FIRST RACE – A warm day with a stretch headwind … Track “fast +0” for the first ten races; rain then came through, and the surface was rerated to “sloppy +1” for the rest of the card … REYS N A RUCKUS left between horses to the lead at the 1/8, seated a rival, then drew away in the last 5/16. NEWBIE spotted, then was second-over 5/8, uncovered late far turn, continued on to be the distant second. NATHAN FEELSGOOD came uncovered 9/16 but could make little impact, ducked in late turn and to the Pocono Pike, the distant third. MICHAEL’S MONSTER gapped at a couple of points then did better in the stretch. CALL HIM ROCKY was three-wide to the 1/8, took the pocket towards the ¼, unplugged ¾. VAN DIESEL gapped, never entered the picture. LYONS JOHNNY sat third, empty not long past the 5/8. CONSTNTLYSIDEWYS A was far back throughout.
SECOND RACE – CIRCLE OF LIFE AS was out until just before the fast ¼ then made the lead, had things her own way from there. PHANTOM RUSTY went to the top then yielded at the ¼ for the two-hole, lost ground the last quarter but still far ahead of the rest. ROUNDTOWN ROCKER backed out to follow cover from before the 5/8, gapped on the turn but was better while wide in the stretch to take third. PRAIRIE VIRTUE started uncovered not long into the backstraight, never reached the leaders. FRAC was well-placed in third, but gapped in the last quarter. ALEXANDER HANOVER spotted fourth, had trouble keeping up most of the last half. CRAZY FOR CJ broke at the start. GOLDEN GLIDER sat inside, had very little to offer.
THIRD RACE – SIR FRANK went right to the lead, got an easy half, and was the easiest of winners. ONION GUM moved out from third 5/8, gained a little but then had to steady early on the turn, was doing better in the latter stages to pass CHEVAL NOIR for second. The latter rode a loose pocket throughout, not enough late. PRAIRIE NUGGET gapped the other three flat horses from the 9/16. BUDDY EARL looked to be trying to gain forward position when breaking before the first turn. ROWDER miscued an 1/8 before the start.
FOURTH RACE – GINA’S ON FIRE went to early command, yielded to EMIRA MIL IT and was content sitting the pocket behind her, outside in the stretch and just got there for the DH1. The latter took over the racetrack past the 1/8 and set the pace, tiring a little late but lasted for the tie. AVE MARIE came out far turn then went back inside when the horses she was circling made breaks, up the Pocono Pike, with sharp late trot to just miss. RHIANNON HANOVER avoided trouble. ULURU broke coming off the turn before the start but quickly caught the field, outside down the back but never got close. KT DOUBLE DEUCE jumped it off past the start. RISK ON was gapping inside when breaking past midturn and going to the infield. SEVEN LICK WAVE stayed with the top two, moved outside ¾ to challenge, made a break nearing headstretch.
FIFTH RACE – A STUD NAMED SAM tucked third, moved out 5/8 and got to the pocket around the gapper ¾, steadily made up a lot of ground and overhauled the tiring leader. FRISKIE ALL NITE took over the pacesetting duties early, rated the half then tried to steal away with a giant third quarter, but got tired in the last 3/16, battled on but could not hold on. THE ROOF RAIDER A gapped cover then got closer as the pace slowed down. JUST A WRANGLER gapped inside, then got briefly stuck behind the fading pocketsitter mid-far turn, followed gaining cover and did OK himself late. DOCTOR BUTCH took the pocket, saw the leader go off to a big lead in the fast third quarter, never a late factor. LOVE THE ACTION was never close. AINTNOSUNSHINE lost contact the last half. FOUR-STAR FLASH broke w-a-y before the start, was pulled up.
SIXTH RACE – JAKARTA PARTYGIRL, the pinto filly, was moving to follow cover at the half when that one broke, went back in then came out 11/16 to challenge, didn’t show high speed but plugged along to hold on for the decision over CHASE MY LINDY. The latter came out ¾, gapped some, then narrowed in with every stride late. SOUTHERN AUTUMN set all the pace, lasted a long way in the stretch. MYREANNA sat in the pocket, fell back on the far turn but then came on again late. PURE WOW broke just before the start, recovered enough to get a payday. LUCKY LIMERICK started outside at the half but soon was on the run. FASHION PRINCESS broke at the ¼. ROMANTIC TILE S followed cover early, then broke trying to go up to challenge after her cover went to the lead.
SEVENTH RACE – CHALLENGER (with Svanstedt in Diamond Creek colors) sat patiently in the two-hole, came out in the lane and went by easily. PARTNER DOLAN tucked third towards the first curve, angled wide in the stretch and finished steadily. NO MORE SWEETS was away alertly, got a breather in quarter two, still gave way some through the lane. BATTLESHIP LANDING gapped but stayed flat. DANCEHALL KING spotted fourth 3/16, came up uncovered, was looking for more when breaking past the ¾. OPTRIX gapped 5/8, bore out and eventually broke.
EIGHTH RACE – FLYINGDRUMSTICKS S went in third at the eighth and sat there, came out headstretch, didn’t find a higher gear until a 1/16 out but when she did she trotted right over these. KEYSTONE SWEETPEA set all the pace at 43-1, just outkicked at the end. TIPSY MONI sat in the two-hole, Pocono Pike, a step shy. LADY LIRA stayed flat but was far back. LOHAN’S LINDY disconnected from the top three to the 5/8. ISLAND DIVA broke off the turn before the start. PEMBROKE MONI jumped at the ¼. SAINT TRIXIE got a slow start and broke while far back past the 5/8.
NINTH RACE – Start of the drizzle … WIN PLACE’N SHOW moved uncovered to the 5/8, had to go three-wide around the late backstretch problem and emerged with the lead, maintained the advantage to the wire. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH was uncovered at the half and worked up to follow cover, also went wide around the incident and then challenged the winner on the turn, couldn’t sustain but a clear second. RENO DINERO was able to swing out wide around the trouble, just third at the wire. AQUAMAN HANOVER quarter-moved to the lead, despite elaborate headrigging saw debris on the track 11/16 and jumped over it, causing massive confusion, recovered and was just passed for third at the wire, but was placed eighth for causing the problem. FULSOME left and was forwardly-placed, checked severely going inside the trouble to the ¾, couldn’t recover. LATEST ATTRACTION sat in, had to go into the infield to avoid the trouble. AMAZON left, yielded, sat in the pocket, tried to get around the breaker 11/16 but himself made an “ix.” ALL CHEDDAR was gapping at the half, made an “ix” with the trouble ahead of him.
TENTH RACE – CRAZYCAT was innermost of four-across leavers behind the pole horse to the first turn, maintained the pocket, then gave same up 3/8, pulled out behind the parked horse 5/8 and was quickly three-wide to two-wide to challenge, made the lead coming off the turn while looking on a line, but had enough to hold on as the pace slowed after the fast fractions. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY backed off from two-wide, stayed in until following LADY’S IMAGE outside midturn, went wider and closed well to be second. The latter was four-wide early, took back to follow cover then was able to get into the pocket 3/8 and stayed tight, outside behind the winner midturn, not quite enough late after a hard route. CUPID HANOVER parked everybody as long as he could in the quick numbers, fell back the last 1/8. ARCHIBALD was three-wide early, went to two-wide and pressed on but was left hung out to dry, looped before the ¾. BANZAI AS was away last then broke 3/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – Track now “sloppy +1” … PEPPERMINT MAN was away second then moved in front of the stands to the lead, saw his two closest pursuers get closer to him on the turn, then drew away late. BOSTON BOUND was away well from the rail, then yielded for the pocket, gapped midrace, got closer to the ¾, then couldn’t match the winner. BULLVILLE STEPHANO came up uncovered 5/8, challenged, went wide coming out of the turn and flattened. JERSEY JUSTICE moved outside far turn and had belated pace. SEASIDE MEDITATION got in third at the 3/16, gapped much of the last half. ABEL DE VIE was never close. QUARANTINI was outside near the back to the ¼, moved again to go around a gapper, then was out with cover but made a break ¾. BET THE BULL gapped before breaking down the back.
TWELFTH RACE – CREDIT CON moved from the pocket at the ¼ and took over, got pressure from the first-over late backstretch, but his bitterest fight was with CELEBRITY ROLEX inside, whom he photoed out. The latter made the early lead, yielded for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, may’ve gotten a nose up midstretch, just missed. ANDOVER CONTESSA came uncovered down the back and challenged hard, held right there well ahead of the rest. MUSCLES JARED stayed in and was next in line. SPIT AND VINEGAR was inside, gapped off the top three much of the last half. DICENTRA was off the gate, never in the picture. WHAT A DAME was uncovered at the half, couldn’t reach eventual cover. SUNDANCE DIAMOND broke past the start, caught the field and was third-over but gapped.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAPTIVATE HANOVER was three-high to the 1/8 and onward to command 3/16, went on at a good clip, held off REDBANK BLAZE A to his left. The latter defended the pocket, waited, came up the Pocono Pike but couldn’t quite reach. HORSE sat in, only came clear just before midstretch, quickly angled wide and quickly made up ground. SEE YA WRITE N tucked, came out down the backstretch but couldn’t sustain his bid. BARNABAS was fifth when taking a bad knucklestep 3/8 and wiping out THE REST OF THE FIELD; he was kept wide the remainder of the way and fell back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – UPFRONT STONE was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, set the pace as he pleased, held everybody safe to the finish even if the last quarter was only 30. WILLIE B WORTHY spotted, went uncovered before the 5/8 and gradually ranged up, fought on hard to be second. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT made the top at the 1/8, yielded 3/16 for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, didn’t gain. TEDDY BROSEVELT sat third-in, appeared to be handled cautiously late while between horses and maybe in tight quarters. KEYSTONE THUNDER moved off turn two to circle a gapper, again outside far turn, couldn’t quite reach. CELEBRITY SERENA stayed in then eventually backed out to circle a gapper, not a contender. LAZER JET got a slow start and was never close. CHOCOTURE gapped out.