Connors’ Comments for Tuesday, August 16, 2022

2022-08-22

FIRST RACE – 83 degrees; stretch tailwind … ABRUZZO was on the move past the 1/8 and reached the lead just past the ¼, set the pace, a handy win. BILL BAUER tucked fourth 3/16, started uncovered at the half and speed-grinded home in 57.2, still trying hard at the wire. TRANQUILITY K outleft everybody for the lead, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose most of the way home from the 5/8. BJORNSSON stayed fairly close; THE NEXT TWO did not in the last quarter. CHASE MY LINDY jumped just before the start.

 

SECOND RACEI’LL TAKE THE BET was third-over, went up in a blindswitch on the far turn, cleared between horses early stretch and had the most finishing in a non-fast last quarter with the wind. ALWAYS A LOOK yielded for the pocket, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, may have had a short brief advantage, almost. MISTER DAVID C tucked fourth to the 3/16, then came raw past the 3/8, reached the leader by the 5/8 and battled with that one, held well. TEAM MAC tucked third, sat in, behind a wall early stretch then went into the path behind the winner and did gain although never clear. KEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT was fourth-over, three-wide with cover on the turn, evenly. WARRAWEE XTREME was second-over, three-wide far turn, didn’t gain. LATEST ATTRACTION was last, to the deep Pike but couldn’t make up much ground. JET ACE got the lead at the 1/8, got his own half, had a challenger from the 5/8, went from first to last in the stretch in a not-quick mile for these.

 

THIRD RACECURADH moved approaching the ¼ and was able to get the pocket 5/16, pulled 5/8 and sailed right by, won for fun. IRISH COFFEE stayed in until the stretch, then trotted on to the distant second. CIVIL UNION was parked to the ¼ for the lead, had a slow middle half but still was passed easily when challenged later down the backstretch, tired. COOL TRIXTER broke just after the horse to his right broke early, recovered, stayed inside, was moving well at the end. JD MAGIC MOON moved outside but went nowhere, then had better trot late. PRAIRIE NUGGET made the lead before the 1/8 but had some problems steering, gave up first the lead and then the pocket, back outside ¾ but had little more to offer, placed for the pylon violation. SOUTHWIND FIREBALL broke early. HALLPIN broke near the ¼.

 

FOURTH RACEPRIMO VOMO moved from second at the ¼ to quickly get the lead, didn’t go especially fast on the engine, extended to withstand SOUTHERN AUTUMN. The latter went right to the lead, yielded for the pocket, came out in the stretch, gained but came up just shy. FAMOUS DAN broke past the start, recovered, followed cover, made a big move around horses on the turn, continued to narrow the margin in a fine comeback. TNT BLUE CHIP had excess cover, ducked in for the stretch, next. FIGHT SONG moved first-over, urged past the 5/8, didn’t respond, tucked in third, left behind. ROSE ABOVE IT was with cover, lost it late backstretch, wasn’t a major danger. U BAKE THE CAKE had little. A MILLION CHUCKLES started gapping at the 3/16, finished with “b.e.”

 

FIFTH RACERHIANNON HANOVER was in front 3/16, saw two go by, came out raw ¾, very game to the wire to catch OLD MAGIC. The latter was on the move towards the ¼, uncovered 5/16 to the top just past the 3/8, had a clear lead at the ¾, fought hard to maintain the advantage but just missed. HIGHEST MONEY was three-wide past the 1/8, made the front 5/16, yielded for the pocket, faded badly in the last quarter. ANDOVER JESS made the early lead then saw three go by in the next quarter mile, gapped 11/16, evenly in the Pocono Pike. KHALEESIES GIRL and FAWN DE DON’T couldn’t keep up down the back. MISCHIEVOUS G began to lose contact at the 5/8.

 

SIXTH RACETEDDY BROSEVELT sat third once the order was resolved, outside ¾, went to the lead early in the stretch and held off the late-charging TRENTS A LOCK. The latter left a slight gap throughout, then outside past midturn and doing well late. SPRING IN PARIS gapped a bit off the three who had been on the lead, mildly late. LAZER JET moved 3/16 to the top past the 5/16, strung the field out until the ¾, tired. BAZAAR BAZAAR never factored. THE IRISHMAN made the front just before the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, backed out behind the winner midturn, was just swinging three-wide when breaking nearing headstretch. RED HOT TORCH ruined his chances an 1/8 before the start.

 

SEVENTH RACEUNIQUE STYLE had cover early, went up at the ¼ and cleared 3/8, was in full control of these proceedings from there. WARINER moved with cover past the 5/8, uncovered far turn, coaxed to hold onto second. HESPOOKSHESCORES went outside to avoid the shuffle ¾, doing better late. SWAN JOVI came uncovered from third 5/8 and retucked in the two-hole, but then had little left. HARDROCKCAFE broke early on the far turn. SWAN MASSIVE HALL was out to a fast ¼ to make the front, yielded, started to gap early in the backstretch, fell way back, returned with “b.e.” PRAIRIE FAMOUS broke an 1/8 before the start. FAWN DE SIGN ran just past the start.

 

EIGHTH RACEBULLVILLE TERROR moved 3/16 to the lead 5/16, was never threatened all the way to the wire. I’VE GOT HOOTSPA went 27 against the wind down the back uncovered to get close to the leader, lost some ground in the lane but still good for second. WESTERN TYRANT was three-wide early, on top 3/16, yielded for the pocket, was loose 5/8, tightened back in, then went loose again in the last quarter. NOME HANOVER was second-over but gapped in the fast back half. STARVIN MARVIN was third-over, had no rally. RIVER DELI never was heard from. SPORTY DRAGON went to the lead to the first turn, yielded, in, unplugging from the 5/8. HOLY GRAIL N was away last and lost touch at the half.

 

NINTH RACEBEVANS CULLEN N was in front going into turn one, yielded 3/16 but was quick on the retake, saw off the threat of first the first-over and then the late-closing AMAZON. The latter stayed in until moving behind cover on the turn, wide and narrowed in well late. SPORTSMANSHIP was three-deep headed towards curve one, out 3/16 for command, yielded, had trouble keeping up from before the ¾. ROCKS FANTASY went to the Pocono Pike from last, evenly. LOVE YOURSELF gapped the early battlers in the fast first quarter, went uncovered at the half, got to the flank of the winner but no closer before tiring. PAPIAMENTO gapped second-over.

 

TENTH RACEBLENHEIM held his ground early as they went the ¼ in 27, moved off the second turn and brushed right by 11/16, notched his second double-digit victory margin of the meet. MYSTICAL JOURNEY made two speed moves, couldn’t do anything about the winner, tired late but did last for the very distant second over THE LIONKING AS. The latter showed good speed to get in front, yielded, gapped the gapping pocketsitter on the turn, made up ground (on the place horse) but couldn’t reach second. GRAPPLE HANOVER went three-wide around a nonflowing flow, only beaten a length for second. MUFASA AS was out behind a moribund one, was blindswitched then went three-wide with cover, wider headstretch, fair. LADY’S IMAGE never got a call. CHUCKY DE VIE was off the gate, still went out and got a 5-tuck, tired. SORTIE tucked fourth before the ¼, was outside “behind the winner,” then raw and did not gain.

 

ELEVENTH RACEFASHION CANTAB went right to the lead, won comfortably. NORTHERN BLIZZARD went into the two-hole before the 3/16, a bit loose from late backstretch, held second. FRANKIE HILL was well-placed, moved uncovered before the half and challenged, couldn’t sustain in the last 3/16. MALONE was second-over but gapped 11/16. MOJAVE HANOVER had little to offer. JAKARTA PARTYGIRL started to struggle at the half. DIMANTE VIC was far back; another returning with “b.e.” OSVALDO HANOVER broke just before coming out of the turn before the start.

 

TWELFTH RACETIMESTORM stepped around his main foe early and was in control throughout. CREDIT LIST maintained the pocket, couldn’t go enough to stay with the winner. WILLIE B WORTHY moved outside 11/16, went on well to be third. DYLAN THE GREAT was third-in, Pocono Pike, not much late. SYLVESTERAMERICAIT moved outside midturn, ducked back in, got the last check. VIC’S WINNER was three-wide early, took back nearing the first turn but couldn’t find a hole, got tangled up with SWEET HEART AS near the ¼, recovered but gapped, then placed for interference. WORTHY OF HONOR was last in back of the tangled horses past the ¼, came through, then made a break entering turn two and went to the infield. SWEET HEART AS was tangled up at the ¼ and made an “ix” untangling.

 

THIRTEENTH RACETHIRD POWER gapped in the pocket until past the 3/8, got even closer down the back, moved out ¾ and went right by, tapped to stay to business to the wire. ALWAYS BETTER left a big gap in third, outside on the turn, clearly second. BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE got a little closer then fell back in the lane. LEAVE AND ROLL stayed flat. SVENGALI moved out down the back but did not gain, broke near headstretch. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH broke well before the start. LETMECALLYOUBACK opened up a big lead in a 26.4 opener, kept the field strung out until the backstretch, passed ¾, tired and went inside the pylons as very hard to steer.

 

FOURTEENTH RACEHURRIKANE WILLIE G went to the front, faced an early challenger but refused to yield in fast fractions, still had enough to nicely hold off two-holer MUSCLES JARED. The latter went in to the pocket 3/16, kept the hole closed tight behind the winner, moved out midturn, didn’t gain but well ahead of the rest. TRUEMASS VOLO and CIRCLE OF LIFE AS both stayed in and got a decent piece of this. TRAIN gapped in the second quarter, got closer down the back, went three-wide around the parked horse but couldn’t sustain his move. NICE STUFF was off the gate a little, quarter-moved but was left out in the air in a fast tempo, left behind past the 5/8. CHOCO CHARLIE broke approaching the first turn and went inside the pylons for safety.

 

 

Spread the love