FIRST RACE – Mid to high 70s; stretch headwind … ROCK THREE TIMES yielded then saw a pair exchange the lead, went to the Pocono Pike and gradually made his way to the top. HEARTBEAT HILL was out second-over, gapped ¾, then three-wide headstretch, narrowed in as the pace slowed. TRAY SURREAL was kept outside much of a fast ¼, yielded, retook the lead early in the backstretch, held on pretty well. DIVISION BELL came uncovered 5/8, grinded steadily. FROMASHESTOASHES N had an excess of cover, four-wide headstretch, finished well. STARVIN MARVIN didn’t appear to have stretch clearance. FIXED IDEA was five-wide into the stretch, little chance from that spot. JAHAN HANOVER was three-wide to the 3/16, went behind cover then uncovered until getting the lead 3/8, yielded early backstretch, couldn’t go forward in the lane.
SECOND RACE – SCIROCCO PATRICK moved uncovered off turn two and grinded up, proved the strongest horse late. AWSOME PAUL went to the lead, yielded 5/16, thought about retaking but changed his mind and stayed in the two-hole, Pocono Pike, OK to hold the deuce. BILLY RAY HANOVER left between horses and tucked, outside far turn, fair late. CATELLO TOO was three-wide towards the first turn, two-wide for the top 5/16, set the pace, didn’t have the steps late. CRITICAL MASS went second-over but gapped, ducked in far turn, no factor. NO NAME YANKEE and SLEW FOOT never entered contention. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was midpack when he misstepped 5/16.
THIRD RACE – MAYWEATHER HANOVER set all the pace, was far clear when the pocket horse broke on the turn, won in hand. BULLVILLE STEPHANO picked his way around three separate gappers and breakers to be second in a good performance. CLEARCHOICE DE VIE was already gapping at the 1/8, no-factor third. GLAZOG was always far back. BET THE BULL gapped out at the half. EASY AS THAT tried to move up outside but it wasn’t as easy as that. CAPTAIN UP sat a tight pocket as the only horse remotely close to the winner, then broke midturn and went to the infield.
FOURTH RACE – WEATHER VANES cut a not-especially-fast pace but still ran off. JOHNNY TRIX backed out behind cover midturn and was along for second. IT IS WELL was uncovered from last of the main bunch towards the 11/16, made it to second early stretch but couldn’t hold that spot late. STRONG BREW sat in the two-hole, struggled the last half. COMELETUSADOREHIM gapped much of the way, fell way back. GRIZZ WYLLIE was looped early, was trying to move frontward when making the first break 3/16, caught the field but broke again.
FIFTH RACE – ALEXA’S FANTASY was wide leaving, dropped behind cover to the ¼, went on to command 3/8, yielded for the pocket, edged out early stretch and got to DUCHESS HILL late. The latter gained control early, yielded at the ¼, came again 3/8 to the lead towards turn two, set the pace, caught late. TWIN B HIGH TECH was three-wide a ways early, on to command past the ¼, saw two go by in quarter two, backed out to second-over late backstretch but went back in when the cover tired midturn, out again before midstretch and narrowed in well. STAR SO BRIGHT was a distant next. BULLVILLE HILDA was outside behind a dull one whom she circled, but never could reach contention. SLIM FAST made a good move from near the half to reach contention, then ran out of steam midturn. JUST SHOCKING had some early speed, then never surfaced again. C DIDDY’S GAL was outside but gapped.
SIXTH RACE – EBBIES LADY was three-wide past the 3/16 then onward to the top 3/8, opened a bigger lead with every stride the last 3/8. RHEIA ROSE left and tucked, sat third until past midturn, then outside and easily a distant second. ALDEBARAN ACRUX came through to maintain the lead before finally yielding to the winner, unplugged from the 5/8. ROMANTIC TILE S went evenly. KELLY’S BABY was four-wide almost to the 3/16, backed off to tuck but broke, caught the field and salvaged a check up the inside late. QUINNPATRICKSHEA moved outside but made very little headway. ILUVMYMIUMIU’S broke off the turn before the start. GHIBLI was gapping from the half, dropped far back.
SEVENTH RACE – THE AMERICAN EAGLE was third nearing the ¼ when deciding to take the 3-spot, was behind the two breakers before the half and briefly made an “ix” but in the “exchange” found himself on the lead, a lead he never relinquished. SOUTH FOR WINNER found himself in the pocket before the half, stayed fairly close most of the way home. ROJO MAN moved out midturn and was along for a no-factor third. FINEFEATHRDFRIEND gapped at the ¼, narrowed in a bit, then gapped again. FRANKIE HILL broke just past the start, passed the two other breakers. KING TUT HANOVER filled the pocket, was right behind the leader into turn two when suffering an “ix” after that one broke. SUNBERRY HANOVER used the rail to advantage to keep the early lead, but then misbehaved entering turn two.
EIGHTH RACE – BUTTERFINGERS left alertly to take over at the 1/8, slowed the second quarter, had to survive a tough fight with FRONDEUR in the last 1/8. The latter came out of third 5/8, retucked in the pocket before the ¾, then moved out again for the drive, just missed. UTE BLUE CHIP left well to land in the early pocket, was loose by a widening margin from the ¼, just got the DH3 with ANNA’S WISH, who went evenly and reached for the tie. CHERISHED MEMORY had some pace on the end after being far back. UBIQUITOUS HANOVER went nowhere. BULLVILLE DEBBIE moved out towards the second turn but didn’t advance.
NINTH RACE – SCOTTISH sat in then backed out third-over, four-wide to headstretch and trotted over these as if they were standing still. PRIMO VOMO came a long way uncovered from sixth, challenged, made a brief lead midstretch, passed but good for second. PINE ROCKET hustled to stay with good cover as second-over, eased three-wide to headstretch, outtrotted, just got third over MONI’S HEAVEN CENT. The latter yielded towards the ¼, retook in front of the stands, had a 59.4 middle half, still gave way. U BAKE THE CAKE spotted, then was shuffled, not too much late. NORTHERN BLIZZARD sat in and also was shuffled, also didn’t show much in the latter stages. TNT BLUE CHIP was three-wide early, took over at the ¼ but soon yielded for the two-hole, gave way. MATS PALEMA jumped near the start.
TENTH RACE – “Sounds like an argument at my greatgrandmother’s over Sunday dinner” – great line … AGGIORNAMENTO came out of third 5/8 to argue the pace, mildly urged to go by the pacesetting ABRUZZO. The latter yielded for the pocket but reclaimed command in front of the stands after some work, set a fast pace and got pressure late backstretch to the wire, almost held. IN A TINY WAY was looped and three-wide to the 1/8 before settling in fourth, moved outside midturn and gained some ground. BY THE BOOK was fastest away, pushed a brusher in Q2 before yielding for the pocket, had no gain late. ARGENTO gapped down the backstretch, did a little better late. PADRE was well off the gate and far back throughout. AMBERS CHAMPION also fell way behind.
ELEVENTH RACE – STONEBRIDGE KARIS left between horses, yielded for the pocket, shuffled as the first-over went by the pacesetter, finally got to the Pocono Pike and had a sharp last 1/16 to get the decision on the line. PINK FLOYD HANOVER had speed, moved uncovered just past the half, cleared at the ¾, opened a good margin into the stretch, didn’t exactly hit the wall but failed to last right on the money. HANDSOFFMYTITOS was three-wide to the 1/8, worked on to set the pace after a fast quarter, was passed past the ¾, did hold for the distant third. LATEST ATTRACTION was three-wide with cover early, ducked in fourth, inside, didn’t have much of a late response. GUSSY’S TRUMP CARD and BLUE LABEL were in the two-wide tier, had to swing wide and wider in the lane, fair. JAM THAT GUITAR was not heard from. HURRIKANE JUNIOR moved uncovered then soon got cover, couldn’t stay with it 11/16, left uncovered and had little (almost fatally pinning in the winner).
TWELFTH RACE – MAGICAL JOURNEY had one in the eyes of his backers – in defending early positioning he broke 3/16, had caught the back of the field 5/16, then got a good trip second-over, wide in the stretch and won under his own courage; an inquiry into the early break gave no reason for a placing. HURRIKANE WILLIE G took control from the pole, turned back the first-over, just failed to hold off the winner, who was well outside him. CHARMING BANK got the pocket when the winner broke, stayed connected, to the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. LAZER JET moved uncovered at the half, had steady midbackstretch speed, flattened just a little. SPRING IN PARIS sat in, gained enough for the last payday. MATTER OF TRUST stayed in third, gapped on the turn, no factor. ANDOVERS TOUCH did not reach contention.
THIRTEENTH RACE – The four horses behind the pacesetter nearing the ¼ were all on the outside … FLIGHT ONEFORTYSIX never saw the rail, wound up parked with cover then without from the 3/8 on, challenged and cleared at the ¾, opened up enough of a lead to be safely ahead of BULLVILLE FRANK. The latter was the last of the four “outsiders” at the ¼ and tucked, then moved to follow the winner, gapped that cover and was left uncovered past the ¾, finished steadily for second. BLOW ME DOWN remained outside after being looped, got the lead at the ¼ then yielded 3/8, was loose in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and took the distant third. LENDA HAND MAN was fourth-over, three-wide ¾, circled the rest. DS IT’SNOWORNEVER moved outside before the ¼, left uncovered just past that spot to the lead 3/8, dueled with the winner ahead of the field until the ¾, surrendered the lad, faded. TRUTHBTOLDBLUECHIP didn’t keep up. BUD TRUCK moved out but gapped. DANCE PARTNER cleared everybody early then saw a host of lead changes, gapped out.
FOURTEENTH RACE – GRAPPLE HANOVER was four-wide early but had cleared everybody by just past the 1/8 in a fast quarter, always in control of this fast mile for its class. BEYOND ORDINARY was away well for the pocket, could make no stretch inroads. TRAIN sat third, was in a fast mile but never gained. TUIS SHADOW was outleft and took back to tuck, moved outside 5/8 and just grabbed fourth over TEDDY BROSEVELT, who was no factor. KEYSTONE THUNDER did not enter contention. PHANTOM RUSTY moved outside but couldn’t summon much and retucked around the gapping ZSA ZSA DABOR.