FIRST RACE – 81 degrees, with an early stretch tailwind tapering off late … INDICTABLE HANOVER moved from third to the 5/16 but was given the cold shoulder in a wickedly-hot pace, attacked the leader throughout, got a small advantage on the turn, then somehow held together and went on to win in fast time in a courageous race. JK MUSICMAN left and made the two-hole at the 1/8, kept the pocket closed, then backed out behind the winner ¾, wide in the lane, good but photoed out. WESTERN TYRANT gapped almost all the way to the 5/8, then tightened in, weaved between horses in the stretch and finished well. FRANCO TOTEM N was far back, paced past the rest. MANNY was directly on top and refused to yield in wild fractions while under pressure from the 3/8, finally got weary in the last 3/16. THE OTHERS were far behind the wild pace and never were in the main hunt.
SECOND RACE – JUXTA COWGIRL left well, then quarter-moved from the pocket, held off the first-over in a long battle. SLICK ARTIST A spotted third, started uncovered into turn two, really never got closer than the wheel of the winner, but held her ground doggedly. BRONZE OVER N eased out to third-over, then went back inside on the far turn, up the inside late and photoed FIGHTING EVIL for third. The latter left well and was on top 3/16, yielded for the pocket, a little loose off the winner the last ¼, so-so late. CHECKERED PAST was fourth-over, three-wide with cover far turn then tipped four-wide, did OK from a tough spot. PAIGE’S GIRL worked n fourth past the 1/8, then moved second-over, three-wide early far turn, flattened out. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER had too far to come. NARINA HANOVER stayed in and had room to advance but didn’t.
THIRD RACE – THE BIG MUSCLE went out between horses to sit the pocket, vacated same 5/8 and challenged hard, proved game in the stretch. WORLDSSTONECOLD AS was uncovered 3/8, got good cover 5/8, didn’t start gaining until midstretch, then narrowed in. INNISFALLEN stayed in, had a chance to tighten into the pocket past the 5/8 but gapped, evenly late. WINGS UP was third-over, not quite enough late. REAL MCCOY was three-wide early to get the throttle and did throttle the pace off, met a challenger late backstretch and fought him around the turn, not much left to give in the stretch. CHROME PACKAGE gradually got to the inside first turn, not heard from again. SLEW FOOT was four-wide to the 1/8 as others gradually backed into holes, went inside, not that much late.
FOURTH RACE – BULLVILLEKARLA raced behind cover after leaving then tucked just past the ¼, moved second-over, advanced rapidly after moving three-wide midturn, gradually worked to the lead. BYE BYE MICHELLE needed until past the 5/16 to clear to the front, rated the second split then had third quarter pressure, shook that one off and held firmly behind the winner. ELLEOFADELI sat in and was blocked far turn, angled behind the winner midstretch and was gaining. GREENHILLDEBATABLE wound up third-over, wide with cover midturn but couldn’t stay with it, evenly late. THE KINGS QUEEN got away last from the rail and couldn’t recover. SPEAKING OF COFFEE came through with the early lead, yielded past the 5/16 for the two-hole, empty at crunch time. BETABCOOL N maintained the early pocket, started uncovered into turn two and challenged for the lead, ran out of gas on the turn.
FIFTH RACE – MAGIC MVP left between horses and was out to the 3/8 in fast time for these to get the lead, had pressure from many sources but earned his win. Poor 15YO TSM PHOTO BUGGER saw more of northeast Pennsylvania than a Century 21 agent – left, three-wide until just past the ¼ then got inside, back out second-over, three-wide midturn, went on gamely to the line. CHIEF JUSTICE took an inner route, spent most of the stretch waiting for a seam to open and when getting it had a giant burst (in the 31.2 last quarter) – was ahead two steps past the line. TIDQUIST raced third-over, four-wide headstretch, OK. CAMPBELLINI went to the lead and stretched out foes before yielding, pocket, couldn’t contend late. CLARION HALL sat in and was behind a wall of horses much of the stretch, ducked in past midstretch and gained a little as the pace slowed down. VOLARE kept the pocket closed late first turn, went up first-over 9/16, challenged hard, couldn’t sustain. POSSESS THE STONE broke early.
SIXTH RACE – FAST MACHINE left a beat behind the foes to either side of her, had cover then methodically went on to the top 3/8, got no rest on the lead but still could draw clear through the stretch. BYGONE HANOVER started the outer flow into turn two, went up in 27.2 to hotly contest the lead, fell back a bit late but was game to retain second. CATIE FAYE HANOVER was third-over, gapped a gapper down the back then got closer, three-wide headstretch, closed to just miss second. TIME TO ROAR left and yielded just past the 1/8, inside, was blocked behind a gapper far turn, finally got clear inside and made up some ground. COVENANT WOMAN was second-over but gapped from the 5/8. DRAGON SPARKS was out just past the 1/8 to get the top, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, gradually fell back the last ¼. BROOKDALE JESSIE was never prominent.
SEVENTH RACE – GEORGIE MARTIN N had the top, forced a tuck, then yielded to sit the pocket behind a fast pace, to the Pocono Pike, was still fresh and responded well. BEACH CRAZY left, backed off to tuck 3/16, pulled from third 11/16 and challenged, held very gamely. WHO’S SMOKIN N was uncovered past the 5/8 then soon got cover, wide in the lane and with good steps late. CONTINUALOU was behind horses leaving after being looped, tucked third, quarter-moved and rolled on, came up shy. BEAUTY IS BLIND was inside, couldn’t gain late. THE OTHER TWO weren’t bad but were too far behind to make an impact.
EIGHTH RACE – SMART AS HILL moved raw to the 5/8, grinded after the fast opening fractions, proved best. DICENTRA was second-over, three-wide late turn and closed well. CELEBRITY ROLEX was inside, came out into a blindswitch headstretch then followed the path of the winner, may not have had full clearance late. CREDIT CON went to the top, yielded for the pocket and raced close-up in the fast fractions, Pocono Pike, not enough response. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was third-over, four-wide headstretch, a bit too far to come. O JONNIE gapped inside midrace, no factor late. TEDDY BROSEVELT made two speed moves, the second one wind-aided, set the pace, tired. DUDELOOKSLIKELINDY was last at every call.
NINTH RACE – CASIE’S BELIEVER was three-wide early then backed off to tuck fifth before the ¼, out again second-over at the half, was flushed three-wide 11/16, proved the strong horse late after the wicked fractions. ANOTHER BEACH DAY was third-over, blindswitched to the 11/16, got inside midturn and went to the Pocono Pike to beat out JERICHO DIVA for the distant second. The latter moved three-wide 5/8 and got cover 11/16, lost some ground swinging wider into the stretch, narrowed in as the pace softened. CHIPPER DAISY went widest and passed tired horses. WESTBEACH was four-wide to turn one, pressed on and was hung for her lungs in a brutal half and beyond, not too bad a finish considering. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME refused to relent from the pole and put up huge numbers to do so, couldn’t sustain late. SUNRISE HANOVER stayed in and was shuffled to last as the pocketsitter faded, but then had no recovery. DELISHKA N was two-wide early, held the pocket closed, then started gapping 5/8.
TENTH RACE – Wind has calmed … CRAZY CUTE left but settled back in third, came uncovered 5/8, in retrospect may’ve been playing “possum” outside the leader far turn, then surged early stretch and had a giant move, won under a hold. TALK SHOW CHICA wasn’t close most of the way, outside far turn, closed the best of the mere mortals in here. A BETTER GAME pushed then yielded to sit the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and a clear second just past midstretch, but outkicked late. NUTTINBUTHEBEST made the lead before the 3/16, rated the second quarter then got pressure from the winner late backstretch through the turn, fell back. THE OTHER PAIR did not make their presence felt here.
ELEVENTH RACE – The begoggled ELLIOT MOOSE, not looking like the easiest horse to handle, quarter-moved from third, drifted wide out of the first turn, powered on, and won on natural ability. BAY CITY left between horses for the lead, pushed the winner past the 3/8 before yielding, came out in the stretch, didn’t gain but did save place over DILLINGER. The latter left and took the pocket, gapped a bit down the back, but then got closer and did well in the Pocono Pike to almost get second. ALWAYS BETTER was wide from far back and closed past the others. TSM BATMAN didn’t achieve prominence. ZEUS HANOVER had the dull cover of MOVE THE LINE.