FIRST RACE – Atypical stretch tailwind on another warm day … MISTER DAYTONA N was looped early, went on to get the lead 5/16, pushed a little then yielded well before the fast half, gapped some down the back then tighter then outside ¾, went right by, drew clear in an impressive mile. SEE YA WRITE N spotted, then moved second-over, three-wide just past midturn, closed well. LORD OF MISRULE hustled away well to the front, pushed the winner to the 5/16, yielded, came right back to take over again well before the fast half, couldn’t stall the winner on the far turn but went on OK after hard usage. DIVISION BELL was shuffled inside, had some response once clear in the Pocono Pike. JK MUSICMAN was wide early, in fourth 3/16, then uncovered into turn two, never reached the lead but kept at it one-paced. BUTTER UP started to gap not much past the half. LUZIANA was urged leaving but still had no lick, early or late. TRULY SURREAL broke going to the first bend.
SECOND RACE — TRAFFIC JAM was on the move 5/8 and reached the leader towards the ¾, battled head-to-head with that one to the wire before getting the nod. ANOTHER BEACH DAY was outside before a leaver had cleared 3/16, left uncovered and worked to get to the top past the 3/8, didn’t face a fast middle half but then faced the winner, battled that one right to the last steps. RHYME N ROLL left well, was out most of the ¼ before making the top, yielded, OK from the pocket although not quite as good as the top two. GRANT ME THIS had sluggish cover, wide in the stretch and closed nicely. NARINA HANOVER gapped inside. MACH’S DELI was out to try to follow the winner but gapped. ALWAYS CURIOUS never featured. ELEGANT NOELLE grabbed the front early, yielded to the ¼, backed out of third 11/16 to try to follow the winner but could not.
THIRD RACE – PADRE was out before the ¼ but retucked as the leader did not easily surrender the lead, moved after the early battle was settled and went on to the top, clear from the 5/8 and won by a ton in fast time for this class. SMART AS HILL tucked fourth at the 1/8, was out following cover as the pocketsitter gave way, stayed mostly outside on the turn, along for the distant second. GREEK LEGEND was shuffled, three-wide late turn, passed many horses in the lane. HALL IT IN went up to challenge but met resistance, tucked past the ¼, back out again past the 5/8 as the pocket horse backed off, retucked in the two-hole, couldn’t hold second late. PHANTOM RUSTY never entered the main picture. FASHION WINNER was shuffled back but showed no recovery. TRICKY DICK went three-wide at the ¾ from last but didn’t gain. CHOCOTURE made the front, didn’t want to yield early and got a foe seated, yielded to the winner, couldn’t keep up 5/8.
FOURTH RACE – HUNTRESS was outleft and tucked fourth, moved second-over and gradually tightened behind cover, wide into the stretch and drew away. KAY SAGE left, yielded, made a ‘hidden” quarter-move then yielded again, a little loose on the turn, OK in the stretch for second. LETS RYDE GIRL outleft the field, saw two go by in quarter two, came raw at the 5/8 and challenged hard, held pretty well after hard work. ROCKNROLL NELLA was quarter-mover #2 with the wind and took command, under pressure from the first-over, not enough late. CATIE FAYE HANOVER was third-over and three-wide far turn in the winner’s path, didn’t have that one’s steps but had belated good pace. THE OTHER THREE left gaps of varying degrees (paralleling their finishes).
FIFTH RACE – NEXTROUNDSONME took early control from the pole and set a fast pace while under no pressure until the stretch, where SPY BOOTH came on, just resisted that rival. The latter took the early pocket and sat until entering the stretch, moved out and gained smartly late but came up just shy. LOVE THIS BAR sat in, went around a tired one early stretch and held third in a good race. SCIROCCO BIG JOHN gapped early, gapped when moved outside 11/16, then found better steps and closed in the lane while bearing wide. NO NAME YANKEE raced inside, OK along the inside late. BLESSINGSANDFAVOR stayed in contact behind the fast pace until nearing the ¾ then faded. ANDOVERS TOUCH left well, tucked fourth, came out 5/8 but didn’t gain, broke while out of it headstretch. CHOCO CHARLIE miscued soon into the race.
SIXTH RACE – ALWAYS B FIRST moved out nearing the half, briefly got cover, lost it as it cleared to the lead, then herself went on in a fast third quarter to take over into the turn, ran away from these. PHELGON left, got into the pocket near the 3/16, came out off turn two to go to the lead 5/8 then in turn surrendered command to the ¾, tired but held on to the distant second. SUNRISE HANOVER gapped outside against the wind in quarter three, left uncovered, went on OK. A CRAFTY LADY also had cover, fair. ONE HAND KEG STAND did OK late to get the last check. JUXTA COWGIRL defended the pocket before surrendering it 3/16, sat in, shuffled, but not too much once clear. FOXY FIJI streaked to the lead, was challenged past the half, yielded 5/8, tired in the last ¼. EVAS SPORTS CZECH lost contact the second half.
SEVENTH RACE – HAND DOVER DAN was three-wide to turn one then settled fourth at the 1/8, was tight on cover, lost it on the far turn, bore out in the stretch but found a powerful gear late and just did catch A PERFECT HELEN. The latter headed down the road, fought off the first-over, appeared to be in pretty good shape until late stretch, when the winner kicked in, tough loss. GRANDEUR was close-up, came out at the ½ but needed until the 5/8 to find a good forward gear then challenged, couldn’t go by and tucked in the pocket near headstretch, steadily. BEER CHEESE sat in then slide out midturn, kept coming to the wire. TNT BLUE CHIP gapped in last down the back, stayed inside and earned a check. MACKLE MOORE eventually got into the pocket 3/16, stayed close until the ¾. LIVINGONTHERAIL moved two-wide but did not enter contention.
EIGHTH RACE – DILLINGER got good cover at the half, lost it ¾ and challenged the new leader, didn’t get the lead until deep stretch, then withstood LIFETIMEEXPERIENCE. The latter tucked, backed out to third-over, had good cover, went wide headstretch and lost a little ground straightening away, then came on determinedly. CRACK A SMILE took the early pocket, pulled uncovered from third on the second turn, cleared past the ¾, gave way late. CHUCK THE CHEESE was deep in the cover flow, angled inside midstretch and finished willingly. ZEUS HANOVER sat in and was shuffled some, had some pace in tight quarters late. TREY’S CHARLIE was last, went wide but didn’t have enough kick. CURBSIDE PICKUP was innermost as half the field left, yielded 5/16, was shuffled out of it as the pacesetter gave way in the last ¼. LOUKES PERRY was four-wide early, kept on to get the lead 5/16, moderated the second quarter (which had a tailwind), but came under pressure late backstretch and proved to be all done.
NINTH RACE – CRESCENT BEAUTY made two moves and controlled the tempo, was clear early stretch but got a fright from the late-charging JAQEN H’GHAR. The latter raced second-over, didn’t tip three-wide until very late on the turn, then was flying the last 1/8 to just miss. TRANQUILITY K took the top early, yielded for the pocket, stayed close in the pocket until the stretch, clearly third. PHANNYS MATTER took back early, advanced inside, next in line. NORTHERN BLIZZARD gapped at the back. SIMON GOT LUCKY stayed close early, was uncovered on turn two, didn’t reach the wheel of the leader, fell back from past the ¾. THE AMERICAN EAGLE didn’t make his presence felt.
TENTH RACE – FAST MACHINE was carried up second-over, three-wide midturn when it seemed cover would advance no further, didn’t take the lead until very late but held it to the wire. TECHYS ANGEL A went up to challenge at the 1/8, got the pocket at the ¼, stayed in, angled out on the turn and wide headstretch, kicked in just a little too late, good race. KAT quarter-moved, got a second quarter breather and didn’t have the first-over giving serious pressure, but could not withstand the late speed. DBLDELITEBRIGADE N went to the lead, forced a tuck, yielded for the pocket, appeared to get to almost-even terms in the Pocono Pike midstretch, came up a little short late. AMERICAN DELIGHT N stayed in and did not make her presence felt. DRESDEN spotted fifth, uncovered into turn two, never applied serious heat to the leader fell back. TEMPURA HANOVER followed cover two- and three-wide, then four-wide stretch but did not gain.
ELEVENTH RACE – AMERICAN CLASSIC was quarter-mover #2 en route to 3/8 command, a “no-doubter” as Announcer Jim noted. LET’S GOT ROCKED stayed in, searched for room between horses past midstretch, finally found a sliver and had a good response to take the distant deuce in a photo with ONE OF THE GUYS. The latter had the early pocket, was quarter-mover #1 then yielded for the pocket, couldn’t stay with the winner the last ¼ and just lost second late. BULLVILLE FRANK was not well-served by his cover, wide and fair late. GROOVY MAN gapped early, got closer then went uncovered at the half but never got close. KATIES BET went right to the lead, saw two go by in quarter two, struggled to keep up most of the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – GEORGIE MARTIN N was three-wide early to get the lead, put a looped foe in behind her, yielded to the brushing favorite to sit the pocket, outside headstretch, fought gamely to decision MAJOR BATTLE. The latter stayed in, got access to the Pocono Pike and may have had a nose up midstretch, fought to the line. BRILLIANT BEAUTY was second-over and gradually tightened behind cover, three-wide midturn, finished well – beaten by inside trip horses. BETTERB CHEVRON N was underway past the first turn to the lead near the 3/8, turned back the first-over, not enough steps late. APRIL AVA sat in, evenly stretch while not having a totally clear path. CRAZY CUTE was looped, worked up into the pocket before the ¼, came again raw 5/8 but her bid was short-lived. STELLENBOSCH was last and could not work into contention.