FIRST RACE – 58 degrees; no wind to start… HIGH BALLER left and enjoyed a cushy pocket trip, outside in the stretch and zipped right by. FRISKIE ALL NITE was parked to the 1/8 for command, didn’t back things off much, no match for the winner but enough for second. LORD OF MISRULE sat third-inside the entire way. BEACH TOWN BOY moved second-over, three-wide midturn, had some late pace. LUZIANA never featured. DIVISION BELL was first-over off the second turn, got to the pocket horse’s wheel but no closer. STARVIN MARVIN trailed.
SECOND RACE – UNSUNG HERO was kept outside between horses early, uncovered at the 1/4 to the front 3/8, drew clear at the ¾ and won impressively in fast time. BET A BUNDLE was three-wide early, pressed on to the 26.4 quarter and cleared, yielded for the two-hole, held for second over BULLVILLE FRANK. The latter had some pace both early and late. ONE OF THE GUYS pushed the fast quarter and yielded, came back out 5/8, but had little and fell back. CHUCK THE CHEESE gapped most of the last of the 3/8, a touch of pace on the end. THE REST were at or near the back throughout.
THIRD RACE – Stretch headwind picked up … SANTA MONICA AS got into a very nice backstretch flow, three-wide near headstretch, proved to have the most late. THE GREAT WALL was three-wide to the 1/8, went on to take over towards the 3/8, yielded but came right back out to reclaim the lead, held well for second after hard usage. SOUTHWIND DESI was between horses early, followed cover to the 3/8 then went on to get the top before the half, yielded down the backstretch, kept up evenly. HONORABLE LADY was third-over, finished well once straightened away. TSM EMILIA T left, yielded at the ¼ then shuffled some, came back out with then without cover, tired. IRISH CHARM had some trot from far back. P L PANDORA was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the ¼ to the top, saw two go by in quarter two, evenly. RAVIOLI never factored.
FOURTH RACE – APRIL AVA was looped and went on, to the lead 5/16, stayed under pressure but handled the challenges well. PHELGON sat in then backed out when the pocketsitter tired, went to the pocket ¾, second-best. QUEEN LOSTRIS N circled the gapper then ducked inside, to the Pocono Pike and OK. BULLVILLE KARLA was uncovered at the half and out with a hard challenge, couldn’t quite sustain it. GOTTALOVEMYSHADOW moved out, swung wide into the stretch but couldn’t go enough. THE NEXT TWO never featured. VEL DONNA showed sharp speed to be on top at the 1/8, yielded, started unplugging down the backstretch.
FIFTH RACE – MALTA MAGIC left between horses and tucked third at the 1/8, uncovered 5/8 and went up to challenge, the strongest one late. HALLELUJAH HANOVER was three-wide almost to the 1/8 then two-wide to take over 3/16, rated the half and didn’t have pressure until late in the backstretch, then had more of it than she could handle, did well between horses finishing to retain second. BIRDIE THREE moved outside at a distance down the back, made up ground in the last ¼. PARTY LOUNGE stayed in, had to wait for the Pocono Pike, evenly. THE NEXT DUO never made their presence felt. SHE’S A LADY left for the pocket, tired around the far turn.
SIXTH RACE – LIFEINTHESLAMMER was in a moving outer tier, three-wide past mid-far turn, had a lot of ground to make up but methodically ate it up to be along in time. DYLAN THE GREAT was out to the 3/16 to get the lead in a fast quarter, got an open-length lead 5/8 after the pocket horse broke, stayed clear until the winner came on late, tired and could not hang on to the wire. GLOBETROTTING followed cover from the second turn, was left uncovered 5/8, one-geared it. TRAIN tucked third, did not seem to be hampered much by the backstretch breaker, didn’t come on. IT’S SO FLUFFY was uncovered on the clubhouse turn, went into the two-hole after the breaker before the 5/8, but wasn’t ever tight on the leader. SCIROCCO PATRICK was away last and was far behind. HURRIKANE WILLIE G left very well to quickly get the front, yielded for the pocket, made a break off the second turn and was taken to the infield, was pulled up.
SEVENTH RACE – STORM THE COURT left hard in the fast opener, yielded 5/16 and sat right behind a duel, outside headstretch and went right on by. FENDI HANOVER was used well past the 26.4 first quarter to get the top, then had a challenger at him the remainder of the mile, did very well to hold as well as he did. BINGE ON YANKEE was last, came from one- to four-wide diagonally when finding room late turn and made up good ground. STOMP left, had cover to the 5/16 then was left out in the air, did as well as could be hoped for given the trip. ALWAYS RUTHLESS was not prominent. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC looked at leaving but took back, then third-over behind dull cover, not prominent. WATCH U R BACK moved 5/8 to follow the parked horse, went wide but couldn’t get around him.
EIGHTH RACE –STELLENBOSCH showed speed then was content to sit third until near the 5/8, came out and soon went right to the lead, drew away to a huge advantage. ABUELITA HANOVER came out at the ½, briefly had the cover of the winner but couldn’t go with it and was left uncovered, withstood ANOTHER BEACH DAY late for the distant deuce. The latter was out in the flow, narrowed in. GREENHILL HANOVER gapped the early front fighters then tightened in, stayed in and was shuffled, out late turn, next. HURRIKANEMYSHANNON made the top and then fought with a foe before yielding after a 26.3 opener, sat the pocket, was shuffled badly when that one gave way, did come back a little in the Pocono Pike for the last check. HANNAH ON THE VIRG and ELEGANT NOELLE were both far back throughout. CASH ROLL was three-wide early under urging, paid a high price to get the lead, was challenged past the 5/8 and had little left to give.
NINTH RACE – NINETEEN CRIMES left and yielded, stayed in a plugged-in third, came out as the pocketsitter pulled towards headstretch and came off that one’s back before midstretch, finished with a sharp burst to just get the nod. TILLIO’S ACTION showed good speed and was on top into turn one, pushed much of a fast quarter then yielded and stayed in the pocket, outside nearing headstretch, went by the pacesetter, just failed to withstand the winner in the shadow of the wire. MEDLEY worked up to take charge 3/16 in a fast first split, rated the half and didn’t get outside pressure, got a little tired from early stretch. PHANNYS MATTER didn’t stay with the top three down the back but went on evenly. HIGHGATE was a little hard to put inside early, moved outside and went OK but couldn’t reach. THE NEXT TWO didn’t enter contention. THESUNRISESAGAIN broke going into turn one.
TENTH RACE – UPTOWN HANOVER was out most of the quarter to control the stick, handled the first-over then drew away in a big race. HEARTBREAK HOTEL went up in 27 down the backstretch to be a challenger, couldn’t match the winner but held on for second. SOUTHWIND JAVA had speed and sat third-in, to the Pocono Pike and did well. TEMPURA HANOVER was outside but never close to cover, some pace too late. THINK OF GALAXIES yielded towards the ¼ for the pocket, stayed close until the far turn. TALK SHOW CHICA was far back, a touch of pace on the far outside. PRAIRIE WESTERNGAL did not make her presence felt.
ELEVENTH RACE – SUNRISE HANOVER got good forward position early, then was quarter-mover #2, left uncovered 3/8 and to the lead early second turn, ran off down the back and was never in doubt. SO DELIGHTFUL was between horses for the pocket at the 1/8, was quarter-mover #1, top 3/8, yielded early turn two, loose in the pocket the rest of the way but won second in a photo with RHYME N ROLL. The latter was three-wide early, got the front past the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two and stayed in, along the inside late and almost got there for the place. NARINA HANOVER gradually moved out early backstretch, couldn’t get close. GRANT ME THIS was buried inside at the ¾, some late pace widest. GLORY GHOST was outside behind non-great cover, didn’t enter the picture. DANGEROUS PRECEDENT was waiting on cover to come out when breaking early backstretch.
TWELFTH RACE – BETTER WATCH IT was three-wide early to command at the 3/16, rested in quarter two then sped up, strongly urged to hold off MISS HELEN HANOVER. The latter left between horses to get a brief lead then yielded for the pocket, was not tight on the winner on the far turn, but then was narrowing in in the Pocono Pike. LIGHTNING LEIA moved up pacing her own 27 third quarter uncovered, clearly third-best. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME was second-over, not enough in the latter stages. SHES A SASSY BEACH showed some speed and was forwardly-placed, not much late. TENTHOUSAND ANGELS struggled at a couple of points. THE OTHER PAIR did not make their presence felt.
THIRTEENTH RACE – FAST MACHINE looked at leaving but took back, came out in front of the parked horse 3/8 and worked up on the grind, kept on going to be a most impressive winner. HEAVENISSOFARAWAY refused to give way from the pole, couldn’t defeat the winner but held off all the rest. BRILLIANT BEAUTY was three-wide towards the 1/8, took back but found no hole, got two-wide cover 3/8, gapped past the 5/8, but kept plugging along gamely. BROOKDALE JESSIE moved out into a blindswitch ¾, best of the rest. GEORGIE MARTIN N got early forward positioning, then was shuffled back far turn, so-so late. JUXTA COWGIRL was four-wide towards the 1/8, finally got into the two-hole near the ¼, fell back in the last stanza. ROCKNROLL SHELLI was never prominent. NITE TIME DEAL was third-over, three-wide far turn but dropped far back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Wind calm for the finale … BETTE TINA left and took the pocket at the 1/8, stayed tight, to the Pocono Pike and rallied over BLAZING RAMONA. The latter closed an early gap, came uncovered 5/8, grinded to the lead early stretch, almost held on to the line. CATIE FAYE HANOVER initially gapped a bit third-over then tightened in, three-wide through the far turn, rallied well. ROMANTIC EVENING angled widest from far back and finished strongly. ROCKNROLL NELLA was away quickly and set the pace, could not keep it going in the last 1/8. DOC’S FAITH was hard to put inside early, moved at the half and got cover at the 5/8, couldn’t stay with it in the last ¼. STARZZNSTRIPES never achieved prominence. SOUTHWIND MOLLY stayed inside, wasn’t keeping up at the 5/8.