FIRST RACE – Upper 70s to mid 70s on the twilight card … HURRIKANE EMPEROR made the lead before the 1/8, set the pace, ripped down the back in 26.2 to string his opposition out and was much the best. PATERNITY SUIT A went out to garner the pocket, started to gap off turn two as the winner sped up, did hold second. STENDAHL HANOVER came uncovered from far back past the 5/8 and steadily made up ground. STARVIN MARVIN was away third, gapped the gapping pocket horse, then went inside pylons on the far turn, placed last for that violation. THE NEXT PAIR were never close. TOLLY-HO had cover early, dropped in fourth 3/16, stuck in on the far bend but didn’t show much late. I’M NO PANSY gapped out.
SECOND RACE – SCOTT ON THE ROCKS was in front into turn one, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and just by in the latter stages. MY FRISKIE BOY tucked third into curve one, moved just past that bend and easily took over, looked OK early stretch but then was caught up the inside late. ROCK THREE TIMES maintained the pocket leaving, pulled from third just past the 5/8 and challenged, stayed right there to the wire. BLACKLIGHT sat in, gapped before the ¾. FOUR-STAR FLASH broke w-a-y before the start, caught the field, outside before the 5/8 and soon got cover, but gapped out on the turn.
THIRD RACE – A BETTOR GAME was briefly wide early, on top just past the 1/8, yielded early in the frontstretch, backed out to the ¾ as a brusher cleared and was herself left raw far turn, just caught the new leader late. WHO’S SMOKIN N came from last with a big head of steam, challenged and went by the leader midturn, almost lasted to the wire. CRUISIN THRU TIME moved outside and stayed relatively close until 3/16 left, when she couldn’t stay with the top two. PURE COTTON got early forward position, stayed in, Pocono Pike, not much late. ODDS ON WHITNEY proceeded up deliberately on turn one, struck the top 5/16, unable to handle the challenge of the first-over past the ¾ and tired. IN LOU OF MONEY gapped and was far back.
FOURTH RACE – CHOCOLATE MATTERS started the outside tier past the 3/8, pressed the leader from before the 5/8 onward, often having a short lead, held together the best as the pace slowed. CHUCKY DE VIE left strongly to seat rivals, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, just missed. ANDOVERS TOUCH maintained the early pocket, sat in, locked inside from the 5/8 until getting to the deep Pocono Pike, gaining (as the pace slowed). SOUTHWIND FROST left, backed off for a short ways to tuck, then came again to get command just near the 5/16, was under serious pressure the last 3/8, held pretty well. ARCH CREDIT was up tight on perfect cover as second-over, just came up shy in the stretch. I HAVE A DREAM swung wide from last and made up late ground. MATT’S MUSCLES was third-over, outtrotted late. BUTTER TOFFEE was four-wide towards the first turn leaving when making a break, didn’t get back into the race.
FIFTH RACE – TRAFFIC JAM bounded out to quick command, forced a tuck, slowed the half, didn’t have pressure, drew away early stretch, safely to the wire. JERICHO DIVA was third-over, gained in a blindswitch on the far turn, finished well. DONEGALARTCHOKIN N got an early spot then gapped in the fast quarter, tighter and came up first-over, one-paced and never put the leader under serious pressure, inside late turn, fair late. PAIGE’S GIRL was last, advanced in the same blindswitch as the place horse far turn, kicked in a little too late. FIGHTING EVIL was second-over, three-wide 11/16 but did not gain. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER was wide early, made it into the pocket 3/16, nothing left in the last quarter. NORA TOVA stayed in, couldn’t keep up most of the last half.
SIXTH RACE – O JONNIE was looped, took third 3/16, then backed out to second-over 11/16, wide in the lane, took command to midstretch and was OK to the wire. GREEK LEGEND broke soon after the start, caught the field and sat back, moved out going to the ¾, made up a tremendous amount of ground to be second. FRAC yielded for the pocket, thought of quarter-moving then rethought that thought, Pocono Pike, got to second midstretch but couldn’t hold that position. JUSTIFY moved uncovered 5/8 and pressured the leader, outkicked late. FINAL DREAM cleared easily before the 1/8 in a fast quarter, had a moderate tempo thereafter but gave way. ALEXANDER HANOVER was off the gate and never achieved prominence. WILLIAM STAR gapped at several points, broke past the ¾ and went inside the pylons. PEE WEE HANOVER was way off the gate, lost contact the last half.
SEVENTH RACE – STELLENBOSCH got a 3-spot, gapped 3/16 to 7/16 then tighter, moved up into the pocket midbackstretch, outside headstretch and drew off effortlessly. ANNE BONNEY N was quickly on top, went a fast quarter, didn’t get pressure until the winenr came to challenge, no match for that one but stayed clear for second. DC BATGIRL sat in, then backed out behind dull cover and had to go very wide into the stretch, closed well. SUMMER RAE sat in and was next in line. I CHOOSE YOU was second-over behind nongaining cover, moved three-wide ¾ but soon became a nongainer herself. FILLY SPEAKS was never heard from. QUEEN LOSTRIS N took the pocket, looked headstrong, thought about a quarter-move then rethought, did come off the rail 5/8 before never gained.
EIGHTH RACE – ROUGH ODDS was looped, had cover to just past the 1/8, then went on to take over before the 5/16, yielded to the retaking favorite and stalked him tightly from the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and had a sharp late burst to post an impressive victory. PREMIER ROCKSTAR was pushed just past the 1/8 for the lead, yielded to the 5/16 but was immediately back on the retake, had pressure at his wheel until headstretch, took care of that foe but couldn’t handle the pocket rocket. OWEN came out from fourth early second turn, went in 26.4 down the back, faded in the lane but did persevere third. WELL DONE SON was second-over but gapped, went inside 11/16, far head of the others. SHOREVIEW got the last check. BELLOWS BINGE had little from third-over. AMERICA’S GUEST was first to move 3/8 but soon afterwards was fourth-over, never contended. BIG BAD BILL pushed the early action and yielded, couldn’t keep up past the 5/8.
NINTH RACE – WARRAWEE EXTREME was uncovered before the 3/8, went wide into turn two but quickly corrected back to two-wide, got into the pocket, a bit loose on the turn but right outside headstretch, found more late and went by nicely. C-BET HANOVER established control early, got a breather in quarter two, did his best to last to the wire, came up just shy. ARMED BANDIT tucked third at the 1/8, backed out past the 5/8 to avoid a shuffle, uncovered late turn, clearly next-best. PLAY THE ACE narrowed in from a big gap early, outside in the flow on the turn but couldn’t keep up in the lane. ALL BETS DOWN moved as second-over but was left raw 5/8, couldn’t keep pace most of the last ¼. BACK IN MY DAY was no factor. HURRIKANE JUNIOR appeared rank and was far back. HURRIKANE KING DOM went to the pocket to mid-first turn, soon was unplugging after reaching the backstretch.
TENTH RACE – DANCE CLUB was three-wide past the 1/8 to the lead just past a fast quarter, took off down the backstretch and kept widening her lead in the last ¼. WESTBEACH left between horses to take a tuck to the 3/16, was trapped in behind a tiring pacesetter and floundering horses on the outside, Pocono Pike and made the distant second; SHECANDANCE N was in the same locked predicament as the place horse, found room to move out to midstretch and had late pace. GEORGIE MARTIN N used the rail to secure forward positioning, but then didn’t keep up from before the ¾. THE STUNNING NUN N took back to spot, then moved with unhelpful cover, but didn’t gain after tipping three-wide far turn. ASHTINI gapped in the back. ROYALTYWESTHO moved uncovered but only gummed up the two-wide tier.
ELEVENTH RACE – BULLVILLE JONATHAN moved uncovered on the second bend, went up in 27.1 to make a hard challenge on the leader, edged ahead on the turn and drew clear headstretch, a safe winner. DIVINE RIGHT had good cover, couldn’t match his steps early stretch but went on steadily. MAJOR SHOW went to the lead early and forced a tuck, yielded to a brusher to sit the pocket, went inside the last pylon before the Pocono Pike in coming clear behind a tiring leader, photoed TRAY SURREAL but then was placed back one spot for the pylon violation. TRAY SURREAL was in a good flow, moving well late. CAPTAIN KEEN was into the pocket by the 1/8, trapped in on the turn, went to midtrack early stretch and gained while never appearing fully clear. FLIP MY CHIP didn’t have enough here. EMBLAZE HANOVER moved from fourth at the ¼ to the lead just past the 3/8, came under pressure from the winner, gradually weakened the last 3/16. GOTAFOOLISHDESIRE was not prominent.
TWELFTH RACE – IDEAL FEELING got the front early, yielded for the pocket and was the only one to stay close to the rapid leader, outside midturn, eked out a narrow win over BAMSKI. The latter sat fourth behind a horse who gapped much of the race, stayed inside and came up the Pocono Pike, almost got it all. BEACH BOOGIE gapped in third most of the mile, outside far turn just off the winner, found good strides a little too late. CONBOYVILLE made two speed moves and strung out most of the field with a quick pace, couldn’t make the lead stand up. STELLAR BB went around a bad gapper into the backstretch and narrowed in throughout the last half. TAM MAJOR A was leaving a big hole from shortly after the quarter. AWESOMENESS tried to go around the far-back gapper but could not, came back with “b.e.”
THIRTEENTH RACE – CHIPPER DAISY yielded for the pocket at the 1/8 and stayed close, to the Pocono Pike and quickly to the lead, withstood SUNRISE HANOVER. The latter stayed in third until midturn, came home steadily but had to settle for second. VEL DONNA made the top at the 1/8, rated the half then sprinted the third quarter without pressure, tired. STAY SAFE came out at the half, couldn’t make up ground and tucked in far turn, evenly inside late. GRANT ME THIS did not have advancing cover, evenly. NARINA HANOVER gapped inside. SHELLIE DE VIE trailed.