FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … LATEST ERA was four-wide to the first turn and three-wide to the 1/8, took back then but found no hole so urged to go up and get the lead 3/8, rolled in quarter three with the wind, opened a clear lead headstretch then held off the late surge of ALWAYS BETTER. The latter went out early to take command, yielded towards the 3/8 for the two-hole, didn’t stay with the winner turning for home then kicked in, but his resurgence came just a bit late. WIN PLACE’N SHOW was between horses early, tucked in the early pocket, inside, not too much late but a clear third. JET ACE gapped cover second-over, wide in the lane and next. I’LL TAKE THE BET kept a hole closed early, moved uncovered into turn two, gained a little then tired in the last eighth. THE LAST THREE were at a distance from the main pack most of the last half.
SECOND RACE – LYONS NIGHTHAWK looped everybody early to get the lead, yielded near the ¼, pulled from third 5/8 and soon could retuck in the pocket, out again late turn, went to the top early stretch, gradually put a little more distance between himself and DO WORK SON. The latter pulled from midpack past the ¼ and made the lead before turn two, had a sizable advantage midbackstretch as the pocket horse tired, only to see the winner fill the pocket and draw closer, couldn’t hold that one off but stayed second. AIR GUITAR gapped from before the half, moved to follow the winner’s cover but couldn’t stay with it, got closer in the slowing last quarter. LORD OF MISRULE did not have good cover, three-wide far turn and narrowed in. WINNING IS SWEET got shuffled behind the pocketsitter down the back and on the turn but didn’t show much once clear. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was looped and three-wide to the 1/8, went on to the lead before the ¼, yielded into bend two, unplugged 5/8. CANT KNOCK ME never entered into it.
THIRD RACE – HAND DOVER DAN moved when ready 9/16 and made a quick brush to the lead before the ¾, came his own last half in 56 in an impressive local bow. TNT BLUE CHIP was at the back of the main bunch, moved out behind the winner but couldn’t go with him, but grinded steadily to be a good if distant second. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT wanted forward position but broke soon into the race, caught the field by the half, followed cover, along to photo FRANKIE HILL for third. The latter went to the lead, slowed the half, could do nothing about the winner’s brush, tired. FIGHT SONG stayed flat and got a check. U BAKE THE CAKE was also leaving but broke early. UNRESOLVED DEBT sat in the pocket, was behind the tiring pacesetter when losing gait past the ¾ and went inside the pylons.
FOURTH RACE – KEYSTONE CECILIA came out of the early pocket 3/16 to take the lead past the 5/16, rolled on, withstood the persistent BOSCH. The latter was looped then tucked 3/16, moved uncovered soon off the second turn and applied constant pressure, held well. ARCH CREDIT went to the front, yielded to the winner and stayed close in the pocket, didn’t go to the Pocono Pike as not being able to gain but stayed on pretty well. SPRING IN PARIS left a small gap inside much of the last half, Pocono Pike, so-so. SVF CASH DEPOSIT got to second-over but couldn’t stay with cover. AMBERS CHAMPION was third-over, three-wide far turn but couldn’t gain enough. O JONNIE sat in, had traffic trouble through the lane. JUSTIFY was double- looped and was outside behind cover when breaking 3/16.
FIFTH RACE – AN THE THUNDEROLLS had command at the 1/8, yielded, shuffled a little then could move outside midturn, three-wide late turn and paced away from these to the wire. BEACHESBECKONME was out most of the 26.4 opener for the lead, yielded 3/8, sat the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, enough to gain place over two closers. SAMMY THE BULL N was third-over behind gapping cover, swung four-wide and finished steadily. LATE NIGHT JOKE was second-over from last, gapped, moved into the three-path behind the winner and came on some inside of the show horse. WOODMERE ROLLEX sat in and was shuffled to last as the third-in gapped, weaving for clearance upper stretch then found some inside midstretch and had pace (though the tempo was slowing). PC’S EXPRESSO decided to press on, in gear 3/16 to the lead 3/8 and got a moderate second split, had pressure, tired. CHANCELLORCULLEN N gapped inside. MICHAEL’S MONSTER got an early spot, was uncovered on turn two and made a good challenge, but then got weary.
SIXTH RACE – OLD MAGIC made two speed moves, slowed the half, was well in control here. MOMMAS A DIVA was away between horses, got the top 3/16 then yielded for the pocket, couldn’t keep up ¾ but kept up better than all the rest by far. FAWN DE DON’T didn’t have much late after an inside trip. NINA HANOVER backed out to second-over 11/16 but found cover unhelpful, wide and had a little at the end. FLEUR DE LIS moved uncovered early backstretch from way back, made a pretty good gain in quarter three but then couldn’t sustain the gaining. READ THE BOOK was inside, little. ANDOVER JESS was three-wide to the 1/8, then two-wide, found no tuck so took all the way back to last, dropped far back.
SEVENTH RACE – IC A FREE SPIRIT was looped and tucked third, went raw 5/8 and kept advancing, drew away. SCOTT ROCKS yielded to sit the pocket, got Pocono Pike room after the winner went past, barely could get up for second over BEVANS CULLEN N. The later got a good start from PP8 and was on top by the 1/8, rated the second quarter, came under pressure from the winner, held decently. BEST SHOT N moved second-over 5/8, went evenly. WHATA TREASURE wound up third-over, didn’t stay with it in the last ¼. BLOW A CLOUD N had room to advance up the inside 5/8 but never was a factor. LUZIANA was always far back. TYLER ALBERT disconnected from last down the backstretch.
EIGHTH RACE – The stretch headwind is strong, slowing the last quarter times … TIMES LIKE THESE made the top 3/16, rated the half then sped up, clear on the lead until very late. IRISH COFFEE yielded for the pocket and was the only one to stay close, gained some late but didn’t appear to be getting to the winner. YOUCOMEHEREOFTEN got a slow start, came out behind dull cover, three-wide nearing the ¾ to two-wide far turn, gained steadily. LOOKINTOGETLUCKY was three-deep to the 1/8, tucked third 3/16, started to gap behind the front two to the 5/8. HESPOOKSHESCORES couldn’t find a tuck until past the ¼, then wasn’t heard from again. DANCEHALL KING was off the gate, and never entered the action. HALE-BOPP was uncovered from far back before the half, never got close. PRINCE HOWARD was forwardly-placed, was getting ready to back out to follow cover midturn but broke.
NINTH RACE – BLANK CHEEK left well three-wide to the top, slowed the half then went 27.4 with the wind down the back to open a huge lead, stayed ahead of CHERRY VALLEY to the line. The latter went on between horses for the pocket, had a big gap open between herself and the winner down the back, made up ground rapidly in the latter stages but couldn’t reach that one. FOX VALLEY LEAH was third-over, ducked in between horses early stretch and gained steadily. SWEET GADGETS was no factor after an inside trip. BAMA BREEZE was second-over, three-wide far turn, so-so. CLOCKSTRIKESTWELVE moved uncovered 5/8 but was ineffective. MORE PLEASE lost contact in the last half.
TENTH RACE – EBBIES LADY left purposefully but did yield past the ¼, waited in the pocket until the 5/8 then moved and went right to the lead, drew away effortlessly. BILL BAUER had slowly-advancing cover, closed well to be a clear second. ARGENTO was uncovered at the ½, briefly was uncovered then raw again, tucked third midturn after a breaker, evenly. BEER CHEESE decided to go on early and got the lead just past a fast ¼, rated quarter two, was passed easily by the winner 11/16, tired. AWSOME PAUL had little to offer. PADRE was stuck inside, broke ¾ upon getting nearer to the old leader. BOINGALICIOUS gapped. VENDOR BILL broke nearly an 1/8 before the start.
ELEVENTH RACE – BLUEBERRY SHAKE was double-looped leaving, went on to command 5/16 and kept rolling, opened a clear lead early stretch but saw SWEET HOME closing strongly just to her inside and just found enough to hold in the 30 kicker. The latter made the lead, put a foe in behind, then pushed the winner until yielding 5/16 and stayed close, saw the first-over bear into her nearing headstretch and had to check fairly hard, regathered and finished with a huge last 1/16 to almost get there. TRULY got early position, then came out 5/8 to challenge, bore in a little late on the turn, backed off some in the lane. JAGGED LITTLE PILL was widest early, went into the early pocket, sat in, gapped in the last ¼. FASHIONATTIFFANYS moved out second-over but gapped out 11/16. THE OTHER THREE couldn’t stay with the leading pack the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – SPIT AND VINEGAR made the top early then yielded for the two-hole 3/16, waited for the Pocono Pike, just got the nod over WILLIE B WORTHY. The latter gained early position, moved outside 11/16 and trotted steadily as the pace slowed to just miss. SUNDANCEDIAMOND moved outside on the far turn and finished with good speed. DYLAN THE GREAT was out 3/16 in a quick quarter to control the stick, set fast fractions for these, gave way. TUIS SHADOW was buried inside, had some belatedly. TEDDY BROSEVELT stayed in, gapped on the far turn. CHIEF JUSTICE lost contact. MANWILLING needed until the ¼ to be backed off to last, then broke before the 3/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TEAM MAC moved out 5/8 and soon went three-wide on a big sweeping move that carried him around everybody late on the far turn, won for fun. BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE was three-wide to the 1/8, took back to tuck, then moved behind the early challenger, was blindswitched then went wide behind the winner, couldn’t much his speed but went a good mile himself after a difficult journey. MY BOY JACK went into the pocket, to the Pocono Pike after the winner was gone, just held for third. BOLTMAN sat in, to the deep Pike, fair. DOCTOR BB gapped through much of the mile, swung widest before the stretch and got the last payday. MISTER DAVID C kept a hole closed early, then moved before the 3/8 as if to rush to the lead but was kept on the outside, tired after the tough trip. GREYSTONE WATCHMAN was always far back. CAPTAIN COOK wanted to be in charge from the rail, kept an early challenger outside him until the stretch, then folded.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SWEET HEART AS moved outside off the second turn, three-wide 11/16, quickly got to two-wide and kept advancing, took over midstretch and won easily. NICE STUFF pushed a fast quarter, sat in, found room to go outside far turn, came on well. STICK WITH ME KID was uncovered on the second turn and went right by the leader 5/8, challenged by the winner, tired. TRUEMASS VOLO was out past the 3/16 in a 26.3 opener to get the top, was challenged early backstretch and yielded, struggled to keep close thereafter. UPFRONT STONE was three-wide to the 3/16, then behind cover until tucking 5/16, shuffled then backed out at the ¾, couldn’t recover after a very bad trip. KASEVILLE gapped in last. CHUCKY DE VIE had a nose up going to the first turn, but track geometry with three leavers inside him forced him to back off, dangled outside until finally retreating in the last quarter.