FIRST RACE – The day started off relatively pleasant, with a moderate stretch headwind; by race five the wind had picked up quite a bit, and then rain came, changing the “fast +0” rating of the first five contests to “sloppy +1” for the rest of the day … TEMPURA HANOVER was briefly four-wide then fell in behind cover, pressed on past a fast quarter to get the lead 3/8, got a short breather then turned on the speed again to leave these well behind. FAST MACHINE was uncovered from far back 5/8, kept grinding up and was very good to be second. THE STUNNING NUN N followed good cover and was clear third. FIGHTING EVIL pushed hard from the rail then yielded to the 3/8, got loose down the backstretch then unplugged the last 3/16. STELLENBOSCH was never in the main picture. DELISHKA N left but took a hole, urged 11/16 but didn’t keep up.
SECOND RACE – ANDOVERS TOUCH left and got to sit the pocket journey, to the Pocono Pike and had just enough in a slowing last quarter into the wind. BRIGITTE BI was in front going to the first turn, didn’t have the parked horse reach her until almost headstretch, won the struggle with that one but caught to the left. BANZAI AS one-geared outside raw the entire way, never took a backward step. CRITICAL MASS sat in until the stretch, couldn’t reach the top three. FASHION WINNER also stayed in, also was evenly late. NO NAME YANKEE backed out to third-over but the second-over gave way, wide on the turn, too far back. BEYOND THE LENS broke just past the start, recovered and got behind the parked horse, couldn’t keep up ¾.
THIRD RACE – Wind beginning to pick up … STARZZNSTRIPES got excellent cover from the parked horse, swung wide for the drive, made the lead then held off BETTE TINA. The latter was third-over, four-wide in the lane, good but a little too hard to catch the perfect-trip winner. HIT ME UP was three-wide past the 1/8 then ducked behind cover, lost it 3/8 and was uncovered on the rim, got a small advantage but never could clear, very game but outfinished by fresher horses. CAVIART CARMEL contested the lead well past the 26.4 first split, under constant urging to clear 3/8, then had a challenger outside her all the way, held well. SHE’S MAGICAL had the pocket early, sat in and was shuffled, outside headstretch, won a picture for the last check. ROCKNROLL NELLA showed good speed, was under pressure to surrender command and did so 3/8, loose in the pocket the last 3/8. REAL LADY SADIE was away slowly and never entered contention. BLAZING RAMONA left, was four-wide at the 1/8 when making a break.
FOURTH RACE – LITE N SWEET yielded and sat tight in the pocket, had the necessary sprint in the Pocono Pike. CAPTAIN SOLO was third-over, also used the Pocono Pike while off the winner and was along for second. JOHNNY SACK took over the lead, accordioned the field 3/8 with a slowdown, then had to step it up bigtime when a challenger came calling, couldn’t hold late (in a 55.3 last half). BULLVILLESPANDEMIC moved raw into turn two, paced 26.4 with the wind down the back to challenge, couldn’t sustain the gain late. SIMPLY FAST gapped fast-moving cover down the back then got closer ¾, three-wide, OK. GOOD WILL LINDY swung wide from far back but couldn’t get into it. DEL MAR DOUG was away slowly and never made up ground.
FIFTH RACE – Wind even stronger … CRESCENT BEAUTY was looped and tucked, was going to be quarter-mover #2 but got to tuck in the pocket when a foe broke, outside in the stretch and went by FRESHGROUNDPEPPER. The latter let with speed, moved 3/16 to the lead past the ¼, slowed the half into the wind, couldn’t stall the winner though much the best of the rest. SANTA MONICA AS was off the gate, stayed inside and passed struggling horses for the distant third. ROJO MAN stayed close until the ¾. JOHNNY TRIX was outside but gapped, but stayed flat and got a check. STANDTHEPAIN AS moved out before the 11/16, gained for a short period then tired then broke headstretch. MR FIREWORKS outleft everybody, broke while yielding at the ¼.
SIXTH RACE — … and as Announcer Jim predicted, the strengthening of the wind presaged precipitation, with the rain changing the track to “sloppy +1” for the rest of the day … DO WORK SON went up to grab the racetrack approaching the ¼, didn’t back off the pace, had all sorts of horses threatening in the lane but was gritty and maintained his advantage to the finish. DIVISION BELL started uncovered at the 5/8 and challenged very hard, held well but couldn’t go by. MEADOWBROOK RAIDER tucked midpack early, gapped at a couple of points before moving second-over 5/8 and then added another gapping point, but paced on steadily late. MIKI MINAJ joined the cover flow, three-wide past midturn, finished steadily. ROCKIN DADDY O was not particularly good-gaited behind the gate and got away last, never in it. ALL CHEDDAR gapped inside from the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – THINK OF GALAXIES was instantly on top, had a clear margin even through the slowed second quarter, drew away in the stretch. LIGHTNING LEIA moved outside down the back and tightened in second-over, three-wide headstretch and overhauled SURE R LOOKIN GOOD late for second. The latter moved raw 9/16 and went in 27.1 down the back to challenge, couldn’t sustain the bid. FREE TO BE ME was a bit loose in the pocket throughout, then fell back further. EAGER TO PLEASE never factored.
EIGHTH RACE – TACHYON was looped, on top to the 5/16, clear down the backstretch and stayed safely in front. DOWN THE PIKE MIKE was first on top and yielded, pinned in third on the turn, came up the inside and outfinished THESUNRISESAGAIN for the deuce. The latter had good speed and made the lead quickly, yielded for the pocket, was loose from the 5/8 on and couldn’t quite defend second late. PADRE took an early tuck, raced inside, evenly late. ADJURE HANOVER moved uncovered but never got close to the leader, did go on evenly. SCOTTISH gapped second-over; he and MATTER OF TRUST, who raced inside, had a touch of trot nearing the finish. ARGENTO broke at the start.
NINTH RACE – KID FROM THE BRONX was three-wide early then two-wide to the lead 3/16, backed off the second split then really picked it up as EXCURSION put in and sustained a hard challenge from the 5/8, finally edged away in the stretch. The latter came with a 26.3 rush down the back to get to even terms with the winner before the ¾, battled very hard to the line. BET ON ZETTE started quickly, relinquished for a two-hole trip, gapped a bit in the big third quarter fight then regained some ground, not out of place here with steady pace in the Pocono Pike. BE THE CAPTAIN had some early zip, inside until late turn, couldn’t gain but well ahead of the others. TSM TRISTAN T and FATEFUL DUEL were both badly bothered when MY FIRST TIME, having moved out to go second-over, made a break coming off turn two.
TENTH RACE – MILIEU HANOVER went uncovered at the half and brushed up in 27 to engage the leader, got the lead on the turn but couldn’t cross over, but did power off late. ANDRA DAY took the lead, pushed a foe past a fast ¼ before yielding, locked in on the far turn, came clear and was a clear second. MAJOR BATTLE gapped some second-over, OK late. SCARLETT HANOVER was outside in a fast pace to the lead 5/16, had the winner reach her past the 5/8 and was already being asked for more at that point, did keep the outside foe outside on the turn, then tired. TALK SHOW CHICA kept the hole plugged early, then no factor. JUXTA COWGIRL gapped at the back.
ELEVENTH RACE – Strong wind diminished some … DIVINE RIGHT moved uncovered 9/16 and brushed in 27 to clear then open a huge lead, never threatened. STONEBRIDGE KARIS left well, yielded off the first turn, shuffled when the winner went by then backed out behind cover midturn, wide and second, non-threatening. STATE SENATOR was behind cover early, tucked midpack 3/16, also shuffled, found room in the Pocono Pike and made a decent comeback. DRAGON CITY gapped third-over. ZEUS HANOVER was second-over but couldn’t go with the winner, left uncovered, fell back. WHERESJIM went on to the lead off the first turn, surrendered to the winner and fell back. HUNTED HOUSE never factored. PICK A GENRE was three-wide leaving when making a break near the 1/8.
TWELFTH RACE – CULINARY ARTIST was third-over early backstretch, gapped then hit a better gear 11/16, had three-wide cover then four-wide headstretch, grinded by in the last couple of steps. NIMAH FRANCO N hustled right to the lead, yielded to a challenger towards the second turn and sat in the two-hole, was trapped in there through the turn as the closers got in gear, finally got to the Pocono Pike, took the lead briefly midstretch but got caught. BEACH PASSAGE was second-over at the half and tight on cover, three-wide just past the ¾, went by early in the stretch, fought hard to the line. NARINA HANOVER sat in, went into a blindswitch midturn, slowly got some room between horses past early stretch, evenly. SO SUPREME had the early pocket, moved uncovered at the half and put in a big challenge down the back that saw him get a short lead, but couldn’t sustain the move the last 3/16 and bore out some. TSM ARTEMIS T was outside but couldn’t go enough.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BIG BOSS HILL went uncovered at the half, challenged the leader, got the lead late turn while looking to be on a line in tight quarters, went wide when the pacesetter stumbled headstretch, went on to hold off MR CENSI, but after an inquiry, he was ruled to have caused interference at headstretch and was placed fifth. The latter had a good cover trip, checked with the incident headstretch, went wide then even wider as his cover went wide, just missed, placed first. I’VE GOT HOOTSPA gapped down the back and wasn’t bothered in the incident, swung wide then ducked in early stretch after there was space created by the trouble, came home well. TRAY SURREAL yielded at the 5/16 for the pocket, had to check in the headstretch incident, went inside and was beaten in a photo for third. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP was looped leaving, went on to take the top 5/16, was challenged late backstretch, was starting to give way when he stumbled headstretch in close quarters while fractionally off the rail, was held together well and regained his footing though out wider, didn’t make any comeback. GIVENUPDREAMING was in the two-path but couldn’t keep up. MACH WEST left well and took an early tuck, sat in, couldn’t keep up the last ¼. NOCH TEN was a gapping last, couldn’t get into the picture.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MR PROFETA went into the pocket just past the 1/8, shuffled slightly late turn and had to wait for the Pocono Pike, found a surge last stretch and was drawing away at the wire, five for ANap for the second straight day. A BETTOR BEACH slid in fourth just past the 1/8, launched uncovered at the half, challenged the leader hard from the 5/8, got a small advantage on the turn but couldn’t clear, ahead early stretch but seemed after his hard trip to falter slightly near the line and was caught. FRONTIER ROLLO gapped second-over, enough for third. STELLAR BB took off from the rail, under pressure before the 5/8 all the way to the stretch, tired. CALYPSO ROCK N left some, stayed in, gapped, never entered the main picture. FRISKIE ALL NITE didn’t reach from third-over. WHAT’S GOIN ON was already gapping past the ¼, fell back further.