FIRST RACE – Right around 80 degrees for the entire card … NEWBIE forced wholesale tucks heading right down the road, had enough to hold together over MR MCDREAMY. The latter was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked third, tightened in, uncovered at the 5/8, was never closer than the leader’s wheel until deep stretch, then ate up ground but belatedly. SHARK FANTASY rode the pocket trip, not quite enough late kick. SPINOUT sat in and was last, out into a blindswitch ¾, split horses in the lane with some gain. JAMAICAN COWBOY gapped second-over. SKYWAY FIREBALL had dull cover, three-wide ¾ but himself didn’t gain. ARTACUS never factored. ABSOLUTE INTENT sat in and never surfaced.
SECOND RACE – BLENHEIM was three-wide before the 1/8 to two-wide to the lead 3/16, and from the quarter was in his own world, with the 1:52.4 only 3/5 off the season’s record at Pocono – in the second-lowest class. ANDOVERS TOUCH moved out towards turn two, needed past until the 3/4 to reach the “pocket,” held the need-a-telescope-to-see-the-winner second. SUM FOR ALL gapped cover; he and DIVINE SPIRIT passed bottomed-out horses. ARCH CREDIT left and relinquished, was stuck in as the pocketsitter faded and faded, but had little once clear anyway. B YOYO left, yielded to the winner 3/16, and steady lost ground from the ¼ in the monster (for this class) mile.
THIRD RACE – ROCK KING DEO was three-wide to the first bend, tucked third off that bend, circled the fading pocketsitter 11/16 and kept gaining, outside late turn, proved the best. LUZIANA gapped off the first quarter duel, tighter, outside backstretch but gapped, did better while inside on the turn, Pocono Pike, may have gotten to even or almost even terms midstretch, settled for second. GOLDEN GESTURE went 26.2 to get and keep the lead, tried to steal away down the back with a fast time to the ¾, lasted OK after the fast pace. DJ’S BIG ELVIS couldn’t quite go enough to get into the mix. MY FRISKIE BOY kept the pocket closed on the first turn, was all done shortly into the backstretch.
FOURTH RACE – GRACE AND PRAYER came away midpack, went up 3/16 and kept going to the lead 3/8, drew away through the last ¼. LILYBET left well to overcome PP8 and get the lead at the 1/8, yielded to the winner at the 3/8, stayed close until the far turn, still held the distant second. HONORABLE LADY gapped after the three-holer broke early backstretch, outside stretch, evenly for third. QUINNPATRICKSHEA finished with some trot from far back. PRAIRIE TRINKET gapped a gapper. CANTERAWISHING tried to advance from way back uncovered but couldn’t threaten. DELAVIOUS fell back sharply in the last ¼. CHASE MY LINDY raced into the pocket at the 1/8, made a break 9/16 and went to the infield, pulled up and came back with broken equipment.
FIFTH RACE — CAPTAINS PRINCESS made two speed moves to be in control in front of the stands, then paced home in 55.4 – 27.4 far the best of these. BETTE TINA got an alert start and took the lead at the 1/8, yielded to the winner, stayed close to the 5/8, well ahead of the others. AMARETTO HANOVER took a three-tuck to the 1/8, stayed close to the place horse then moved outside far turn but was tiring late. BEST DIVA circled around the others. GINGER TREE LESLIE moved out to circle a gapper, herself gapped out ¾. MARTARITAONTHEROCKS was always far behind. SWEET KATIE BUG started fading 5/8.
SIXTH RACE – Stretch tailwind picked up … HOT SUMMER KNIGHT made the top, rated the half despite the first parked challenger, then had to deal with a sweeper late backstretch, lost the lead on the turn but crucially didn’t let the challenger cross over, then stayed dead-game to take a nose decision. BROOKROAD MASTER moved out 5/8 and soon three-wide to be first-over late backstretch, had the lead but not the inside on the turn, just edged out. MUSKINGUM kept the pocket tight, Pocono Pike, just a bit shy. CAN’T SAY NO went up a couple of beats late nearing the first turn, urged but couldn’t clear, looped late backstretch, gave some ground in the last 1/4. LAZER JET gaped inside, little. BANZAI AS broke early. LIVING PROOF I AM tried to follow the looping move of the place horse midbackstretch but couldn’t keep up.
SEVENTH RACE – REGENTS HANOVER was in front 3/16 and forced to go a lively clip under pressure from the parked horse, came home in 28.2 but saw much of the field gaining late, held them off. HANDSOFFMYTITOS yielded for the pocket and stayed close, eased out early stretch, got close but didn’t seem a major danger. BEACH VIBES gapped at the half, found a better gear 11/16 and moved out, wide headstretch and gaining on the far outside. BUCHANNON HANOVER was three-wide leaving, briefly had cover then stuck raw on the rim 3/16, kept pacing gamely to the line. ABEL DE VIE kept a hole closed early, inside, not all that much late. BACK IN MY DAY was away last from the rail, gapped.
EIGHTH RACE – NIGHT FLYER K was used past the 1/8 in a good quarter to control the field, had moderate splits the rest of the way and drew away in the stretch. TAKE SHAPE left and yielded to sit the two-hole, perhaps a bit tired late but held second over GAAREAT GAAZOO. The latter sat third, moved out far turn but couldn’t summon enough to be second. ALL RISE had nonmoving cover, three-wide midturn then tucked back in headstretch, far ahead of the others. ALEXANDER HANOVER did manage to get the final payday. BUTTER TOFFEE gapped. LAKEVIEW TAMMY had no more to offer 5/8. TREASURE GEMS K was uncovered near the 5/8, didn’t gain then went backwards in the last quarter.
NINTH RACE – DIVINE RIGHT stayed connected early, uncovered on the second turn and went up in 27.1 vs. the breeze to tackled the leader before the ¾, fought hard with him, took a small advantage midstretch, never widened it but got the nod by tacking on a 27.2 back quarter. ONE OF THE GUYS was the #1 guy past the 1/8, moderated the half then sped up, had a big last-quarter duel with the winner and acquitted himself very well. C-BET HANOVER stayed connected in the pocket, tired a bit midstretch. STEWARDOFTHELAND moved outside but couldn’t go with his cover. QUARANTINI didn’t have much to offer inside. LATEST ATTRACTION was far back. SKY CAPTAIN was gapping by the 3/16.
TENTH RACE – BELIEVER was four-wide to the first turn and then three-wide the rest of the bend to get the lead, rolled on at a good clip, just held together over VIC’S WINNER. The latter forced the fast ¼ then yielded, came out of third just past the 5/8 as the two-holer gapped, made steady progress only to just come up shy. CRAZYCAT was not close to the action, three-wide far turn and gained; WILLIE B WORTHY tried to follow that one but couldn’t stay with him. PAPI HANOVER was briefly three-wide early then between horses to the ¼, wound up in the pocket, started to unplug 5/8. SHAKE IT OUT LINDY moved out on the far turn but had little to offer. MISS MUSCLE was last, gapping by midbackstretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – BELLOWS BINGE took a tuck, moved just before the ¼ in front of the parked horse, got that lead, stepped home in 27.2 to keep firm control. ARTIST BEST was wide early, battled then took the early pocket just past the 3/16, inside until coming out 5/8, retucked into the pocket midturn, clearly second. Close for the distant third: I’VE GOT HOOTSPA came up the inside to grab the show dough on the money. HEARTBEAT HILL sat in, edged out headstretch, not too much. GETYOURLICENSELIAM was last, out into the “flow,” evenly late. CAVIART SADE swept three-wide into the backside to clear a faltering horse, got to second-over, gapped out. FOUR-STAR FLASH went through at the start for the lead, yielded, got loose in the pocket at the ¾. ARTISTS RUFFLES was outside midpack until the half, where he developed a problem and was pulled up.