FIRST RACE – Mid to high 80s; stretch headwind … MUSCLES JARED moved 5/8 and quickly went by ¾, won by a ton. CHOCOLATE MATTERS stayed semiconnected, wide into the stretch and a clear distant second. PHANTOM RUSTY had the pocket, backed out behind the winner ¾, not too much. PADRE set the pace, had no answer for the winner ¾ and tired. GREEK LEGEND was away slowly and was never a factor. KEYSTONE SERGEANT broke before the first turn.
SECOND RACE – HORSE was innermost of three leavers, maintained the pocket and stayed close, outside late turn, paced away easily from the pacesetting BRACKLEY BEACH. The latter was three-wide early to the lead at the 1/8, kept the field strung out, clearly second-best. BIG BAD BILL left between horses and tucked third to the 1/8, held that position to the line. JUST A WRANGLER moved outside from way back 5/8, never a major danger. THE OTHER TWO never presented a threat.
THIRD RACE – PURE HOPE S inherited the pocket after the first turn breaker, a bit loose in the pocket, up the Pocono Pike and trotted by late. HALEY HILL was three-wide to the first turn and two-wide to 1/8 command, was clear on the lead until the stretch, outtrotted near the line. OLD MAGIC struggled a little in third near the ¾, evenly late while well ahead of the rest. VALLORA KEMP made the early pocket, broke 3/16, recovered enough to be a very distant fourth. ARDELLA stayed fairly close until the stretch, then fell way back. MOMMAS A DIVA broke early.
FOURTH RACE – HOW THE HELL moved uncovered 5/8 and gradually advanced, had the most in the second half of the stretch. ROJO MAN was away second then quarter-moved, set the pace, held the lead to midstretch. CS EXPLOSIVE CHIP, a little off the gate, tried to follow the winner but couldn’t quite keep up, some late. STANDTHEPAIN AS looked to be leaving but broke early, made a big recovery but did finish ahead of tiring horses. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN was quickly on the lead, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, stayed close until the stretch then had nothing left to give. WINE BAR was not away quickly, stayed out of the way of the first turn breaker, never got into the main battle. ROWDER gave way very badly heading to the ¾.
FIFTH RACE – GOTTA GET CRACKIN took control from the pole and fronted these throughout, saw off a brief challenge on the far turn and won in hand. PARTNER DOLAN was three-wide to the 1/8, fit into third near the ¼, came out raw 5/8 to advance and look menacing ¾, flattened a little late turn, bore out in the stretch but continued to pursue. CIVIL UNION made the pocket at the 1/8, a bit loose from the 5/8, fell back inside in the lane. BATTLESHIP LANDING stayed in until the stretch, couldn’t gain. FOX HOLE moved into turn two, wound up third-over but was behind a dull second-over, avoided that one when he broke on the turn, got the final payday. SCOTTY DEO came uncovered at the half, got cover 5/8 but couldn’t reach it, broke early far turn. EVER HOPEFUL G was struggling near the back when breaking far turn. BT BABE misbehaved at the start.
SIXTH RACE — FRAZZLEBERRY made two speed moves in a fast-slow-fast pattern, the second “fast” because FULSOME reached him at the 5/8 and would not go away to the wire, just held on as the tempo moderated. The latter came with a rush at the half and was out raw fighting the winner from midbackstretch onward, unlucky to lose. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH lagged in the fast third fraction then was in gear on the turn, wide and gaining steadily. WIN PLACE’N SHOW was second-over but gapped, tucked in on the far turn, wedged between horses in what appeared very tight quarters, gained through the lane. AMAZON left well and made the lead 3/16, yielded to the winner and never was far behind the big second half duel, just a bit shy late. LATEST ATTRACTION had too much ground to make up. I’LL TAKE THE BET never featured. RENO DINERO gapped the front two in the first split, then faded from third starting at the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – POSSESS THE STONE was three-wide to the first turn and onward to the lead, really wasn’t tested until the stretch and had enough to win against this group. SPRING IN PARIS left between horses and wound up in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, close but had to settle for a DH2. JUSTIFY tucked fourth while slightly rough, uncovered near the 5/8, bore out in the stretch but still trotted home evenly for his 18.5% reward. CRITICAL MASS left some from the rail, backed out to second-over, even finish. SCIROCCO PATRICK was out second-over 5/8 but gapped, ducked in far turn, evenly. SHAKE IT OFF LINDY gapped, then had too far to come even in a slowing pace. IDEAL SCHOONER went wide late turn but couldn’t reach. FRAC never f(r)actored.
EIGHTH RACE – CAPTAIN’S STAR took immediate control from the pole, walked to the half, rebuffed the first-over then held off favored TWO PROUD with solid 55.1 – 27.1 speed. The left protected the pocket, had his shot in the stretch and did well but lacked the needed quickstep. IMAREALROCKINLADY tucked third, seemed to be fighting to be given her head much of the way, did move outside 11/16 and quickly moved to the flank of the winner, but then backed off and didn’t hold third by much. JAGGED LITTLE PILL and LET ME BE ME gapped midrace, evenly late. HELLRUNNER HANOVER was not prominent. SWEETBEEDO went frontward belatedly, midpack when breaking 3/16.
NINTH RACE – MYREANNA gapped midpack down the back, closer and then up the Pocono Pike to get the victory. SOUTHERN AUTUMN was three-wide leaving then onward to the lead 3/16, went a slow Q2, picked it up when challenged, couldn’t hold on to the lead to the wire. PLUM WINE went to the front going to turn one, yielded, tightened in the pocket down the back, outside past midturn after the first-over broke, but drifted wide and lost ground. JAKARTA PARTYGIRL gapped cover the second half. WILD KAT G went uncovered 3/8, made a nice long challenge, but went offstride midturn. QUINNPATRICKSHEA broke right past the start. GOO GOO LU LU made a delayed forward move early, had about reached third on the outside when miscuing 3/16.
TENTH RACE – TOP ME OFF let the early scene resolve itself then moved up, made the lead 3/8, was in no danger the rest of the way. LADY’S IMAGE was three-wide early, moved to the point 3/16, yielded a like distance later for the pocket, went loose in the stretch but still held second. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY moved out behind dull cover on the turn, had some trot on the end. THE LAST CHAPTER left and had the early pocket, vacated third ¾ but did not gain at all. VIC’S WINNER moved outside but didn’t enter contention. ZLATAN was struggling to keep up the last 5/16. TEDDY BROSEVELT never entered the main picture. KEEGAN HO was trying for early positioning when making a break nearing turn one.
ELEVENTH RACE – ABRUZZO trotted to command 3/16, rated the pace as he pleased then drew away with a last quarter of 28.4. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT yielded for the pocket, unplugged mid-far turn but still a clear second. THE WORLD OWES ME was locked in from the 5/8, finally clear in the Pocono Pike and was along for third. FAMOUS DAN moved uncovered with little effect. PRIMO VOLO was outside near the rearward half of the field until midrace then got cover, three-wide headstretch but didn’t gain. U BAKE THE CAKE was wide early, behind cover then spotted third 3/16, left a widening gap in third from the 5/8. NORTHERN BLIZZARD never got close; nor did MOJAVE HANOVER.
TWELFTH RACE – CAN’T SAY NO used track geometry to maximum advantage in setting the pace, drew off in the last quarter. CHUCKY DE VIE went into the pocket at the 1/8, stayed close to the ¾, then unplugged but still retained second. GRAPPLE HANOVER spotted third at the 1/8, was semiloose from the pocket horse down the back, retained third. WILLIE B WORTHY moved outside before the ¾ but couldn’t get close for even second. CELEBRITY ROLEX didn’t have much inside. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT showed little. EXPLOSIVEBREAKAWAY made a break while midpack 3/16.
THIRTEENTH RACE – REDBANK BLAZE A forced a 25.4 quarter in a hot battle, yielded but retook 3/8, kept right on rolling and took a new mark of 1:50.2 at age nine in the second-bottom class. LEVINE was wide early, got in third at the ¼, gapped down the back, then outside far turn as the pocketsitter gave way, a clear if distant second. HEARTBEAT HILL came on for third edging out A STUD NAMED SAM, who came on from far back. DRAGON ROARS AGAIN was four-wide past the 1/8, two-wide to the lead in a 25.4 opener, yielded, stayed close to the 11/16 then packed it in. BAY MEADOWS left, was three-wide and about to be looped so took a midpack tuck, uncovered off turn two but never got close. BLUEJEANSNREDWINGS got away last from the rail, little. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT was gapping by the half.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CUPID HANOVER left and got the early pocket behind the fast pace, started to ease out late turn then chose to go inside, along in the Pocono Pike; an inquiry was launched to check on possible interference headstretch, which was disallowed, but then the inquiry expanded to include a possible pylon violation, and it was found that CUPID HANOVER did go inside a pylon, for which he was placed fourth, behind the three horses lapped on him at the wire. DICENTRA tucked third, came clear early stretch and was making up ground in the 31 kicker; placed first. PREACHER MAN was out with cover but gapped it, then gained in the slowing tempo late. MAGICAL JOURNEY went huge fractions on the front end, held the lead a long way before tiring. SUNDANCEDIAMOND broke before the first turn, recovered but gapped, narrowed in as the pace slowed. SPIT AND VINEGAR gapped down the back. LAZER JET moved uncovered 5/8, challenged, made a break turning for home. ARCHIBALD was looped, went offstride 3/16.