Connors’ Comments for Sunday, February 19, 2023

2023-02-27

FIRST RACE – Around 50 degrees all day … Stretch headwind … PERKINS took a long time before settling first turn, then was out first-over from seventh 3/8, grinded including a 26.4 third quarter to get the lead but not the rail near the ¾ and through the turn, kept on going in remarkable fashion. THREE WAYS N had control before the 1/8, yielded off the first turn for the pocket, backed out behind the winner headstretch, not enough, just second over BLOW A CLOUD N. The latter was close to the main action, to the Pocono Pike and gained. JAFFA JOSH N was three-wide early, in gear at the 1/8, made the lead just past the ¼ and slowed the half, then had to speed up when the winner challenged, not quite enough late. PAPIAMENTO stayed in, struggled from the 5/8. BELIEVEINTHESPIRIT backed out to second-over but gapped most of the last half. SKYWAY BILLY never factored. SETONCRUISECONTROL got a slow start, never a major danger.

 

SECOND RACESPEAK YOUR MIND dashed right to the front, yielded to sit in the two-hole, vacated same early stretch and paced right on by. FEAR HER TOUCH was looped early, in gear at the 1/8 while a trifle rough, took over the front off turn one, rated the pace then sped up, couldn’t handle the winner but was far ahead of the rest. SHES A BULLVILLE was second-over, three-wide when her cover stalled midturn, just along for third over DIFFERENTFORGIRLS. The latter gapped in last, came up the inside in the stretch and passed tired foes. MS TREACHEROUS had a forward spot but didn’t have too much in the last 3/16. RAINBOW RISING went raw 9/16 and gained steadily until tiring mid-far turn.

 

THIRD RACEGINGERTREE STAKIAS was well-placed second-over behind a fast pace, wide headstretch, kept digging in the latter stages and got the job done late. NASEY was three-deep to turn one, made the lead at the 1/8 in a fast quarter and continued quickly, just caught in the last strides. COMMON PARLANCE was directly on top, yielded to sit the pocket behind fast fractions, Pocono Pike, may have been bottomed a bit chasing the fast pace. BANG BANG BOINGA looked all-out to stay connected most of the way. HAMMER CREEK offered very little; same case with SUNDAE FUNDAY.

 

FOURTH RACEBAD MS JOHNSON was looped leaving, in front 3/16, yielded to an early brusher, came out of the two-hole past midturn, didn’t have a quick burst but went on steadily and won a blanket finish. HURRIKANEMYSHANNON was the first to the lead, yielded, sat third-in, got to the pocket midturn, Pocono Pike, brief lead deep stretch, photoed out. ODDS ON GAMMA quarter-moved and set the pace, came up just a bit shy.TSM WESTERN SOUL stayed in, got room deep in the Pocono Pike, not very far off. BULLVILLE KARLA moved behind the parked horse, circled three-wide 5/8 and was left out wide much of the rest of the way, closed determinedly. FOR CHIPS SAKE came out from fourth 11/16, got cover midturn, not enough. RHYME N ROLL took all the way back to last, never factored. BETTE TINA was stuck out three-deep to the ¼ in traffic, then was two-wide raw, couldn’t gain from the 5/8 on.

 

FIFTH RACESAY YOU DO went to the front at the 1/8 and had a very easy time of it. ARGENTO made a strong brush out of fifth just before the 5/8, dropped into the pocket midturn, a clear second. TRICKY DICK backed out ¾, uncovered midturn, along for the no-factor third. AMBERS CHAMPION yielded early for the pocket, started to gap before the ¾. PHOTO BOMBER was shuffled some but didn’t recover ground. GREEK LEGEND was away slowly and was never close. KEYSTONE SERGEANT broke just past the 5/16.

 

SIXTH RACECHUMLEY N, a little rough-gaited, was parked to the ¼ for the lead, slowed the half, drew clear far turn, then was giving way a little late but had opened enough of a lead to hold on. PANTHEON HANOVER was three-wide well past the 1/8, tucked third late first turn, moved out midturn then wide, was narrowing in on the winner well late. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N used the rail to great advantage and secured the pocket trip, started to struggle a little before the ¾, evenly late. BETTOR’S WESTERN was three-wide with cover to the 1/8, tucked fourth, uncovered before the half, gained down the back but couldn’t sustain that gain although holding decently late. TODDLER TANTRUM didn’t show much inside. DISMISSAL SLIP was never close. NIGHT EXPLORER moved second-over but soon was going backwards.

 

SEVENTH RACE – After a recall caused by #s2-3 getting entwined before the start … CANTSTOP YANKEE was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the front 3/16, went clear 5/8, had five lengths when the trouble occurred on the turn, way ahead in a very fast and impressive mile. RACER DAN moved out ¾, went back in, then wide around trouble late turn, finished well to get second. COUNT JOGGING left well, pulled from third 11/16, was bothered by the breaker far turn but stayed onstride, couldn’t hang on to second late. MISS PRINCIPLE followed cover, suffered an “ix” in the late incident. SAULSGOOD was third on the rail far turn when the horse in front him made a break, made an “ix” and went to the infield. DON’T I WISH had speed to get the lead, yielded, started to gap 5/8, made a break just past midturn scattering many horses. There was an inquiry but it revealed that the horse affected finished ahead of the one causing the trouble. WAVELIKEAQUEEN wasn’t close when making a break far turn.

 

EIGHTH RACEPURE SILKY quarter-moved, took the length of the frontstretch to get the front, drew off in the last quarter in a big mile. FIGHTING EVIL was out to the 3/16 to hit the front, pushed the winner in front of the stands then yielded, couldn’t keep up far turn, but did hold on for the distant second. GEORGIE MARTIN N grabbed the front right away, yielded 3/16, third-in and with nowhere to go far turn, then to the Pocono Pike, had a shot at place but couldn’t quite get there. LIGHTNING LEIA came out 5/8, made mild progress but couldn’t sustain the gain. NADINA HANOVER and A CRAFTY LADY were near the rear throughout. MONEYMAKEHERSMILE came out to the half, finally got cover 5/8, but then couldn’t stay with it.

 

NINTH RACEMARION GONDOLIER went out for early position, maintained the lead when a challenger broke and parked another foe, drew clear late backstretch and through the turn, tired some late but had enough of a cushion. CAN’T SAY NO left behind a wall and got a spot, inside until midturn then popped out, ate into the winner’s margin with a good showing. SECRET OR NOT had speed, was able to maintain the pocket but struggled to keep tight in it much of the last half, evenly in the Pocono Pike. THE NEXT TWO HORSES avoided the outer tier and the breaker for the last checks. SCIROCCO PATRICK moved with cover but couldn’t gain contention. ELEGANT DULUPIN FR was four-wide early, then was left two-wide raw from just before the ¼, tired. REDWHITE N GOO was three-wide early, was challenging for the lead when running 3/16.

 

TENTH RACEALWAYS BETTER left between horses and got the pocket, moved at the ¼ in front of LUCKBEWITHALEX but retreated when the pacesetter showed no inclination to yield, sat the pocket, up the inside and best late. C-BET HANOVER was winging when the gate sprung and cleared by the 1/8, showed he did not want to yield, went a big third quarter, drifted out in the stretch and couldn’t stall the winner although holding on to the deuce. LUCKBEWITHALEX left, was outsped and settled third, came just before the ¼ only to see the pocket horse pull and then see the pacesetter put them all back in, a bit headstrong inside, moved out headstretch, inside of the drifting winner in the lane, good but not quite second. VEL LETSROLL SOUTH got around a gapper early backstretch, far the best of the rest. CRACK A SMILE started uncovered towards turn two, did pace 26.3 down the back but didn’t threaten before fading. BULLVILLE FRANK never entered into it. SPORTS BOX got jammed up a bit on turn two and steadied losing a position, outside past the 5/8, didn’t gain, then broke far turn.

 

ELEVENTH RACERABLE came outside raw 3/8 and was constantly asked in grinding up, drew away from these easily late. STELLENBOSCH left, finally went into the 3-hole to the 3/16, sat in, blocked on the turn, to the deep Pocono Pike and did well to be a distant second to a good winner. SHADOW ONE was second-over, couldn’t quite stay with cover from just before the ¾, had to correct course early stretch as the pacesetter drifted, just edged for second. FIRSTUP was third-up but couldn’t stay with cover, wide stretch and OK. VEL DONNA left hard then yielded, sat second, to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have a sharp late response. SPEAKING OF COFFEE percolated away to 1/8 command in a 26.3 opener, rated the half then came under relentless attack by the winner, tired and drifted out a little upper stretch. SURE R LOOKIN GOOD fell way back.

 

TWELFTH RACEJK MUSICMAN yielded for the pocket at the 1/8, quarter-moved and set the pace, looked like he had gotten away headstretch but between tiring some and the pursuit of BRAVO TEX N the margin shrunk through the lane. The latter eased into a good 4-tuck, uncovered before the 5/8, kept on coming determinedly but unable to catch the winner. HOOSIER SHARK was forwardly-placed, stayed in, outfooted BLUE OCEAN for third. The latter made the lead at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, didn’t have all that much late. PHILOSOPHIZER was uncovered from seventh, got cover before the 5/8 but couldn’t go with it. LOVE YOURSELF left a gap most of the way, MCNULTY Z TAM tried to circle dull cover but could not. WHATA TREASURE stayed in, then had bad traffic difficulty from late backstretch.

 

THIRTEENTH RACEZETTE FLAME came through at the start, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose off the leader down the back, but got closer, came out late turn, and won the battle to the wire. KNIGHTS GUARD left very nicely, set the pace, overhauled by the pocket horse. HEIST spotted fourth, gapped at the half and never hit a high gear until early stretch, then angled outside and finished with solid trot. BAR COINS was three-wide to the 1/8, backed off to tuck third by the 5/16, urged but couldn’t produce any more in the latter stages. LOOKINTOGETLUCKY and UNRESOLVED DEBT couldn’t go enough here. QUINNPATRICKSHEA looked to leave but took a bad step right at the start and broke. TEST MY WILL jumped before the ¼.

 

FOURTEENTH RACECRAZY CUTE was in front at the 1/8, yielded, pulled from third at the half and went a back half of 55 raw, cleared far turn, very game to garner the triumph. SO IRRESISTIBLE went to the fore at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, moved out when the winenr cleared, pursued gamely to the line in a very big race of her own. THE STUNNING NUN N pushed the 1/8, yielded, quarter-moved to 3/8 command, was challenged hard by the winner and couldn’t hold that one out midturn, maybe not the speed of the top two but game. BRILLIANT BEAUTY gapped the winner’s cover, OK. SOUTHWIND JAVA was last, blocked on the far turn, a bit of belated pace. BETTOR B SAWYER gapped down the back. FLIP THE SCRIPT left behind cover, tucked 3/16, outside but couldn’t keep up the last 3/8.

 

FIFTEENTH RACEVIVA LAS VEGAS sat in third, found room to angle out headstretch and went by very easily. ONTO EL DORADO N went up grinding on the second turn, one-geared home steadily and just up for second. LADYFORD BUCK GB grabbed the early lead and set the pace, came up short in his U.S. bow. WESTERN WALTZ left, backed off to tuck before the 3/16, wound up in the pocket, slightly gapped in same the last 3/8. FULSOME never factored. BAY BRUTE moved second-over but didn’t enter the main battle. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH got a slow start and never featured. CODYS KNAPSACK left well three-wide, two-wide and challenging for the lead 3/16 when making a break.

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