FIRST RACE – Cool; stretch headwind … STICK WITH ME KID took back early, moved uncovered before the 5/8 and challenged, had a small lead midturn when the pacesetter broke, went clear for a bit, then tired but did hold on. ARCHIBALD moved second-over behind the winner, not tight on him on the turn, then better late to just miss. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT raced inside, advanced up the inside late. KEYSTONE THUNDER was out to the front before the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, didn’t seem bothered by the breaker, so-so late. PRAIRIE VIRTUE backed out to third-over but did not factor. SMART AS HILL gapped in last, wide on the far turn but didn’t make up ground. SPREE quarter-moved, set the pace, got pressure late backstretch, had been headed on the far turn when going to a break and taken inside the pylons.
SECOND RACE – AMP IT UP was underway before the ¼ and was on the point just past the 3/8, got a big challenge from the first-over but held him out, drew away. MIND HUNTER left, put a rival in behind, then yielded 3/8 for the pocket, couldn’t gain late but well ahead of the rest. PINK FLOYD HANOVER left and settled in the early pocket, stayed inside, next in line. CAPTAIN MAP was outside with cover early backstretch, couldn’t go with the first-over during the big backstretch fight, so-so. ANGLER HANOVER got a check. HANDSOFFMYTITOS was a bit hard to handle starting to move uncovered before the half and ran up on the horse in front of him, quickly settled and came his third quarter in 27, getting a short lead, but faded in the last 3/16. THE OTHER TWO gapped at the back.
THIRD RACE – BRACE FOR LANDING went out from the rail for the lead, not bothered by outside challengers, but kept to task to withstand YOUCOMEHEREOFTEN. The latter tucked in the pocket, a bit loose down the back, but stayed steady to the line. PRAIRIE NUGGET gapped most of the race but was still a clear third. FAWN DE SIGN had little to offer. ONE HUNDRED POOF miscued 3/16. TAKE MY NAME was wide leaving then tucked third, made a break 9/16.
FOURTH RACE – SAMMY THE BULL N was the innermost of a cadre of leavers, forced a fast quarter then sat the pocket, outside early stretch and just nipped BELIEVEINTHESPIRIT on the money. The latter was three-wide to the 3/16 and onward to the lead near the 26.4 quarter, rated the half and didn’t have backstretch heat, just failed to withstand the winner and far ahead of the rest. HOT ROD DYLAN was out behind sluggish cover, ducked inside on the far turn and was along for a distant third. CHANCELLORCULLEN N was between horses until tucking 3/16, had little in the last ¼. ALL ABOUT RUSTY never factored. SARATOGA BLUE CHIP was very wide early, rode outside midpack until fading in the last stanza. ELRAMA N moved out behind the parked horse before the half, went three-wide 11/16 but did not gain. BEACHESBECKONME moved outside and wide but had little to offer.
FIFTH RACE – CANTERBURY HANOVER moved out 5/8 and quickly got in high gear, ate up the big advantage of the leader then drew away. LADY LIRA was parked with cover to the 3/16, went on as her cover tucked and made the lead 3/8, opened a big lead down the back, easily overhauled by the winner but far clear in second. NINA HANOVER was between horses and tucked in 3/16, left a gap down the back, then outside late on the turn, wide in the stretch and defeated the others for the distant show. ANDOVER JESS had the early pocket, stayed in, not very much in the lane. ANGELINA HANOVER had cover but couldn’t go with it. FAWN DE DON’T left well to get the lead before the first turn, yielded 3/8, unplugged from the 5/8. BROADWAY SENSATION made a brief break before the start but caught the field, no factor thereafter.
SIXTH RACE – VILLAGE CHAMP kept the pocket closed, outside towards headstretch and drew clear after the fast fractions. BETTOR’S WESTERN took back, tightened in before the half, went to the Pocono Pike but in doing so went inside the last pylon before the Pike, edged FEHERTY for second but was placed behind that rival for the pylon infraction. FEHERTY went to the lead in the 26.3 opener, set the pace, tired some. ALL IT TAKES followed three-wide cover then went three-wide uncovered the last ¼ and gained. LATE NIGHT JOKE was outside on turn two, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide but didn’t get in the main picture. WOODMERE ROLLEX was not a contender. GIVEN UP TERROR was looped and three-wide early, then left out two-wide, pressed the leader but couldn’t clear, tried 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – SECRET RULE was looped between horses early, briefly tucked then quarter-moved, didn’t have anybody reach him then drew off in the last quarter. KILGORE S got forward positioning, stayed in until coming out and on in the stretch for the distant second. CS EXPLOSIVE CHIP was quickly to the lead at 105-1, yielded for the two-hole, got looser and looser from before the ¾. DOYLE HANOVER passed the rest. FEAST DAY was out most of the ¼ before tucking, moved out before the 5/8 but never moved up. ROJO MAN moved behind cover down the back, tried to go around it but never did. PRETTY DAME SPEEDY wasn’t keeping up on the far turn when making a break, ran home along the inside, placed. KOLB HANOVER was always far back.
EIGHTH RACE – CAPTAIN COOK rushed right to the top and strung out the field, ceding ground some late but had too big a lead to be caught. PLAY THE ACE was the only horse to make a significant outside move the last half, came coming on for a good second. GRATEFUL KISS kept the pocket, then was loose in it most of the way, evenly late. I’LL TAKE THE BET was looped early and tucked third, tried to gain late in the Pocono Pike but could not. LETMECALLYOUBACK got the last check. THE OTHER THREE were far detached, A SHORE LEGACY after a brief early break.
NINTH RACE – U BAKE THE CAKE left wide, to two-wide to the pocket past the 1/8, started gapping before the half, then inherited the lead when the pacesetter ran past mid-far turn, had enough to maintain the advantage in a 31.4 last quarter. PUB HOPPING stayed in in the strung-out field, came up the inside but couldn’t reach the winner. HECKRAISER HANOVER left and tucked early, got closer 5/8 and moved outside on the turn, but had been bottomed out chasing the fast numbers. THE NEXT TWO were always far behind. BRIGHT SIDE UP made the lead, was under a big hold yet still opened up a large advantage down the back, but couldn’t hold it together again mid-far turn.
TENTH RACE – BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE left enough to push a foe a ways while protecting the pocket, waited in the two-hole until the stretch, wore down GREYSTONE WATCHMAN late. The latter started quickly, was on top 3/16, set the pace, held very well until very late. INCREDIBLE BADGER sat in, never made any kind of threatening move. BRAZOS went evenly along the inside. MY BOY JACK was uncovered 3/8, gained some, got cover 11/16, couldn’t keep gaining. BIONIC was between horses early, tucked third, moved outside 11/16 but lost ground. BARRYWHITE HANOVER backed out to third-over, three-wide on the turn, no factor. MISTER DAVID C was trying to gain between horses when breaking while far back past early stretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – BEYOND ORDINARY yielded, stayed third-in until angling out then wide late turn, proved the wrong horse was named ESPLOSIONE this day by showing a big burst nearing the wire to win. The latter was looped, proceeded up methodically to command 3/8, set the pace, looked like he was going to make the lead last even in deep stretch but just got nipped. MISS MCKEE left well from PP8 to make the top at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, loomed in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t make it. BELIEVER came uncovered 5/8, held decently. BAUTISTA moved second-over 5/8 but couldn’t keep up. MUSHANA had cover but did not enter the picture. KEEGAN HO and SUPER BETCHA both gapped in a fast race.
TWELFTH RACE – STAR TRACK HANOVER pulled before the outside horse had cleared to the lead late first turn, went on to the top, opened up in the third quarter and won by himself. GREAT MAGIC took the early lead, saw two go by, pulled from third 11/16, not a bad mile and far ahead of the others. AMBERS CHAMPION came out with cover late in the backstretch, won a photo for the distant third over TEDDY BROSEVELT. The latter went on to take over 3/16, soon yielded, pocket, couldn’t keep up at the 5/8. SPRING IN PARIS and ARCH CREDIT were both outside down the back but never got close. FRAC showed little.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ROSE RUN URIAH left inside of a wall and refused to give up the lead under pressure, rated some down the backstretch as the outer tiers weren’t menacing, game late to defeat STARVIN MARVIN. The latter left, took the pocket and stayed close as an outside foe challenged, had his shot in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t go by. WHATA TREASURE was underway two-wide to turn two, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide raw before the ¾, next-best. STELLAR BB was three-wide early, challenged but couldn’t get the lead or a tuck, went inside ¾ as a gap developed, held OK until early stretch. LORD OF MISRULE had an excess of cover, made up some ground for the last check. CANT KNOCK ME sat in, was shuffled, but then had little response along the inside late. IYQ YQR moved third-over but gapped. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was out with cover before getting inside 5/16, backed up to the ¾.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SUNDANCEDIAMOND left, got into the pocket before the ¼, backed out to follow PUBLICITY SEEKER as that one cleared past the 5/8, went on to tuck in the pocket on the turn, up the inside late and went by the leader. The latter couldn’t quite keep the pocket closed nearing the ¼, moved out as the parked horse was clearing 3/8, got in gear down the backstretch to take over command and went a fast 3/4s, tired late and was caught. WILLIE B WORTHY was on top going to turn one, yielded to the 3/8, backed out behind the winner, was left raw on the turn, gained as the pace slowed late. FLANAGAN DESTINY left and had cover almost to the ¼, pressed on to the lead near the 3/8, was passed towards late backstretch and faded. THE OTHER FOUR were well off the back four early in the backstretch and never got close.