FIRST RACE – “Sloppy +1” on a 57-degree day … LATEST ATTRACTION left well, yielded near the ¼ for the pocket, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike and the lead midstretch, held off FERDIEONTHEBEACH to five Kevin Wallis his 10541st driving victory as he announced he is retiring from driving after today. The latter moved second-over 5/8, gapped on the turn, then was gaining late out very wide. MICHAEL’S MONSTER took a tuck, then gapped from before the ¼ to near the 5/8, where he got closer then went uncovered, held OK. BOOZIN N CRUISIN was three-wide to the first turn then out most of the ¼ for control, set the pace, not enough late. BOLTMAN gapped isndie down the back. A SHORE LEGACY was third-over but didn’t get into the main mix. KEYSTONEFIGHTNIGHT gapped down the back, got a little closer late. ROCKIN FIRE gapped down the backstretch and never got any closer.
SECOND RACE – BELIEVEINTHESPIRIT tucked early, moved uncovered at the half and grinded away, bore out in the lane but still had the most late kick. CAVIART CAFÉ left and was in the pocket 3/16, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike and had the lead in the lane, a bit shy. SAMMY THE BULL N was third-over behind a gapper, rallied but couldn’t rally enough. LEGAL POWER set the pace, wilted late. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N started uncovered into turn two and got cover at the half, but then gapped it badly. ER VEGAS offered little. A REAL MIRACLE gapped much of the way.
THIRD RACE – LOOTABLE tucked in fourth to the 1/8, uncovered 5/8 and grinded up, just got the nod in the stretch duel. SLICK FELLA was three-wide to the 1/8 then on top past the 3/16, yielded and waited in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and appeared to have a nose up midstretch, just came up shy. THE MIGHTY CRACKEN moved behind cover, gapped it a little, then was doing a little better late. TSM TRISTAN T set the pace with two moves, held decently. NOPEWASNTME gapped near the back, swung wide and was gaining early stretch but lugged in and clipped an opponent’s wheel, bounced right back ongait and was moving strongly, unlucky. JERSEY JUSTICE also gapped near the back, made a slight break ¾ then caught, didn’t have clearance late. DARIO HANOVER sat inside, couldn’t get into the main picture. BRYCE broke past the ¼.
FOURTH RACE – ZEBULON was underway before the ¼, was a bit wide coming out of turn one but quickly made the top, under big pressure down the back but didn’t let the challenger get by, trotted out well. CIRCUIT PARTY was behind an early gapper, was uncovered at the 3/8, came his own middle half in 58 uncovered to give the leader all he wanted, couldn’t go by, tried hard to the line. FRANKIE HILL was out on the second turn but immediately was gapping, got a little close to the top two, wound up by himself as a distant third. A ONE A made a brief break early, moved out on the far turn and went by weary foes. PUB HOPPING was in the pocket early, didn’t keep up from the 5/8. MR FIREWORKS was away quickly to take over, yielded, started to let loose before the 5/8, looked hard to steer headstretch and made a break. ZETTE FLAME broke at the start. EMBRACE THE STONE steadily dropped back in the last half.
FIFTH RACE – HOWTOTRAINURDRAGON sat in, found room far turn and quickly went three-wide, quickly left these behind to give Gena Anderson her first training win with her first starter. RIOT was four-wide to the 1/8 and three-wide to the 3/16, needed almost to the 3/8 to clear to the top, held OK in light of the rough early usage. WHATA TREASURE left and yielded, uncovered towards turn two, couldn’t reach the leader, next-best. JAMAICAN COWBOY gapped, then came up the inside and passed a few. BLOW A CLOUD N was three-wide to the 1/8, on top past the 3/16, yielded before the 3/8, yielded, not much left in the last ¼. CLASSIC PRO broke before the start, recovered, but couldn’t recover enough. VILLAGE CHAMP went on top at the 1/8, yielded 3/16, gapped down the back, then moved outside mid-far turn, was blindswitched and appeared to run up on a horse headstretch, little late. CHANCELLORCULLEN N moved outside at the half but had very little to offer.
SIXTH RACE – PRACTICAL CAT defended the pocket leaving then quarter-moved, took off before the ¾ and was never under duress. JUSTIFY was second-over, three-wide before the ¾ and made the pocket midturn, the only one remotely close to the winner. SMART AS HILL took back early, moved outside, three-wide far turn won the photo for the very distant third. CRAZY FOR CJ sat in, gapped, so-so in the Pocono Pike. STEEL SCHOONER, wide leaving, was in front 3/16, yielded for the pocket, backed up from the 5/8. PILGRIMS TIDE took back early, was uncovered off turn two, couldn’t get close then faded significantly. THE OTHER PAIR were always well out of it.
SEVENTH RACE – MG’S BEST ERA EVA got early position, started uncovered at the half, hit a higher gear ¾ and advanced through the turn to the lead, drew away. TRULY got to tuck fourth 3/16, then second-over, steadily behind the winner and second-best. JAGGED LITTLE PILL made the lead right away, then made making the lead tough for a rival until yielding 3/8, shuffled a little headstretch as outside horses went by, rallied back for third in the Pocono Pike. BIRDIE THREE gained up the inside down the backstretch, outside headstretch, fair. ICARUS FALLS N defended the pocket, quarter-moved but was left out to the 3/8 before taking over, subjected to hard pressure on the turn and faded in the last 1/8. SPLIT POT originally moved third-over but didn’t advance and went back inside, not prominent. AMERICAN BEACHBABE was near the rear throughout.
EIGHTH RACE – FREDDIE MAC left, took the early pocket at the 1/8, vacated third 5/8 and went up on a steady move, took over going into the stretch and was the best. MISS MUSCLE used the rail well, yielded to an early mover for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, good but not quite good enough. MUSHANA gapped a little bit at several points including second-over, better steps late. WHAT CHAPTER came out of third before the ¼ and went to the top, got a moderate pace, but still tired. TRAIN was on the move early and wound up third-over, three-wide late turn but couldn’t get close. KEEGAN HO never entered the main picture. PRESIDENTE ZETTE gapped inside. BANZAI AS offered little.
NINTH RACE – I’LL TAKE THE BET was second-over, slightly off cover for some of the backstretch, three-wide past midturn, outkicked the pair that was following him. PBR STREET GANG moved third-over, three-wide with cover then wider in the stretch, just missed in the photo. ALWAYS BETTER backed out to last-over 11/16, widest and with pace. SETONCRUISECONTROL was outside most of the ¼ to get the front, was under pressure from the first-over from very early on with little between those two the rest of the way, held OK. ALLIEVERDREAMOF was hustled uncovered from midpack past the ¼ and had a fierce duel with the leader, held courageously. BARRYWHITE HANOVER had the early lead then yielded for the pocket, had his chance in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t get there. COWBOY COOL stayed in, gapped midrace, tried to find clearance in the stretch but could not.
TENTH RACE – CRESCENT BEAUTY benefited from three breakers and made the lead easily, really slowed the half, then drew away in the slop with 57.3 – 28.3. AWSOME PAUL worked up into the pocket early, kept close until the far turn, retained second over SCOTTISH. The latter gapped inside down the back, was better in the last straightaway. VENDOR BILL moved outside but couldn’t make an impact. PANTHERA AS was always far back, but did stay flat. THESUNRISESAGAIN charged the gate but broke right past the start. HEART MATTERS and BULLY BOY HILL were also victims of early behavioral problems.
ELEVENTH RACE – MAXIMUS MIKI came out from fourth to the 3/16 and brushed to command, held off the first-over bid of C-BET HANOVER with a 27.4 last quarter. The latter left a gap in the pocket from before the 1/8 past the half then tightened in and was raw at the 5/8, came his own last half in 55.4 and held admirably. WARRAWEE XTREME started uncovered into turn two, got cover 5/8, gapped it, finished well on the extreme outside of the track. BOBS REDEMPTION made the front before the 1/8, yielded to the winner, stayed close until the stretch then had only a so-so response. TREVOR’S HUNT was third-over, no threat but got the last payday. IVY STUD was not heard from. CAPTAIN MAP couldn’t keep up at the ¾. NAVIGATOR was off the gate, disconnected the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – MYSTICAL WYNN made the top at the 1/8, got to the half in 1:00 but soon after opened a clear lead, came home in 56.4 – 28.1 all by himself. EXPLOSIVEBREAKWAY yielded for the two-hole, lost ground relative to the leader from the half but stayed clear of the others. SWEET HEART AS tucked fourth past the 1/8, came out behind the parked horse then went three-wide just past the 5/8 to two-wide raw, third-best. MUSCLES JARED couldn’t do much in the quick back half; nor could DYLAN THE GREAT. PRAIRIE VIRTUE was away last from the rail, no factor. BLOGMASTER was three-wide to the 1/8 taking back then spent the rest of the mile two-wide, was looped down the back and faded.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DANCE IT OUT left well to force two tucks in a snappy quarter for the conditions, rated the half then sped it up when challenges came, stayed game to the line when sprinting home in 27.4. NOCH TEN left between horses to get in the pocket at the 1/8, stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, beat out CAVIART EDEN for second. The latter got in gear towards midbackstretch, went second-over then was three-wide before the ¾ to two-wide on the turn, didn’t quite have the necessary late foot. SCOOTNROLL was best of the rest. TAM MAJOR A went out to follow cover but gapped it two- then three-wide. ATTA BOY DAN left well but had to take a tuck third, moved uncovered at the bottom of the lower turn, challenged, but was left behind in the last ¼. THE OTHER TWO gapped near the back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CAVIART ROCKLAND was quickly on top, backed off the second stanza, then held command with fractions of 55.3 – 27.3. BECKHAMS Z TAM left purposefully for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and raced well but couldn’t find enough sprint. SOME DEAL HANOVER was uncovered off the second turn, briefly had a short advantage over the pocket horse on the turn, OK in the stretch. KEY ADVISOR gapped down the back, fair late. FRISKIE ALL NITE had nongaining cover, three-wide before the ¾ then two-wide on the turn, couldn’t sustain the gain. THE NEXT TWO had no say in this one. FRAZZLEBERRY moved outside but never got to “cover,” then faded significantly.