FIRST RACE – Warm day for this time of the year; some stretch headwind … DIVINE SPIRIT moved to the half and got a fine second-over trip, three-wide late turn, just up in the last couple of steps. ARCHIBALD started raw at the half, grinded hard battling the leader, may never have had his nose ahead but fought on gamely. AMADOR moved 5/16 to the lead nearing turn two, came under pressure, led until very late. BANZAI AS backed out to third-over but gapped. SMART AS HILL was the innermost of the leavers, had one rival jump, yielded for the pocket past the 3/8, tired in the stretch. JUMPSHOT was three-wide early going around a breaker, got to the early pocket at the ¼, not heard from again. MUSHANA was between horses early, made a break challenging to the 3/16.
SECOND RACE – PAPIAMENTO moved to follow the parked horse towards turn two, three-wide before the 5/8 and swept the field, drew off in the last ¼. BELIEVEINTHESPIRIT was three-wide to the 3/16 then spent a like distance two-wide to get the lead, under constant pressure, did well to defeat everybody but the sweeper. VILLAGE CHAMP left, briefly had the lead and yielded, was shuffled badly, came up the Pocono Pike to be third. LEGAL POWER was between horses to get the lead 3/16, yielded 3/8, also was shuffled back some on the turn but had little once clear in the stretch. BLOW A CLOUD N was four-wide early and three-wide 3/16 before falling in behind cover, left uncovered 3/8 and pressed the leader, fell back in the last quarter. JAMAICAN COWBOY was away last and never featured. CHANCELLORCULLEN N and EDEN PAIGE N started slowly then backed out to follow cover but couldn’t go with it.
THIRD RACE – CHUCKY DE VIE was in front from the first step to the last, cleared inside at the 1/8, lost the pocket horse down the back in the fast pace, tiring but too far ahead to be caught. MANOFMANYMUSCLES yielded and stayed close to the winner until the backstretch, OK for second. JUSTIFY broke at the half, made a big recovery around stragglers to be third. FRAC left and tucked third, gapped from the 3/8 and the gap was more severe the further they went. BLAZING TRAIL bore out on the far turn. GREEK LEGEND also was already struggling in front of the stands. FIRST RESPONSE broke before the ½.
FOURTH RACE – MRS TAYLOR tucked mid-far turn, moved uncovered past the half and quickly swept by the field, had enough to keep the resurgent ALDEBARAN ACRUX at bay. The latter was looped leaving, finally made the top 5/16, yielded before the second turn, was able to back out behind the winner late backstretch and retuck in the pocket midturn, good. THEWALLOFLOVE AS gathered some momentum on the turn and swung three-wide, closed some while bearing out to almost the outside fence near the finish. CANTERAWISHING had the cover of the winner but couldn’t go with it, got new cover but couldn’t go with that, evenly. SANTA MONICA AS was shuffled out of contention. QUINNPATRICKSHEA never was near the front. SWEET EMMY LOU looped the field before the first turn, yielded 5/16, stayed in, shuffled out of it, not much once free. JESSICA K S made a break before the start and was last at the start, went up three-wide to the 3/16, then cover to the 5/16, then up to the lead nearing turn two, had nothing left to answer the challenge of the winner.
FIFTH RACE – HOOSIER SHARK left and sit a good pocket trip, outside headstretch and was along in time over ROCK THREE TIMES. The latter was in front at the 1/8, rolled on the lead, just failed to turn back the winner. DREAM OF LUCK tucked third, started to move out 5/16 but rethought the strategy and tucked back in, third-best. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was uncovered just past the half, never got close to the lead, held his ground decently. WESTERN WALTZ could not keep up second-over. ZEUS HANOVER offered little. IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N gapped.
SIXTH RACE – ULI BLUE CHIP sat third until the ¾, rushed up to challenge and took over into the lane, drew away. BRAVO ANGEL S sat in the pocket, moved out behind the winner headstretch, not catching that one but not to be caught for second. ON THE HOUSE went right to the lead and rolled along, but had nothing left in the tank when challenged late turn. NINA HANOVER gapped early, next. BROADWAY SENSATION, slow starting, was never a factor. TWISTED PROMISE was tucking fourth at the 1/8 when going offstride.
SEVENTH RACE – ICARUS FALLS N was five-wide going to turn one, three-wide 3/16 then two-wide to the lead past the ¼, slowed the half then picked it up as the favorite moved up, was in the process of being passed by that foe when she broke and thus was given a second life, held off a furious late charge by JAGGED LITTLE PILL. The latter left and yielded, was stuck in, eased out before midstretch, found room via a slinky move after the chalk broke, almost got there. RUMORED was two-wide 3/16 for the lead, yielded for the two-hole, was inside in the stretch and not affected by the breaker, not too much. SPLIT POT was second-over, gapped 5/8, then was severely bothered by the midstretch breaker, recovered well. MAKO ME RICH was wide far turn and pushed wider by the stretch incident while gaining. LULU ROCKS started uncovered on turn two and gradually gained uncovered, was going by the leader midstretch but made a break, placed for causing interference. SWEET GADGETS was also bothered. PJS FANCY DANCER had lost contact early and was pulled up.
EIGHTH RACE – STAR TRACK HANOVER showed on top immediately, yielded before the 3/8 but was soon on the retake, had the first-over get to his sulky wheel ¾ but no closer, drew off. SUNDANCEDIAMOND was outside but gapped while one-gearing it, along for second late. MY BOY CHRISTIAN was in a dull outer tier, circled wide and did well for third. NICE STUFF led the outer tier going to the half, got to about a length of the winner but no closer, then faded in the last ¼. TUIS SHADOW went up to challenge but needed until the 3/8 to clear, yielded for the pocket, faded in the latter stages. MANWILLING looked to leave but took back, was then second-over but gapped down the backstretch. THE OTHER PAIR were at the back throughout.
NINTH RACE – SHARKY BEAR left some, then was underway before the ¼ to brush to the lead, opened up a big lead down the backstretch, coasted home. I’LL TAKE THE BET was behind dull cover, made a sharp move three-wide midturn, and gained a lot of ground behind the winner. A SHORE LEGACY had some late foot for the distant third. LATEST ATTRACTION, wide early, was out much of the ¼ before taking the pocket, was shuffled badly behind the pocket horse but didn’t have a strong response once clear. KINGOFMYHEART left between horses to take early control, yielded to sit the pocket, lost ground throughout the last half. THE NEXT DUO were always well behind. BOLTMAN made a weak uncovered bid that didn’t last long before he fell way back.
TENTH RACE – DISTANCE LEARNING left, was looking to tuck but saw a hole close, so went on to get the lead 3/8, had pressure much of the last half, but proved the strongest of these late. STREET SMARTS stayed closely-placed early, went uncovered before the ½ and put in a big bid from late backstretch onward, but didn’t quite have enough. HAND DOVER DAN was wide early, then with cover and slid in the three-hole, came back out second-over, three-wide late turn but couldn’t gain enough late. HOLY BEING gapped his cover, came between horses in the stretch instead of tipping wide, had trot in tight quarters. AWSOME PAUL left strongly, finally yielded in front of the stands for the pocket, struggled to keep tight a good portion of the last half. THE OTHER PAIR gapped along the inside.
ELEVENTH RACE – MAXIMUS MIKI came uncovered on turn two, went 26.4 down the back to challenge and got a short lead but couldn’t clear, finally passed the pacesetter for good before midstretch then held off the closing WARRAWEE XTREME. The latter gapped second-over then got closer, gained through the stretch while going a little wide, didn’t miss by much. C-BET HANOVER was away quickly for the top, yielded to an early mover but came back for the retake, under bigtime pressure from the winner and fought him off for a long while, then gave way some. TREVOR’S HUNT moved outside headstretch and was moving well in the latter stages. CAPTAIN MAP raced up into the pocket past the 1/8, didn’t have enough late pace. GASCOIGNE ROCKS moved at the ¼ to the lead 3/8 but then immediately yielded to the retaker, gapped from the 5/8. THE REMAINING PAIR were never on the main radar.
TWELFTH RACE – THE WORLD OWES ME was looped leaving, had cover to the 3/16 then went on to take the lead 3/8, disposed of the first-over and drew clear late turn, very good in a fast mile for this type. ZEBULON was second-over, finally moved three-wide midturn after the winner had gotten away, showed good speed in the last 1/8. FRANKIE HILL sat in, found room between horses in the stretch and was a distant third. A ONE A was parked 3/16 to make the lead, yielded to the winner 3/8, didn’t have much late punch. CIRCUIT PARTY and DONATELLO HANOVER never made progress off of cover. SOUTH FOR WINTER never featured. MR FIREWORKS left for the early lead, saw two go by then started first-over on the second turn, challenged in the third quarter, but then the tough trip in a fast mile caught up to him.
THIRTEENTH RACE – LENDA HAND MAN did not get away well, but followed very useful cover, four-wide midturn back to three-wide late turn, proved to have the most of these with the top six separated by only two lengths. PBR STREET GANG moved second-over, three-wide 11/16, back to two-wide late turn, outblasted by the winner late. COWBOY COOL was four-wide into turn one, continued on to the lead at a 26.1 quarter, got a breather in quarter two then had to pick it up, no match for the two on the far outside but held well in his own right. MY BOY JACK pushed then raced in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t summon enough. BARRYWHITE HANOVER stayed in third, looked to have clearance deep in the Pike but not quite enough pace. ALWAYS BETTER moved uncovered towards turn two, was urged while first-over down the back, looked disposed of headstretch but was running over horses with a resurgence near the wire. MICHAEL’S MONSTER, three-wide early, fell far back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MISS MUSCLE yielded nearing a fast quarter but quickly regained control, a control he maintained easily to the wire. TRAIN found a good forward spot, came along the inside and was along for second. HALL IT IN was three-wide towards turn one, then two-wide through almost all of a fast ¼ to get the top, yielded for the pocket, not too much left in the lane. PHANTOM RUSTY stayed in until the stretch, finished OK. PADRE was second-over from last but it was in a very sluggish flow, three-wide late turn and finished with trot. BILLY RAY HANOVER never factored. BRIGITTE BI was uncovered nearing the half but never got into the first half of the field. MARQUIS VOLO was outside when making the first of two breaks at the half.