FIRST RACE – Hot and stretch headwind until midcard, when rain came in, got the track rerated to “sloppy +1,” and started a cooling process … ROCK KING DEO moved with good cover second-over, couldn’t stay with the first-over upper stretch as he took over but then surged at the end to be up in the last step. AMERICA’S GUEST pulled from third 5/8 and challenged, got a lead far turn and went clear early stretch, couldn’t quite hold on despite frantic urging. BNG’S EXPRESS was in control of a lineup once the outside two horses had trouble, rated the half, couldn’t handle pressure far turn, just lasted for third. AIN’T IT FUN stayed in, gapped, had some late pace. ARTACHE HANOVER had the pocket in the lineup, shuffled as the pacesetter tired far turn, finally got to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have much response. OWEN left and was between horses past the 1/8 when making a break, took out IT’SGOODTOBETHEKING dropping in behind him, placed behind that one.
SECOND RACE – BOARDWALK BET let the front end settle then was in gear before the 3/16 and cleared in front of the stands, slowed the half then picked up the pace to ward off the first-over, drew clear in the lane. STORMY HALL GB was wide early to the top, yielded for the pocket, got a bit loose an 1/8 out but maintained second over DIVINE RIGHT. The latter protected early position, was third-in, to the Pocono Pike and just missed place. MAJOR SHOW was carried up well second-over, gapped a little far turn, then had some pace on the end of it. DILLINGER wasn’t keeping up on the turn, inside, evenly. BAY CITY was third=over, three-wide late turn, couldn’t reach. ZEUS HANOVER started the outer tier early, challenged with a good move in Q3, but couldn’t sustain.
THIRD RACE – Three in, three out at the quarter … ABSOLUTE POWER was away second then was quarter-mover #1, yielded for the pocket, outside midturn and quickly in gear, drew clear past midstretch. GINGER TREE COCO was quarter-mover #2, cover to the 5/16 then uncovered to command just past the 3/8, set the pace, couldn’t stall the winner late. ULTIMATE LOULOU left well to the lead at the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, started to struggle to keep up 11/16, still far ahead of the rest. ADULT SWIM never made a splash here. SUNNY PASADENA was uncovered off the second turn but never got close. PEMBROKE SOUTHIE looked at leaving but took back, never really settled against the pegs and tried moving up again past the 3/8, got cover but couldn’t impact much.
FOURTH RACE – CRAZY ABOUT PAT was limbed three-deep to the 3/16 then two-wide 5/16 before getting the lead, braced for the charge of favored pocketsitter JOEY PRO and withstood that one in a long drive. The latter left between horses, crossed over 3/16 and yielded 5/16, out towards midturn, good but not quite enough. TRUMP THIS was third-over in a nonflow, three-wide 11/16 to two-wide on the turn, next in line. STEEL RESERVE was buried inside, angled to widest headstretch and finished well. NATURAL KEMP was outside behind a going-nowhere horse and was blindswitched, cleared, evenly. WARRIOR WAY left but took all the way back to last, no factor thereafter. CAMPBELLINI pushed the early action, yielded, started to gap midturn. POSSESS THE STONE looked to be half-and-half down the back whether to come out or not, stayed in and was no factor.
FIFTH RACE – HELLO YES HI grinded up to the lead at the ¼, slowed the half yet still strung out the field, drew away with back fractions of 56 – 27.3. PROUD MARY defended the pocket and stayed tight most of the way, then had to settle for second. STRAWBERRY FIELDS came out of third ¾, ducked inside stretch, OK. GINGER TREE LENA couldn’t keep up far turn. THE LAST TWO could make no impact.
SIXTH RACE – The amateur drivers got into the recent Dead Heat For Win mania at Pocono – and appropriate that as rain increased, one of the horses involved was WALKINGINTHERAIN, who sat the pocket, backed out as the first-over brushed by, was left raw, cleared to the inside on the turn, outside headstretch and was up to tie BIG NUDGE. The latter came uncovered on the second turn and built up steam to go by to the ¾, lasted for the DH1. SILVERMASS VOLO stayed connected and also backed out, followed cover, wide in the lane and didn’t miss by much. TIDQUIST gradually took back, moved outside with cover then was three-wide 11/16 the duration, far back fourth. THE BIG MUSCLE gapped at points, moved outside but didn’t go anywhere. TAKE SHAPE set the pace, all one when challenged ¾. INNISFALLEN gapped, no factor.
SEVENTH RACE – Track changed to “sloppy +1,” and probably brought gradual cooling … MY LITTLE CAPTAIN spotted, came with a quick burst just past the 5/8 and challenged hard, proved the best in a three-way stretch fight. DOLE WHIM moved out behind the winner, went to the Pocono Pike, went on steadily and was second. HALLELUJAH HANOVER was looped, went on at the 1/8 to take over by the ¼, yielded to another early mover for the pocket, then pulled same early in the backstretch to regain command, fought with the winner, a little tired late. SQUARE DEAL was first to the top, saw many lead changes, not quite enough late. LITTLE LADY J moved out before the ¼, briefly with cover then on to the top 3/8, yielded 5/8 and faded. ESPERANZA HANOVER was not keeping up when breaking far turn.
EIGHTH RACE – A CRAFTY LADY tucked fourth just past the 1/8, then was uncovered headed to turn two, grinded to the top before headstretch, enough to withstand the closers. THEREWASTHISGIRL was third-over, three-wide around a gapper far turn, steadily closed in. SLICK ARTIST A followed the place horse and finished with pace. BRONZE OVER N had an excess of cover, came between horses in tight quarters late and did well. FREE FLYIN TICKET made the front then yielded for the two-hole, shuffled far turn, but then didn’t have much late, came back with “b.e.” TRAFFIC JAM made two early moves to set the pace, tired in the last 3/16. BYGONE HANOVER was third-in, shuffled far turn, finally to the Pocono Pike, didn’t gain. CHIPPER DAISY kept up well second-over until the ¾, then gapped and was blindswitched.
NINTH RACE – FAST MACHINE went to the lead at the 1/8 and raced on an open-length lead throughout, came home in 55.2 in the slop all by herself. EAGER TO PLEASE yielded at the 1/8 and was loose in the two-hole all the way around, but still far clear of the rest. BARDMIRY couldn’t stay with the pocket horse, held on for third in the fast last half. CATIE FAYE HANOVER was being slowly-advancing cover but still gapped, a little better at the end. LIGHTNING LEIA went first-over into turn two but never got close, tired in the lane. DRAGON SPARKS had little inside. BROOKDALE JESSIE was near the rear throughout.
TENTH RACE – Wind had calmed after the storm came through … DRAMA ACT made the lead 3/16, slowed the half then picked it up to meet a stiff first-over challenge, drew away in the stretch. SHES PUKKA N pushed the early issue then yielded for the pocket and stayed connected, battled on to hold second over MILIEU HANOVER. The latter moved up sharply first-over with a 26.4 third quarter, kept fighting on the turn, then tired some. SLY ELEANOR N went up for an early tuck and got one third nearing the 3/16, inside, Pocono Pike, OK. TECHYS ANGEL A hustled to catch up with cover to the second turn, gapped then hustled again to catch up to it late backstretch, went three-wide but couldn’t improve. TEMPURA HANOVER sat in and gapped down the back.
ELEVENTH RACE – WESTBEACH was uncovered into the second turn, went 27 down the back to take a shot at the leader, finally worked to the front very late. SCARLETT HANOVER had a good trip second-over, swung wide but couldn’t quite get there. TALK SHOW CHICA went quickly to the lead, really slowed quarter two then picked it up as the challengers came on, held to near deep stretch. CRAZY CUTE tucked second to the 3/16, just a little loose much of the rest of the way. THE OTHER PAIR were not prominent.
TWELFTH RACE – ABBY ROSE was third-over, made a big three-wide move around the far turn and sustained the gain to get the decision. BRILLIANT BEAUTY came through at the start and controlled the throttle, fought with the first-over a long way and tied that one for second. IRON MISTRESS took on first-over duties off the second bend, grinded away all the way to the finish. JUXTA COWGIRL was second-over, gapped some ¾ and was blindswitched, a little better at the end. ABUELITA HANOVER stayed in, gapped, then angled wide in the lane and came on late. ROSE RUN VICTORIA left and was three-wide nearing turn one, took the pocket at the 1/8, tired. SUNRISE HANOVER gapped at the back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DELISHKA N went right to the lead, got a rest to the half, then was in no danger of being caught. SOMTHNGABOUTMARY N was wide early, went up to tuck third at the 1/8, found room between horses before midstretch and came on well for second. DELIGHTFUL SUMMER left and yielded for the two-hole, was found wanting at crunch time. NIMAH FRANCO N started uncovered before the 3/8, never really threatened the leader, held OK. GREENHILLDEBATABLE slotted fourth, came out late on the turn, up for the last check. NARINA HANOVER moved with cover 3/8 but was already gapping coming off the second turn. TSM ARTEMIS T didn’t show enough. MADAME LEZA A got a slow start and gapped at the back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – STRAIGHT UP COOL is probably best described as “two-wide the duration,” although he might have been half-and-half at points: left wide, followed a quarter-mover, may or may not have had the room to tuck in the pocket just past the 3/8 but went on raw, challenged, may have been one-and-a-half wide late on the turn, found on courageously and came home in 28 after all the usage to get the nod. TONY TOO TALL moved from second early in front of the winner, then had that one coming at him the entire way, just missed on the money. I’VE GOT HOOTSPA was third-over, followed cover three-wide late on the turn, narrowed in nicely. DEETZY was out behind the parked winner, three-wide 11/16 the duration, held his ground well to the finish. ROCK THREE TIMES got the last check. RYCROFT N gapped at the back. BELLOWS BINGE went away well to command, saw two go by quarter two, not much late, returned with “b.e.” GONNAHAVEONEMORE did not factor.