FIRST RACE – Temperatures in the low 80s … Slight stretch tailwind at the start … BULLVILLE TERROR got a fine trip second-over, went wide late turn and was able to pace to the front. AFLAME HANOVER quarter-moved and set the pace, had pressure on him from the 5/8, dispensed with that one but couldn’t hold off the wide closer. TRAY SURREAL was uncovered on the second turn and went 27.2 against a breeze to challenge, held OK. FRISKIE ALL NITE sat in, spent most of the stretch angling wide and gaining. MCMIKE was wide early, took a 4-tuck, backed out to third-over but wasn’t a major factor. ACTOR HANOVER took the pocket 3/16, sat in, gapped far turn. CAVIART SAGE pushed away from the rail and forced tucks, yielded for the two-hole, but was loose in it from the 5/8. ROCK THREE TIMES gapped at the back.
SECOND RACE – The fractions posted during the race were amended to 26.4, 55.2, 1:25, 1:53.3 … BLENHEIM was out on the second turn and got good cover 5/8, wide late on the turn and trotted to the fore. RICH AND MISERABLE got to third-over, gapped cover a bit, never tipped wide in the lane but followed the winner home well. TIMESTORM left well, was forwardly-placed, moved uncovered 5/8 and challenged, just got edged for second. SORELLA was on the move just before the ¼, needed the length of the frontstretch to clear in a fast half, couldn’t maintain her lead. MISS MCKEE had early position, was not keeping up far turn. TOKYO SEELSTER busted away in 26.4 for the top, pushed the favorite most of the second quarter before yielding, then was unplugging 11/16. MUSHANA trailed throughout.
THIRD RACE – ROLLINWITHAMBITION mad the lead then yielded at the ¼ for the two-hole, shuffled then gapped 5/8, slid all the way up the inside to the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, and to victory. BLACKLIGHT was uncovered from before turn two, speed-grinded raw in challenging, held a long way very gamely at 40-1. JIMS PERFECT TEN was third-over, was behind a bad gapper so looped that one down the back, continued three-wide on the turn, good on a day where it was hard for wide closers to be along in time. MY WISH CAME TRUE was hustled away but was only midpack, very slow to clear between horses in midstretch and in tight quarters, had good pace. BRAVO TEX N had cover most of the ¼ then went up to take over 3/8, had a hard first-over challenger to deal with, succumbed. KINGSTONS BAD BOY got to the front at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, backed out late backstretch, was blindswitched, not too much late. WHAT’S GOIN ON moved second-over but immediately was gapping, ducked back in.
FOURTH RACE – KINDA LUCKY LINDY was gapping the first half as were several of these, moved 5/8 and had his cover retuck 11/16, went up raw, wrested command headstretch and opened up a clear margin upper stretch, easily. CHAPOLIER moved early in the backstretch, was eased out to the three-wide path before the 11/16 and remained three-wide the duration, saw the winner slip away early stretch but still went on determinedly. SAY YOU DO followed the place horse’s cover and was next in line. MUSCLES JARED made his way off the rail before the 11/16 and was blindswitched, gapped two-wide, evenly late. THE LIONKING AS roared away to a big lead he kept to the 3/8, then had pressure on the lead the rest of the way, got the earlier challenge to retuck but then faced new pressure, tired in the last 1/8. GRAPPLE HANOVER never factored. FIX-IT-UP got the early pocket by rail default, closed the gap approaching the 3/8 then went right on to challenge but was left outside, tucked late backstretch and faded. LEVITATION couldn’t stay connected.
FIFTH RACE – IDEAL WHEEL left well and was content in the pocket until the 11/16, when he pulled and went right to the lead, opened up an insurmountable advantage. CURIOUS CORTEZ tucked third, followed the winner out then retucked second on the turn, had little late response, just holding onto second. OWEN gapped midrace, sat in, weaved through traffic in the lane to wind up on the inside and gaining well. AIN’T IT FUN went evenly. AMAZON moved with cover, wide, didn’t gain enough. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO took over early, set a reasonable tempo for these, but had nothing when challenged late backstretch. SPORTY DRAGON gapped midrace and never tightened in.
SIXTH RACE – LUISELLA rushed up into the first turn and took over control off the first turn, turned back the stern challenge of SPEED AWAY and drew off in an impressive mile. The latter moved from fifth going to turn two, made a big burst off the second turn and pushed the winner hard raw into the wind, backed off midturn and retucked, far ahead of the rest. HURRIKANE WILLIE G went to the top, yielded off the first bend for the pocket, struggled to keep close to the third quarter duelers, went inside a pylon on the far turn, won a photo for third but was placed fourth for the violation. DICENTRA came on from last to beat tired horses. FASHION ON A STAR gapped inside; RIPPLE OF HOPE gapped outside.
SEVENTH RACE – PREMIER ROCKSTAR got away third, sat in to the second turn and remained third-in, got to the pocket and then the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter pulled late turn, had the pace to win and did so. STAR MESSENGER was in front at the ¼, went a fast second panel on his own then had a big fight with the first-over down the back, retained the lead a long way and retained second. SADIQ HANOVER pushed the ¼ and yielded to sit the two-hole, came out late turn, OK. INDIGO ART had good cover until it tired ¾ then had to go wide, came on steadily. THE MOONSHADOW N stayed in then backed outside, ducked in far turn and was behind the winner, but didn’t have those kind of steps late. NEWBIE went to the outer flow, three-wide with cover on the far turn, not enough. PURPLE POET was uncovered from sixth 3/8 and then went a big 3/8 to be head-to-head challenging for the lead down the back to the ¾, but at that point backed off suddenly.
EIGHTH RACE – CARLISIMO got towed up second-over from last behind a grinder, three-wide late turn and finished with high energy to catch VETTEL N on the line. The latter was three-wide just past the 1/8 and onward to the lead at the ¼, got a breather in turn two then picked it up, came home in 55 – 27.1 and still got caught. DA DELIGHTFUL left between horses to the lead before the 3/16, relinquished for the two-hole, moved out, neither gained nor lost stretch ground. CHATELROLL sat in and was shuffled, angled wide late on the turn and came home well between horses. HORSE made the lead, pushed and yielded, not enough in the last 3/16. DEALER’S TABLE started raw into turn one and grinded up, couldn’t continue his gain. BRONX SEELSTER was not a contender.
NINTH RACE – BELLOWS BINGE made the lead at the ¼, rebuffed an early move and then benefited later as the outer tiers all clogged, drew off. DRAGON STRIKES left and yielded for the two-hole, second-best. BROTHER JAMES and A STUD NAMED SAM parlayed inside trips into good checks. PUZZLING was shuffled to last and out in a blindswitch near headstretch, got the last check coming between horses after finding some room. REGAL SON left some, came at the quarter but did not find the speed to go by despite urging, stuck first-over, fell back. ROUGH ODDS was behind clogged two- and three-wide tiers, four-wide headstretch, no shot. MINDTRIP raced into fourth 3/16, then moved second-over, three-wide early in the backstretch but never gained outside the parked horse.
TENTH RACE – BACKSTREET SHADOW started uncovered towards turn two, hit a higher gear early in the backstretch and paced his own third split in 26.1 to clear to the lead before the ¾, then ran away the rest of the way. PRICELESS BEACH was behind the winner nearing the half but could not match his third quarter move and was left raw, did go on to take second. JACK’S LEGEND N went up on a slightly-delayed basis and tucked third at the ¼, sat in, was shuffled and came back out on the turn, still could not reach second. J M MANDAMIN made the front 3/16 and set an appropriate pace for this class, then got steamrollered down the back. PYRO was shuffled, a bit late on the far outside. MARK WITHA K pushed the pacesetter some before yielding, no response in the stretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – PARMESAN N took back early, was third-over but saw each of the two two-wides in front of him retreat to the rail, went onward and finished strongly to be up right on the money. WHITECOOKIE was in front to the first turn, set the pace, strung the field out, got pressure 11/16 but forced that one back in behind, seemed to waver just a little and only just in the shadow of the wire. TOWN GOSSIP sat the pocket, challenged 11/16 but was back in the pocket just past midturn, to the Pocono Pike, a step shy and well ahead of the rest. TAM MAJOR A came out off the second turn, went past a gapper, got cover 11/16 then ducked in, not that much late. THE NEXT THREE were well off the main action. LYONS KING was third early, couldn’t keep up most of the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – SOUTHWIND SANDOR was revved up early today and pulled everybody in behind him by just past the ¼, sailed along without a challenge on the lead. BETTOR NOT TALK was outside but shuffled to last 5/8, had to be ten lengths back when he commenced a giant three-wide brush to clear the dead wood and get to third by the turn and second by headstretch, stayed on, very good race with very poor luck. CERTIFIABLE angled out headstretch and was up for the distant third. JIM BLUE was four-wide early then went behind the two outside leavers, angled to the pocket while they were three-across fighting before the ¼, stayed reasonably close to the leader until late backstretch. MAJOR SHOW couldn’t gain. FRAZZLEBERRY was between horses arguing for the lead until finally retreating to third at the ¼, was tired at the half. HIGH BALLER came out at the half behind a sluggish horse, was blindswitched by the place horse, no factor. CARLAS MACH A was three-wide to the ¼ before tucking, came out again uncovered but did not gain, had “b.e.”
THIRTEENTH RACE – THE DARK SHADOW took control easily and kept it easily while being rocked home. BIG BOSS HILL advanced up the inside around the moribund outside horses, moved out late turn then ducked back to the Pocono Pike and continued to gain. I’VE GOT HOOTSPA stayed in until late turn, caught up the inside in the battle for second. SHANE ADAM left for the pocket, left behind midturn. CAPTAIN MULZAC came out at the half but had no forward gear. The other “CAPTAINS,” CASH and MALICIOUS, were gapped way off the action. LITERL LAD HANOVER had cover, tried to go around it 5/8 but just hung while three-deep.