FIRST RACE – A “sloppy +1” surface throughout the twilight card, with the temperature near 80 … MAJOR SHOW had early command, then yielded to sit the pocket, followed along nicely, went to the Pocono Pike, had to earn the victory over DIVINE RIGHT. The latter made a move to get the lead near the ¼, came home in 55 in the muck and still got caught; good outing. MAC’S MARVEL was uncovered nearing the half, appeared to be falling back on the turn but dug back in and wasn’t far off at the wire. BAY CITY came up the inside down the back, OK. CANDY TRADER never was a presence. PRAIRIE HANDSOME was second-over, went wide but didn’t make up ground. LOUKES PERRY was third-over but never entered the main action.
SECOND RACE – CAPTAIN’S STAR went right to the top then yielded to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and worked past EAGER TO PLEASE. The latter was away well and defended the two-hole, then quarter-moved, unfortunate to be caught in a tight one. MISS HELEN HANOVER was well-placed throughout, looked all-out to keep up on the turn, fair late. CATIE FAYE HANOVER moved uncovered before the 5/8, did well. SUGAR BOWL was wide early and took back, stayed in, wide in the lane and went willingly late. SHE’S A BULLVILLE slid a midpack tuck early, then second-over but gapped ¾. BROOKDALE JESSIE never entered contention. SHIPNSTROL HANOVER took back, joined the outer flow but never joined the main action of the race.
THIRD RACE – SECRET CAPTAIN went to the lead, yielded at the ¼ but was soon on the retake and slowed the half, then strung out the field except for STAKEHOLDER, whom he held off with urging. The latter sat third until past the ¾, narrowed in steadily in the latter stages. ALL ALONE made a delayed frontward move, hit the front at the ¼ then yielded for the two-hole, a trifle loose in the last half. CAN’T SWAY ME went around a gapping GATOR HANOVER. POSEIDON DEO had little to offer.
FOURTH RACE – Rain stopped … JUST BET IT ALL moved from fourth uncovered 5/8, grinded, got to even terms early stretch, went on to a very short lead then withstood SWEET CHILLI HEAT to the inside. The latter made two speed moves then yielded to the chalk to tail that one, to the Pocono Pike, not beaten by much. MAYWEATHER HANOVER was outside with cover early, got in gear to make the top 3/8 and slowed the half, was outsprinted in the stretch. EXCURSION came on from last with good pace. TENNESSEE STRONG gapped slightly second-over. SOLAR EVENT left well for the lead, saw two go by early, gapped ¾, evenly late.
FIFTH RACE – SHANGHAI SEELSTER was wide early then took back, gapped a little bit second-over then got in a higher gear and went three-wide midturn, came on nicely for the victory. ANDRA DAY pushed the quarter from her inner draw then yielded for the two-hole, waited for the Pocono Pike, then came through but had to settle for second. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME gained inside early backstretch then moved out third-over late backstretch and four-wide just past midturn, had late pace. WHO’S SMOKIN N gapped down the back then made up ground to the far inside. FAST MACHINE backed off past mid-first turn, went uncovered early backstretch, pressured the leader, had to check in tight quarters stretch. TEMPURA HANOVER was three-wide 3/16 and two-wide to get the lead at the 1/4, rated the half then sped up, tired and may have been bearing out a little. BRILLIANT BEAUTY gapped at the back.
SIXTH RACE – QUIXOTE came storming up past the half after a fight to that point, went right by and was safely in front the rest of the way. MARRIED MAN followed the winner out but couldn’t keep with his burst, left uncovered late backstretch, continued on very nicely and far ahead of the rest. SOUTH POINT was outside past the 3/16 to get control, then pushed a foe all the way to the half before yielding, gapped midbackstretch then tightened, blocked some on the turn, Pocono Pike and a very distant third. I’M TALKIN HUNGRY was shuffled to last then moved outside, went wide, had too far to come. CROWN OF THORNS pushed the ¼, yielded, was shuffled to last and seemed to lose contact. CAPTAIN SOLO was three-wide past the 1/8, had cover then uncovered before the ¼, needed the entire second stanza to make the front, yielded to the winner, hung in there reasonably until the stretch. MORE THAN YA KNOW was in a solid backstretch flow but couldn’t go on.
SEVENTH RACE – The sun emerging … HEARTBREAK HOTEL sat in second turn as an outer tier formed, looked like being inside was going to be a lonely street, but came out into a blindswitch midturn then was able to angle three-wide as the sweeper didn’t gain, proved the strongest. DELISHKA N was three-deep a lot of the quarter before getting in top at that point, set the pace with hounding pressure, held for second, reported back with “b.e.” SUNRISE HANOVER stayed in, squeezed up the far inside to gain third ahead of ANOTHER BEACH DAY. The latter pushed out from the rail, yielded for the pocket, didn’t have the needed response late. FANCY AND FAST was parked with cover early, tucked, made a move 5/16 but it turned into a grinding excursion, fell back. A CRAFTY LADY closed a gap third-over down the back, not a late factor. LADY TO WATCH took a while to settle in early, followed the early mover, went three-wide ¾ but did not gain. SHES A SASSY BEACH was never prominent.
EIGHTH RACE – LYONS SPIRIT was behind a very slow half, but she came grinding and twin 27.2 quarters in her through the slop to be an impressive winner despite the slowish time. FULL SUPPORT was on top at the 1/8 and backed things down, yielded to a brusher for the pocket, came out behind the winner midturn, good second. EVERYBODYLOVESLOU moved before the ¼ to the lead and got a crawling half, had enough to keep the brushing winner outside through the turn, but then tired. LOUIE HANOVER stayed connected. SWEET TIMBER became disconnected 5/8 then made a late break. IDIOSYNCRATIC misbehaved w-a-y before the start. SIGHT SET was off the gate and in trouble early with “b.e.,” was pulled up.
NINTH RACE – WESTBEACH made the early lead between horses and seated a rival, had twin 27.2s coming home to keep these all at bay. NUTTINBUTHEBEST was wide early then settled into the pocket at the 1/8, stayed close, outside headstretch, neither gained nor lost ground. MILIEU HANOVER was third-over in a non-robust flow far turn, widest and moving very strongly late. SCARLETT HANOVER moved second-over, slightly off cover in the fast third split, wide past far turn, OK. ODDS ON WHITNEY stayed in, gained some up the rail early backstretch then stopped gaining. CRAZY CUTE went uncovered early on the clubhouse turn, went up in 27 to press the leader, tired. BEACH CRAZY gapped at the back.
TENTH RACE – ANNAPOLIS HANOVER was widest in a 26.4 three-way dance to the ¼, went on to two-wide and then the lead 3/8, still had a 27.4 last quarter in him to be a safe winner. STAY GROUNDED moved at the half raw, got to the leader’s wheel, drifted a little wide entering the stretch but regathered and gave relentless chase. FULTON was between horses in the quick quarter, on top 5/16 then yielded to the winner, stayed right there, Pocono Pike, not enough steps late. CAPTAIN MIKEY sat in and was shuffled to last, out in a blindswitch late turn, found room to angle wider and had late pace. LYONS STEALTH tucked early, followed second-over, couldn’t be a major player late. ERVIN HANOVER pushed the fast opener then yielded, sat third-in, not all that much left. BRUE HANOVER was third-over, way wide swinging for home and fell back.
ELEVENTH RACE – DEMPSEY HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8, went on to the top going to the ¼, got a breather then had to pick it up to deal with the first-over, put away that one but then had MAJOR DECISION coming up the inside late, game to hold that one off. The latter was the innermost of the hard leavers and retained the pocket, waited for the Pocono Pike then made his move, got to within a nose past midstretch, good outing but had to settle for second. BE THE CAPTAIN moved to second-over but gapped the cover, three-wide before midstretch and just took a three-way photo for third. SHIP SHIP HOORAY was wide early then tucked fourth, started an uncovered grind before the 5/8, got close on the turn, then gradually ceded a little ground. CLEARCHOICE DE VIE left between horses and tucked, evenly. LAW OF SEVEN didn’t enter contention. SPEED SNIP couldn’t do much from third-over.
TWELFTH RACE – LYONS SURFING tucked fifth, went uncovered and made steady grinding progress, in a battle with KEN HANOVER nearing the wire and persevered to be more photogenic. The latter was looped early, got the lead 5/16, pushed the retaker almost to the half before yielding, waited for the Pocono Pike, appeared to have a nose up a pylon from the wire, just caught in a gallant outing. BUGABOO LOU was on the lead before the 3/16, yielded 5/16 but came right back out, couldn’t clear until the half, faced pressure on both sides, held well especially considering he came back with “b.e.” LOUSAIN BOLT was first on top, yielded, was third-in, edged out in the lane, didn’t quite have the needed steps. FLITE CRAFT gapped second-over ¾. BARBOSSA HANOVER was never on the main radar. THE REMAINING PAIR were at the back throughout.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DRESDEN made the lead without much trouble and was not pressured on the lead, had to come home in 27.2 to just beat out the coming-ever-closer SHECANDANCE N. The latter went out to sit the pocket, inside the winner and gained bit by bit in the latter stages, just shy at the wire. BETTORS HEART N sat in, outside stretch after the far turn breakers and was clearly third. JUXTA COWGIRL struggled to keep up the last 3/8. THE STUNNING NUN N was on the back of first-over CONTINUALOU, who was searching for more past the 3/4, when the first-over ran and was placed behind the second-over for wiping her out.
FOURTEENTH RACE – LOUIE THE LOOPER had the lead in an early lineup, then kept on going to keep the brushing horse on the outside, went clear ¾, didn’t look threatened until very late when YS DO IT RIGHT kicked in, held that one off. The latter stayed in, found a better gear far turn and moved outside, ate steadily into the winner’s margin in the latter stages. THANOS had the pocket in the lineup, a little loose in the quick third quarter, kept on trying. PLAY THE ACE got locked in early and was shuffled to last, found room between horses in the lane and came on steadily, but not enough. TSM BATMAN sat in, not a factor. MIKI MINAJ joined the early-forming outer flow, gapped second-over, three-wide far turn but did not gain. DILLINGER was three-wide well past the1/8 trying to take back, finally decided to just go frontward at the ¼ and had done so by the half, but didn’t have needed steps to continue on. PINEBUSH LIFESAVER gapped a gapper from third-over.