FIRST RACE – 79 degrees and a stretch headwind to start; midcard, it would drop 13 degrees as rains came for a period, and the flag did a 180o to a stretch tailwind … SKYY spotted third early, moved soon after the first turn and needed the length of the frontstretch to clear, still got a breather, maintained the lead under pressure from the first-over, was safe at the wire. WHO’S SMOKIN N needed to work to clear the rail horse for command, then pushed the winner a ways as well before yielding for the pocket, inside the leader stretch, second-best. DONEGALARTCHOKIN N gapped much of midrace, three-wide past midturn, good on a night not suited very well for closers. CHIPPER DAISY stepped uncovered approaching the backstretch and made a sharp move to challenge the winner, held OK. BRONZE OVER N extended a foe before yielding 3/16, third-in, far inside stretch, was urged so probably did have clearance, not enough response. TRAFFIC JAM was widest in the lane, couldn’t gain enough. NORA TOVA never entered the picture.
SECOND RACE – CRUISIN THRU TIME had to settle for the pocket at the ¼, stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike, inched away from midstretch. SPEAKING OF COFFEE wouldn’t yield to the winner, then hit the brakes in a major way during quarter two, went on down the backstretch, fought hard until midstretch then slowly gave a little ground. STAY SAFE was second-over but cover proved unlively, so three-wide past the 5/8 to two-wide raw ¾, kept on coming and was well ahead of the rest. DEL DIGGITY spotted fourth just past the 1/8, gapped a gapper down the back, locked in far turn, outside headstretch and best of the rest. RELLA TIVITY stayed in, gapped much of the last half. PRICELESS SHADOW moved out approaching turn two but ducked back in backstretch, no factor. SWEET ROCKIN GIA pulled raw 3/8 as the pace slowed dramatically but didn’t have much to offer. TSM ARTEMIS T was at the rear.
THIRD RACE – KOSHER MAHONEY, let go at a generous 7-1, went right to the lead, set the pace as he pleased, had too much of a lead to be caught. DANDY gapped early but was tight nearing turn two, moved out at the ¾ and was three-wide headstretch, had his usual large closing kick but was just too far behind. DRIBBLING BI couldn’t rally quickly enough to prevent the breaker from reclaiming his own hole 5/16, moved out 11/16, tried very hard to the finish in a good outing. S I P went into the pocket at the 1/8, made a brief break 3/16 and was wide, hustled up and reclaimed the pocket 5/16, but then struggled to stay close in the last half. TARGET PRACTICE started slowly and ran at the ¼.
FOURTH RACE – SOUTHWIND JAVA improved position early, quarter-moved and got a breather, then came home in 55.3 as much the best. TSM WESTERN SOUL circled right to the top, got foes to tuck in behind her then yielded to the winner, a little loose from the 5/8 then fell back in the last 3/16 but did preserve the place. SOME KINDA ANGEL was looped and went into the early pocket, sat in, Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite reach second. CAVIART CARMEL was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide until getting in third before the ¼, inside, next. MISS HELEN HANOVER was outside into turn two but never was close in the fast back half. LOVELY LADY MAY did not see her cover advance, three-wide late turn but then she did not advance. BYGONE HANOVER was at the back throughout.
FIFTH RACE – SPY BOOTH was looped leaving, calmly worked his way up to the lead before the ¼, had one challenger “hang” with him until early stretch, then powered off. FASHION ON A STAR left alertly and was in control early, yielded to the winner and stayed much closer to that one than anyone else could, eventually fell back from early stretch. PADRE sat in, was behind a gapper until getting to the Pocono Pike, along for third over BOASTER COASTER. The latter was uncovered from a l-o-n-g way back 5/8, made steady progress. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR was third, failed to keep tight most of the last half. SCIROCCO BIG JOHN was up on the gate but broke right before the start, recovered quickly but couldn’t enter competition. SLEW FOOT was gapping midrace, outside far turn, little.
SIXTH RACE – It then became a dark and (soon) stormy night, with the wind blowing in the opposite direction now, a stretch tailwind … TAM MAJOR A was on the lead 3/16, yielded to a quarter-mover, shuffled on the far turn then outside late on the bend, stayed between horses upper stretch then found an opening inside the new leader as the pacesetter fell back, had a good late burst to earn the victory. ENOUGH SUN came with a rapid burst early backstretch to engage the leader and then clear that one ¾, a bit unlucky that the traffic situation developed to give the winner a chance to come on, good mile. STENDAHL HANOVER followed good cover, uncovered far turn, held his ground pretty well. STARVIN MARVIN was third-in, gained when the winner pulled out late turn and then in the Pocono Pike, no bad at all. MONTANA CHIEF A defended the pocket early, quarter-moved with the wind and took the top, was under pressure down the back and surrendered the lead ¾. BARRYWHITE HANOVER was wide leaving but quickly took back, moved outside backstretch but gapped. MEADOWBROOK RAIDER gapped at the back.
SEVENTH RACE – The rain came shortly after the sixth race, getting the track to “sloppy +1”, and with the mercury plummeting … DUCASSE was three-wide leaving, made the lead at the 1/8, kept the field strung out despite moderate fractions, then sprinted home in 27.4, in hand at the wire. NICE GUY EDDIE left to defend early position, a trifle loose in the pocket, stayed to task well. ANDOVERTHEWINNINGS, no factor most of the mile, had closing kick to snatch the distant third in the last steps. BACKSTREET PLAYER sat third, started leaving a bigger gap past the 5/8. CAPRICIOUS ONE moved out 5/8 and made some gain, but looked to be flattening when breaking early stretch. POUR MEA DOUBLE was between horses in a fight for the early lead when breaking approaching turn one.
EIGHTH RACE – STRAIGHT UP COOL came out at the ¼ behind a retaker and continued on to the lead 3/8, went clear of these in the stretch. MACH WEST made two speed moves then yielded for the two-hole, lost ground in the lane but still was a clear second. GET LIT was third-over behind a gapper, widest in the drive and gained. AWESOMENESS gapped second-over, evenly late. CAMWOOD took over at the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, third-in, not tight on the horse in front of him from the 5/8. BAMSKI never featured. ADRIANO HANOVER went uncovered before the 5/8 vs. the wind, reached the winner on the turn but then tired.
NINTH RACE – GONE BEFORE DAWN tucked third early, stayed in, in gear far turn, was going to fan out wide past mid-far turn then ducked back inside as the two in front of him angled out, could come up the Pocono Pike and get the decision in the last strides. EMBLAZE HANOVER pulled before the ¼, got cover, then went on raw to claim the top approaching turn two, held on to the advantage to the last couple steps. GREG THE LEG left, made a “hidden” quarter-move and yielded for the pocket, outside headstretch, came on steadily to be just shy. MOVE THE LINE was fastest away, saw two go by in quarter two, angled out late turn, slow to gear in full stride in the stretch but was gaining late. MAJOR SHOW gapped towards midrace then hit a higher gear and moved out 5/8 but couldn’t sustain his move. THE NEXT PAIR never entered the main picture. GETYOURLICENSELIAM, appearing very hard to manage, dangled outside beyond midpack, faded.
TENTH RACE – THAT OLE BAR STOOL was three-wide to the first curve then out two-wide before gradually working his way to the front 3/8, had a clear advantage much of the rest of the way, reminded to keep to task midstretch, just did hold off PAROLA HANOVER. The latter had horrible luck – actually the first horse to show when the gate folded, he was four-wide when taking back to tuck, the moved outside just past the ¾, wide into the stretch, still last midstretch, but advanced past the others and got close to the winner. OH BOY left and relinquished, sat third, gapped a little on the turn, went to the Pocono Pike and stayed competitive. MISSILE took over the top at the 1/8, pushed the leader to the 3/8 then let that one go for the pocket, stayed close, not quite enough late. FAMOUS FATHER was outside from last, made up some ground. BIG BEN HANOVER gapped some in front of the stands, moved outside down the back but quickly took back in, not prominent.
ELEVENTH RACE – STELLENBOSCH went to the top nearing turn one, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and then went by nicely. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER had gate speed, stayed connected third-in, to the deep Pocono Pike and did well to get second over JERICHO DIVA. The latter went second-up behind good cover, swung wide and was moving very nicely late. VEL DONNA was three-wide early then two-wide to 3/16 command, got a breather in the second panel then had to pick it up, tired late. GALLERIA GAL neatly slotted fourth early, went first-over early on turn two and grinded up, fell back through the lane. IN LOU OF MONEY sat in, no factor. THE LAST TWO gapped at the back.
TWELFTH RACE – CLASSICIST was thee-wide past the 1/8, backed off to tuck third but not for long, quarter-moved to the lead, under severe pressure from BRILLIANT BEAUTY the last 3/8, hung in there to take a tough victory. The latter was four-wide to the 1/8 then took back to tuck fourth, on her way again at the half and reached the winner by the 5/8, in a great ding-dong battle with that one to the line, outstanding showing. IMPRINCESSGEMMA A was seventh when the gate sprung but used PP1’s track geometry advantage to force outside foes to take back, did yield to the winner to sit the pocket, couldn’t keep with the top pair late. A BETTOR GAME was third-over behind a dull one far turn when moving three-wide, finished with pace. A CRAFTY LADY was way behind the field early backstretch, circled a gapper and went on well to get a check. GEORGIE MARTIN N was second-over but gapped before the ¾. FEELIN RED HOT was two-wide early and took the pocket, sat in, blocked on the turn, but didn’t show much late. ROYALTYWESTHO left a big gap down the back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – JAGGER ROCKS was encouraged to take the pocket but refused and went on to the lead near the 27 quarter, kept on going at a good clip, held MY FRISKIE BOY at bay. The latter tried to create a “lineup” early but the winner was insistent, finally settled for the pocket, kept close but couldn’t gain at crunch time. AMAZON moved at the half from fifth and made a big charge against the wind, couldn’t quite sustain the gain but edged MEADOWBROOK FLASH for third. The latter got a good trip second-over but gapped his cover a bit, doing OK late. PARKLANE TERROR gapped third-over. CANT KNOCK ME was shuffled behind a fading horse but didn’t have too much once clear in the lane. DENVER SEELSTER never entered contention. BASS PLAYER gapped behind the two early duelers, and in fact was not tight on the horse in front of him most of the mile.