FIRST RACE – “Sloppy +1” surface all day … BULLVILLE STEPHANO left and sat a pocket trip, outside past midturn and gradually along in the sprint home. BEST BETTOR was three-wide early, took command at the 1/8, got no pressure until challenged by the winner, couldn’t hold on to the lead. QUARANTINI retucked around a backstretch gapper then stayed inside and gained in a quick last quarter. DOUBLE DOUBLE took back early, gapped in quarter two, went around a gapper down the back and retucked, outside far turn and wide into the lane, faded just a little. ONEOFTHEGOODGUYS never got going. BADLANDS SUN was away slowly, was last by the quarter and lost contact afterwards. CREME DE LOU CREME was sitting third, developed a problem at the half and went inside the pylons while stopping to a walk.
SECOND RACE – REYS N A RUCKUS went on to the lead 3/16, strung out the field a long way, dug down and with a good last split fended off GREYSTONE WATCHMAN. The latter was first to the point, yielded for the pocket and stayed close, outside stretch and was gaining late in a good showing. ARI ALLSTAR sat third, unplugged from the top two at the ¾. SWEET PINK sat in and made no threatening noises. BEACHESBECKONME moved out 5/8, briefly gained then fell back. THE OTHERS were in the last three positions throughout and had no impact.
THIRD RACE – TIMES LIKE THESE left well to get command, moderated quarter two then sped up, held together against the big late charge of KINGPIN HANOVER. The latter started up uncovered at the half, got cover 5/8, fanned out for the stretch and gained solidly late. HESPOOKSHESCORES landed the two-hole at the 3/16, to the Pocono Pike, neither gained nor lost ground. IRISH COFFEE was uncovered 5/8, never breathing down the winner’s neck but finished steadily. YOUCOMEHEREOFTEN was last at the ¼ from the rail, never part of the action. CASHIER spotted midpack, little late response. PRAIRIE NUGGET sat in, made a break headstretch.
FOURTH RACE – Some stretch tailwind noticed … TEAM MAC gapped the top two in the quick initial quarter then narrowed in, uncovered 5/8, grinded nicely and got the decision. MISTER DAVID C stayed close in the fast first quarter, then moved to the lead 3/8, fought hard but couldn’t hold on to the advantage. LATEST ATTRACTION blasted out to command before the first turn in a fast opener, yielded, Pocono Pike, came up a bit short. JET ACE had good positioning second-over but didn’t do much with it. BOLTMAN gapped early, tightened in, then had little to offer in the last ½. THE OTHERS were at the back throughout with no effect on the outcome.
FIFTH RACE – ON THE HOUSE went to the lead, kept a rival parked through a 1:00 middle half, then drew away in the last quarter, giving trainer Åke Svanstedt wins with catch-drivers who have 11,445 wins (George Nap) and 13 wins (Emanuel Miller). FRESHGROUNDPEPPER backed off to take a tuck, inside then outside headstretch and finished strongly. NAJAH kept the pocket shut, then couldn’t keep up in the last ¼. MOMMAS A DIVA moved outside behind the parked horse 11/16, three-wide far turn, had a bit of late kick. FAWN DE DON’T didn’t. NETWORK EXTENDER was three-wide leaving, broke between horses to the 1/8. GOTTA GET CRACKIN was four-wide early, dropped down to two-wide but didn’t have the speed to clear or the luck to find a hole, on the rim until fading significantly (if understandably) in the last ¼. KABRINA ran just past the start.
SIXTH RACE – DOC’S FAITH pressed towards the top today and made the lead not long past the ¼, drew away from these. JAGGED LITTLE PILL stayed in third, to the Pocono Pike and was along for the distant second. AMERICAN BEACHBABE claimed command past the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole past the ¼, loose in the pocket before the 11/16, so-so. SPLIT POT sat in and was shuffled to last, had late gain up the inside. PJS FANCY DANCER was trying to leave some but made a brief break, quickly recovered though still rough-gaited, moved raw 9/16, got as far as the pocket horse before fading. ICARUS FALLS N moved past the 3/8 and got cover into the backstretch, three-wide headstretch but flattened. AMARETTO HANOVER was never in it.
SEVENTH RACE – MUSCLE DYNASTY had a big gap off the top three at the ¼ after breakers but narrowed in during quarter two and then started raw, went up to challenge the pacesetting TRUEMASS VOLO, had quite a long battle with that one before finally getting the victory very late. The latter blasted away four-wide for the lead before the turn and went on to a 26.2 initial clocking, backed the pace off, looked beaten when the winner challenged but fought resiliently to the line. KEYSTONE THUNDER emerged from an early scramble with the pocket, moved out midturn and wide in the lane, OK. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT was last of the main bunch at the ¾, made up good ground wide in the lane. CHING CHING LUCKY was second-over but gapped. TUIS SHADOW left, settled third, faded 11/16. ARCHIBALD broke at the ¼. GUMDROP HANOVER had tucked midpack early and was gapping when misbehaving before the ¼.
EIGHTH RACE – As rain started … STONEBRIDGE KARIS had the top in three steps and stayed clear of the field, widening his margin with a 55.2 back half (“sy” track) in an eye-opening performance. BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE defended the pocket, was unplugging from the winner before the 5/8 but still held second in a three-way photo. WARRAWEE XTREME was uncovered 3/8, never got close to the winner but was right there to the line against the rest. DOCTOR BB spotted, then gapped. ALWAYS A LOOK had awful cover, three-wide ¾ and salvaged the last check. I’LL TAKE THE BET gapped early and late. ERINWOOD YVES moved second-over but was empty not long into the backstretch and fell way back.
NINTH RACE – ROSE RUN XTREME was on top quickly, had an open lead in the middle half then had two narrow in, fought off challenges to either side to maintain the slim victory. TNT BLUE CHIP came on the grind at the half and gradually made up good ground, pressured the winner throughout the stretch and was unlucky to lose. FRANKIE HILL was three-wide leaving then made the pocket past the 1/8, very loose in the two-hole until the far turn, then to the Pocono Pike and didn’t miss taking it all by very much. U BAKE THE CAKE moved outside in the stretch, evenly. STAGHOUSE gapped midpack. ROSE ABOVE IT could not stay with cover. THE REMAINING DUO never entered the main radar.
TENTH RACE – Hard rain … MY BOY JACK made the front into turn one, yielded off that bend but was soon moving to retake, endured pressure to the line but stood up admirably. PLAY THE ACE was three-wide to the first bend, then two-wide to command at the ¼, let the winner go, loose in the two-hole a couple of times, but was still scrapping through the stretch. CAPTAIN COOK had gate speed, yielded, sat in, to the deep Pocono Pike and was doing well late. ALVIN BRICKROCK started uncovered well before the half, put in a solid challenge, faded only a little. WIN PLACE’N SHOW was second-over, wide in the lane but couldn’t muster a solid rally. ALWAYS BETTER sat in, behind a wall late but not running over the top of them. BETTOR WAY TO ROCK was third-over, very wide in the stretch, had too far to come.
ELEVENTH RACE – … And it had stopped raining by this race … LAZER JET was uncovered into the second turn, challenged the leader then dropped into the pocket 5/8, came out early stretch and caught the tiring pacesetter. SPIT AND VINEGAR went a fast quarter in getting the lead, slowed the second drastically, then sped up again, got weary midstretch but almost held. GREEK LEGEND moved outside 5/8, gained on the turn then swung wide off of it, came on well. TRENTS A LOCK got into the two-hole late first turn, allowed a tuck in same 5/8, stayed fairly close thereafter. BAZAAR BAZAAR moved with cover, lost it 5/8 and fell back. CRITICAL MASS got forward positioning early, but gradually tired the last half. WHAT A DAME broke entering the backstretch before the start.
TWELFTH RACE – BEVANS CULLEN N made two speed moves to control the throttle, set the pace as he pleased, drew away easily. SPORTSMANSHIP left very well from post eight, made the lead then yielded to sit the pocket, not enough in the last1/8, held off LUZIANA for second. The latter sat in third, went to the Pocono Pike and wasn’t far off second. WHATA TREASURE was four-wide early, took back to tuck fifth, then started first-over 3/8, never got any closer than the flank of the third-in horse, fair. GIVEN UP TERROR was out every call, got cover 3/8, three-wide late turn, flattened a bit. LEAR SEELSTER had an excess of cover, had speed late. MCKEE CREEK gapped inside. BLOW A CLOUD N showed little; returned with “b.e.”
THIRTEENTH RACE – CREDIT CON was well-placed, moved uncovered at the half and went by past the 5/8 trotting a third quarter of 27.4, opened a giant lead. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY did not have great cover, went three-wide past midturn, did well late for second. MUFASA AS was last, swung very wide in the lane and showing good trot on the end. SUNDANCEDIAMOND came out behind the winner, left raw past the 5/8 and didn’t advance much before backing off. BEABOB’S BOSS did not start quickly and was three-wide to the 1/8, had cover then left raw and went on to the front 3/8, yielded to the winner 5/8 and tired. KEEGAN HO left well for the front, yielded 3/8, was shuffled behind a tired horse on the turn but didn’t show much himself late.
FOURTEENTH RACE – TUGGIN ON MY HEART forced tucks early, yielded to a challenger in front of the stands and stayed close in the pocket behind a duel, Pocono Pike, worked by steadily. A BETTOR BEACH came out of fourth off the first turn to the lead 3/8, was soon met by pressure which he kept outside, encountered a new pressure on the turn, dealt with what was on his right but not so much with what was to his left. SHORE OF HIMSELF took the pocket 3/16, moved behind cover then three-wide 11/16 to two-wide raw ¾, held well to the line while far ahead of the rest. WESTERN TRUST gapped, was next. JK MUSICMAN tucked on the first turn, had cover to the 3/8 which he soon lost, tried to get the lead but was left outside in a fast third split, was looped ¾ and fell back. THE LAST TWO never reached contention.