FIRST RACE – REBELLIOUS was limbed out three-deep to the 1/8 to get the lead, strung the field out with odd-numbered quarters under 27, much the best. ACTOR HANOVER left between horses to get into the pocket, a bit loose at times behind the winner but the only one who stayed semi-close. CAVIART SAGE sat third, couldn’t keep up far turn, held in a big battle for show. GO DANCING A was underway on the second turn but never showed the speed to get near the front. KERFORD ROAD A sat in, used the Pocono Pike but didn’t gain. REDBANK BLAZE A was out behind nonadvancing cover, no factor. SAVING GRACE N sat last, angled wide early stretch and had some late pace. GARDYS LEGACY A gapped along the inside.
SECOND RACE – REYS N A RUCKUS got to the lead without much trouble, set the pace of his choosing and was safely ahead to the line. SHANGHAI BOBBY sat the two-hole, moved out late turn, neither gained nor lost ground late. JUST N ACE was gapping far behind down the backstretch, but then saw the inside open up for him and gained ground late in the Pocono Pike. SPORTSMANSHIP got in third after the first turn trouble, outside midturn and wide into the lane, did well. WHATA TREASURE was stuck inside, out in a blindswitch late turn, in close quarters through the lane. BASS PLAYER started the outside flow then went to second-over, wide on the turn but couldn’t reach. ARTACHE HANOVER was looped early, bothered when DREAM OF LUCK bore in before the 3/16 and suffered an “ix,” recovered, tried to get back into it before the 5/8 but could not. DREAM OF LUCK was three-wide past the 1/8 when bothering a foe, was taken wide and never reentered the main competition.
THIRD RACE – ROLLINWITHAMBITION ducked in fifth at the 1/8, moved uncovered on second turn, was not living up to his name midbackstretch with a rival choosing to progress three-wide, then picked it up and showed tenacity to the wire, earning the decision. HOT DEUCE was second-over, three-wide 11/16 and left out three-wide the duration, had aim but couldn’t get there at crunch time. BELLOWS BINGE was parked just past a fast ¼, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, not far off. THE MOONSHADOW N was forwardly-placed early, sat in third, didn’t come clear until early stretch, didn’t have a clear path and hard to say how much pace he had. JIMS PERFECT TEN was third-over and followed the flow, four-wide in the lane and finished well. CLOUSEAU HANOVER had too far to come. DRAGON STRIKES pushed a fast quarter, yielded but retook and rested then stepped it back up, nothing left for the stretch. TUXEDO BAY stayed in, out in a blindswitch midturn but never factored.
FOURTH RACE – Stretch headwind picking up … DELAYED HANOVER was in the middle of the leaving pack, tucked third then inherited the pocket as a wide challenger broke, waited for the Pocono Pike, gradually wore down ABRUZZO. The latter was three-wide a good bit of the ¼ before crossing over, set the pace, tried very hard to the wire but was caught. VALI HANOVER moved uncovered before the 5/8, gradually made some advancement but couldn’t sustain it in the stretch. PRACTICAL CAT was second-over but was not a major win factor. JOYGO didn’t get into the race; nor did DICENTRA, who was off the gate. HURRIKANE WILLIE G got early position, appeared all-out just to keep up from in front of the stands. SPEED AWAY was widest of the leavers, still three-wide 3/16 when making a break.
FIFTH RACE – ARTIFACT HANOVER steadily worked his way to the top 3/16, drew away from the field late on the backstretch, had a safe lead to the finish. IDEAL WHEEL was forced to stay inside by a parked horse to the ¾, outside and gradually made it to second over PLAY THE FIELD. The latter went on top at the 1/8 and yielded 3/16, unplugged late backstretch, couldn’t hold second. TOPVILLE OLYMPIAN avoided outer tier congestion. GONNAHAVEONEMORE did not avoid that outer tier congestion; couldn’t get in gear around the traffic. BLACKLIGHT moved second-over, gapped, then three-wide late backstretch but just clogged that path. FRAZZLEBERRY yielded, wanted to quarter-move but could not summon quickstep and was left out to dry, faded.
SIXTH RACE – RIPPLE OF HOPE got an early spot, stayed in, could get to the Pocono Pike when the pocketsitter came out, beat these out in a slowing last quarter. MISS MCKEE was three-wide to the 1/8, then onward to command to the ¼, had a parked horse hounding her while going fast fractions, couldn’t hold off the inside horse. DAGON HANOVER left and yielded, sat the pocket until coming out late turn, gained some. AMADOR was far back inside, some trot once with a clear stretch path. GRAPPLE HANOVER sat last, did not factor. CHIPLOSIVE was behind cover early then was left raw at the ¼, had to spend the rest of the mile in the air, faded past the ¾. SORTIE was second-over but gapped.
SEVENTH RACE – LITTLEBITASWAGGER made the lead and made sure a challenger paid a good price to get the top, sat the pocket until late on the turn, just up in the last step. BIZYS BEATLE was pushed well past a 26.3 opener for the front, didn’t have outer tier pressure, then just failed to hold off the winner. CONCUR was third-over, ducked between horses and cleared very late in tight quarters, had pace. UNDERTAKER stayed in, not a major presence. ROCK KING DEO was under hustling down the back to keep close in third, evenly. AMERICA’S GUEST started a long grind on turn two, gained down the back but never reached the leader; OWEN followed that cover, went three-wide late turn but didn’t get into the main action. AIN’T IT FUN was not heard from.
EIGHTH RACE – JUSTICE was wide leaving, went behind cover and tucked fourth out of the first turn, came uncovered before the 5/8 and went right up to challenge the leader, got a small advantage but couldn’t clear on the turn, but then drew away in the stretch in a most impressive fashion. P L NOTSONICE moved 5/16 from third to the lead before turn two, had hard pressure from the winner around the far turn, not in the league of that one but far ahead of the rest. CHAPOLIER moved outside with cover before the 5/8 but gapped it, steadily to be the distant third. ONE AFTER NINE swung wide and had finishing trot. TOP ME OFF had cover but didn’t enter the main picture. TOKYO SEELSTER put everybody in behind in a 26.4 initial split, yielded well past the 3/8 for the pocket, couldn’t keep up from the 5/8 on. THE LIONKING AS left well, took the pocket 3/16, gapped the gapping pocketsitter. RICH AND MISERABLE was off the gate and trailed everybody at every call.
NINTH RACE – PREMIER ROCKSTAR was between horses leaving, looped, pressed on to the front before the 5/16, drew clear in the last 3/16. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO was three-wide to the first turn en route to the lead, yielded, couldn’t keep up in the pocket late but battled on for second. DONE WELL left, was well-placed, inside stretch but couldn’t reach place. STAR MESSENGER tucked fourth, was uncovered at the half, got to the flank of the pocket horse but no closer then backed off. EDDARD HANOVER was never prominent. BROTHER JAMES picked up cover at the half but gapped it. PURPLE POET was inside and last, blocked through the lane with some horse. KINGSTONS BAD BOY moved outside but couldn’t get into the main argument.
TENTH RACE – DA DELIGHTFUL left between horses to get the pocket, stayed there until nearing the stretch, bore in a little then got straightened away and drew away here. WHITECOOKIE was three-wide to the 1/8 and two-wide to the 3/16 until getting the lead in a 26 opener, no match for the winner but preserved the place. CARLISIMO was second-over, three-wide when cover faltered early far turn, OK but couldn’t close enough to get near the runaway winner. BULLVILLE TERROR followed the cover of the show horse and was next. HORSE left, yielded, stayed in, couldn’t keep up in the crucial stages. GRAND CAYMAN was always near the back. LOUIE THE HORSE N was uncovered 3/8, grinded, faltered ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – GUINNESS PANIC was out with cover to the ¼, went on to take over near the 3/8, set the pace, wasn’t threatened until midstretch then responded with enough to down MISTER DAYTONA N. The latter got the front, forced one foe in behind, then let another go 3/8 for the pocket, found a better gear midstretch and narrowed in some late. PATRIOT NATION had so-so cover, three-wide before midturn, finished pretty well. J B MAUNEY N sat in, went to the Pocono Pike, had some pace, returned with “b.e.” LYONS KING was uncovered going to the half, never really got close to the winner, held evenly. CAPTAIN ROMANCE swung widest, a bit late. CAVIART ROCKLAND was parked leaving, got into the early pocket at the ¼, had no punch left late. MCMIKE gapped at the back, wasn’t gaining much when running nearing the wire.
TWELFTH RACE – MINDTRIP was third-over, moved three-wide 5/8 and was left out wide until late turn when getting to two-wide, took over the lead midstretch and won over many “alive” foes. BRAVO TEX N was fourth-over, three-wide with then without cover late turn, one-geared home steadily. REGAL SON was second-over, was blindswitched near the 5/8 and stayed in same until ducking to the Pocono Pike, OK late. SOUTHPORT BEACH was shuffled to last, followed the progressing wide horses then swung wider and did well. HUNDIE N was two-wide in a four-way early fight, tucked nearing the ¼, then back out raw to the second turn, made steady progress and cleared the pacesetter late turn, but couldn’t keep going. INDIGO ART was four-wide to the 3/16, took back to fifth, sat in, blocked far turn, but little once clear. TONY TOO TALL was three-wide to the 3/16 then two-wide to command past the ¼, yielded for the pocket, was hopelessly shuffled out of it on the far turn. SHORE OF HIMSELF was innermost of the leaving four, finally yielded to one past the ¼ but came right back on the retake, raced with constant pressure, tired by midturn.
THIRTEENTH RACE – PARMESAN N left hard to defend the pocket, waited for the Pocono Pike, got in gear, made a short lead past midstretch, then held to that advantage. MARK WITHA K tucked third to the first turn, moved out uncovered 11/16, relentlessly challenged and just missed. SPEEDY DOMINIC A got the stick at the 1/8, kept going fast, held very well. IDEAL STAR N stayed in and gapped a bit in the fast third quarter, evenly late. BETTOR MEMORIES came out before the 5/8, got cover but couldn’t quite go with it, stayed on pretty well. STELLAR YANKEE never entered the main action. THE WALL and VANILLA MALTED left gaps.
FOURTEENTH RACE – TUGGIN ON MY HEART forced a tuck then let a challenger go 5/16 and sat the two-hole, won the two-horse race to the wire narrowly. BETTOR NOT TALK was three-wide early, briefly with cover then went on to the lead after the fast ¼, rolled without any challenges until the far turn, just missed holding on. CERTIFIABLE left took back to tuck, stayed in until the ¾, made a brief challenge around the turn, then lost ground through the stretch. THE OTHERS were in the rear of the strung-out field without entering the main radar.