FIRST RACE – A hot day on Sun Stakes Saturday, with a noticeable stretch headwind throughout the card … LOU’S PEARLMAN got away second then quarter-moved into the wind to the lead 3/8, rolled off to a very solid victory. CHATELROLL hustled to get a second-over trip, closed well although no threat to the winner. ROCKIN THE ACES gapped a good part of the first half, then was underway uncovered, never reached the leader until well into the far turn, held well. IM A GIGOLO N initially sat in then backed out to third-over, late pace. SPEEDY DOMINIC A was shown the whip behind the gate and flew away to immediate command, yielded for the two-hole, couldn’t respond further. PRINCE OF TIDES had too far to come. PRAIRIE PANTHER was last-in, clear along the inside late but not enough. HICKFROMFRENCHLICK got third getting away, but gave way in the last ¼.
SECOND RACE – FREE TO BE ME took the pocket 3/16, sat in third-over, out in a blindswitch later on the turn, got to the path behind MISS HELEN HANOVER and outkicked that rival late as the pace was slowing (not an unusual occurrence against the wind this day). The latter went up tight second-over, three-wide late turn and marched right to the lead early stretch, held very gamely. EAGER TO PLEASE and NITE TIME DEAL were far back, fanned extremely wide and picked up the tired horses inside them. ONECROOKEDLEG was third-over, followed the winner on the turn, not enough. TWO PROUD went out for the early lead in 26, yielded for the pocket, trapped in on the far turn, but didn’t have much response when finally getting to the Pocono Pike. SMUGGLE TINA went sent up three-wide at the 1/8 then accepted a four-tuck at the 3/16, went first-over at the half, pressed the pace in fast fractions, gave way. YES AND YES was outside before the ¼ and went up to the lead, battled in fast numbers, all done an 1/8 out.
THIRD RACE – STRIDE THE HILL left alertly to get the lead, pushed a foe to the 3/8, stayed tight in the pocket, aided when the new leader broke headstretch, to the Pocono Pike and along for the decision. NICE GUY EDDIE was three-wide to the 1/8 going around his stablemate, gradually worked his way to the lead 3/8, was challenged late backstretch, saw a rival get the advantage but not the inside then break headstretch, thus reclaiming the lead, held well. FAMOUS FATHER gapped when moved outside late backstretch, then was doing better late. GINGER TREE BRAD gapped midpack the last half but did stay flat. SAVERIO HANOVER miscued approaching the start, recovered for the last payday. TACHYON took back early, broke before the ¼. ROBERTSIN was forwardly-placed, came out late backstretch and quickly got the lead but couldn’t cross over, then broke headstretch. DRIBBLING BI wasn’t in the picture when misbehaving before the stretch.
FOURTH RACE – JM’S FINALTREASURE was outside at the ¼, cover almost to the 3/8 then uncovered and on to the lead, had constant pressure and everybody coming at him for all directions in the stretch, but held together. BIRTHDAY was last, still last midstretch but had a big last 1/16 in him into the wind and just missed. JO PA’S WARRIOR started uncovered at the half, challenged, went inside the winner in the lane, battled on. BAY CITY started quickly and got the lead, yielded, moved out second-over 5/8, tried hard but came up a bit shy. HECANDANCENCRUISE was third-over, OK but outkicked. LOUKES PERRY was in a very difficult spot. QUICK SNAP was three-wide to the first turn, then two-wide, needed until past the 5/16 to get on top then yielded, evenly in the stretch.
FIFTH RACE – MISSWALNER FASHION was looped early but maintained her two-wide position, methodically went up to take over the racetrack 5/16 in a quick half. retained control the rest of the way (again, in a race with a slower last half). DESIGN FASHION was uncovered from fifth 5/8 and grinded, still scrapping at the wire. EBBIES LADY circled wide early to be on top at the 1/8, yielded to the winner and stayed tight, Pocono Pike, kept battling. MEDLEY had speed, raced close to the action, may have been blocked early stretch but not tight on that wall late. A PERFECT HELEN gapped, advanced some in second-over but couldn’t go with the top ones. PURE COUNTESS was very wide early, three-wide then settled in fourth, inside, gapped far turn before breaking. BLUE SKIES SHINING offered little. GRACELYN HANOVER misstepped before the start.
SIXTH RACE – BALANCE stayed in, moved out in a blindswitch late turn, wide and proved to have the most in the 29 kicker. JUST DIVINE stayed in, found a seam between horses early stretch and gained rapidly to come up just shy. SWEET TREASURE was underway before the 1/4, left coverless and pressed on to the lead 3/8, went a big third quarter, bore in to the Pocono Pike early stretch taking away opportunity for its immediate usage, rebounded and was right there at the finish, but placed fourth for the passing lane violation. GALLERIA HANOVER was three-wide leaving, then two-wide to the lead off turn one, yielded for the pocket, had the Pocono Pike taken away by the bearing-in pacesetter early stretch, then regathered and was gaining late. LYONS SERENITY started uncovered off the second turn, went 26.4 raw down the back, didn’t take backward step. LYDEO outleft everybody, yielded, was going to go to the Pocono Pike but found tight quarters there, not a late factor. SOUTHWIND JAVA gapped second-over. MADEIRA HANOVER was last at every call.
SEVENTH RACE – The first two lived up to their names here … GREATEST ENDING also had early speed and maintained the pocket behind fast fractions, but then went to the Pocono Pike and got by EARLY ACTION for the greatest ending. The latter was boiling early and was on top past the 1/8 in 25.4 early action, slowed quarter two then picked it up with the aid of the wind, couldn’t maintain his lead to the wire. NAUTICAL HANOVER was out wide then settled down to a 4-tuck, uncovered 9/16 and put in a good challenge, melted a bit late after a good race. PJ LOU was never far off the pace but didn’t have finishing speed. ATLAS HANOVER was second-over, gapped most of the last ¼. THE LONGEST YARD was third-over, didn’t get close. MARKET BASED was never a big factor. ARIO HANOVER lost contact in the last half.
EIGHTH RACE – MOLOTOV COCKTAIL gapped behind the front-end war among three, closer early backstretch and three-wide 5/8, kept out three-wide by a pulling pocketsitter then dropped down to follow that one’s cover, went on nicely in the lane for the decision. B A SUPERHERO gained inside down the back and on the turn, angled wide and finished willingly (again a moderating last ¼). EL TORO LOCO had the rail and kept the pocket tight behind the battle for the lead, moved out uncovered to the ¾ keeping the winner three-wide for a spell, took the lead nearing headstretch, couldn’t quite carry the advantage to the wire. WORLD AT WAR DEO was three-wide to the 3/16 and on to the point at the ¼, would not yield to an early challenger in fast numbers, saw that one fall back but then couldn’t handle the next wave. TORRONE never factored. KING OF THE NORTH went up behind cover early, was third when making an early frontward move but was rejected, tired 11/16. TESTING TESTING broke just before the start. FINN PALEMA was between horses in the early battle when breaking 3/16.
NINTH RACE – JOVIALITY S maintained the pocket early, content to sit third until starting the outer flow 9/16, grinded, went right by her stablemate late turn, solid as a rock. DELILAH HANOVER was in the backstretch flow, got to tuck in, then back outside behind the winner late turn, distant but clear second. MANON joined the outer flow, tucked in, distant third. MON CHEVAL stayed in and was briefly shuffled to the 11/16 then moved outside, next in line. BAPTISM stayed in and was badly shuffled when the pocketsitter gave way, made a decent recovery for a check. DREAMONHIGH never contended. JIGGY JOG S was looped leaving, pressed on and went to the front 3/8, continued on quickly, had already been passed by her stablemate when going to a break at headstretch. PINK COCO CHANEL left well, was in front at the 1/8, yielded 3/8, all done 5/8.
TENTH RACE – SWEET KISSES had a picture-perfect second-over trip behind a fight for the lead, wide and worked to the front late. SEA SILK was very wide early, ducked into the early pocket then was third, pulled uncovered from there at the half and grinded in fast numbers, held gamely. MAX CONTRACT left nicely to the front, yielded but was quick on the retake, got determined pressure, bore out a path headstretch, couldn’t make her lead last. WICKEDLY INNOCENT was fourth-over, wide in the stretch and good. TRICK OF THE LIGHT was third-over but struggled to keep up far turn. TREACHEROUS DRAGON had room to advance up the inside down the back, inside stretch, not too much. CAPE COD HANOVER attracted an excess of cover, little chance. CAPTAIN COWGIRL was looped then rushed up to take over just past a fast ¼, yielded, started going loose 11/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – Track geometry – another textbook example … BEACH GLASS had the rail and used it to keep the lead in a 25.2 ¼ when his opponent finally tucked, really slowed quarter two then picked it up again when the favorite mounted a second bid (note the two odd-numbered quarters, with the wind, combined to 52.1), hard-urged in the lane, deserved the victory. BYTHEMISSAL tried to take control early but couldn’t go by in 25.2 so took the pocket, out of same 5/8 to mount another big challenge, held resolutely. LAYTON HANOVER held early position, gapped behind the titanic early duel, then tightened in, got the pocket when the chalk vacated same 5/8, Pocono Pike, only a half-length back of taking it all at 84-1. FOUREVER BOY was first-over into turn two, got cover 5/8 but gapped it in the fast third stanza, tried hard late. CAPTAIN COWBOY stayed in, found a seam and squeezed through moving well at the wire. JK VICTORY stayed in, inside stretch, evenly to be not far off. ENERGETIC HANOVER had no shot from his positioning. MAD MAX HANOVER gapped third-over.
TWELFTH RACE – TEMPORAL HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead at the ¼, backed off quarter two then accelerated when a challenger came on, mild tapping late to hold safe PRETENDER. The latter was fastest away, relinquished at the ¼ for the pocket and stayed close, outside stretch, did very well but second. POUR MEA DOUBLE backed out to third-over 11/16, four-wide into the stretch and closed very well. COOL PAPA BELL broke early, caught the field and got in the outside flow second-over, three-wide headstretch, had his kick blunted by the earlier damage. JUSTICE was uncovered on the second turn and continued raw a long way, held decently. KOSHER MAHONEY improved position early, sat in, had room inside in the stretch but didn’t have any kick. PERICULUM was inside, gapped far turn then broke in the stretch. THAT OLE BAR STOOL was offstride well before the start.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CUATRO DE JULIO was outleft but gained early to third, on the move at the quarter to the lead, in control throughout in the fastest trot mile of the year locally and in as impressive a performance as any during Sun Stakes Saturday. HILLEXOTIC left well, forced a tuck, yielded to the winner for the pocket, not in his league but game to retain second. BELLA BELLINI tucked fourth 3/16, briefly uncovered 11/16 then got cover, ducked in nearing headstretch, just third over SOUTHWIND TYRION. The latter left and dropped in second early, moved out towards the ¾, did well. FLEMSTEEN had trouble keeping tight a good part of the way. LOVEDBYTHEMASSES was far back, never entering the main action. DEWEY ARNOLD moved out down the back but could make up no ground. WHEN DOVESCRY broke an 1/8 before the start.
FOURTEENTH RACE – ALLYWAG HANOVER cleared inside at the 1/8 and yielded at the 25.2 ¼, got to sit in the two-hole, outside headstretch and grittily gained in a 27 kicker against the wind to take the decision over a very good AMERICAN COURAGE. The latter was between horses to command at the hot ¼, had a foe pecking away at him throughout, shook that one off and went on gamely to the wire. CASUAL COOL maintained close contact inside until nearing headstretch, still far ahead of the rest. BILLY CLYDE was second-over behind the parked horse to the second turn, three-wide ¾ but was left behind in the last 1/8. THIS IS THE PLAN circled four-wide in the lane and did get a check. DRAGON SAID was third-over, blindswitched late turn, may not have cleared. WILD WILD WESTERN did not contend. RUTHLESS HANOVER was very wide leaving and three-wide to the 1/8, briefly had cover then left raw at the ¼ and couldn’t go by, tired throughout the last ¼.