FIRST RACE – “Fast +0” until rain came after the ninth race, at which time the surface was rerated to “sloppy +1” … Mid-70s … Stretch headwind for the first part of the card … CAPTAIN COOK got a fine ride second-over, three-wide late turn, went to the lead past midstretch and got the job done. WARRAWEE XTREME was third-over, four-wide headstretch, took a little while for him to find high gear but gained as he did. MCDREAMER was out to the 3/8 before taking over, rested to the half, had a horse grind to him, couldn’t hold off the closers. LATEST ATTRACTION tucked, stuck third-in, got to the Pocono Pike, fair. WIN PLACE’N SHOW tucked fourth, in, out in a blindswitch headstretch, found the path behind the winner and had some foot on the end. DOCTOR BB gradually advanced raw from going into the second turn, tired. CURRENT YANKEE went to the lead, pushed a foe to the 3/8 before yielding, empty in the stretch. KEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT could not get into the fight from fourth-over.
SECOND RACE – FOUR UNDER PAR was very wide leaving, three-wide to the 1/8, and two-wide to the front at the ¼, but from there he was strong, drawing clear from before the 5/8. MATTER OF TRUST yielded for the pocket, unplugged early backstretch but still managed to keep going and win a three-horse photo for second. THE IRISHMAN was second-over, three-wide ¾, steady though without enough speed. LAZER JET got in third, to the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. GREEK LEGEND closed a frontstretch gap and went uncovered into turn two, grinded off the leader, gave way some late in the battle for major minor honors. ZSA ZSA DABOR never factored. FRENCH MONI had little inside; CRITICAL MASS had little outside.
THIRD RACE – PACINO HANOVER settled in fourth at the 1/8, took the length of the frontstretch to brush up to the lead, but then came home in 55.2 as fully in control of these. DOUBLE DOUBLE yielded, raced closely-placed, outside late turn with some pace. MY FIRST TIME was in front past the 1/8, pushed the winner a bit before yielding, tired in the last 1/8. JERSEY JUSTICE was far back but did circle the rest. LEROY GIBBS and JUDICIAL couldn’t go this much; nor could CREME DE LOU CREME, who then made a bad break early far turn. BADLANDS SUN jumped at the half.
FOURTH RACE – Drizzle during the race … CURADH left with good speed, got his own way on the lead, drew clear ¾ but started to tire late and just did hold off WARINER. The latter also was away well to get the early pocket easily, wasn’t tight from the ¾ to midstretch, then narrowed the margin steadily. LIKE A WARRIOR sat third the entire way. PRAIRIE NUGGET stayed flat and went around the gapping VENDETTA KEMP. ROSE RUN YANKEE came outside ¾ but broke midturn. SWAN MASSIVE HALL jumped at the 3/16. ANDOVERTHEWINNER was double-looped early and broke taking back from a wide position past the 1/8.
FIFTH RACE – TUGGIN ON MY HEART left and took over the racetrack at the ¼, had only SHORE OF HIMSELF stay close in the 55.1 back half, and held that one at bay under confident handling. SHORE OF HIMSELF enjoyed a great two-hole trip, moved out to challenge and raced very nicely but had to settle for second. VEGAS ROCKS sat third and gapped at points, looked a clear third midstretch but tired and just did hold that spot. ROCKS FANTASY sat in, evenly. Neither LEAVE AND ROLL nor AN THE THUNDEROLLS rolled into a contending position. BARNARD HANOVER moved outside ¾ but was empty. STARK HANOVER broke w-a-y before the start.
SIXTH RACE – FAMOUS DAN was looped, went on to get command 3/16, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, moved out to late turn, lost a little ground straightening away but regathered and trotted by nearing the wire. FRANKIE HILL followed the winner then went on when he cleared 3/16 and himself made the top 5/16, set the pace as he pleased, couldn’t quite hold up. U BAKE THE CAKE had good gate speed, saw two go by, gapped a little down the back, had the chance to go to the pocket and then the Pocono Pike when the winner moved out late turn, flattened a little bit. MOJAVE HANOVER came outside 5/8, steadily. ROJO MAN couldn’t offer much. ROSE ABOVE IT moved two-wide but never moved up. EMBRACE THE STONE broke 11/16. PRIMO VOMO miscued an 1/8 before the start.
SEVENTH RACE – More drizzle … AMAZON (already in-to-go for $20,000 on Saturday) made the lead then yielded to his main rival to sit the two-hole, moved outside and easily powered by. REYS N A RUCKUS was away second, outside before the ¼ to the lead before the 3/8, went a big third quarter which bottomed all the opposition – but one. MCKEE CREEK was away third and stayed there, to the Pocono Pike but had no gain late. LEAR SEELSTER also stayed in and was shuffled to last, clear late as the outer tiers collapsed and finished strongly. SAFENSOUND HANOVER sat in then backed out to second-over 5/8 in front of a gapper, had that cover fail on him so went three-wide, evenly. ZOEES BOY HENRY was uncovered from past the 3/8, held his ground in the fast third quarter then backed off in the fourth. SPINOUT was off the gate and never in the main picture. MONEYORROSES moved second-over but gapped out before the 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – Wind shifting to a stretch tailwind … MIRASOL S moved with cover at the half, got to retuck in the pocket behind a battle, took the short way home and own nicely in fast time for these. SAINT TRIXIE tucked, moved with cover then lost it, went on to the lead into the backstretch, had immediate pressure in fast fractions, held well but was second-best. HALEY HILL went to the top early, saw two lead changes and then was shuffled as an opponent tired 5/8, backed out to two-wide then tucked back in, OK for third. THE EMPRESS ICE was far back most of the way, finished alertly. NETWORK EXTENDER tucked in fourth past the 1/8, moved with cover and was left raw early backstretch, challenged hard in a fast ¾, gave way in the stretch. THE NEXT PAIR were not heard from. SPARKLING TILE S defended the pocket, moved to the lead 3/8 and came under immediate attack, yielded into the backstretch and soon was steadily falling back.
NINTH RACE – CANDY TRADER came out at the ¼ and had cover following him as advancing raw, mildly urged to get by going into turn two, fended off the first-over and was clear late. MY BOY JACK left and took command early, strung the winner out through the frontstretch before yielding, held his ground well. BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE was in the early pocket, stayed in, even response late. ALWAYS BETTER followed the winner out and was left raw on the clubhouse turn, battled, held pretty well. MISTER DAVID C sat in, made a break 5/8 and went off the course, recovered, made a big three-wide move far turn and continued through the stretch, but placed for the trouble associated with the break. I’LL TAKE THE BET was not a factor. BETTER WAY TO ROCK was very wide early, three-wide to the 1/8, then got in at the ¼, was shuffled and had to get out of the way of the 5/8 breaker, couldn’t renter the main contest. SUCRETARIAT joined the early outer flow from last, wound up second-over but gapped.
TENTH RACE – Rain (which had almost ended by the time the race started) came in and changed the track over to “sloppy +1”; no wind … SWEET HEART AS wound up second-over, three-wide before the ¾ around failing cover, kept on going and was along as the late pace slowed. KEEGAN HO was innermost of the leaders, encouraged several to tuck and finally yielded after a brisk 5/16, popped out of the pocket ¾, held for second in a photo with NICE STUFF. The latter was away last and buried inside, got access to the deep Pocono Pike and was moving very quickly at the end. SUNDANCEDIAMOND stayed in, angled out early stretch and had some late foot. TRUEMASS VOLO stayed in third, went to the pocket on the turn, not too much late. CREDIT CON was four-wide to the first turn, three-wide to the 3/16 then two-wide to the 5/16 to get the lead, tired after the hard early exertion. CIRCLE OF LIFE AS tried to follow the winner’s sweep move but couldn’t stay with him. TRAIN edged out at the half but didn’t advance much before fading.
ELEVENTH RACE – MADELYNN SOPHIA left for the lead, yielded at the ¼ to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and quickly to a lead she would maintain to the wire. JAGGED LITTLE PILL wound up third-in, started to edge out headstretch but with traffic looming went back all the way down to the deep Pike and finished well. DOC’S FAITH, wide early before tucking, was in good position second-over, looked to run in early stretch and had to be straightened, then moving well once resettled. AMERICAN BEACHBABE was used to the 26.4 quarter to get the lead, slowed the half then had a very serious backstretch challenger, tired. PJS FANCY DANCER didn’t enter the main picture from third-over. PRINCESS DAYNA pulled out off turn two, took a couple of strides to get in gear then came with a big challenging burst and actually did get a brief short lead, but couldn’t sustain the move. SWEET GADGETS broke 3/16.
TWELFTH RACE – SORTIE came uncovered 3/8, moved steadily up and went past to the lead ¾, won by a country mile. MISS MUSCLE sat in, gapped down the back, got a little closer inside on the turn and was the distant second. KASEVILLE wanted to go by early but took back when an inside horse was insistent, had the lead anyway at the ¼ when that one broke, pressured down the back and yielded ¾, went on evenly thereafter. AMADOR was far back with cover, swung wide and had belated trot. MUFASA AS had cover, didn’t enter the hunt. SYLVESTERAMERICAIT never got into the mainstream of the race. CHUCKY DE VIE was wide early then tucked third at the 1/8, backed out behind the winner but was just left raw and clogging a tier. WILLIE B WORTHY came through at the start and wanted to have the lead, then broke near the ¼.
THIRTEENTH RACE – NOME HANOVER moved out behind the parked horse and was three-wide before the 5/8 to be two-wide raw after that spot, grinded, proved to have the most. MCNEIL Z TAM followed the winner from the 5/8 to the 7/8, tipped wide, couldn’t quite get there. JK MUSICMAN was outstepped early, went to the lead at the ¼ and hurried on as a foe was parked, couldn’t last late. ATTA BOY DAN outleft everybody, yielded for the pocket and stayed close, Pocono Pike but not enough. LORD OF MISRULE stayed close but didn’t have much late. WINDSONG JACK was looped, had cover to the ¼, then was left raw, looped 5/8 and fell back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – HOT SUMMER KNIGHT made the top 3/16, held off the first-over challenge of MOON BRIDGE and drew clear at the end. The latter went up to tuck third 3/16, uncovered before the ½ and argued in a fast third quarter with the winner, was turned back but fought on gamely for second. SWIZZLE HANOVER was second-over at the ½, ducked in to the pocket far turn, Pocono Pike, just missed place. ROUNDTOWN ROCKER defended the pocket until the ¾ then unplugged, still a distant best of the rest. WHAT A DAME could not gain significantly. SPIT AND VINEGAR sat in, shuffled some far turn but not too much once free. FRAC broke before the start. WORLDSSTONECOLD AS moved outside third-over, still far back when breaking 11/16.