FIRST RACE – Precipitation, and a rating of the track that was “good +1” for the first four races and “sloppy +1” thereafter … Stretch tailwind to start … EFFRONTE A went right to the lead and set the pace, came home in 27.2 to hold off the game A BETTOR BEACH. The latter tucked fifth at the 1/8, moved out 5/8 and was soon three-wide to circle the parked horse, two-wide on the turn, didn’t give an inch in a good battle home. HURRIKANEKINGJAMES defended the pocket, a little shy in the Pocono Pike. STARVIN MARVIN kept plugged in, outside in the stretch but didn’t make up any ground. JACKAMINO couldn’t go with late backstretch cover and was three-wide on the urn, got the final payday. LUZIANA and PARKLANE TERROR never factored. GRIFFON HANOVER was looped and three-wide to the 1/8, could find no hole so spent life on the rim, left behind in the last ¼.
SECOND RACE – DAGON HANOVER was on top at the 1/8, didn’t get much pressure on the lead, drew away in the last 1/8. KEYSTONE THUNDER left and yielded to sit in the pocket, kept up well until late turn, still second. SMART AS HILL raced inside and went OK. JUSTIFY had a bit of pace up the inside to decision CREEMORE for fourth. The latter looked to be wanting to get away quickly but broke right after the start, recovered and made second-over behind the parked horse but gapped that cover, three-wide far turn, in all not a bad recovery. BRIGITTE BI started uncovered 3/8, got as close as even with the pocketsitter but no closer before backing off. CELEBRITY SERENA took back to tuck fifth before the ¼, not heard from again. O JONNIE didn’t show much.
THIRD RACE – FULL SUPPORT was outside to the ¼, soon left raw and to the lead 5/16, got relatively soft middle fractions, then threw a 27 kicker (wind-aided) to leave these well behind. LITE N SWEET outleft everybody, saw two brush by early, stayed in, to the Pocono Pike and edged BARBOSSA HANOVER for second. The latter was looped and three-wide to turn one, went up to take control at the ¼, quick to yield for the pocket, couldn’t sprint enough late. MORE THAN YA KNOW backed out behind stale cover but went back in, next. I’M TALKIN HUNGRY went to second-over to the 5/8, gapped ¾. EXCURSION gained solidly from last in the third split, but was tired soon after passing that station.
FOURTH RACE – DISTANCE LEARNING moved out 3/16 to get the top off the first turn, yielded, inherited the lead at the half, had a stern challenge from DIG THAT CURVE after a slow third quarter, held him off impressively by kicking home in 28 (wind-aided). The later picked his way through trouble, moved outside towards the ¾, may have had a nose up midturn, trotted hard under cautious handling through the lane, just missed. UNRESOLVED DEBT broke an 1/8 before the start, gradually mounted a big recovery until he was a tight second-over late backstretch, tired a little (understandably). KOLB HANOVER was on top to the 1/8, saw two others go by, fell back in the last 3/16. WALDO FASHION was out before the ¼ to the lead past same, lost his composure while on top going to the half. STANDTHEPAIN AS jumped going to the first turn. STRONG BREW first broke off the turn going to the start.
FIFTH RACE – Track now rated “sloppy +1” after some more precipitation … CHARLESTON was unhurried to the 5/8, where he moved outside and rapidly made up ground, challenged pacesetter SWEET HOME, didn’t power away but got the better of that rival. SWEET HOME made two moves before the ¼ to control the throttle, held her ground very staunchly. QUEEN SUN RYSER was loose in the 3-spot, backed out behind the winner far turn, came on late to be third. NO GEL NIKKI went on to take the top at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, not enough in the last 1/8. BULLVILLE HILDA never surfaced. ADULT SWIM gapped second-over.
SIXTH RACE – Wind has calmed … CHARMING SPIRIT was away second, sat in, backed out to follow cover 11/16, briefly in midturn as the first-over broke then outside in the stretch, along. SVF CASH DEPOSIT was on the move 3/16 from fourth, got the lead 5/16 and set the pace, resisted the first-over but couldn’t quite deal with the winner. NO NAME YANKEE gapped on the turn, moved outside headstretch and made up ground in the lane. ANDOVERS TOUCH was three-leaving, took a tuck, made a good uncovered move from early backstretch and was challenging the leader when breaking midturn, ran home, placed to last. TRICKY DICK avoided trouble. KEYSTONE ORION came through at the start to get the lead, yielded for the pocket, empty at the ¾. PRINCESS ALLIE was two-wide but gapped, broke. SCIROCCO BIG JOHN jumped early.
SEVENTH RACE – Sunshine on a cloudy day … CODYS KNAPSACK was away second then got going 3/16 to take over 5/16, drew off in the last 3/16. BUILDING BOOST stayed in, outside late turn and was able to take second. DIVINE RIGHT backed out third-over behind dull foes, swung four-wide late turn and had a huge late kick. YS DO IT RIGHT was inside in last, found room midstretch and had a good late burst. LATEST ERA was second but gapped most of the backstretch, then tighter, then three-wide when the raw horse tired but not all that much. ADDISON HANOVER cleared to the lead early, yielded past the ¼, kept the pocket tight until midturn, then fell back. BEACH CHIEF moved 3/8 but couldn’t summon the speed necessary to clear to the lead, tired at the ¾.
EIGHTH RACE – Stretch tailwind again picked up … LETSDOIT S was a little off the gate but still went up early and tucked fourth, moved raw 3/8 and grinded, by the leader before a quick ¾, stayed clear. PADRE left some, kept in good contact, outside as the winenr was clearing 11/16 and came home steadily for second. SHARE THE WEALTH got the lead into turn one, yielded, stayed in, came out in the stretch, angled inside the place horse midstretch and finished steadily. BY A HOFF HANOVER was three-wide leaving, to the top past the 1/8 in a fast opener, rated the half then stepped it up but couldn’t keep the winner out, tired. MONEY MATTERS couldn’t go enough to stay with cover. MATS PALEMA picked his way through simultaneous breakers late backstretch but never got close. Both NORTHERN BLIZZARD and DIMANTE VIC broke while far back late backstretch.
NINTH RACE – GINO SNIPER was quarter-mover #2, strung the field out down the backstretch, really wasn’t threatened late. BULLVILLE STEPHANO started uncovered 5/8 and put in a good grind to be second. AJAYI left and quickly had the pocket, not enough late. GABE HANOVER outleft everybody, had two go by in quarter two, sat in, had to angle past midstretch as he was in tight quarters as the pocket horse tired. GOOD WILL LINDY improved position early, backed out midturn, evenly. THE OTHER THREE all lost contact nearing or in the third quarter.
TENTH RACE – THERESNOLIMIT S spotted fourth, led the outer charge on turn two, speed-grinded up and went by before the ¾, was given a good test by ABRUZZO late but passed it. The latter followed the winner’s cover, gapped it slightly late backstretch but kept advancing, ducked in briefly on the turn then out again in the stretch, came home in 56 – 27.3 over off conditions in a very big mile. JOYGO was third-over and stayed with the flow, best of the others. THEWINNERTAKEITALL went to the lead, yielded to a brusher for the pocket, shuffled when that one was passed then moved outside midturn, fair. ARGENTO was away slowly, got in the outside flow, earned the last paycheck. CHAKE left well and took the early pocket, inside, shuffled considerably far turn, but little once free in the Pocono Pike. FRANK THE ELDER tucked third at the 1/8, then quarter-moved, was under intense pressure from the winner and gave way to the ¾. SCOTTISH was disconnected from early on.
ELEVENTH RACE – Shifting mild breeze … CAPTAIN ROMANCE took control from the pole and set the pace, came home 55.2 – 27.3 and needed every bit of it to defeat MAXIMUS RED A. The latter squeezed in fifth to the 3/16, moved uncovered 11/16 and gained with every step thereafter, finishing in 26.3 and just missing. BETTOR MEMORIES was away well to maintain the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, didn’t miss by much. GONNAHAVEONEMORE sat third, angled out between horses for the drive but never found clearance. WESTERN TYRANT got the final check. AIR GUITAR gapped much of the way. PASSPORT TO ART moved outside but didn’t gain. DO WORK SON was last at every call; finished with “b.e.”
TWELFTH RACE – Wind calm again … ZAPPA went to the top 3/16 in a quick quarter, got his own way on the front end, held off the late rush of PRECISE FASHION for fans of Edgar(d) Varèse. The latter horse pushed early then sat in the two-hole, came on well but also came on just shy. BRAVO ROMEO had some finishing speed to be the distant third. WEATHER VANES was in traffic headstretch, could angle inside and finished gaining. TNT BLUE CHIP was not on the main radar. BEER CHEESE tucked fourth, briefly moved out down the back but soon was back in, couldn’t keep up. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT sat third, was stopping to a walk near the wire. FIGHT SONG was in the back throughout.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Threatening skies … ODDS ON GAMMA, connected early, quarter-moved to the lead 3/8, went on at a good clip, just had enough to defeat I FORBID YOU. The latter showed speed and made the front, yielded for the two-hole, moved out early stretch but temporarily lost her action, regathered and was narrowing in well late. CATIE FAYE HANOVER was uncovered from the 3/8, never closer to the winner than at the finish. CAVIART CARMEL got an early spot, stayed in and gapped some, outside stretch then ducked to an inner path with some pace. BETTE TINA was behind dull cover and went three-wide 11/16, put in a couple of shaky steps just past the ¾, finished steadily. SHE’S MAGICAL went up to the early pocket, not much thereafter. RAVISHIN RUBY was always far back. SHES A BULLVILLE got cover but gapped it throughout the second half.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CHING CHING LUCKY was third-over behind cover that was soon gapping, three-wide 5/8, briefly to two-wide midturn then right back out three-deep, kept coming and went past everybody. DEWTIFUL’S GRACE made the lead just off the first turn, set the pace, fought and regain second over ARCH CREDIT late. The latter went quickly to the front, yielded for the pocket and stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike, may have had a nose up midstretch, just failed in the picture for second. SPRING IN PARIS came out raw 5/8, evenly. AMBERS CHAMPION took third early, inside, to the deep Pocono Pike, evenly. PHANTOM RUSTY was never prominent. BOSCH came outside off the second turn but immediately was leaving a gap. GIVEM THE GOO broke w-a-y before the start.