FIRST RACE – Mid-80s … MINDSET was very wide early, took back behind cover and tucked in, then was underway 3/8 just as the early brusher was clearing, was engaged with that one in a protracted duel, proved the best late in a gritty performance. UNDERTAKER used his speed and the rail to great advantage, let one go 5/16 then was quick on the retake, met by the winner soon after that half and argued with that one the rest of the way, did hold second. PARK OFFICIAL defended the pocket early, came out behind the winner at the half, wasn’t especially tight behind that dueler but was well-placed, better in the straightaway. STAR MESSENGER was outside until the 5/16 to get the lead, yielded for the pocket, a trifle loose during the quick third quarter, Pocono Pike stretch, came up a little shy. CURIOUS CORTEZ was wide early, took back and tucked fourth before the ¼, stayed in, gained some behind horses while perhaps not having a clear path. GONNAHAVEONEMORE was third-over, three-wide late turn, couldn’t gain meaningfully. WHAT’S GOIN ON gapped, last.
SECOND RACE – CAVIART SAGE was buried inside, backed outside past the ¾ and soon got to four-wide headstretch as the only challenger to CERTIFIABLE, and wore that one down. The latter went up early looping a rival and was on top 3/16, yielded to the 3/8, made a quick move back to command early in the backstretch, drew clear on the far turn, but got a bit tired after hard usage. BABES DIG ME was uncovered early on turn two, got cover but then lost it, went on OK. HIGH ST CORRIDOR followed the cover of the show horse, three-wide just past midturn but not enough kick. STATEMENT MADE A was close-up early, gapped, out in a blindswitch headstretch to avoid a further shuffle, got the last check between horses. MACH WEST never was a major player. BIG BOSS HILL was far back in the outer flow, not prominent. ITSMYCHECK GB was content to be looped early, worked up to command 3/8, yielded 5/8 and started to fall back.
THIRD RACE – BUTTER UP got to the lead then kept rivals two- and three-wide to the 3/8, kept tight in the pocket, outside ¾ after the top two had drawn clear and fought, looked shaken off in the lane but tried hard to the wire and won by a whisker. HURRIKANE GEORGIE was between horses well past a fast quarter and finally took over 3/8, had the winner come out ¾, looked to have dealt with that one towards midstretch but faltered slightly. COXCOMB got into a three-wide flow and remained three-wide, narrowed in steadily late as the pace slackened. BARRYWHITE HANOVER was trapped inside until mid-far turn, then quickly angled to wide clearance and was narrowing in well late. MY BOY JACK moved outside off the second turn, went three-wide to clear the sweeper but couldn’t reach getting into major contention. WESTERN WALTZ was wide early then filled the early pocket, gapped ¾. SEXY BLUE CHIP never factored. MAJOR BEAN was extremely wide early, out three-wide well past the quarter then two-wide to challenge for the lead but was left out in the air, faded from midbackstretch.
FOURTH RACE – COVERED BRIDGE was three-wide early, didn’t want the pocket being offered so pressed on to ¼ command, went 27 down the back to tire rivals, stayed safely clear. CAVIART ROCKLAND made the top, tried to entice the winner to get in behind him early but when he couldn’t yielded for the pocket, stayed reasonably close in a fast mile. CAPTIVATE HANOVER had some early foot, stayed third-in, start to gap ¾, a little better late. PRAIRIE PANTHER was uncovered at the half, one-geared it steadily. MAXIMUS RED A sat in, not a major danger. STRAIGHT UP COOL was second-over in a nonflow, wide, fair late. CAVIART MAX was gapping in last.
FIFTH RACE – BELLOWS BINGE made his brief stay with these connections a profitable one by dominating wire-to-wire. HUNDIE N was three-wide to almost the 1/8 then backed off to tuck, uncovered at the half and one-geared his way home, not enough for the winner but better than the others in a good showing. LITTLEBITASWAGGER used the rail to defend the pocket, got a little tired chasing quick fractions. AMERICA’S GUEST was second-over, not quite enough here. IDEAL WHEEL had ideas of leaving, took back and needed until the ¼ to fully settle in, faded. DARTH FADER was third-over when breaking before the ¾.
SIXTH RACE – LUISELLA moved from third before the ¼ and methodically went to the lead 3/8, got a rest to the half then stayed in dominant position all the way to the wire. UPFRONT STONE was looped and wound up in the early pocket, outside past the 5/8 and retucked in the “pocket” headstretch, far ahead of the others. RIPPLE OF HOPE was third-over in a non-advancing flow, some late to just get third in the last step. SOREE stayed in, Pocono Pike, so-so. MOON BRIDGE started uncovered off turn two, got cover past the 5/8 but couldn’t go with it. RED REDEMPTION left well and was clear before the first turn, let the winner go 3/8 to sit the pocket, was keeping up OK until the last 3/16. THE OTHER TWO were well behind the entire last half.
SEVENTH RACE – PURPLE POET was three-deep before turn one, stayed close in the two-hole, went to the Pocono Pike, had a burst to get the lead midstretch, but had to keep working to defeat the stubborn pacesetter. SADIQ HANOVER was away with speed and hit the ¼ in 26, got a rest to the half then picked up the pace, withstood a long assault from the first-over, was passed to his inside midstretch but seemed to dig back down in a very commendable effort. INDIGO ART was third-over, three-wide late turn, closed well. THE MOONSHADOW N didn’t have too much after an inner trip. BROTHER JAMES moved quickly at the half, went 26.2 down the back to get to the leader’s wheel and got even closer on the turn, didn’t fade very badly. DRAGON STRIKES gapped second-over.
EIGHTH RACE – MISTER BOINGA went into the pocket 3/16, waited, then went to the Pocono Pike and was along in time over HALL IT OFF. The latter used the rail well and put everybody in behind, rated the half then got going more quickly, just caught. CHAPOLIER was second-over, three-wide 11/16 when cover stopped advancing to two-wide midturn, just could not summon quite enough to keep his gain going. DAGON HANOVER stayed connected, couldn’t trot with the top ones late. AP HALL OF TRIX was three-wide early then settled into fourth, backed out to third-over off the second turn but couldn’t get into the main action. BLACK HAWK DOWN was uncovered into turn two, never was right on the leader before fading. THE LAST TWO were the last two throughout.
NINTH RACE – PREMIER ROCKSTAR was in front at the 1/8, slowed the half then took off down the backstretch, extended some to withstand AIN’T IT FUN. The latter sat third into late on the turn, then closed well but had to settle for second. JONAH enjoyed a pocket trip, Pocono Pike, did what he could late. ZOEEZ BOY HENRY took back early, then went uncovered at the half, paced his own third quarter in 26.3 but couldn’t make much impact, inside late turn, next. ROCK KING DEO was second-over but gapped out on the turn. IT’SGOODTOBEDAKING had a hard task third-over from behind nongaining cover. RAPTORS FLIGHT N gapped ¾.
TENTH RACE – MISS MCKEE led every step of the mile, going fast to the ¼ to retain control and then just overpowering these. BALDAQUIN was content to sit third, in the Pocono Pike and up for second over RICH AND MISERABLE. The latter was three-wide past the 1/8, made the pocket at the ¼, didn’t have enough late to hold second. SORTIE was second-over, wide stretch, OK. BLENHEIM was looped and had a hard time settling inside, evenly late. ONE AFTER NINE was not a factor. MARION GONDOLIER was first-over second turn, got closer in the third split but then fell back.
ELEVENTH RACE – ARTACHE HANOVER moved second-over, went three-wide late turn, quickly assumed a clear lead, then dug down gamely to resist the surge of BIZYS BEATLE. The latter had poor luck – he didn’t leave and was last, then had the four horses directly in front of him pull out into the second turn, gained some along the inside, moved out into a blindswitch near headstretch, followed the path of the winner early stretch, then went outside him and finished with a furious burst. NEWBIE was fourth-over, widest and did well late. OWEN was third-over, followed cover three-wide but could offer little late. WINNING IS SWEET led the two-wide tier, had an advantage on the pacesetter late backstretch but never could clear, tired in the stretch. BNGS EXPRESS left sharply to get the lead, yielded to a looped foe then regained and slowed the second quarter, then came under great pressure, couldn’t sustain. IDEAL COWBOY was looped, pressed on to the lead before the 5/16, yielded to the retaker, started gapping past the ¾.
TWELFTH RACE – TONY TOO TALL made the top 3/16, let a foe go 3/8 to sit in the two-hole, roused before the 11/16, moved right away to the lead and drew clear in a romp. BRAVO TEX N was second-over, blindswitched 5/8 then backed out behind the sweeper, had to go four-wide midturn as that one stalled, clear for second in a very good race despite the large margin of victory. HORSE yielded, kept a hole shut, stayed in, was shuffled on the far turn, came clear headstretch and was along for third. MISSILE SEELSTER also was locked in, a mild response once free. BETTOR MEMORIES was three-wide before the 3/16 then left two-wide, eyed the pocket past the ¼ but saw that hole shut so drove on to 3/8 command, could do nothing about the winner and tired. IDEAL FEELING had traffic issues from last. WESTERN TYRANT was third-over, three-wide 5/8 but flattened out nearing midturn. MAJOR DESIRE was uncovered going to turn two, couldn’t muster enough to gain contention, then faded.
THIRTEENTH RACE – KINGSTONS BAD BOY had a fine trip in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and an easy winner. PUZZLING was second-over and hit a higher gear near the ¾ to get tight on cover, three-wide late turn, steadily to get second late. MY WISH CAME TRUE sat third until almost the 11/16 then moved raw, never gained nor lost much ground. ROLLINWITHAMBITION looked to want to leave but took a bad step just before the start, recovered but was gapped off the main pack at the back, stayed inside in the stretch and had good late foot. A STUD NAMED SAM set the pace of his choosing, not enough late. POSH ONTHE BEACH A gapped at a couple of points.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL was second-over, three-wide late on the turn, just up in a blanket finish. GOOD DEAL was very wide early and three-wide to the 3/16, dropped behind cover and did get into the 3-hole 5/16, inside, went to the deep Pocono Pike and was just outkicked. JIM BLUE refused to yield at the 25.4 quarter or at any other point, just missed. FRAZZLEBERRY kept the pocket shut, inside of the pacesetter in the lane, just a bit shy. CAPTAIN SLEAZE tried for the lead but couldn’t get there so had to go the raw route, held very gamely. RIFLEMAN had cover, finished gaining on the far outside. THE OTHER PAIR were not major contenders.