FIRST RACE – “Sloppy +1” throughout the day, with no wind … PRESIDENTE ZETTE was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked fourth, came outside at the ¾, moved wide late turn, along late. TRICKY DICK headed down the road, picked up the pace to meet the first-over challenger, almost lasted for the victory. SPRING IN PARIS inherited the pocket at the 3/8, gapped down the back as the tempo increased then tightened in on the far turn, Pocono Pike, not far off. NO NAME YANKEE wanted to leave but broke, recovered and settled inside at the back, wide in the stretch and made a good comeback. PHANTOM RUSTY stayed in, to deep in the Pike, couldn’t gain. BEYOND THE LENS broke at the start but quickly caught, started uncovered 3/8 and made a long move to go up and challenge the leader, couldn’t keep going forward in the stretch but OK after the misfortune. KEYSTONE SERGEANT got away in the pocket, broke just before the 3/8.
SECOND RACE – QUIXOTE moved uncovered to the second turn, speed-grinded his own last half in 55 putting pressure on the leader, going by late on the turn, then holding off SECRET CAPTAIN. The latter had great cover from the winner but was slightly off of it, found a better gear just past midstretch and narrowed in. JUST BET IT ALL went on to the lead to break up a possible “lineup”, slowed the half, got hard pressure from the winner, tiring in the last 1/8. SHIP SHIP HOORAY sat in and gapped a little, found a hole early stretch and came barreling home. TENNESSEE STRONG yielded for the pocket, shuffled a bit near headstretch and had to wait for the Pocono Pike, but didn’t have a sharp response once clear. MAYWEATHER HANOVER couldn’t enter the action from third-over. DEMPSEY HANOVER gapped at the back.
THIRD RACE – WHAT SHOULD I GOO was wide early then gunned up to the front in a 27.3 opener, set the pace, threatened late by CHAKE but showed gameness in defeating her while missing the stakes record by only a tick – the closest anybody came to an StS record over the off track. The latter horse was a little bit loose in the pocket for much of the last half, but went to the Pocono Pike and closed well to make a good race of it. HEART MATTERS got forward position, gapped at a couple of points, won a photo for third over I’LL HAVE A LINDY. The latter moved uncovered 5/8, made some progress but stalled out midturn. THE REST were never prominent and finished well back.
FOURTH RACE – NEVERTELLMETHEODDS was three-wide early to 3/16 command, yielded at the 3/8 for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, went by by a neck past midstretch, just did survive the comeback of LITTLE LADY J. The latter left and had cover to the 3/16, then made the top a like distance later, put up fast numbers with hard pressure, came back with tremendous courage late. BUTTERFINGERS was uncovered on the second turn and made a long move to challenge the leader, had what looked like a neck or more turning for home, held well but couldn’t make the advantage last to the wire. DUCHESS HILL stayed in and gapped, then angled widest headstretch and made up a ton of ground. STRAWBERRY FIELDS yielded, sat in, blocked late turn, then had room but could go only evenly. AMBUSHED had good cover second-over, not that much late. CALLIOPE HANOVER gapped inside midrace, moved out ¾ but couldn’t make up ground. GINGER TREE LENA was not involved.
FIFTH RACE – THEWALLOFLOVE AS came outside 5/8, three-wide around a parked horse before the ¾ to two-wide and got new cover, still two lengths back midstretch but handled confidently and was along. TAILWIND PAT was close-up, rethought a quarter-move when the leader hung a challenger and kept the pocket closed, vacated the pocket just past the ¾ and went to the lead into the stretch, briefly drew clear but couldn’t sustain the margin to the wire. WINE BAR was three-wide to the 1/8, cleared to the lead, was able to rate a 1:01 middle half despite a parked foe’s hounding, tired in the last 1/8. BEACH DREAMZZZ was last in the main pack, couldn’t keep up with the wide move of the winner, OK late. SWAN MASSIVE HALL gapped inside. SUMMERS LUCK spotted midpack, broke late turn while not in contention. NINA HANOVER was off the gate, broke to the first turn. MISCHIEVOUS G was two-wide leaving, was looped and had to stay out two-wide, challenged but couldn’t go by, faded down the back.
SIXTH RACE – AUSTRAL HANOVER left well enough to get the pocket, quarter-moved and slowed the second ¼, kept to mild urging in the stretch to stay clear. SIR FRANK tucked early, moved outside to the ¾ but ducked back in as cover went nowhere, out again in the stretch and just there for the distant second. TAILGATE BUZZ made the lead between horses past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, couldn’t stay with his stablemate and just missed second. DRAKE HANOVER was wide early, took back for third, outside before the ¾ but didn’t have much, retucked headstretch, showed some late vigor along the inside. LOOKINTOGETLUCKY gapped inside, did get the last check. ALONSO moved outside but gapped. OPEN BAR broke an 1/8 before the start. FASHION PRESIDENTE came from far back raw 3/8, didn’t take the second turn well before breaking at the half.
SEVENTH RACE – ULTIMATE LOULOU tucked, was quarter-mover #2, tucked in the pocket past the 3/8, gapped a bit on the turn, moved out early stretch and gained steadily to catch TEAM COLORS. The latter was quarter-mover #1, didn’t want to surrender the lead and got the winner to go in behind her, fought bravely but was outpaced late. COBBLER had the early pocket, started uncovered 9/16, grinded, got to the leader’s wheel but no closer, backed off. BLANK CHEEK outleft everybody for a quick lead, yielded, gave the pocket past the 3/8, outside late turn but didn’t gain. THE NEXT THREE did not make their presence felt. ROLLAWAYBETH was gapping by the ¼ and lost contact past the half.
EIGHTH RACE – MRMAYOR HANOVER came with a quarter-move and controlled the pace, drew away through the stretch. ANDOVERTHEWINNINGS yielded the lead before the ¼, moved first-over to challenge, not the winner’s equal but held off BIGLY for second. The latter was three-wide to the 1/8 then backed off to tuck fourth 3/16, briefly out with cover down the back then back inside late backstretch, up the inside in the lane, tried hard. SOUTHWIND CAINE moved outside down the back, couldn’t quite go up to reach cover when the second-over ducked back in. THE NEXT TRIO couldn’t get into the action. EMERALD’S LEGACY worked to the lead at the ¼, yielded for the two-hole, got a little loose on the far turn and then broke headstretch, being taken to the inside.
NINTH RACE – SOUTH FOR WINTER tucked third, quarter-moved, had all but the place horse well behind him, then drew away from that one as well in the lane. KOLB HANOVER rushed out to a big early lead, yielded to the winner, as noted was the only one who stayed close to that one, outside midstretch, didn’t gain but retained place. JOHNNY TRIX got early position, gapped most of the way, got a little closer in the last quarter. HALE-BOPP couldn’t go enough. CS EXPLOSIVE CHIP made a break before the start, caught the field, tired. DIG THAT CURVE made a run going to the 3/8. DANCEHALL KING broke past the start, suffered “b.e.” and was pulled up.
TENTH RACE – JO PA’S WARRIOR was three-wide to just before the 1/8, made the lead just before the fast ¼, had a clear lead much of the way, then had Tetrick’s head on a swivel late judging to see if he could withstand chargers from both sides, and he did. CODE CRACKER left between horses, tucked third, waited for deep Pocono Pike clearance, was gaining rapidly at the end to just miss. ATLAS HANOVER maximized the rail and protected the pocket, a bit loose in same much of the way, to the Pike just inside the winner, good but came up a step shy. GOOD DEAL sat in and was last, found room past early stretch as the outer tiers melted off, swung wide and was flying late. HECANDANCENCRUISE was first-up at the half, challenged, held OK. ROCKNROLL GOLD went three-wide on the far turn from third-over, couldn’t gain enough. RULE OF LAW gapped second-over.
ELEVENTH RACE – HEAVEN HANOVER was out strongly to control the tempo, slowed quarter two then picked it up as a backstretch challenger came, left that one behind but then had to be game to hold off LINDYS IRISHCREAM up the inside by the barest of margins. The latter took the pocket before the ¼, went to the Pocono Pike and lost by a whisker. GUCCI GIRL stayed in, went decently to be a clear third. JAMESON N LIME moved uncovered 5/8 and made a good pass at the leader, but couldn’t sustain it. WIND N WATER was not prominent. SWEET ON HER gapped second-over, wasn’t gaining when breaking near the wire. FORTUNE FORECAST was three-deep to the 1/8, fell in behind cover but broke 3/16. TOTALLY RELENTLESS broke leaving past the start, made a good recovery to reach the back of the main field, but broke again midturn.
TWELFTH RACE – HEARTBREAK HOTEL moved uncovered 5/8 and gained, saw the pocket horse pull past midturn, ducked inside, then utilized the Pocono Puke and with determination got home first. HOOD PARTY made the top to the first turn, yielded past the ¼, under a hold at the half, came out of the two-hole past midturn, did get the lead in the lane but was just outpaced by her stablemate late. GALLERIA HANOVER was out to the lead coming off the first curve, rolled on, held her ground well late. MADEIRA HANOVER came out far turn but couldn’t go with the top three. SOUTHWIND JAVA fell back in the last ¼. SOMESWEETSOMEWHERE gapped at the back throughout.
THIRTEENTH RACE – GINO SNIPER made the lead before the first turn, rated quarter two while still having a strung-out field behind him, tested late by HOUND ON THE BEACH but proved equal to the challenge. The latter left well for the pocket, came out headstretch, looked to lug in a little but was quickly righted, couldn’t catch the winner. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC came outside before the ¾, proved next-best. GOOD WILL LINDY raced forwardly-placed, not enough in the latter stages. GATOR HANOVER was outside early backstretch and went around a troubled horse, moved out far turn but didn’t get closer. BINGE ON YANKEE made a fumble an 1/8 before the start and was well off the gate, never could get back into it. HURRIKANE CHEYENNE was always well back, broke late turn. RUSTY BEACH developed a problem off the second turn and was taken to the inside of the main course.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MY BOY CHRISTIAN gapped much of the first half, got going raw towards midbackstretch and grinded up, took over early stretch and withstood VIC’S WINNER. The latter was on the move early down the back, picked up cover 5/8 but never got to be tight on it, steadily late to be as close as he was. DYLAN THE GREAT was three-wide early, then two-wide to the two-hole 3/16, shuffled late on the turn, had to back out early stretch and swing wide, had some trot belatedly. STICK WITH ME KID took over early, yielded for the pocket, slightly shuffled as the two-wide tier had the momentum swinging for home, Pocono Pike, not too much. NEVER MIND N came with the quarter-move, under pressure from the winner from before the ¾, nothing left for the stretch. CELEBRITY SERENA gapped most of the way. THE LAST TWO were in the back throughout.