FIRST RACE – A warm day in the mountains for late October; not much wind to start … R MADDY BLUE CHIP yielded the lead to sit the good pocket trip, moved out to headstretch and easily paced away from this crew. IC A FREE SPIRIT slotted in third at the 1/8, moved uncovered before the ¼, never got close than the saddle pad of the pocket horse in challenging, but showed his usual gameness to take second away from BABES DIG ME. The latter made the lead at the 3/16, slowed the half, picked it up down the back but still wasn’t under the gun, didn’t have the stretch steps. PANTHEON HANOVER had troubling steering on the second turn and went inside several pylons, not too much kick late, then placed sixth for the pylons violation. MANNY was last, came up the far inside with some pace. SPORTSMANSHIP was no factor after staying inside. TRY LINE wasn’t in a great outer flow, three-wide late turn but didn’t gain. BLACKLIGHT was uncovered going to turn two but then picked up cover on that curve, gapped out far turn.
SECOND RACE – SOUTHPORT BEACH went on top before the 1/8, pushed a rival to a hard quarter then relinquished to sit in the two-hole behind a late-developing front-end fight, to the Pocono Pike and right on by embattled leaders. KINGSTONS BAD BOY stayed connected inside, used the deep Pike and finished nicely. UNDERTAKER moved into turn two and soon thereafter got cover, gapped it a bit and was blindswitched, cleared the blindswitch early stretch and made up ground well late. EFFRONTE A left and yielded, uncovered at the half and went up later in the backstretch to duel with the pacesetter from there, around the turn, and into the stretch, held pretty well. AIN’T IT FUN moved outside late backstretch, was in a blindswitch far turn and early stretch, finally came clear and had some at the end. RYCROFT N was three-wide early then two-wide to get the lead before a fast quarter, had intense pressure from just past the 5/8 all the rest of the way, not equal to this challenge. GOOD ROCKIN was third-over then moved three-wide past the 5/8, gained some but flattened in the last 1/8.
THIRD RACE – THE WALL was close-up early, moved uncovered 5/8 and put heavy pressure on the leader, opened a clear lead midstretch then held off the closers. FATHER NUNO gapped gapping cover third-over, widest and outkicked BAY MEADOWS for second late. The latter was second-over but wasn’t tight on cover down the back, wide in the stretch, caught from behind for second. J B MAUNEY N left well and took early command, yielded for the pocket, came out behind the winner headstretch but couldn’t offer too much late. PATRIOT NATION took the inner route, may have been in tight quarters deep in the Pocono Pike midstretch. ACTOR HANOVER was not prominent. EAST BEACH defended the pocket early, then quarter-moved, set pretty good fractions, a tired horse in the last 1/8. STELLAR YANKEE was not in a dynamic flow and didn’t get into the race.
FOURTH RACE – MARION GONDOLIER was two-wide in the early fight for the front, went on to secure the top at the ¼ and got some respite to the half, saw off the first-over and then stayed clear of the inner closers while drifting out some. KINDA LUCKY LINDY was three-wide leaving, slid into a 3-tuck, stayed in, had room in the Pocono Pike and outclosed BLOGMASTER for place. The latter used the rail to advantage and came out of the early scramble with the pocket, not a sharp response late. ALTUS HANOVER was four-wide to the first turn, backed off to tuck, backed out second-over 5/8, three-wide late turn, perhaps a better mile than it appears on paper. CHIPLOSIVE angled a midpack tuck, started uncovered on the second turn and made a long advancing move, couldn’t sustain it. NANCY BAR was not in contention. ANDOVER CONTESSA was behind the cover of MUSCLES JARED, who moved second-over but didn’t stay with his cover.
FIFTH RACE – IDEAL WHEEL was uncovered approaching turn two and was right at the leader by the end of that turn, had a very long battle with that one until finally clearing and crossing over late turn, a very impressive mile. IDEAL STAR N had the winner’s cover, couldn’t quite go with it late backstretch and through the turn, continued on steadily to be a clear second. A BETTOR BEACH was third-over, had some late foot to grab third. BRAVO TEX N sat in and was shuffled back, found room between horses in the lane and had finishing foot. PLAY THE FIELD was very fast away, pressured on the lead by the winner from early backstretch, gave up the lead late far turn. TONY TOO TALL left well from PP8 for the pocket, shuffled some as the leader tired on the turn, not much once clear. THE OTHER PAIR never factored.
SIXTH RACE – B A SUPERHERO was well off the three early fighters, made a quarter-move and rook control, easily defeated SHIKANSEN with a couple of reminders. The latter was three-wide past the 1/8 and two-wide to the lead at the ¼, let the winner go, stayed right behind him and held his ground well but wasn’t getting to him. DAGON HANOVER left between horses to the lead just past the 1/8, yielded at the ¼, sat third, trotted evenly late. HOOFBEATS DE VIE was the first on top as the innermost of three leavers, yielded past the 1/8, gapped far turn. PRACTICAL CAT was gapping before the ¾. THE OTHER TWO started to gap out past the half.
SEVENTH RACE – HUNDIE N moved at the ¼ and was out the length of the frontstretch as the leader was reluctant to yield with a parked horse behind, himself had to fight with that parked horse from there through the far turn, then got too far away from two horses who cleared late. ROLLINWITHAMBITION was last and inside, got access to the Pocono Pike and was gaining swiftly late. SHORE OF HIMSELF looked at leaving but kept the pocket filled early, stayed third-in, edged out headstretch but was badly blocked under a hold until midstretch, then squeezed through full of pace. GONNAHAVEONEMORE tucked fourth, then moved into the outer tier on turn two, three-wide far turn, evenly. MINDTRIP could find no early hole so went frontward before the quarter, had cover most of quarter two then was left raw, challenged the winner hard, faded gradually. ARTIFACT HANOVER took early control from the rail, yielded to the winner at the end of the frontstretch, had little from the pocket late. MY WISH CAME TRUE gapped down the back, moved three-wide with cover far turn, not a late factor.
EIGHTH RACE – MACMORRIS HANOVER left and went on to 3/16 command, set a good pace, in control of these to the line. THE LIONKING AS started quickest of all, yielded 3/16 for the two-hole, kept up well. GRAPPLE HANOVER was three-wide to the first turn, got a 4-tuck, stayed in and came up the inside to win a photo for third. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY was second-over, gapped down the backstretch then got closer, three-wide near headstretch, had some late foot. LADY’S IMAGE stayed in third, gapped much of the second half, on a line entering the stretch, no gain late. SWEET HEART AS was uncovered a long way without reaching the front ones. EXPLOSIVEBREAKAWAY was not a factor. SAY YOU DO was off the gate a little, away last, never improved position.
NINTH RACE – THE DARK SHADOW tucked fifth towards turn one, came in high gear before the half and paced his third quarter in 27 to easily go past a stopping leader and open a huge lead, the easiest of winners. MONTY MONO was second-over, couldn’t stay with the winner but did get to retuck in the pocket 11/16, clearly second in a pretty good mile of his own. HOT DEUCE was in the outer flow, briefly pushed three-wide past the 5/8 as horses sought to escape from behind the spent leader, back to two-wide ¾, did OK. THE THUNDER ROLLS (as opposed to AN THE THUNDEROLLS) left quickly and forced a tuck in the 26 opener, strung a challenger out most of the frontstretch before yielding, then for his trouble was shuffled, eased out past the 5/8 and retucked, really not that bad. SILENT SPLENDOR left hard but had to take the pocket, then was shuffled down the back, came out in a blindswitch, got the last check. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO was also shuffled down the back, never a late major player. BROTHER JAMES was at the back throughout. JIMS PERFECT TEN tucked third in the 26 opener then made a quarter-move, looked laboring to clear past the 3/8, stopped as soon as when challenged down the back.
TENTH RACE – CASUAL COOL easily looped the field early, continued at a good clip, was under bigtime pressure from BETTOR MEMORIES soon off the second turn and was behind the outside horse from the 11/16 through the far turn but would not let him clear and cross over, briefly drew clear in the stretch but saw his pesky rival cause him trouble to the line. The latter was looped and took fourth past the 1/8, came with a roar just past the half and as noted had the lead for almost a quarter-mile, looked to be giving way early stretch but then was resurgent in a terrific performance. CRUNCH HANOVER was second-over, gapped a little in the major duel, came on with good pace late. HAMMERING HANK sat in, responded well up the Pocono Pike. CONTROL HEAVEN defended the pocket early, couldn’t stay tight as the top two dueled, held decently. PARMESAN N tucked early, backed out to third-over 5/8, three-wide late turn, OK. TOWN GOSSIP was never a factor. ONTO EL DORADO N made a break while last past the half, came back with “b.e.”
ELEVENTH RACE – SAMSON BLUE CHIP yielded at the 1/8, came uncovered before the half, went 26.3 down the back to clear to the lead 11/16 and drew off. THIRD POWER had an excess of cover, swung four-wide into the stretch and picked up all the others. FRAZZLEBERRY was wide early then dropped behind cover, left raw to the 5/16 and went on to command 3/8, fought with the winner before yielding late backstretch, held OK. LATEST ERA took the top at the 1/8, yielded past the ¼, sat in, badly shuffled behind a tired one on the turn and blocked most of the stretch, gained once clear. INCREDIBLE BADGER was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-high to command past the 1/8, yielded, gapped out far turn. NO BETTOR JOY didn’t have great cover but didn’t gain much either. BUTTER UP moved with cover but couldn’t stay with it and was left raw late backstretch, faded. BET EIGHTHIRTYONE gapped at the back.
TWELFTH RACE – FOCUS POCUS was three-wide to the first turn and went on to the lead 3/16, continued at a hot clip the rest of the way, with two stretch challengers coming up just shy. WESLYNN QUEST left, yielded, rethought a move from the pocket 3/8, did come out of the two-hole and challenged ¾, just shy. EUROBOND gapped early backstretch, finally underway 5/8 then got cover ¾ but couldn’t stay with it, wide and gaining with every late stride but just a bit shot. MISTER BOINGA was four-wide to the first turn, took a tuck third, stayed in, could have advanced to the pocket around the turn but didn’t have enough speed. ONE AFTER NINE was close-up early, stayed in, didn’t get into the contest. RICH AND MISERABLE trailed most of the way. MEMO moved out but didn’t move up.
THIRTEENTH RACE – A bit of a stretch headwind for the last two events … IM A GIGOLO N stayed in the whole way, got access to the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter pulled headstretch, went by pacesetting VETTEL N midstretch but did not draw away. The latter gapped to the ¼ but then was outside off the first turn brushing to the lead, went on down the road in fast fractions, was clear through the turn, was passed midstretch but dug in and fought to the line. LYONS PEGASUS also took the inside route and had some late kick to edge HUGHIE JUNIOR N for third. The latter went by everybody early, yielded for the pocket, went loose in same ¾, couldn’t hold third late. RIFLEMAN had an excess of nonflowing cover, finished with speed. CALIBER started uncovered before the half, got cover at that point but was not a factor. BRONX SEELSTER was looped leaving and made the pocket, pulled from third at the half but could not reach the leader in the fast pace. SWEET TRUTH had broken equipment entering turn two and was pulled up.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CAPTAIN FANCY made a quarter-move, set an even pace, stayed clear. BULLVILLE TERROR went up second-over, swung wide in the lane and closed well while going close to the outside fence late. BIG BOSS HILL was uncovered going to the half and went in 27 (with the wind) to make a big challenge, flattened just a little in the last 1/8, just missed second. HARD ROCK HULK was last, gapped down the back, then weaved for stretch clearance and gained. MR DS ROCK was parked past the 1/8 for the lead, pushed the winner a ways before yielding for the pocket, didn’t show too much in the last ¼. MISTER DAYTONA N went right to the lead, yielded, in, had stretch clearance but no response. CAPTAIN CASH stayed in, gapped the last half.