in, room in the Pocono Pike early stretch, narrowed in too late. FRISKIE ALL NITE sat in, OK for third. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP was three-wide most of the 26.4 opener, made the lead off turn one then yielded, had little from the pocket late. PRAIRIE PANTHER was urged behind the gate but couldn’t muster early speed, went raw into turn two, evenly while never threatening. TOWN GOSSIP was last-in, shut off nearing the wire. RAUKAPUKA RULER N was second-over behind nonadvancing cover. THE WALL couldn’t get into the picture here.
ELEVENTH RACE – INCOMMUNICADO went to the lead and put other leavers in behind in a 27 opener, rated to the half then sped up, opened a clear lead around the turn and into the stretch, then was given a reminder midstretch as DEE’S RED DELICIOUS gained, equaling the fastest trotting mile of the year here at 1:52.2. The latter went into the pocket before the 3/16, stayed tight until the ¾ then allowed a gap to develop, kicked in with a better gear before midstretch, very good. RICH AND MISERABLE had cover early, inside fourth 3/16, inherited third and a gap just past the 3/8 after a rival broke, never quite tightened the gap, held for third. LADY’S IMAGE came out from fourth ¾ but didn’t gain. ROBBIE PEV and MARION GONDOLIER were never on the radar. P L NOTSONICE was away third, broke just under the finish line the first time.
TWELFTH RACE – CONBOYVILLE took maximum advantage of the rail to seat rivals, set the pace, met a good challenge down the back then kicked off to an open lead on the turn, not threatened. SOMBODYITREASURE left between horses, went to the pocket 3/16, went all he could to stay close to the winner the last ¼. DO WORK SON tightened in on cover third-over, four-wide headstretch, closed very well into the wind. STATEMENT MADE A stayed in, blocked midturn into the stretch, then to the Pocono Pike and had some late pace. TULHURSTSANTANNA A was three-wide much of the 26.3 opener before tucking third, not much left late. TOLLY-HO initially gapped cover second-over then caught up midbackstretch, three-wide midturn, didn’t get into it. PATERNITY SUIT A had the best view through most of this. PADUKA N moved out into turn two, came flying up off that bend with a 26.3 backstretch challenge, but that move took its toll.
THIRTEENTH RACE – PAT MCGARRY A was away second, moved before the ¼ to take the throttle and really slowed the half, responded instantly to an early backstretch challenge with a 26.4 third quarter, quite impressive. EXPLOIT moved from midpack into turn two and came storming out of that bend to really go at the leader, who met that challenge and forced his challenger to take the pocket 11/16, paced his last half in 53.4 and still had to settle for second. CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN was fastest away, yielded to the winner, couldn’t quite accelerate enough keep the hole closed 11/16 and saw a horse tuck just in front of him (whom he then ran up on), went on for third. GUINNESS PANIC gapped cover in the lightning third split, just caught that cover for fourth. BEACH FORECAST was second-over but left behind in the backstretch, raw before the ¾, faded in the stretch. GONNAHAVEONEMORE was away third, struggled to keep up much of the rest of the way. DANCE IT OUT started slowly and never factored.
FOURTEENTH RACE – HIGH BALLER was three-wide early and settled back, first to move outside just before the 5/8, grinded, showed grit in defying the bias of the day and going on to victory. RIFLEMAN left well for second early, moved not long off the first turn and rushed to the lead, unchallenged for a long way, almost lasted to the line. LITERL LAD HANOVER was four-wide to turn one, circled around foes to get command to the 3/16, yielded for the pocket, looked hard to drive early stretch, held OK. FORREST BLU came out from last down the back and made up good ground through the last 3/8. FULL MOON BEACH looked all-out in third much of the way. HYPNOTICDREAM never emerged as a factor. BEACH TOWN BOY gapped out.