FIRST RACE – Rain before the races had the track “sloppy +1” for the first seven races; gradual drying allowed it to be updated to “good +1” for the next six races; then rain during the 13th brought it back to “sloppy +1” for the last … Stretch headwind … INDIGO ART was last until late backstretch, then in an 1/8 of a mile swept the field three-wide from last to first, ran away and hid. HOPE TO BE FIRST came out in the wake of the winner to the ¾, went three-wide uncovered and gained to be a clear if distant second. ROLLINWITHAMBITION got the pocket in the lightning opening quarter, moved out 5/8, was left behind by the two sweepers but won the next-best minor honors. BLOW A CLOUD N gapped midrace, then moved out, never got in the two-wide flow, blindswitched, no factor. RYCROFT N sat in, moved up along the inside then was blocked as the leader stopped, backed out and a little late. TEXAS TERROR N moved out with cover 5/8, couldn’t stay with it then was blindswitched by the sweepers. CHICKEN NUGGET blasted away to get the lead nearing the 1/8 in a 26 opener, held the lead until the ¾ then had nothing left to give.
SECOND RACE – BEERTHIRTY K was innermost of the leavers and put them all in behind, rated the half, was safely clear the last 3/8. THE IRISHMAN left between horses, took the pocket to the 3/16, stayed close until the latter stages, fought on for second. MISTER BOINGA left behind the fighting three and tucked fourth, moved raw at the half, had a short lead over the second horse late backstretch but never reached the leader, OK late. CREDIT CON was three-wide to the 1/8 then started backing off to get into the 3-spot, Pocono Pike, fair late. TRICKY DICK gapped much of the last half. BOASTER COASTER stayed in, backed out but was behind dull cover so went back in late turn, not a factor. CHING CHING LUCKY was away slowly, moved out 3/8, got cover at the half but wasn’t keeping up by the 5/8. WHAT A DAME didn’t have good cover and never was on the main radar.
THIRD RACE – COXCOMB came through early and took control of the throttle, got a breather in Q2 despite the parked horses, had only MY WISH CAME TRUE near him in the last quarter, won more easily than the margin may suggest. The latter went into the pocket 3/16 and kept the hole plugged throughout, not enough late but miles ahead of the others. SEAL O’NEILL was pinned in by parked horses, hard to hold into turn two, finally came clear headstretch after the top two were gone, had some pace. WESTERN WALTZ, a bit off the gate, came up the inside from last, Pocono Pike and finished with late pace. MUDVILLE kept a midpack hole closed first turn, third-in, couldn’t keep up the last 5/16. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH started slowly, came out behind the parked horses, went four-wide past the ¾ to try to get around stragglers but could not. HOOSIER SHARK was looped then parked with cover, three-wide 5/8 but never gained. RACINWITHTHEWIND was ahead while three-wide at the 1/8, but track geometry doomed him to be hung the mile, faded from late backstretch.
FOURTH RACE – KENOGAMI COCO was three-wide leaving, to two-wide, briefly had cover then went on to the lead nearing turn two, overpowered these. SWEET HEART AS was out with cover at the half, three-wide mid-far turn, finished well. CUPID HANOVER made two speed moves then yielded to the winner, gapped much of the last half, evenly late. SORTIE started uncovered towards turn two, challenged, couldn’t sustain. TEDDY BROSEVELT stayed in, was locked in by a gapping two-wide horse, got the last payday. BLUEBIRD DEACON was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead 3/16, saw two go by in quarter two, inside, tired. TAG UP AND GO was third-over but gapped. MUSCLE STAR went offstride 3/8.
FIFTH RACE – CAVIART MAX, four-wide to turn one then two-wide and kept progressing in a fast pace to the lead 3/8, kept rolling the amazing fractions in the off going, drew clear, rocked to maintain a safe distance. PLAY THE FIELD quickly went on to the lead, kept the winner out a long time then yielded and followed the fast fractions in the two-hole far ahead of the rest, backed off a little after the bottoming fractions but held the deuce. IDEAL WHEEL was three-wide ¾ going around a stagnant two-wide tier, did well; YOUMAKEMYHEARTSING followed the show horses and gained as the pace slowed. PUZZLING was uncovered on the second turn, got cover, gapped, blindswitched on the turn, so-so. MANNY was uncovered before midbackstretch but never gained. ROLLIN IN NEW YORK gapped a gapper inside, never in it. IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N rushed through at the start, had the early pocket then was third-in, gapped almost all of the last half.
SIXTH RACE – STRIKING GENSON closed the pocket 3/16, popped out 5/8 and went right to the lead, soon joined by the sweeping PRACTICAL CAT, held that one off after a long battle. The latter moved out behind the parked horse second turn, three-wide as cover started to fall back, left three-wide by the winner then two-wide as that one cleared, fought a long way and kept fighting on. QUEEN OF ALL was last inside and pinned in by parked horses, finally could angle very wide headstretch and came on very well (though the pace was slowing). MOON BRIDGE followed the wide move of the place horse but was left out three-wide, trotted on through the lane. HOOLIE N HECTOR came out into a blindswitch, sliced through a thin hole late with trot. RED REDEMPTION was three-wide to the fast ¼ before tucking fourth, came out behind the winner into a blindswitch then gapped. DAGON HANOVER was shut out of a hole late first turn and had to spend life on the rim, looped midbackstretch and faded. BLANK SPACE AS refused to yield in hot fractions, was passed later in the backstretch and faded.
SEVENTH RACE – Track rerated to “good +1” just before this 1:50 mile … EXPLOIT exploited the fast pace by rushing up quickly (26.3) down the back and passing a tired leader past the ¾, won as an overlay in a romp. CERTIFIABLE gained along the inside to where he could go directly to the Pocono Pike early stretch, outfooted the rest, who were all within 1¼ lengths of each other at the wire. RIFLEMAN was last, went wide, still last midstretch, but just up for third. GUINNESS PANIC was three-wide to the 1/8 then took a tuck, backed out past the 5/8 but couldn’t stay with the winner. IMOUTTHEDOOR had to retreat to the pocket 3/16, moved out early far turn after the winenr went by but had little to offer. UNDRTHSOUTHERNSUN N blasted off from the rail and was under a hold setting wild fractions, no resistance in the last ¼. HIGH BALLER never factored.
EIGHTH RACE –TOCCOA FALLS was three-wide early, backed off to third at the 1/8, uncovered 5/8 and made a good challenge, inched up to the lead headstretch, didn’t draw off but stayed on and garnered the win. ROBBIE PEV sat in, gained up into the pocket far turn and used the Pocono Pike, good to be second. MACMORRIS HANOVER left, yielded for the pocket, backed out far turn behind the winner, a little slow to find top gear in the lane then narrowed in. MUSCLE JACK was parked past the ¼, strung out the field in quarter two despite reducing the speed, then engaged by the winner late backstretch, tired a bit. INNISFALLEN was outside off turn two, got cover but couldn’t stay with it. THE NEXT TWO were far back. MUSHANA wasn’t close when making a break far turn.
NINTH RACE – ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP was three-wide a good bit of the ¼, then tucked, slid out off turn two and was quickly three-wide to circle the parked horse and get to two-hole uncovered, fought with the leader, proved the best though the tempo was declining late. The next two, CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL and CONCUR, gained along the inside: the former angled wide behind the winner early stretch and outfought the latter, who came up the Pocono Pike. MAJOR DESIRE was willing to pay a 25.4 price to have the early lead and continued on quickly to keep the favorite parked, met a new challenger in the winner late backstretch, backed off a little in the lane. DRAGON STRIKES left then accepted the pocket in the 25.4 opener, backed out behind the winner far turn, gapped, came back a little late. WESTERN TYRANT had traffic issues. SULLIVAN tried to follow the winner’s sweeping move but could not. GO WEST GO FAST was very wide early, settled behind cover first turn, left raw at the ¼ and went up to challenge but was given the cold shoulder, went south the last 3/8.
TENTH RACE – Wind has calmed … DA DELIGHTFUL crossed over at the 1/8, stung an early mover before yielding into turn two, vacated the pocket to challenge the leader headstretch and just did get the nod over that rival. WESTERN JOE was looped early, briefly settled third, then quarter-moved, was urged to clear going to turn two, continued on a hot pace leaving all but the winner behind, held with good courage. STRAIGHT UP COOL stayed in, blocked, knifed between horses midstretch with pace. BALLERAT BOOMERANG also stayed in, not all that much late. ULTIMAROCA was first on top then yielded for the early pocket, vacated third 5/8 but couldn’t reach the winenr. BET ON BLAKE was uncovered on the second turn, got cover 5/8, three-wide far turn, not bad. AFLAME HANOVER had little chance from last, OK finishing. REBELLIOUS broke just before the start, fought back to third-over but tired.
ELEVENTH RACE – TRENTE DEO was content in third leaving, moved raw 3/8 with nobody coming, went right up to the leader, went past 11/16 and simply devastated this field. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO sat in, shuffled way back, angled and five-wide headstretch, finished well to get the distant second. LITTLEBITASWAGGER had dull cover, four-wide late turn and did OK. PIRATES ALLEY came through at the start to exert his authority, challenged by the leader down the back and had no answer for that one, evenly the last 5/16. WHATA TREASURE, not away well, tried to circle a nonadvancing one 11/16 but got mired in the three-wide path. CLASSIC PRO tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved nearing turn two to what would have been second-over had he been able to stay with the winner, left uncovered two-deep and clogged that tier. BOBBY K HILL challenged early then accepted the pocket 3/16, stuck in on the turn after the winner was long gone, got to the Pocono Pike but had little left to give. KILLER MARTINI was a slow starter and dropped far back.
TWELFTH RACE – ROCK OF CASHEL got a textbook second-over trip, three-wide late turn, asserted himself nearing the wire. JUSTLIKEHIM was looped early, took until the 3/8 to reach the front, yielded just past the half, to the Pocono Pike, momentarily had a small advantage past midstretch, went on nicely. GREAT UNKNOWN came off the rail into a blindswitch near the back ¾, ducked in entering the stretch and was in the deep Pike, gained well. JOHAN PALEMA moved out 5/16, left raw 3/8 and cleared just past the ½, continued on at a good clip, couldn’t make the lead last to the wire. STEUBEN HANOVER was behind the winner, couldn’t match his stretch kick. SHADRACK HANOVER finished well very wide from a tough spot. IN MY DREAMS came through at the start, yielded and saw all kinds of lead changes in quarter two, back outside uncovered 9/16, tired in the last quarter. DYLAN THE GREAT was three-wide early to make the top, shuffled with lead changes, gapped from the ¾.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Rained heavily during this race … SOME DEAL HANOVER was first to show, but quick rivals and track geometry forced him to back off to third past the ¼, sat in, elected to tip wide early stretch and had a crisp late burst to get the win. BEACH FORECAST secured the early pocket and kept a rival out at the 1/4, moved out of same late turn, got the lead midstretch, outkicked. CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN grabbed the lead, set the pace, faded late. SOUTHWIND PETYR was out fourth-over, had to duck inside the far turn trouble, finished well. TERRY A HANOVER was out in a blindswitched then ducked in and avoided most of the incident, not that much kick late. FULL MOON BEACH was out with cover but gapped, then bothered greatly by the breaker, finished with “b.e.” STRETCH THE LINE was uncovered 3/8 and put in a long bid, made a break past the ¾ bothering some, placed. LITERL LAD HANOVER had some traffic issues, then was forced wide and made an “ix” behind the breaker.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Back to “sloppy +1” … ROCKAPELO left between horses to 1/8 command, got a rest to the half, just had too much for these. CAVIART ROCKLAND went to the lead then yielded in the pocket, a solid second. SHNEONUCRZYDIAMND A was second-over behind not-great cover, three-wide midturn, along for third. ROCKIN JUKEBOX gained up the inside in the last ¼. MACH WEST sat in, didn’t have much to say in this one. FRISKIE ALL NITE had dull cover, went wide, had too far to come. PAT MCGARRY A was three-wide to the 1/8, went in third 3/16, uncovered off the second turn, gained a little then faded more than a little. WHITE HAIR ROCKS moved outside but went nowhere.