FIRST RACE – Upper 70s range; stretch headwind … MIGHTY STUFF left, yielded, moved off the first turn to the lead, yielded again and sat in the two-hole in fast fractions, outside headstretch and worked past MAGICAL JOURNEY. The latter got underway from fifth off the first turn, briefly had cover then proceeded on to the lead into turn two, fast ¾, very good but couldn’t withstand the winner. KEYSTONE THUNDER was four-wide leaving, tucked 3/16, out nearing the ¾, tucked third on the turn, loomed in the Pocono Pike but flattened late. LAZER JET took back early to tuck, had cover late backstretch, uncovered midturn, found better strides a little too late. CHARMING BANK was three-wide early to 3/16 command, saw two go by in quarter two, started to gap 11/16. ANDOVERS TOUCH gapped early and never factored. GREEK LEGEND broke to the 3/8, quickly righted but couldn’t enter contention. CHARLATAN HANOVER showed very little.
SECOND RACE – TERRY A HANOVER went on to the lead before the ¼, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, took over midstretch, then faced a leftside challenge from DIVISION BELL and just prevailed. The latter stayed in all the way, went to the deep Pocono Pike and just missed. SULLIVAN yielded, sat in and was shuffled to last, three-wide turn and four-wide headstretch, very good despite bad luck. WHATA TREASURE was underway into turn two and was second-over, three-wide midturn when cover faltered, kept on coming as the pace slowed. CAVIART STETSON was looped early, looked for a hole but found none so reengaged and went to the lead 3/8, turned back the first-over but was caught. LOVE THE ACTION moved outside from last but ducked back in, not prominent. CALL HIM ROCKY started uncovered before the pacesetter cleared to the top, then made a long challenge, flattened out ¾.
THIRD RACE – STRONGERTHANLINDY was content to sit fourth until late backstretch, when he gained rapidly, took the lead late turn but then had to be kept to hustling to hold on to the lead. HIGHGATE left, forced a tuck then strung a foe out to the 3/8 before yielding for the pocket, shuffled a bit on the turn, then to the Pocono Pike and almost had enough to get there. MATS PALEMA was out three-wide 3/16 then a like distance two-wide to get the front, yielded the lead but not the inside around the turn, fought on (in the 1:30 last 3/4s). ORIGINAL SMOKEY took the pocket past the 3/16, wound up third-in, backed out behind the winner on the turn but gapped a little, then went on evenly. PRECISE FASHION made a break early, made a huge recovery to catch the field by the backstretch, tried to thread between horses in very tight quarters approaching the wire, huge effort after the error. SOUTH FOR WINTER gapped at the 5/8. FAMOUS DAN broke early, made some recovery then broke again at the half.
FOURTH RACE –UTE BLUE CHIP was still gapping a bit when moved outside from fourth off the second turn, grinded up and kept on grinding to take the decision over BLANK CHEEK. The latter was in front before the 1/8, yielded in front of the stands for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, came up just shy. CLOCKSTRIKESTWELVE moved off the first turn to the lead before the 3/8, slowed the half then picked up the pace, tired in the latter stages. UBIQUITOUS HANOVER gapped slightly second-over. C DIDDY’S GAL swung wide from last and got the last check. SOUTHWIND COCKTAIL got the early two-spot, faded from the 5/8. JUST SHOCKING did not get close.
FIFTH RACE – KELLY’S BABY went on to 3/16 command, had the field strung out behind her, ran away in the stretch. HONORABLE LADY gained early pocket positioning, stayed close to the winner until the stretch, then was a clear second. SAINT TRIXIE gapped a bit inside down the back and through the turn, to the Pocono Pike, just edged a bunch for the distant third. ARVA DE VIE moved uncovered 5/8 but couldn’t get close. PRAY AND HUSTLE was forwardly-placed but went loose in the three-hole 11/16. TSM LOYAL T was outside but far back, went between horses in the lane and may not have had full clearance to battle for a higher position at the wire. MADISON HANOVER gapped out late backstretch.
SIXTH RACE – COMBUSTION was out in the two-wide flow, left uncovered as a foe cleared on the turn, ducked inside that one and was just along. FULL SUPPORT started uncovered at the ½, got cover 5/8, lost it as the cover went inside after the breaker, went on to take the lead, just failed to last in a good last quarter. BARBOSSA HANOVER moved outside ¾, best of the others. BULLVILLE STEPHANO was last, had some belated gain. LUCKISONTHEWAY left and got the pocket, pulled out before the 5/8, briefly got the lead as the pacesetter broke 11/16 but was soon passed, faded. ALWAYS RUTHLESS tucked third at the 1/8, to the pocket before the 5/8, briefly checked after the leader ran, but had no more to give thereafter. LIFE IS A BET was far back. SWEET TIMBER went to the lead in a quick quarter, strung the field out in quarter two, had his rivals coming to him 11/16 when making a break and going to the infield.
SEVENTH RACE – CHOCOLATE MATTERS sat in the pocket until the stretch, went to the Pocono Pike and gradually trotted away. FRAC was on top just past the 1/8, set the pace as he pleased, couldn’t stall the winner but was clear of the rest. O JONNIE tucked third at the 1/8, stayed in, followed the winner at a short distance in the stretch to claim show. KEYSTONE SERGEANT went uncovered at the half, edged closer to get to the wheel of the leader on the turn, flattened a little. SCIROCCO PATRICK gapped second-over, evenly. CATELLO TOO didn’t have a great flow from which to operate from third-over, wide and had some trot late. BAZAAR BAZAAR never factored. PRAIRIE VIRTUE took back on the first turn to last, could see them all from there.
EIGHTH RACE – CHARLESTON was uncovered before the 5/8 and grinded up, won fairly easily. SOUTHWIND GUINESS backed out behind the winner on the turn, paused briefly early stretch in confusion, then regathered and finished well for second. ALEXA’S FANTASY made the pocket past the 1/8, was going to go to the Pocono Pike but the leader drifted down into it, so had to take back and go outside, came back OK. TWIN B HIGH TECH sat in, was committed to the deep Pike when there was trouble, couldn’t recover. VEGAN set the pace, hard to steer battling early stretch and went down into the Pocono Pike causing confusion, tired. MARY MARTHA was away slowly and was always far back, came back with “b.e.” SUNSHINE CHIP retucked around the gapper but then herself came up empty.
NINTH RACE – SCOTTISH was out most of the quarter taking back, gapped then closer ¾, had enough to trot past everybody in a 31 kicker. WEATHER VANES was in the pocket after an early breaker, started to edge out headstretch but then went to the Pocono Pike, outkicked to the far outside. SUNBERRY HANOVER was around the breaker to the lead, set a slow pace, still did not hold up. JOHNNY TRIX gapped then got closer and moved raw 5/8, got aflank of the pocket horse but no closer. STANDTHEPAIN AS sat third, loose midrace then closer, tried the deep Pike and may have been in tight quarters when breaking midstretch. OSVALDO HANOVER was far back, trying to make up ground when breaking early stretch. CS EXPLOSIVE CHIP left and had a slight lead until breaking towards the first curve.
TENTH RACE – BLACK HAWK DOWN was away third, moved outside 9/16 and grinded up, went right on by in the stretch. ROBERTSIN was looped early, in front off turn one, slowed the half then sped up, couldn’t shake the first-over in a quick third quarter then gave way, just photoing out two others for second. ARGENTO and AGGIORNAMENTO were both far back entering the stretch (the latter after breaking leaving), then both finished solidly wide. AMBERS CHAMPION looped rivals to the top, yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, not enough in the latter stages. PADRE moved outside but gapped cover. MATTER OF TRUST never entered the main picture. BILL BAUER moved out to follow cover but broke before the 5/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – MIKI MINAJ was three-wide early then two-wide to the front 3/16, pushed a brusher then yielded and stayed connected, had the room to back out and then go wide early stretch, went past these easily. MCDREAMER tucked, then quarter-moved but was pushed to clear past the 3/8, had to fight the first-over late backstretch through the turn, powerless to stop the winner. DANCE PARTNER made the early lead, yielded, gapped in third at the half but then got in gear and went first-over before the 5/8, challenged late backstretch and around the bend, couldn’t sustain the move. HANDSOFFMYTITOS gapped down the backstretch, evenly late. JITTERBUG FLIP was behind a dull one third-over, beat out the rest. THE NEXT TWO were never prominent. WARRAWEE EXTREME moved uncovered into turn two and got cover before midbackstretch but gapped it despite urging.
TWELFTH RACE – EXAMINER HANOVER was three-wide early, got the lead by the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, moved out 5/8 and cleared to the lead easily, won safely. CLAYTONS BETTOR N made two speed moves then yielded for the pocket, outside when the winner went by late backstretch, left raw then quickly took the pocket, tried in the lane but second-best. BIG BOSS HILL sat in and was shuffled when the inner tier collapsed, out in a blindswitch midturn, found room between horses in the stretch and had a good late response. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL started the outer train on turn two, got cover but gapped it, evenly. LEVINE closed well from far back for the last check. JAHAN HANOVER was in the cover flow but didn’t have much late response. STARVIN MARVIN never factored. HITMAN HILL moved at the quarter and went on to the lead 3/8, packed it in when challenged late backstretch.
THIRTEENTH RACE – FIX-IT-UP avoided trouble and slow starters early, moved uncovered past the 5/8, had a small lead on the turn, an advantage he extended through the lane. MUSCLES JARED tried for the early lead but accepted the pocket 3/16, out behind the winner ¾, clearly second. TUIS SHADOW started slowly, found a path from far back and went wide on the turn, finished well. CUPID HANOVER set the pace, under pressure from the 11/16, not enough late. SUNDANCEDIAMOND also was away slowly, moved outside but never got close. TEDDY BROSEVELT tucked third after a foe broke, fell back. ONE MARGARITA misstepped 3/16 and went to the infield, made another break far turn.