FIRST RACE – 80 degrees; stretch headwind to start … BAY MEADOWS was out between horses to the pocket and enjoyed the trip there, to the Pocono Pike and overhauled ATTA BOY DAN. The latter was urged leaving, circled up to the lead at the 1/8 in a fast quarter, took a breather then regeared up, couldn’t hold off the pocket rocket. TUGGIN ON MY HEART left some, stayed third-in until coming out midturn, OK for third. GRIFFON HANOVER was far back inside, OK once finding some stretch room. PARKLANE TERROR never got into the main contest. MCNEIL Z TAM was second-over behind not the best of cover, three-wide midturn, too far to come. CLASSY HILL began uncovered into turn two but never got close. MELANIE’S NICK struggled at the back.
SECOND RACE – SUNDANCEDIAMOND was second-over, gapped cover a bit most of the backstretch then moved up towards the far turn and three-wide as the parked horse faded, made the lead early stretch, bore out some but so did his main pursuer, and held on. CHING CHING LUCKY had the winner’s cover, four-wide into the stretch and kept going wider while gaining to the line. ARCH CREDIT left and took the pocket, blocked headstretch then to the Pocono Pike and a distant third photoing ZSA ZSA DABOR. The latter gapped down the back and lost a headpole at some point, in a blindswitch far turn then cleared and went on OK. SCIROCCO BIG JOHN never entered the main picture. CHARMING BANK maintained a forward position, shuffled on the turn but then couldn’t recover any ground. TAKE SHAPE took charge from the rail, had pressure from the parked horse, gave way steadily from late turn. FOUR UNDER PAR was three-wide leaving, could find no tuck so had to stay two-wide uncovered, tired then broke in the stretch.
THIRD RACE – BEANTOWN BABE went around a gapper and retucked fourth late backstretch, went to the Pocono Pike and was along as the pace decelerated. SWEET HOME pulled from third but wound up as quarter-mover #2, hard-used to get the lead, had the early usage to catch to her late. ALEXA’S FANTASY gapped the entire middle part of the race, narrowed in inside, didn’t come clear until midstretch then gained a lot of ground back (albeit in a slowing tempo). QUEEN SUN RYDER didn’t get in gear until the ¾, swung wide but couldn’t get there. BLANK CHEEK worked to the lead 3/16, helped force the fast second quarter, third, got the pocket ¾, moved out headstretch but didn’t have much late. GAME TO GO was never close. FASHIONATTIFFANYS was used twice early then finally yielded before the fast half, vacated the pocket 3/4 but never took a forward step. ADULT SWIM was outperformed.
FOURTH RACE –CREEMORE was three-wide to turn one and took over the throttle 3/16, discouraged an early mover 5/16 and maintained control, drew clear 5/8, impressive Saratoga shipper. AMBERS CHAMPION was the first to show, yielded, briefly considered a move early frontstretch but retucked, got loose in the pocket 5/8 but clearly held second. ANDOVERS TOUCH sat in third and retained that spot. PRINCESS ALLIE could offer little; not could CRITICAL MASS. BILLY RAY HANOVER was uncovered off turn two, gained little before tiring to the ¾. TRICKY DICK had cover but had little trot.
FIFTH RACE – REYS N A RUCKUS sat pocketed behind contention for the front end, backed out late backstretch as the sweeper rolled on by, quickly advanced and himself had the lead past midturn, won for fun. VEGAS ROCKS moved out behind the parked horse nearing the half, three-wide before the 5/8 to two-wide beyond that point and went by ¾, was himself soon eclipsed by the winner, well-ahead of the rest. CHANCELLORCULLEN N was stuck inside until early stretch, passed tired horses for a far-behind third. MICHAEL’S MONSTER gapped much of the way, circled up to be a far-back third early stretch, couldn’t hold that position. AN THE THUNDEROLLS left and set a fast half, all done when they came for him towards the ¾. WAL FINEST never was in the picture. CALL HIM ROCKY was looped early and parked uncovered, passed past the 5/8 and faded.
SIXTH RACE – FULL SUPPORT was three-wide leaving and took control early, opened up a good advantage after the half with a 27.2 third quarter, held on as BARBOSSA HANOVER came charging in the last quarter. The latter spotted early, then was behind a gapper to the 11/16, moved out and rapidly gained ground, put up a last split of 27.2 but couldn’t quite reach. LITE N SWEET defended the pocket, then could stay only semiconnected, still way ahead of the others. CLEARCHOICE DE VIE was between horses leaving and settled third, unplugged down the back. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC gaped out 5/8. GLAZOG never was close. FULL SPEED STEVE made a break w-a-y before the start.
SEVENTH RACE – KING TUT HANOVER took advantage of the pole and controlled the throttle, had too much of a lead to overcome. DIG THAT CURVE never found a higher gear until on the far turn, finished sharply. DONATELLO HANOVER sat the pocket, evenly late. IT IS WELL pulled out on the turn, ducked inside in the lane, couldn’t make up ground. SOUTH FOR WINTER was far back, went around a gapper, finished steadily. STANDTHEPAIN AS had the best view most of the way. COMELETUSADOREHIM started to gap out off the second turn.
EIGHTH RACE – Something of a mild wind shift beginning … KILEE ROCKS sat a nice two-hole trip, went to the Pocono Pike, made the lead midstretch but never extended it much as the pacesetter held well. I FORBID YOU was in front past the 1/8, went a big third quarter trying to bottom the field, succeeded in that tactic with all but one foe. ASHLEE’S SUPREME stayed fairly close in the fast third split, then moved out on the turn but was outpaced by the top two late. DOC’S FAITH gapped in fourth most of the way around, then showed late kick. PRINCESS DAYNA slid in fifth past the 1/8, not prominent thereafter. THE FINAL THREE lost contact down the backstretch.
NINTH RACE – Now a stretch tailwind … LILYBET tucked then inherited the pocket after a breaker past the ¼, waited, another who gained the lead quickly after going to the Pocono Pike but didn’t draw away. CHAMPAGNE HANOVER moved uncovered at the 5/8 to challenge, didn’t look to ever get the lead but fought on to the finish. STORYBOOK ENDING followed cover 11/16, gained. QUINNPATRICKSHEA stayed in, didn’t have a clear path headstretch but went only evenly once clear. LADYBUGS N BOURBON worked up to the lead 3/16, had relatively fast fractions for this type, gave way. KELLY’S BABY was away second and looked ready to quarter-move but broke. ZIADEEDEE broke before the 5/8. COOL MISS WENDY misbehaved before the first turn.
TENTH RACE – FRAZZLEBERRY made two speed moves and was in charge throughout, finished in 27.4 to be all alone. LIFETIMEEXPERIENCE was looped and tucked third, saved ground then moved outside in the lane and took second. NORTHERN NETWORK was second-over, three-wide when cover faltered, fair late. THANOS was three-wide to the first bend then out3/16 to make the lead, yielded for the pocket, couldn’t keep up in the last ¼. PLAY THE ACE was first-over at the half and got closer by the ¾, but soon thereafter ran out of gas. ADDISON HANOVER gapped. MIKI MINAJ was having trouble at the half, reported back with “b.e.”
ELEVENTH RACE – LIVING PROOF I AM tucked third going to the 1/8, backed out to follow cover past the 9/16, three-wide past midturn, had enough in the last couple of steps. ARCHIBALD started uncovered into the second turn, grinded at the leader, might never have had the lead but tried hard to the wire. KEYSTONE THUNDER set the pace, held on to the lead until very deep in the stretch. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT secured the pocket early, Pocono Pike, not enough. BOSCH gapped some at the back most of the way. O JONNIE sat in, moved wide late turn but did not reach contention.
TWELFTH RACE – Wind calming … BLOW ME DOWN was away third gapping the top two to the quarter, then made a move to take over 3/8, never really got pressure in any easy win. STONEBRIDGE KARIS left hard and put a rival in behind, yielded to the winner 3/8 for the two-hole, didn’t keep up the last ¼. QUARANTINI moved outside at the half, never threatened the winner, a distant third; there was an inquiry about QUARANTINI possibly causing interference to the half, but it was dismissed. HANDSOFFMYTITOS came out second-over past the 5/8, three-wide far turn, couldn’t summon enough. DINNER PARTY left, took the two-hole 3/16, not a late factor. HURRIKANE MON AMI never featured. JAM THAT GUITAR was away last from the rail, and things never got any better for him. SILLY WILLY started uncovered towards the half, was briefly three-wide in tight quarters then settled back to second-over, but suddenly fell way back from the 5/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAVIART ROCKLAND was to the front 3/16 then yielded for the pocket, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, just enough to get by BETTOR MEMORIES. The latter left, moved from second at the ¼ to take over, had pressure down the backstretch, handled those outside him but caught up the inside. TRAY SURREAL was third-over behind gapping cover, three-wide past midturn, closed well. WINNING IS SWEET stayed inside, not a major danger. JK MUSICMAN was second-over but gapped, evenly late. FUNKNWAFFLES was outside to the ¼, then moved again raw at the half and went a 27.1 third quarter to challenge, could not sustain the gain. HYPNOTIC DREAM was stuck inside, couldn’t muster a rally. BABES DIG ME didn’t have enough.
FOURTEENTH RACE – HALL IT IN was three-wide leaving, got to the front 3/16, rated the middle half, then dashed home to hold off BY A HOFF HANOVER. The latter left well, yielded to sit the pocket and avoided all confusion, came on strongly late but couldn’t quite reach. SCOTTISH got around trouble by going wide early in the backstretch, back in, again moved outside and closed well. MONEY MATTERS tucked fifth, uncovered at the half and thus could trot by the trouble and retuck third, couldn’t sustain that positioning. MUSCLE HALL was bothered into the backstretch, got the last check. PADRE was right behind the breaker, went to an “ix.” MYREANNA left some, yielded, made a break out of turn two and bothered those behind him though trying to avoid that by going to the infield, recovered and got back on the course, made another break and again was inside the pegs, placed last. ARGENTO was four-wide leaving but broke.