FIRST RACE – Coolish, and with a stretch headwind almost all the day, which explains where a lot of the winners came from (front and inside) except for the first race … COXCOMB was away seventh as many left, last at the half, was fourth-over down the back, then three-wide towards the ¾ and practically circled the field on the far turn, drew clear. CANDY TRADER was wide early, then had cover to the ¼, to the lead at the 3/8, had pressure almost immediately, held on very well. NO BETTER JOY sat in, came up the Pocono Pike to be a distant third. MONEYORROSES dropped in before the 3/16, inside, angled outside in the stretch and had some pace. MIDNIGHT DAY paced on to take over at the ¼, yielded, struggled a bit in the third quarter and then couldn’t gain in the lane. FRAZZLEBERRY gapped third-over, was blindswitched, didn’t enter the picture. THIRD POWER was second-over, gapped much of the backstretch then narrowed in, then was blindswitched through the turn, not much late. BUTTER UP dashed to the lead and yielded at the ¼, came again raw on the second turn but couldn’t go by, faded.
SECOND RACE – CRYSTAL FASHION went to the top going to curve one, yielded 3/16 and sat a great trip until midturn, moved out and went by easily. ONE AFTER NINE stayed connected in third, outside in the lane and along for second over P L NOTSONICE. The latter went to the lead 3/16 and rolled on, no match for the winner and then was caught for second late. DEE’S RED DELICIOUS came out late backstretch but never was a major player. CHAPOLIER moved outside at a distance on the far turn, OK. NO DRAMA PLEASE and MARION GONDOLIER gapped at the back; SWEET HEART AS gapped even more.
THIRD RACE – BELLOWS BINGE raced up into the pocket behind an insistent leader and got a great trip behind a big duel, outside before late turn and went to the lead, went clear. HUNDIE N quarter-moved but was given the brotherly cold shoulder, persevered with outstanding courage and somehow retained second. MINDTRIP was third-over, gapped then got closer in a blindswitch, could swing wide late turn and finished steadily. EDDARD HANOVER was well-positioned inside, not too much late. BROTHER JAMES stayed inside, gained some in the deep Pocono Pike. DONE WELL struck the top early and refused to yield in a fast pace, paid the price in the stretch. BLACKLIGHT didn’t offer too much. IDEAL WHEEL wheeled out behind the parked horse, sent three-wide 5/8 but couldn’t go by the parked horse and in fact backed through the field on the far turn.
FOURTH RACE – EFFRONTE A was three-wide early then two-wide on to the lead at the 3/16, had challengers tuck in behind him as he went on and the pocket horse backed up, stayed safely clear. OWEN got a forward spot, then was horribly shuffled behind the tiring two-holer, not clear from the 5/8 to headstretch, then wide, still sixth midstretch, flying late to photo out NEWBIE. The latter tucked, then was uncovered towards turn two, went into the pocket 5/8, couldn’t go with the winner, went on well but caught for second on the money. REYS N A RUCKUS took until the 3/16 to settle in sixth, then second-over, left uncovered 5/8, into a three-tuck far turn, outside stretch, OK. UNDERTAKER was in the good outer flow, uncovered far turn, fair late. MANNY was shuffled then moved out, didn’t make the main picture. CONCUR gapped at the back. SHANGHAI BOBBY left between horses, raced in the pocket until falling back from the 5/8 onward.
FIFTH RACE – EUROBOND was three-wide to the 1/8 then settled behind cover to the 3/8, left raw and didn’t get the lead into early in the backstretch, but then just drew away effortless in a quite superior mile. GRAPPLE HANOVER got the top 3/16, yielded 3/8, inherited the pocket 5/8 when its former occupant broke, did well. MYSTICAL WYNN came through at the start, pushed a foe early then yielded, went what he could and got third. THE LIONKING AS moved outside from far back down the back, steadily late. TOKYO SEELSTER never featured. SORTIE was outside with little. ALL RISE didn’t factor. RICH AND MISERABLE chose to remain two-wide early, needed to the 3/8 and make the lead and then pushed the winner well past a fast half, had already begun to gap when breaking 5/8.
SIXTH RACE – PURPLE POET left hard but reluctantly took the pocket as the leader went in 26, waited for the Pocono Pike, then closed enough for the victory. THE MOONSHADOW N did not want to surrender the lead, kept it, backed off the half, met the challenge of the first-over, but then could not withstand the winner late. PREMIER ROCKSTAR took back, might’ve pulled if the four horses directly in front of him going into turn two hadn’t also gone outside, decided to take his chances improving inside, didn’t clear until approaching midstretch, hit a high gear but not a supersonic one. JIMS PERFECT TEN lagged off the first quarter fight, then led the two-wide tier, grinded, couldn’t sustain his bid. ATOMIC BLAST pulled but was fourth-over, went back inside nearing the half, angled out early stretch but didn’t gain. ROLLINWITHAMBITION was behind dull cover, three-wide ¾ but didn’t advance. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was second-over, struggled to stay semi-close to cover down the back then faded on the turn.
SEVENTH RACE – MONTY MONO sat a very good pocket trip, then used the Pocono Pike as his path to victory. PARK OFFICIAL started on the grind approaching turn two, tried very hard in a big mile. DRAGON STRIKES sat in and was shuffled badly, spent most of the stretch weaving between horses for clearance and finished strongly. MY WISH CAME TRUE was third-over, three-wide late turn, one-geared late. LYONS NIGHT HAWK was on top at the 1/8, rated the half, didn’t get pressure until nearing the far turn, still not enough in the lane. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO tucked third past the 1/8, sat in, Pocono Pike, not a threat. GONNAHAVEONEMORE wasn’t well-served by his cover. SOUTHPORT BEACH was second-over, looked to be all-out staying close down the back, then blindswitched far turn and fell back.
EIGHTH RACE – LEXUS KODY didn’t leave but was on the move not far past the 1/8 to the lead not far past the ¼, appeared to have an easy time of it. AP HALL OF TRIX left quickly for the top then yielded to trail the chalk, did well to stay as close as he did and finished well ahead of the rest. DAGON HANOVER backed out into second-over entering the backstretch, best of the distant rest. JOYGO stayed in, came out behind cover on the turn, never prominent. PRACTICAL CAT had to go up uncovered from far back, gained then saw his bid stall in the latter stages. HIP HOP GRACIE and SPIT AND VINEGAR were always near the rear. HURRIKANE WILLIE G had the early pocket, started to gap midturn.
NINTH RACE – Wind had gone down almost to nothing for this race … SPINOUT left well and was encouraged to push a challenger a long way before yielding for the pocket, came out into the stretch and just wore down SAFENSOUND HANOVER late. The latter was parked almost to the 5/16 to make the top, rated the half then had to pick it up to meet a lively first-over challenge, turned for home still in control, just caught at the end by the pocket rocket. BEVANS CULLEN N closed a hole early, sat in then backed out to third-over 11/16, four-wide late on the final bend and closed well. AIN’T IT FUN was out before the half but ducked back in, angled wide the first part of the stretch and was closing well. SPORTS HERO stayed in, didn’t show much. BASS PLAYER was towed up second-over, three-wide midturn but couldn’t mount a late charge. ROCK KING DEO was in a very tough spot. SPORTSMANSHIP tucked fourth past the 1/8, moved out before the half and quickly got into gear, throwing a 26.4 third quarter fighting the leader, but tired with 3/16 to go.
TENTH RACE – PARMESAN N used the rail to secure the early pocket, then sat third-in until late turn, wide past early stretch and found enough late to just be the big cheese in here. CARLISIMO left but took back, then was out most of the frontstretch to take over the stick, fought with CHATELROLL gamely from past midbackstretch to the wire, very brave and perhaps unlucky to be caught. The latter started uncovered approaching bend two, went his own third quarter in 26.4 to fight with the leader and held bravely to the line. BETTERROCK was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the 3/16 to get the lead, yielded in front of the stands, couldn’t keep pace late. STONE HANOVER sat in and was shuffled to last, angled out to find clearance headstretch and finished with solid pace. HORSE was never prominent. LOUIE THE HORSE N gapped second-over; BULLVILLE TERROR gapped that gapper.
ELEVENTH RACE – Wind back up … JIM BLUE left and had early control then yielded for the pocket, had a notion to retake at the ¼ but was put back in, got a clear path headstretch as the pacesetter bore out and went right to the lead. BIG CHIC MAGNET was outside early, had the winner pull in front of him 3/16 then was left raw when that one cleared, battled on uncovered gaining in the third quarter, carried wide headstretch, gamely after covering a lot of ground. MAJOR SHOW sat in third, got direct access to the Pocono Pike, so-so. CAPTAIN SLEAZE sat in and was shuffled to last, gained through a narrow hole late while not appearing fully clear. CAVIART EDEN hustled up down the back to get to a tight second-over, three- then pushed four-wide late turn, flattened a little. FORREST BLU backed outside on the turn, found himself five-wide headstretch, no chance. LOUIE THE LOOPER yielded but moved to retake 3/16, set the pace with second-half pressure, tired headstretch and bore out.
TWELFTH RACE – HOT DEUCE left in tandem with PLAY THE FIELD then let that one go to sit behind him, to the Pocono Pike and found a better gear midstretch to garner the victory. The latter made the top in good order, slowed the half, fought off the outer horses but couldn’t handle the one to his inside. STAR MESSENGER was third-over, four-wide in the stretch and just up for third over a bunch of others. REGAL SON sat in, had access to the Pike but did not stay tight on the winner. SHORE OF HIMSELF stayed in, came out into a blindswitch headstretch, OK between horses late. BRAVO TEX N started uncovered on the second turn, took a long time to get in highest gear, then couldn’t sustain that move. INDIGO ART was second-over from last, three-wide to midturn, flattened.
THIRTEENTH RACE – MARK WITHA K left some, moved 5/16 to the lead past the 3/8, paced in 27.1 down the back to try to get away from the field, but found IM A GIGOLO N a plucky grinder, did hold in a 55.2 back half. The latter moved raw at the half from next-to-last in the short field, was a speed-grindmaster-deluxe by going in 26.3 to edge up on the backstretch then continued gaining into the wind, just missed. BETTOR MEMORIES gapped cover slightly, steadily for third. DEALER’S TABLE made the lead at the ¼, yielded, to the Pocono Pike, OK. MISTER DAYTONA N stayed in and was backed up to last, circled wide, couldn’t make up the ground. CAVIART ROCKLAND was three-deep early, on top 3/16, yielded just past the 3/8, a bit loose in the two-hole much of the last half before fading more.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SPEEDY DOMINIC A made the lead past the 1/8, didn’t get any pressure on the lead until past the 5/8, held off the first-over, clear in the lane after identical 55.4 halves. ACTOR HANOVER was between horses early to get the pocket, outside early stretch, didn’t gain but did hold second. LITERL LAD HANOVER pushed early then sat third-in, to the Pocono Pike, not enough for place. CYCLONE BANNER was locked in far turn, angled wide early stretch and was going well late. CAPTAIN ROMANCE got in fifth before the 3/16, came raw on turn two, went up in 27 to put some heat on the winner, but tired. BELL FAMILY never factored. PATERNITY SUIT A was second-over from next-to-last but couldn’t go with cover. THE WALL gapped the outside gapper.