FIRST RACE – Right around 60 degrees for this card, with no wind … EFFRONTE A was three-wide early to the lead past the 1/8, rated the half, then came home in 55 – 27.2, putting the first-over in behind him on the turn and staying clear. WON LAST FEELING looked at leaving but took back, uncovered off the second turn, got to the winner’s flank, dropped into the pocket, the only foe to be remotely close. AIN’T IN FUN was caught behind a tired one late backstretch and through the turn, so-so to be a distant third once clear. R MADDY BLUE CHIP was third-over behind gapping cover, three-wide early far turn, fair. JUST N ACE had progressing cover but didn’t stay with it. KINGSTONS BAD BOY and RYCROFT N never entered the main picture. SPINOUT left enough to protect the pocket, couldn’t produce any more speed when the pace picked up down the backstretch.
SECOND RACE – BB LUCKY BOY left between horses, was looped, proceeded up to the lead at the ¼, never let up in a very fast mile – promising horse. YS DO IT RIGHT stayed inside and took an inner path to the no-factor second. BIG CHIC MAGNET gapped in last, but avoided tired traffic and was third. JIM BLUE was three-wide early to the top, yielded for the two-hole, kept close to the fast fractions until late backstretch. UNSUNG HERO gapped early, moved with cover, then to three-wide but didn’t gain. CODYS KNAPSACK had speed, moved uncovered 5/8 but his bid stalled before the ¾.
THIRD RACE – A BETTOR BEACH moved with cover at the half but soon lost it, continued grinding and got the lead late. IDEAL STAR N came with a rush uncovered before the half, cleared to the lead past the 5/8, hung in there right to the wire. PLAY THE FIELD was involved in an early 26 duel, let the outside foe go before the 3/8 but came right back, yielded to the winner late backstretch but stayed close, Pocono Pike, not quite enough left late. BROTHER JAMES gapped in the outside flow, OK. GONNAHAVESOMEMORE didn’t show all that much. TONY TOO TALL left and tucked in at the 1/8, was caught behind a tired one late backstretch and shuffled out of contention. BELLOWS BINGE was never prominent. HOT DEUCE was three-wide early then continued on to try to get the lead, paid a very high price for doing so to the 3/8 and then yielded for the pocket, was backing up from down the backstretch.
FOURTH RACE – BRONX SEELSTER left, tucked, took off raw at the half and quickly moved to challenge, wouldn’t go away in a fast mile and proved very game to overhaul VETTEL N. The latter was away swiftly and established command at the 1/8, continued to go fast especially with the big challenge from the raw horse, just couldn’t last in the final steps. BULLVILLE TERROR was second-over, gapped a bit in the fast third quarter and on the turn, gained in the lane but bore out very wide. CAPTAIN CASH left and pushed the leader to the 1/8 then was content to sit the pocket, got a bit loose in the two-hole in the fast third panel, not much thrust late. BAY MEADOWS left a small gap at a couple of points, not a late threat. BIG BOSS HILL couldn’t do much from third-over. ACTOR HANOVER did not factor.
FIFTH RACE – SHORE OF HIMSELF used the rail well, yielded for the pocket, edged out entering the stretch and went right on by. MAJOR BEAN was on top at the 1/8, set the fractions of his choosing, held OK but was second-best today. MY WISH CAME TRUE was pinned in by the outer tier, found room inside in the stretch and caught NO BETTER JOY for third. The latter swung wide from third headstretch, so-so. GREYSTONE WATCHMAN looked at leaving but took back to last, then was third-over in a nonproductive flow, ducked inside and got the last check. LATEST ERA also took back early, gapped second-over, three-wide past midturn but didn’t factor. INCREDIBLE BADGER was not heard from. THIRD POWER went raw at the half but never found a very high gear.
SIXTH RACE – DELAYED HANOVER left and yielded, moved at the ¼ and went on to take the top in front of the stands, not pressured on the lead, then sprinted home in 28 to take the measure of B A SUPERHERO. The latter was outleft, worked up to the lead at the ¼, yielded to the winner for the pocket, came out for the drive and was trying very hard but just couldn’t make up enough ground in the dash home. AP HALL OF TRIX stayed in and left a gap at a couple of points, clearly third. DAGON HANOVER stayed in, not that much but edged SHIKANSEN for fourth. The latter was away nicely to be on top entering turn one, saw two go by, came back out late backstretch but did not gain before retreating. WHAT SHOULD I GOO gained raw down the backstretch, then got nonproductive cover, three-wide late turn, not prominent. IN A TINY WAY did not factor.
SEVENTH RACE – IDEAL WHEEL, under a hold to the half, came out first-over and commenced a good gain 5/8 that brought him head-to-head with the leader ¾ then carried him right by, pacing his last half in 55.1 easily. THE THUNDER ROLLS left well and yielded for the pocket, shuffled significantly n the far turn behind the tired pacesetter, gamely late to hold off ROLLINWITHAMBITION for second. The latter gained up the inside, far inside stretch and was good. HUNDIE N backed out behind the winner in front of a gapper past the 5/8 but never got going. BRAVO TEX N was inside, blocked most of the stretch, looked to have pace on the end. BLACK CHEVRON N had dull cover, some pace widest late. CLOUSEAU HANOVER pulled out behind the winner but soon was not keeping up. THE DARK SHADOW showed good speed to make the lead past the 1/8, had the winner charge at him late backstretch, faded steadily once passed on the turn.
EIGHTH RACE – MARION GONDOLIER made the lead 3/16 then rated the half, went on nicely to defeat a stretch challenger to each side. KINDA LUCKY LINDY grinded first-over from the 5/8, kept on coming through the lane in a big showing. THE LAST CHAPTER yielded for the pocket and had a great trip, to the Pocono Pike, loomed midstretch but then flattened a little very late. CREEMORE sat in, not clear on the turn, but then not too much once clear. MEMO struggled second-over. CHIPLOSIVE sat in, evenly late without full clearance. ANCHORS AWAY was off the gate and trailed throughout.
NINTH RACE – NEWBIE left dynamically, forced one tuck then yielded to sit in the pocket, outside in the stretch and gradually worked by SOUTHPORT BEACH. The latter was three-wide early, dropped behind cover then briefly three-wide again 3/16 as his cover elected to tuck, wheeled up to take the lead 5/16, set the pace at a good clip, held stubbornly. COXCOMB had nonmoving cover and was three-wide from the 11/16, gradually along for the distant third. MANNY left between horses, took back to tuck 3/16, faded in the stretch. UNDERTAKER was underway early backstretch, got cover 5/8 but was not helped by it, blindswitched, then swung wide behind that sweeper, some late. LITTLEBITASWAGGER was not prominent here. AMERICA’S GUEST came uncovered 5/8 but had nothing to offer.
TENTH RACE – PARMESAN N left, couldn’t clear and did get into the pocket 3/16, waited, to the Pocono Pike, got the lead midstretch, held off BETTOR MEMORIES. The latter stayed third-in, appeared to be clear deep in the Pike, gained but couldn’t make it by the winner. MARK WITHA K wouldn’t let anybody go by early, set the pace, overhauled by the two to his left. CONTROL HEAVEN was wide then took back behind cover, then took back further and got in fifth off the first turn, uncovered again on turn two, one-geared it and didn’t threaten but held admirably considering the rough trip. IM A GIGOLO N was third-over, widest in the stretch and closed rapidly. CAPTAIN FANCY was second-over, three-wide past midturn, evenly. Neither THE WALL nor TOWN GOSSIP saw any full stretch clearance.
ELEVENTH RACE – SILENT SPLENDOR stayed third-in, got room in the Pocono Pike and nicely outclosed the two in front of him. RICKYBOBBYNTHEHAUS left intimidatingly, did yield 5/16 for the pocket, outside in the stretch, eventually got by the pacesetter but not before the winner scooted by. TUXEDO BAY left, didn’t want to tuck so went on and got the front 5/16, set the pace without pressure, came up a bit shy. INDIGO ART had dull cover twice, three-wide far turn and closed well. ARTIFACT HANOVER came out second-over down the back but gapped. MINDTRIP pulled approaching the half but didn’t gain and ducked back inside. DONE WELL was uncovered 5/8 but made little progress before dropping back.
TWELFTH RACE – HARD ROCK HULK left hard and took over, got a breather in quarter two then sped up, turned away the first-over and drew away late. MACH WEST stayed in before the half as he was going to be fourth-over if outside, gained inside, clear early stretch and kicked in late to just get the distant second. CAVIART SAGE left, took the pocket well ahead of the others early, couldn’t hold on to second late. RIFLEMAN started outside to the second turn and soon had cover, went three-wide just after the ¾, couldn’t close enough. DO WORK SON was third-over, three-wide with cover far turn, not too much. STAR ISLAND gapped at the back. SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL went up to tuck third in a big hole past the 1/8, went raw at the half, gained during the third quarter, but his progress stopped there.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BABES DIG ME left wide, made the lead, yielded at the ¼ but came back to take command just past the 3/8, drew clear of his opponents in the last ¼. SPORTSMANSHIP took back early, uncovered at the half, got to go into the pocket later on the turn, a clear second. SAFENSOUND HANOVER left well from the rail and yielded, stayed in third and was badly shuffled from before the ¾, not fully clear most of the stretch while having pace. IC A FREE SPIRIT was outermost of the leavers, went on to get the lead near the ¼, yielded past the 3/8, not much left the last ¼. SHANGHAI BOBBY was second-over, evenly. PRINCE ASTON had little to offer from third-over. THE LAST TWO were the last two throughout.
FOURTEENTH RACE – The finale scratches down to four … STELLAR YANKEE left but was put in the pocket in a 26.2 opener, followed further hot numbers, then to the Pocono Pike and went to the front. SAYING GRACE N moved out second-over past the 5/8, wide, was gaining late but couldn’t quite reach. TRACEUR HANOVER left a bit of a gap the first half, underway uncovered past the 5/8, challenged at the ¾ through the turn, then tired. LYONS PEGASUS insisted on the lead and went a big quarter and half, was challenged on the far turn, tired.