FIRST RACE – A hot and dry day; stretch headwind … BONNIE BEN ROCKIN settled into the pocket early, waited until getting room early stretch, then moved outside and worked past AMP IT UP N. The latter headed right down the road, just a bit shy in his first U.S. start. DS IT’SNOWORNEVER tucked fifth, stayed in, a clear if distant third. MY FIRST TIME stayed inside, not too much. HANDSOFFMYTITOS tucked third at the 1/8, came out 5/8, gained a little then faded a lot. HURRIKANE MON AMI spotted, moved out on the turn and wide headstretch, couldn’t gain. BRYCE never got close. JAM THAT GUITAR was already gapping before the ¼.
SECOND RACE – NEVER MIND N, adjusting to his new surroundings quickly, was on top 3/16, drew more and more clear through the last half in a fast pace and time for this class. TRICKY DICK left and had the pocket, unplugged past the half but maintained the distant deuce. ANDOVERS TOUCH had dull cover past the 5/8, came on some late. NO NAME YANKEE stayed on the rail until angling out headstretch, next. SPRING IN PARIS gapped at the back early, rode the inside to the last check. CRUSHWORTHY spotted third, really unplugged the last half. FLANAGAN FANTASY moved outside but was never a major danger. PRINCESS ALLIE went offstride past the ½.
THIRD RACE – ANNA’S WISH was fifth inside, suddenly had enough room to gain to the pocket as the three in front of her pulled past the 5/8, outside midstretch and just along over SWEET HOME. The latter was quickly on top, rated the half, fought off a challenger on the turn, then just couldn’t hang on to the advantage. BLOW POP came out just past the 5/8 but immediately was behind cover, gapped slightly on the turn then swung three-wide, finished OK. FASHIONATTIFFANYS was third-over, back in on the turn as the two-wide tier stopped making progress, evenly. COOL CUTE COOKIE was away for the pocket, came out approaching the 11/16 and challenged, but was tired by headstretch. UBIQUITOUS HANOVER fell further behind throughout the last half.
FOURTH RACE – STORYBOOK ENDING circled a gapper 5/8 and kept advancing inside, to the Pocono Pike and caught KELLY’S BABY. The latter was very wide early then dropped down behind cover, lost cover at the ¼ and made the top before the 3/8, was visibly tired late but still almost held. CHAMPAGNE HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, outside midturn, bore out a little early stretch, not quite enough although far ahead of the rest. JAKARTA PARTYGIRL was between horses to 1/8 command, yielded, was gapping more and more from the 3/8 on. WILD KAT G was never a factor. FREE DRINKS moved outside but couldn’t enter the action. QUINNPATRICKSHEA broke just after the start; COOL MISS WENDY broke coming off the turn before the start.
FIFTH RACE – BET ON BUTER was pinned in by parked horse, finally could get out 5/8 and challenged uncovered, looked to fade a bit midturn but then found more and paced strongly to the wire. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC slinkied outside at the half, inside dead cover, outside behind live cover past the 5/8, and three-wide headstretch, good but second-best. BETTORUPTHEANTE would not yield to a parked and challenging rival, tired in the stretch. MORE THAN YA KNOW kept the pocket tight and stayed close to headstretch, then came up devoid of gain. SOLAR EVENT gapped early, avoided congestion and got a check. CLEARCHOICE DE VIE left but could not summon enough speed to clear even though having a short advantage at at least one point, left behind midbackstretch. GINO SNIPER was very wide early, then followed cover, three-wide at the 5/8 but didn’t gain. TICTOCMOE didn’t enter the main picture.
SIXTH RACE – EMBRACE THE STONE was on top at the 1/8, pushed a foe then yielded 5/16 under a good hold, outside not long into the backstretch to the lead before the 11/16, stayed safe. TAILWIND PAT moved behind cover 11/16 after the winner cleared, three-wide in the stretch and finished steadily. ROJO MAN had cover early then uncovered at the 1/8 and on to the lead 5/16, rated the half, powerless to keep out the winner 11/16, not too much late. STANDTHEPAIN AS had to check behind a breaker first turn, circled a slow foe then kept gaining up the inside. SWAN MASSIVE HALL was well-placed, outside 11/16 after the change on the lead, but didn’t have much late. COMELETUSADOREHIM didn’t show very much. BELLAS TITAN broke 3/16 and went inside the pegs.
SEVENTH RACE – UNRESOLVED DEBT went to the lead and had a big advantage at the fast ¼ as the pocket horse broke, really slowed the second quarter, then picked up the pace and had no one get close to him. DIG THAT CURVE was outside down the backstretch but was very slow to show a faster gear, did pick it up on the turn and through the stretch but could not reach. SOUTH FOR WINTER was away third then inherited second after a breaker, closed a hole in the slow second panel, gave the pocket far turn but then rerallied in the Pocono Pike for show. FOX HOLE came out 5/8, retucked in the pocket on the turn, but came up empty late. KOLB HANOVER got a check. JOHNNY TRIX was off the gate and fell far back. DONATELLO HANOVER left and got the pocket at the 1/8, but soon thereafter went offstride as they were going quickly.
EIGHTH RACE – LIGHT AND TIGHT was on the lead just before the 3/16, slowed the second quarter, then sprinted home nicely in 56 – 27.3. STRESS FREE sat third until the 11/16, passed the pocketsitter than ducked in for the stretch drive, finished well. BLANK CHEEK immediately showed on top, yielded, a bit loose in the pocket at several points, held for third. HULA GIRL Z TAM passed tired foes AUTUMN MOON and ADULT SWIM.
NINTH RACE – LADY’S IMAGE moved from third at the ¼, soon uncovered and needed until well past the 3/8 to clear (in a 30 quarter, though against the wind), held off the first-over, tiring late but kept it together for the tally. NICE STUFF was out 3/16 for command, saw two go by in quarter two, could advance to the pocket far turn, found a better gear in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t quite get there. FOUR UNDER PAR, briefly wide early, had cover most of the ¼ then raw to get the lead 5/16, pushed the winner a little then yielded for the pocket, outside midturn before the sweeper could pin her in, went OK late. CELEBRITY ROLEX came up the inside OK from far back. CREEMORE made a brief break past the start but recovered quickly, got to second-over, three-wide before the ¾ and left three-wide midturn as the pocketsitter came out, flattened a bit but a good recovery overall. AFTER ALL PAUL was a bit hard to settle inside, joined the outer flow but never reached. TEDDY BROSEVELT tried to follow the sweeper but could not keep up. PREACHER MAN was uncovered into turn two, didn’t gain much on the leader then was looped and fell back.
TENTH RACE – SHARE THE WEALTH was away third then was second after the two-holer broke, out before the 3/8 to get the lead beyond the 3/8, drew away in the stretch. TRANQUILITY K left very well and went right to the top, was challenged 3/8 and let the winner go by to sit the pocket, stayed close to headstretch then backed off but did hold second. BY A HOFF HANOVER was uncovered 5/8, gained a bit but couldn’t sustain the move. ARGENTO gapped much of the way, then found better steps through the lane. SCOTTISH was way off the gate and never prominent. MUSCLE HALL had little from before the ¾. BILL BAUER left and reached the pocket at the 1/8, but then took a bad step and ran 3/16. PADRE was in a decent position second-over when losing his stride mid-far turn.
ELEVENTH RACE – VEGAS ROCKS made the front to the 3/16, yielded to the retaking TWIN B EDGE and stayed on his back well into the stretch, edged out and went by the leader late. The latter left, pushed a bit, let the winner go, retook at the ¼, lost all but that one during a 27.4 third quarter, then just got edged out late. In the distant battle for third, CHANCELLORCULLEN N, who sat third but had started to gap before the ½, did hold for the show. BIG N BAD came out to the half but never got to third. MICHAEL’S MONSTER was gapping from early in the race. AN THE THUNDEROLLS swung wide from last but could have no impact. BEAST MODE was outside to little effect.
TWELFTH RACE – WEATHER VANES left, took the pocket, then quarter-moved, rated the second quarter, looked about to be passed by LADYBUGS N BOURBON ¾ when that one bore way out and interfered with another, left with a clear lead, held onto it in a 30.4 kicker to pay $116.40. BEER CHEESE tucked at the 1/8, avoided the trouble on the far turn and continued to gain up the inside to be close at the wire. FIGHT SONG also gained on the far turn, outside late turn, made up some ground. DIMANTE VIC and BRAVO ROMEO gapped most of the way yet still got checks. LADYBUGS N BOURBON closed an early gap, moved before the 5/8 and quickly advanced, had about a length lead at the ¾ but suddenly bore way wide bothering a foe, was placed. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT grabbed the racetrack early, yielded to the winner, moved out behind the first-over before the 3/4, ran up on that one when she misbehaved and suffered an “ix.” SNOWMAN HANOVER broke on the straightaway before the start.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Stretch headwind strong … ATTA BOY DAN was hustled away, moved from third to the lead in front of the stands while getting a slower second split into the wind, sprinted off a bit down the back then had horses coming after him, with the most persistent challenger, CONCUR, battling him to the wire but getting by. The latter was raw by the 3/8, one-geared along right to the end. MCNEIL Z TAM was second-over 3/8 then three-wide 5/8 the duration, got to second on the turn but flattened out some. STARVIN MARVIN swung wide after an inner trip and had some late pace. TELL THEM LOU left and got the front before the ¼, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose the last half, faded further in the last 1/8. DIVISION BELL didn’t show too much between horses in the lane. RYCROFT N had the early led, relinquished at the ¼, not too much late. WINNING IS SWEET gapped third-over.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SMART AS HILL was looped and ranged up early, then was urged to clear just past the 5/16, parked the foe behind him, drew away to win for fun in a fast time for this type. AWSOME PAUL left three-wide to take over at the 1/8, pushed the winner then yielded then defended the pocket, was loose past the 5/8 but still preserved the distant second. DEWTIFUL’S GRACE protected her early pocket, yielded, gapped along the backstretch, outside on the turn, couldn’t get closer. PRESIDENTE ZETTE gapped early, stayed in, evenly. MATTER OF TRUST was outside behind dull cover, blocked upper stretch, then dove down to the Pocono Pike and salvaged the last check. IT’S SO FLUFFY was behind cover early, briefly three-wide 5/16 then back to two-wide when the winner finally cleared, left out in the air, tired. SVF CASH DEPOSIT was outside before the 5/8, went three-wide before midturn but only clogged that tier. PHANTOM RUSTY never contended.