FIRST RACE – Warm; stretch tailwind at the start … FRAZZLEBERRY left well to take over early, then pushed a brusher the length of the frontstretch in a quick Q2 (with the wind) before yielding for the pocket, waited until the lane then moved out and worked on by. MY WISH CAME TRUE left, briefly tucked third 3/16, soon back out on a quarter move but had to work to clear before the second turn, continued on quickly, went a big mile while well ahead of the rest. BARRYWHITE HANOVER had the early pocket then sat third much of the rest of the way, tiring nearing the ¾. COXCOMB stayed in, evenly. MY BOY JACK spotted, moved at the half, tried to circle dull cover 11/16 but didn’t make much forward progress. BETTORS AUTHORITY started slowly and was always out of the main picture. JET ACE came uncovered off turn two, gained little before fading a lot. WESTERN WALTZ fell far back.
SECOND RACE – THE WALL pushed an opponent well past a hot opener before yielding for the pocket, content to sit behind the fast pace until approaching the stretch, then outside and finished strongly. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP paced a stiff early price for getting the lead, continued on at a good clip, finished very well but beaten by the pocket rocket. STRAIGHT UP COOL started uncovered on turn two, got cover off that bend, gapped it then tightened behind it late backstretch, three-wide far turn, found better strides a little too late. STELLAR YANKEE went raw entering the backstretch, grinded, not a win factor but kept to task gamely. TONY TOO TALL sat third-in, Pocono Pike, evenly. FRISKIE ALL NIGHT looked at leaving but looked a bit rough and took back; he and THE OTHER PAIR were far removed late from the others.
THIRD RACE – UNDERTAKER took over 3/16 and rolled along, won nicely. PREMIER ROCKSTAR was third-over in a semiadvancing flow, four-wide late turn, had to steady upper stretch then regathered and passed a lot of horses late. AIN’T IT FUN stayed inside and gained a little late. LITTLEBITASWAGGER yielded for the pocket, eased out early stretch, lost a bit of ground. HUNDIE N gapped in quarter two, then moved uncovered and one-geared up, had to feather a little wide when the pocketsitter came out, OK. CONCUR stayed in, to the Pocono Pike and gained a bit late. ZOEES BOY HENRY was second-over, three-wide midturn, in tight quarters twice in the stretch (first from the outside, then from the inside), continued to pace steadily despite the road trouble. KILLER MARTINI was off the gate and always last.
FOURTH RACE – PURPLE POET was able to secure the pocket after the trouble past mid-first turn, waited, then outside to headstretch and paced his own last quarter in 27.1 to win with surprising ease. CURIOUS CORTEZ looked ready to surrender the lead and the inside when the outer foe broke and bothered another, so he set the pace, asked for more on the turn, could do nothing about the winner but stayed clear of the rest. PUZZLING stayed in, behind a gapper on the turn, beat that one out for the distant third. FRANCO TOTEM N spotted and avoided the early trouble, couldn’t keep up the last 3/16. WHAT’S GOIN ON moved out but went back in when the outer tiers clogged. PLAY THE FIELD was wide leaving, pushed very wide when a horse made a break before the 3/16, took back to fourth off the first turn, moved out raw 11/16 but had no more in the tank. STELLAR BB moved out 5/8 then got cover, went three-wide when that one went nowhere, but himself had little to offer. SADIQ HANOVER left well, was getting close to be clearing to the lead inside when equipment failed, made a break and was pulled up with the marshal aiding.
FIFTH RACE – GOOD DEAL backed out to third-over at the half, swung three-wide early on the far turn and gained through that bend, stayed game and won in a blanket finish. HIGH BALLER left, a mite steppy and tucked fourth, uncovered down the backstretch and advanced rapidly (27.1 vs. the wind) to make a big challenge on the leader, looked shaken off headstretch but went on with great courage. RIFLEMAN was second-over, gapped 5/8, then found more, was blindswitched then backed out behind the winner and was four-wide in the lane, finished well. BETTOR NOT TALK was between horses much of the ¼, went to the lead past that point, had pressure most of the last half mile, gave way only a little bit. COPPER TEEN was three-wide 3/16 before backing off to tuck third, inside, was behind a wall of horses late. CERTIFIABLE stayed in, then backed out to fourth-over, three-wide far turn, came between horses, clear midstretch and gained. ELLIOT MOOSE pushed the ¼ and yielded for the pocket, had a good trip but didn’t have much late. DONTPASSME HANOVER gapped at a couple of points, picked up some ground widest late.
SIXTH RACE – DANDY moved second-over, gapped early backstretch but drew tighter, three-wide late turn, showed his late kick and determination again in defeating older foes. ONE AFTER NINE was out most of the ¼ to get control, yielded it for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, steadily but outkicked. RED REDEMPTION pushed the ¼, yielded but was quick to retake, couldn’t sustain his advantage. NIGHT FLYER K was uncovered into turn two, moved quickly to battle the leader early in the backstretch, kept up the attack, held OK. WORTHY OF HONOR sat in, not keeping tight ¾. EPOS OSTERVANG DK stayed in when the outer tier formed, never made a move. BEABOB’S BOSS broke approaching the start, recovered to catch the field, went outside but didn’t factor.
SEVENTH RACE – PARK OFFICIAL was three-wide to the first turn, hit the front just past the ¼ but soon released the brusher, vacated the pocket 11/16 and steamed right by, very impressive. SHNITZLEDOSOMETHIN stayed on the rail, went to the Pocono Pike and had some late speed for the very distant second. BELLOWS BINGE pushed the winner early, yielded but immediately retook, left behind by the winner ¾ and fell back. IC A FREE SPIRIT sat in, gapped the loose pocketsitter on the turn, no factor. IDEAL COWBOY had traffic woes from last. WINNING IS SWEET went in fourth 3/16, came out 5/8 and would have had cover 11/16 if he could have reached it, left raw, very little. RAPTORS FLASH N was away last from the rail, outside, three-wide turn, didn’t gain.
EIGHTH RACE – CHATELROLL was uncovered at the half and in high gear quickly, went 26.3 the third split to battle the leader from the 5/8 all the way around the turn, after which he took the lead and drew off impressively. SHNITZLEDOSOMETHIN kept a hole closed early, got to the Pocono Pike and had late foot to catch NUTCRACKER SWEET for second. The latter was out to the ¼ to gain control but surrendered it quickly, outside behind the winner late turn, not quite enough for the deuce. PRAIRIE PANTHER left a big gap second-over, OK late. VETTEL N made two moves to control the pace, empty when called upon 3/16 out. ROCKIE GOT FRAMED was behind dull cover, inside, never prominent. JK MUSICMAN gapped at the back. CAVIART ROCKLAND was not a factor when breaking midturn.
NINTH RACE – ROLLINWITHAMBITION was four-wide to the first turn and three-wide to the 3/16, then two-wide to the lead 5/16, was under direct attack by three different horses at various points but held with great braveness. ROUGH ODDS followed the early backstretch sweeper wide, was left out three-wide 5/8 until past midturn, kept gaining in the lane in a dead-game performance of his own. BRAVO TEX N was away sharply from the rail and protected the pocket until late on the turn, won a photo over THE MOONSHADOW N for third. The latter took back early, sat in, got to the Pocono Pike, OK. CAVIART MAX was three-wide early then two-wide taking back much of the ¼, not long inside before again going two-wide, three-wide not far off turn two and challenged two-wide from the 5/8 to past midturn, then backed off. MAJOR DESIRE was not heard from. RICKYBOBBYNTHEHAUS was three-wide early and looped, lost cover 5/16 and went up to challenge but was left out in the breeze, looped 5/8 and gradually faded.
TENTH RACE – RUTHLESS HANOVER lived up to his name – three-wide to the first turn then two-wide to go up and wrest the lead, kept up a demanding tempo and equaled the 1:47.4 fastest mile of the local year. CASUAL COOL was the innermost of leavers, pushed the winner a ways before yielding, couldn’t keep up at the ¾ but held for second over J M MANDAMIN. The latter spotted early, went first-up (26.3 against the wind in Q3) without getting close to the winner, but kept to task doggedly. BEE TWO BEE passed laboring horses. HELLABALOU stayed close until mid-far turn. SOUTHWIND OZZI gapped in quarter two, was never a factor. THE OTHER TWO were well back.
ELEVENTH RACE – DICENTRA moved with cover on the second turn, gapped it, was left uncovered just past the 5/8, got inside just past the ¾, went to the Pocono Pike and won a blanket finish. AP HALL OF TRIX went right to the lead, resisted the backstretch brusher a bit then had him go by but stayed up on the bit, outside late turn, steadily to the wire to just miss. HALL IT OFF was on the move early on the second turn and made a big rush off the bend to challenge for the lead, worked by past the 5/8, but then just failed to maintain the advantage to the line. DAGON HANOVER backed out to the two-wide tier, gained in the slowing late tempo. MOON BRIDGE gapped much of the last half, then gained behind a wall of horses in the decelerating late tempo. UPFRONT STONE never factored. FASHION ON A STAR accepted the pocket past the 1/8, couldn’t keep pace from the 5/8.
TWELFTH RACE – MINDTRIP was three-wide past the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead 5/16, set the pace, drew clear early stretch, confidently handled to the wire. REGAL SON went a weird mile — he left, was looped, dangled outside midpack or further back, finally ducked in late backstretch, came up the rail and got the Pocono Pike when the pocketsitter moved out, paced steadily late. BROTHER JAMES moved out into a blindswitch later on the backstretch, cleared headstretch and had finishing pace. STAR MESSENGER shut a hole late first turn, moved uncovered at the half, challenged, fell back. UNICO LEGEND N was in front early, then yielded 5/16 for the pocket, outside for the drive but went backwards. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was always at or near the back. MAJOR BEAN was second-over, three-wide 11/16 but never got close.
THIRTEEN RACE – BIZYS BEATLE made the top, yielded for the pocket, used the Pocono Pike and drew away. A STUD NAMED SAM was last much of the way, moved out, three-wide midturn and four-wide headstretch, passed everyone else late. ROCK KING DEO went uncovered at the half, pressed the leader hard, a bit shy in the latter stages. IT’SGOODTOBEDAKING went up wide and crossed over to the lead 3/16, had pressure from the first-over, couldn’t last. OWEN was inside, had clearance when the pocketsitter went to the Pike, not too much. ARTACHE HANOVER sat in, found a sliver of room early stretch and gained then was shut off near the wire. YANKEE OSBORNE was three-wide leaving, looked like he jumped over the shadow of a light pole before the 1/8, recovered and was outside, got cover, three-wide late turn but no more left to give. ROSE EXPRESS backed out to third-over, gapped, was blindswitched far turn, then had no room late.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Wind had calmed … INDICTABLE HANOVER moved uncovered at the half, speed-grinded his last half in 55 and just beat out the railshooting REDBANK BLAZE A. The latter left strongly from the inside, yielded to a brusher to sit in the pocket, urged to stay close on the turn, to the Pocono Pike and raced very well but was just edged out. GUINNESS PANIC was out just before the ¼ and went to the lead, went his middle half in 54.4, was passed to both sides midstretch. SHANE ADAM retained the early pocket, stayed in, nowhere to go on the turn, outside in the stretch and gained some late. LYONS NIGHT HAWK was second-over but gapped out; THE OTHER TWO also did not feature late.