FIRST RACE – Temperatures in the mid-80s to start, dropping a little through the card … Stretch headwind … SOME KINDA ARTIST inherited the lead past the 1/8 as the frontstepper made a break, rated the half, was given an anxious moment by DRAGON SPARKS in deep stretch but prevailed. The latter sat connected in the pocket, gained late but came up short. CATIE FAYE HANOVER moved second-over at the half, finished OK but no threat to the top two. BROOKDALE JESSIE was uncovered into the second turn, never reached the winner, ducked in midturn, so-so late. REAL LADY SADIE started to gap down the backstretch then really fell back. AINT WATCHING had little to offer. TIME TO ROAR cleared quickly to the top but made a break past the 1/8 and was taken to the infield.
SECOND RACE – BYGONE HANOVER was double-looped and three-wide leaving, to two-wide then inside at the ¼, wasn’t inside an 1/8 of a mile before going on the move again raw, charged at the leader during the slow second quarter and continued hammering at her through the fast third split, showed remarkable endurance to draw clear late. IN LOU OF MONEY left between quick horses to the front and seated a rival, got a rest in quarter two then had the winner come at her and really stepped it up, fought her the rest of the way and could not hold her off. BULLVILLEKARLA was out to follow the leader but gapped from soon into the backstretch, went in far turn, started up the inside then angled out past midstretch after finding her best steps and gained. BYE BYE MICHELLE was three-wide to turn one and took the pocket, stayed connected to the far turn then backed off. PEMBROKE IDEAL BI gapped inside, outside before headstretch but couldn’t come on. THE BACK THREE could make no impact in the last half.
THIRD RACE – JODY made two speed moves, slowed the half then picked up the pace, dashed clear on the turn but saw BEACH CRAZY starting to come to her late, held her advantage. The latter was three-deep to the first turn to the lead 3/16, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose on the turn but outside early stretch and narrowed in late. CASIE’S BELIEVER was third-in, OK along the inside. SHADOW ONE led the outer tier at the half, went 27.1 with the wind to challenge, but gradually yielded ground in the last ¼. JERICHO DIVA was second-over but couldn’t gain at crunch time. SHECANDANCE N was the first outside but wound up third-over, couldn’t enter contention. Neither of THE LAST DUO could make an impression.
FOURTH RACE – HEARTBREAK HOTEL went right to the lead, had it easy to the half, then accelerated down the back, fought off the far turn challenger and finished out in 55.2- 27.1 nicely. LOCK BRIDGE got the pocket early, waited then came up the Pocono Pike, not quite enough sprint. ONECROOKEDLEG vacated the three-hole 11/16 and really took it to the winner on the far turn, held well. COVENANT WOMAN moved out but didn’t keep up and ducked back in. THE OTHER PAIR were in the back throughout.
FIFTH RACE – CRAZY CUTE commanded respect at 1-9* from the rail and set up a lineup-but-one, came home in 55.2 and was well clear. PRAIRIEWESTERNGAL maintained the pocket, stayed connected until the ¾, held second. BEAUTY IS BLIND moved from fourth-in far turn and had some late speed for third. SUNRISE HANOVER started to leave a gap as the pace picked up 5/8. GEORGIE MARTIN N broke up the “lineup” as leaving and tucking fifth at the 1/8, came out just past the 5/8 but made no headway. THE OTHER HORSES were always near the back.
SIXTH RACE – MADEIRA HANOVER went on to the lead 3/16, was never threatened while coming home in 55.1. GALLERIA HANOVER was quickly in front then relinquished control to sit the pocket, couldn’t go enough late but safely second. HOOD PARTY moved first-up before the 5/8 but never reached the leader, just held third over STARZZNSTRIPES. The latter gapped slightly down the backstretch, fair late. HEAVENLY ANGEL did not keep tight most of the last half.
SEVENTH RACE – BLENHEIM had cover leaving, then raw at the 1/8 to the front 5/16, went a big third quarter to open a big lead, only finished out in 29.4 but had enough of a margin to maintain it to the wire. LADY’S IMAGE was away quickly to 1/8 command, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, loose in the rapid third quarter, then narrowed in some in a good race. PAPI HANOVER sat fourth, to the deep Pocono Pike and gained while looking to be in tight quarters. MEMO yielded, stayed third until coming out far turn, narrowed in but only mildly and in a soft last quarter. CUPID HANOVER tucked fifth, trailed the main bunch, fair late for the last check. THE REMAINING THREE lost contact with the main group down the backstretch.
EIGHTH RACE – SOUTHWIND JAVA scooted out to first turn command and put a foe in before the 26.3 quarter, kept going at a steady pace, saw the opposition narrow in late and was kept to active encouragement to prevail. SWEET KISSES raced up to the pocket past the 1/8, was a little loose on the turn but found renewed vigor in the Pocono Pike and came on well. FIND HAPPINESS was forwardly-placed, outside midturn, steadily but was never closer to the winner than at the wire. COUNTERPARTY RISK was badly bothered by the frontstretch breaker, made up a lot of ground in quarter three and proved best of the rest. LITTLE CINDY LOU was behind the breaker but suffered the least “damage” of the three who suffered “i”, not too much late. EAGER TO PLEASE had to snatch and go very wide around the trouble, never recovered. SWEET ROCK DEO seemed to be going along well when making a bad break before the 3/8.
NINTH RACE – NUTTINBUTTHEBEST yielded to the rapid starter then just got out past the 1/8 to go back to the top and keep two foes parked, moderated the middle half when the parked horses didn’t force the issue, drew clear late in a 27.4 last quarter. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide between horses to almost the 3/8, left raw on the rim, held on with great courage. ALWAYS B LAUGHIN was looped and four-wide to the 3/16, then three-wide almost to the 3/8 before ducking behind cover, kept up well despite the extra real estate early. FANCY AND FAST sat inside, found a better gear midstretch deep in the Pocono Pike. SHES A SASSY BEACH cleared everybody from PP8, yielded to the winner for the pocket (one of the few “two-holers” who has no “2”s on her line), started looking hard to drive early stretch. WHO’S SMOKIN N took back amidst the early cavalry charge, inside, nowhere to go with pace at the end. SURE R LOOKIN GOOD was not well-served by cover while fourth-over. CHIPPER DAISY gapped third-over past the 3/4.
TENTH RACE – TREACHEROUS DRAGON hung outside early to see the front end get settled, checked then tucked in after it continued unsettled because of the breaking horse, came second-over 5/8, went into a vacant pocket midturn, and closed strongly to go by DONT FENCE ME IN and remained undefeated this year. The latter was two-wide early and went to the lead after the pole horse suffered the “ex,” rated the half, came her own last half in 55 and still had to settle for second. LYDEO was three-wide to the first turn, to two-wide but found no tuck so pressed on raw 3/8 and challenged throughout, held very well after a nasty trip. SWEET AND FEISTY left from the rail, suffered a break due to broken equipment to the 1/8 and was taken inside, recovered well. BET ON THE BAY gapped near the back. JILLIAN B MIKI had to be grabbed into a little behind the breaker, then wound up in the pocket, unplugging before the ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – LYONS SERENITY was in front before the ¼, proved flexible to drive on the lead, opened up headstretch, then was in control as SAN ANTONIO STROLL made up late ground. The latter was quickly in front, pushed then yielded near the ¼, with this duo well ahead of the others most of the mile, came out in the stretch and paced well but was second-best. CAVIART CARMEL gapped most of the way in third but retained that position to the wire. ODDS ON GAMMA and IDEALINFUN stayed in and got the last two paydays. SHIPNSTROL HANOVER gapped third quarter cover, never a factor. I FORBID YOU was raw off the second curve but never got close.
TWELFTH RACE – CAPTAIN COWGIRL waited outside early then got in gear 3/16 to make the lead 3/8, continued to go fast and had enough to defeat QUEEN OF SUCCESS in a quick time. The latter left with purpose from the pole, forced a tuck, then carried the winner to the 3/8 before yielding for the pocket, itchy to move outside late turn, lost a bit of ground upper stretch while going a weaving path, then settled and was making up ground late. SMUGGLE TINA didn’t have great cover, wide, kicked in midstretch and finished strongly. SILENT CROSSING left, accepted the early pocket, third-in, not a forward factor late. SOMESWEETSOMEWHERE gapped early in the backstretch, then got tighter but didn’t contend. YES AND YES was uncovered 5/8, never gained too much before falling back. FRANTASY HANOVER was last at every call, wide in the stretch but couldn’t make up ground.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ELLIOT MOOSE tucked third to the 1/8, then quarter-moved, kept his foot on the accelerator and was untouchable tonight. ALWAYS BETTER got going uncovered off the second turn and went up in 26.4 to reach the pocket horse, kept going and was a distant second. FLIP MY CHIP followed lively cover, finished steadily. ZEUS HANOVER gapped some at the back before the half, then to the two-wide flow, OK late. PARKLANE TERROR sat in and was shuffled far turn, found room in tight quarters and salvaged a check. MOVE THE LINE left, pushed a foe most of the ¼ and yielded, gapped a gapper far turn, Pocono Pike, couldn’t get in the fight. THANOS was out most of a 26.4 opener, yielded for the two-hole, started to unplug 11/16.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SO IRRESISTIBLE was out with cover early then tucked, moved second-over, gapped off turn two then tightened in, three-wide 11/16 to two-wide far turn, drew away in the lane. DELISHKA N was three-wide to the 1/8 to command past that point, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, came out in a blindswitch late turn, followed the winner’s path and was up for second over SLICK ARTIST A. The latter sat in then utilized the Pocono Pike, not quite enough to take the deuce. FIGHTING EVIL was looped early, with cover then uncovered to the lead 5/16, had challengers coming at her, held fairly well. CHECKERED PAST was three-wide with cover then without it, a little too far to come. JUXTA COWGIRL was far back and had traffic issues, had to tell if she had much late pace. NARINA HANOVER gapped at the back. SHADY MADAM left well, moved uncovered before the half, was tired 11/16.