FIRST RACE – Wind a stretch tailwind for the first race, then calm a couple of races, then reversed into a stretch headwind, then calm again most races near the end … GREAT MAGIC left well and circled up to the lead, yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, waited for the Pocono Pike then shot right through when given the space and drew off. TEDDY BROSEVELT was between horses early then looped and left raw, on top at the ¼, moderated the pace with no one coming, but still couldn’t withstand the winner. NICE STUFF caught up to the three leavers to the 3/8, was stuck inside as the first-over didn’t advance, got room belatedly in the Pocono Pike and finished with trot. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT left, sat third, outside stretch but empty. MUSKINGUM was second-over from last but had nonadvancing cover, three-wide midturn, OK late. KEYSTONE THUNDER one-geared first-over from early on the second turn, never got close to the leaders. BROOKROAD MASTER backed out third-over, not prominent. CELEBRITY SERENA started gapping inside 5/8.
SECOND RACE – SPORTSMANSHIP left well and had settled in the pocket by the 1/8, drew away along with the leader far turn, then moved out and caught that one easily. NEWBIE left nicely and set the pace, went faster in the third quarter to try to lose the field, a strategy that worked against all but one. CHANCELLORCULLEN N couldn’t stay with the top two in the last quarter, won a photo for a distant third over MR MCDREAMY. The latter moved outside 5/8, was rocked but failed to gain. CANDELL was behind dull cover, three-wide near headstretch, not enough for a bigger check. THE LAST TWO did not achieve prominence from the back.
THIRD RACE – WHATA TRIXTER unfortunately lived up to his name – he was wide early and got onto the pocket before the ¼, moved out midturn, trotted to the lead and was looking good 100 feet from the finish though drifting out a bit, but then broke and ran home; after an inquiry he was placed second for violation of the breaking rules. CIVIL UNION sat third, came out with cover late turn, went between horses in the lane, not catching the horse crossing the wire first, but placed first. UNCLE NINO left for the lead, got a 1:02 middle half, but still gave way in the last 1/8, although holding to win a three-way photo for the distant third. ROWDER didn’t show much; nor did EVER HOPEFUL G. IVEGOTTHETAB was off the gate and was not a factor. ANDOVERTHEWINNER broke an 1/8 before the start.
FOURTH RACE – BEST BETTOR gained inside a horse 5/8, was off the main bunch until the far turn, then swung wide and had enough to catch C-BET HANOVER late. The latter was looped, tucked third 3/16, uncovered 11/16 and had grabbed the lead by headstretch, just outtrotted late. MIGHT BE RIGHT defended the pocket then was loose in it the middle part of the race, shuffled nearing headstretch when the pacesetter gave way and came out into a blindswitch, then back inside and decent to the wire. SEASIDE MEDITATION moved out down the back but actually lost ground, evenly late as the pace slowed down. BRYCE couldn’t gain enough up the Pocono Pike. BACK IN MY DAY was never close. TRAVIS SAID was a bit rough while wide going up to the lead before the 3/16, had an open lead much of the middle half, but hit the wall when challenged late far turn. HURRIKANE JUNIOR never was in the picture.
FIFTH RACE – METRO MATTY made the lead quickly and was in control throughout. ISLAND DIVA never moved, came up the inside and outfinished PEMBROKE MONI for second. The latter sat a pocket trip, not enough response late. MISCHIEVOUS G gapped midrace, moved out on the far turn and three-wide headstretch, didn’t gain. FOXY JOYCE started uncovered into turn two but never got close. RISK ON backed out to two-wide but never became prominent. MY BELFAST ANGEL tucked, vacated third 11/16, but had nothing through the lane.
SIXTH RACE – CAVIART SAGE was forwardly-placed, got cover when moving down the backstretch, swung three-wide early far turn and proved to have the most of these. I’VE GOT HOOTSPA lagged early, then was able to come all the way up the inside from seventh to “the pocket,” to the Pocono Pike and finished steadily. AMERICA’S GUEST came out but then had the 2-3-4 horses move in front of him and thus became fourth-over, three-wide with cover far turn then gapped, was four-wide headstretch, finished well. TOLLY-HO set the pace with two moves, went along quickly, couldn’t make the lead hold up. CLASSY JILL sat in, moved out late turn then three-wide headstretch, flattened. BEACHESBECKONME was away slowly and gapped, couldn’t rally enough inside as the pace decelerated. MINGO JOEL was urged at several points, but couldn’t do much from third-over. GETYOURLICENSELIAM went away to a big lead in a 26 opener, yielded for the pocket but vacated same before the 5/8, nothing left in the stretch.
SEVENTH RACE – SILENT NIGHT was in charge throughout this mile, held of the late move of RED LIGHT LADY with a 28.2 last quarter in a very fast clocking for maiden trotters. The latter defended the pocket, stayed close, moved out in the lane and narrowed in, raced well but had to settle for second. HONORABLE LADY sat in, went to the Pocono Pike and was a distant third. LUCKY LIMERICK took back to tuck third 3/16, not enough through the last quarter. FASHION PRINCESS got around stragglers in a decent recovery. TURN THE TAB and POP MUSIC straggled.
EIGHTH RACE – KAY SAGE was three-wide leaving, got to the top past the 3/16, set the pace, got pressure from just before the ¾ on but dealt with it well. CAPTAIN’S STAR was a right second-over, three-wide before headstretch, narrowed in nicely. CLEAR THE WAY was uncovered at the half, put in a concentrated bid to the ¾, held very well. IRISH SONG was third-over, gapped midbackstretch then got close, four-wide headstretch, not far off. BETTE TINA left, yielded, inside, was locked in behind the tiring pacesetter on the turn, to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have much response. MARTARITAONDAROCKS gapped at the back. BEACHBLANKETLINDY went to the lead at the 1/8, surrendered the lead for the pocket, all done ¾. ONE EYED WANDA lagged at the back.
NINTH RACE – COOL MISS WENDY made the first-over move after the fast first half, went by ¾, held off SOUTHERN AUTUMN in the 1:01 – 30.4 back fractions. The latter went to the lead and yielded for the pocket, slipped out in front of a gapper ¾, raw, ducked in late turn, out again before midstretch and narrowed in but not quite enough. RHEIA ROSE was last, circled wide and gained in the slowing pace. GHIBLI was out with what could have been good cover had she not gapped it. MYREANNA was three-wide early to two-wide to the lead 3/16, set a fast pace, had nothing left when the winner came up ¾. WILD KAT G sat in, shuffled some late turn, then outside but didn’t gain. AULTER EGO was not prominent.
TENTH RACE – DRAGON CITY was three-deep to turn one to the front 3/16, yielded to the brusher and kept close in the fast fractions, to the Pocono Pike and sprinted well at the end to get the decision. OUTWIT OUTRUN was out moving before the ¼ to get the lead, continued on quickly, not quite enough to ward off the pocketsitter in the late dash. WARRAWEE EXTREME moved uncovered 11/16 and made a nice move into contention, couldn’t quite sustain it in the 27.3 kicker but clearly third. STONEBRIDGE KARIS was second-over, gapped cover, went between horses and was OK late. JAM THAT GUITAR was away to protect position early, little late. PLAY THE ACE gapped in the outer tier far turn. CAPTAIN COOK tucked early, stayed in, fell back.
ELEVENTH RACE – JUDGE KEN crossed over to the lead very quickly and strung most of this field out most of the way, won off by himself the last 1/8. ARCH CREDIT sat third, outside early stretch and took second from CAPITAL T STORM. The latter sat in the pocket a bit loose most of the way, nothing left the last 3/16. SUM FOR ALL found clearance midstretch and gained some. SCIROCCO PATRICK had late-developing cover, got the last check. CRITICAL MASS came out from fourth 5/8 but had little. ANDOVERS TOUCH was off the gate and never factored. TAG UP AND GO broke coming off the turn before the start, righted and almost caught the field but then broke again.
TWELFTH RACE – FRAZZLEBERRY went down the road without much competition, came home in 55.2 – 27.3 for trainer Jose Godinez’s 1000th career victory. SEAL O’NEILL left and sat the pocket, loose off the second turn then tightened back in, then couldn’t keep up in the stretch but still a clear second. ALL CHEDDAR went up early and tucked third, gapped out in the last ¼. FRANK DEFORD was behind nonadvancing cover, three-wide midturn after the leaders were long-gone, evenly. BEEBEETEE and RENO DINERO gapped. SVENGALI was out to the 3/16 trying to get the front but broke off the first turn, recovered quickly but was left out raw on the rim, fell back sharply from the 11/16.
THIRTEENTH RACE – LIGHTFOOT LEGEND, a physically-big horse looking like he was racing against ponies literally and figuratively, launched one big move to the 11/16 that carried him to the lead past the ¾, drew away. MISS MUSCLE couldn’t stay with the winner’s cover but got new cover, wide stretch and just up to get second from NIGHT FLYER K. The latter was three-wide to the 3/16 and on top at the ¼, had no answer for the winner ¾ and lost second nearing the line. CIRCLE OF LIFE AS pushed a fast quarter from the rail, nothing thereafter. SHAKE IT OFF LINDY was between horses early, in the pocket, backed out after the winner went by but could not gain.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DRAGON STRIKES wanted the lead but was forced to back off to the pocket near the ¼, sat well-placed, to the Pocono Pike and zoomed right by. TUXEDO BAY refused to yield as the top two were well ahead of the rest most of the opener, set the pace, saw off the first-over, couldn’t stop the winner, all-out to hold second. STARVIN MARVIN sat in, came out midturn, widest in the stretch and gained. STENDAHL HANOVER was towed up second-over down the back, three-wide late turn, OK late. ROCKIN THE SHADES gapped the early action, caught up, then gapped on the turn, evenly late. ROCK THREE TIMES was uncovered from fifth at the half, made a 27.1 third quarter move to challenge, but had little left for the stretch. MUSCLE MACH A was in the back throughout. BAY MEADOWS was very far back from the half.