FIRST RACE—Mid 80s … Rain early caused the track to be rerated from “fast +0” after the first to “sloppy +1” until after the second; then rerated “good +1” the rest of the way … Atypical stretch tailwind … BANUS HILL made the top at the 1/8, let a foe go then removed to the lead 3/8, in control the rest of the way. MADELYNN SOPHIA was three-wide to the 1/8 then onward to command, yielded 3/8 for the two-hole, stayed close but wasn’t menacing late. PJS FANCY DANCER was the innermost of three leavers and yielded, gapped the top two a bit the further along into the race, went to the deep Pocono Pike, did hold third. JAGGED LITTLE PILL tucked fourth at the 1/8, stayed in, found room to midstretch and had some late foot. LIZZIANA was second-over, three-wide late turn but couldn’t gain enough. CHANCES ARE IDEAL was uncovered before the half and made a good move down the back to get semi-close, but then faded. AMARETTO HANOVER was always far back. SWEET GADGETS had cover but didn’t get into the main action.
SECOND RACE – O JONNIE went out to early command and had an easy time controlling this field. CHOCOTURE yielded for the two-hole, couldn’t stay with the winner but far ahead of the rest. BAZAAR BAZAAR moved outside to the second turn, retucked in a big gap down the back, just held third from a rallying SCIROCCO BIG JOHN. The latter went up to get the three-hole past the 1/8, moved out again 5/8 but soon made a break, had some good steps in late recovery. CRAZY FOR CJ was outside, evenly. NO NAME YANKEE gapped inside. SPRING IN PARIS broke past the start. WHAT A DAME broke past the start, caught up to the field when making another break at the half.
THIRD RACE – GRIZZ WYLLIE moved raw 5/8 and grinded up, had enough to draw away in a slow mile even under the conditions. LIKE A WARRIOR backed out third-over, four-wide in the stretch and moving very strongly late to get the DH2 with BULLSEYE HANOVER. The latter yielded for the pocket, stayed contented, Pocono Pike, evenly. REDDY FOX was three-wide to the first turn and on to command past the 1/8, got very slow fractions, still gave way. F SCOTT’S MUSE was underway from last into turn two, picked up cover 5/8 gradually got tighter, three-wide to headstretch, OK. FAWN DE SIGN never was a major player.
FOURTH RACE – SAINT TRIXIE made two speed moves to control the throttle, drew off in style as would befit Tom Jackson’s 5000th career driving victory. GLOBAL PRINCESS rushed up to the first turn, was trying to squeeze in third just past the ¼ when interfering with READ THE BOOK, sat in, blocked on the turn, up the inside and got the distant second, but was placed last for causing interference. FAWN DE DON’T moved out ¾, evenly. CHEROKEE JOY was never close, had some speed finishing. ANDOVER JESS made the front early then yielded to the winner, unplugged ¾. IN YOUR DREAMS DEO gapped in the back. READ THE BOOK was keeping a hole closed at the 1/8 when suffering an “ix.”
FIFTH RACE – “Nap-Nap” war early, “Nap-Nap” war late … GUINNESS PANIC and Anthony wanted the early lead but brother George inside was less than cooperative, and was forced to retreat after a 25.4 opener, stayed connected during the wild pace, went to the Pocono Pike and just caught the pacesetter. HEZA REAL DIAMOND was determined not to surrender his advantage of having the rail, went very hot fractions, fought bravely with the winner to the line. STELLAR YANKEE was uncovered before the 5/8, urged ¾, was reasonably close at the finish of this fast mile. LITERL LAD HANOVER gapped in front of the stands, got to second-over, three-wide late turn, fair. ACTOR HANOVER gapped during the early war and then most of the way, evenly. THE NEXT TWO were near the back throughout. MEADOWBROOK FLASH was last throughout and had disconnected by the half.
SIXTH RACE – DEVILISH HILL yielded for the pocket, moved before the ¼ to the lead then yielded again nearing turn two, outside early turn, proved the best in here. COOL TRIXTER narrowed in later backstretch, came on late while wide to be second after the breaker. TAKE MY NAME established early command, saw two go by in quarter two, moved out behind the winner headstretch, was taking over second before midstretch before going inside and then breaking stride, ran home, placed for violating the breaking rules. JD MAGIC MOON went evenly. WARRAWEE YIMA pulled from next-to-last early in the frontstretch and went up to get the lead by the other end, set the pace, gave way. CHEVAL NOIR gapped at the back.
SEVENTH RACE – I’M AMUSED was between horses and looped, went up to take over off the first turn, set a slow pace, then upped the speed when challenged nearing the ¾, trotted home in 28.2 to hold off a trio of good opponents. OLD MAGIC was three-wide to the 1/8 then cleared to the lead, yielded for the pocket, gapped a little when the pace picked up past the ¾ then was again tight, to the Pocono Pike, just missed. TIPSY MONI was the innermost of the three leavers, yielded, came out raw past the 5/8, trotted a big last quarter after the first-over challenge. FLARES ZIVA moved second-over 11/16, wide and only a length off. RISK ON didn’t have too much. GUIDING STAR broke nearing the first turn, had caught the field but broke again late backstretch.
EIGHTH RACE — ABRUZZO left between horses and was out most of the ¼ to secure the front, rated the half, then came home strongly to win easily. MAGICAL JOURNEY used the rail to get the pocket trip, not catching the winner but not to be caught for second. NICE STUFF was three-wide early but quickly backed off, uncovered before the 5/8, got to within a neck of the pocket horse but no closer, did take show. CREDIT CON was inside, got to the Pocono Pike, evenly. VIC’S WINNER was second-over, gapped some far turn, evenly late. TRANQUILITY K had too far to come. MUSCLES JARED kept a hole closed early, third-in, nothing left for the stretch. CRUSHWORTHY was never in the picture.
NINTH RACE – THE AMERICAN EAGLE was three-high to the 1/8, pressed onward steadily and got the lead to the 3/8, got a breather to the half then outtrotted these the rest of the way. CHASE MY LINDY was away well and forced a tuck, pushed the winner a ways then yielded, came out headstretch but couldn’t gain. MALONE took the pocket at the 1/8, inside and was loose late backstretch, evenly. FAMOUS DAN was away last from the rail, moved second, avoided a stretch breaker, not prominent. WEATHER VANES started uncovered before the ½, made progress in the third quarter, then was looking for more when breaking midstretch. DIAMANTE VIC sat in, swung wide but broke headstretch.
TENTH RACE – THOR AND DR JONES moved second-over down the back, three-wide midturn, clearly had the most pace finishing. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH started raw from fourth before the 5/8, grinded up, never had the lead but kept on going once passed to pass the others. SVENGALI yielded then moved soon after the 1/8 to get the lead and create a lineup, kept on going at a quick clip with no letup, received pressure nearing the ¾, tired. BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE stayed in, went to the deep Pocono Pike, gained a little. STORMY BEACH made the lead going to turn one, yielded for the pocket, went loose then tighter down the back, loose again on the turn, Pocono Pike, not a factor. JET ACE couldn’t make a dent from third-over.
ELEVENTH RACE – SAY YOU DO started uncovered near the 3/8, grinded up and went at it with the leader while going his own third split in 27.4, fought with the pacesetter from before the ¾, had the lead on the turn but couldn’t clear, then did prove the strongest late. THE LIONKING AS was three-wide to the 1/8 and kept going to get command, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, stayed close then went to the Pocono Pike, battled on well to be second. MUFASA AS was second-over, gapped his cover down the back and on the turn, then finished more crisply. CHUCKY DE VIE was between horses leaving and had the early pocket, stayed in, to the deep Pike, fair. WILLIE B WORTHY pushed leaving, yielded, quarter-moved to 3/8 command, was under intense pressure from the winner to the ¾ and around the turn, didn’t have enough. DYLAN THE GREAT looked at improving early position but took back to last, gained a little between horses to midstretch, then was shut off late. KEYSTONE CECILIA was third-over, three-wide far turn but didn’t gain. SYLVESTERAMERICAIT was never a major factor but wasn’t all that far back at the finish.
TWELFTH RACE – AMAZON left well and took the top early, yielded to the brusher and sat in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and got by that one late. ALWAYS BETTER yielded early but was on the move past the 1/8 to the lead at the ¼, slowed the half, was put under heavy pressure by the first-over, saw that one break while on almost-even terms headstretch, but then couldn’t quite handle the one to his left. I’LL TAKE THE BET kept up OK along the inside. KEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT stayed in then backed out to third-over, had to wing very wide to avoid the breaker to midstretch, finished well. ALWAYS A LOOK broke early, recovered and was second-over but gapped. MISTER DAVID C started a long uncovered move from fifth at the half and really put high heat on the leader late backstretch and through the turn, still battling when making a break early stretch.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ARCHIBALD moved out behind the parked horse at the half and was soon three-wide down the backstretch to reach first-over 5/8, challenged the pacesetter, drew away from the field late. BOSCH moved outside on the turn and was along for a no-factor second. BRIGITTE BI kept the pocket closed as the pacesetter dueled with a parked horse, slid out behind the top two headstretch and was next. GREEK LEGEND was off the gate, made a brief break at the 5/16, recovered and moved outside, couldn’t stay with the winner’s wide move. PHANTOM RUSTY was never prominent. PRIMO PADRE insisted on the lead and set fast fractions in keeping it to headstretch, all done at that point. TEDDY BROSEVELT went up to challenge, had to spend life on the rim, was looped 5/8 and faded.
FOURTEENTH RACE – AMADOR moved with cover towards turn two, gapped it most of the backstretch duel then closer, had the new leader CUPID HANOVER in his sights and worked by late. CUPID HANOVER yielded the early lead, back on the attack to turn two, battled with the leader in a quick third quarter, made the lead on the turn, almost held the advantage to the line. HURRIKANE WILLIE G worked up to take over at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket 5/16, backed out after the top two went by, fairly close at the finish. LIVING PROOF I AM was outside while well off the front four, best of the rest. THE NEXT PAIR never surfaced. TUIS SHADOW was outside with cover early, set down 3/16 to go to the lead 5/16, was challenged down the back, yielded on the turn, broke headstretch and went to the infield, placed. JUSTIFY was in the second half of the field when breaking past ¾.