FIRST RACE – About 40 degrees, shifting winds (frequently a stretch tailwind later) and a heavy racetrack that noticeably negatively impacted the times registered (and, especially later in the card, did not help speed horses) … YS DO IT RIGHT was three-wide to the 1/8 to the front past the 3/16, set the pace, under mild encouragement to withstand BOUNTY HUNTER. The latter was wide early then took back to tuck fifth at the 1/8, moved second-over, lost cover ¾, dug in gamely the last quarter and advanced. DANCING JOE used the pole to advantage and sat the pocket trip close-up, to the Pocono Pike but not much stretch kick. ALWAYS BETTER moved uncovered 5/8, tucked back in third ¾, not too much late. CURBSIDE PICKUP went evenly from third-over. COWBOY COOL was forwardly-placed early but was already gapping and a bit rough going by the stands the first time. PHANTOM SHADOW gapped at the back.
SECOND RACE – PARK OFFICIAL came on the grind at the half, kept applying pressure, proved the best late. PLAY THE FIELD was four-wide to the first turn, gradually went on to gain control past the 1/8, moderated the pace, just did hold second from HOMESTRETCH WES. The latter moved third-over, three-wide ¾ as his cover gapped, finished very steadily. NOCH TEN left but took back for a hole, then moved second-over, couldn’t stay with the cover, ducked in, Pocono Pike, not much late. HASH-TAG SWAG left and got the top before the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, wasn’t keeping the hole filled from past the 5/8. LITTLE POWER never entered the main picture; HITMAN HILL was also no factor from far back.
THIRD RACE – BRAVO TEX N was looped early, worked up to the front just past the ¼, gradually widened his margin from midturn. BOBBY K HILL left like a shot, yielded past the ¼ for the pocket, kept up OK to midturn, tired but preserved second. A FEARSOME HANOVER struggled at the back from past the 3/8 until the ¾, then found his best strides and passed many horses. BLACK CHEVRON N sat in, not too much the last ¼. LATE MAIL N was hard to take back and raced on the outside throughout, didn’t get close and ducked in far turn. COCOSFELLA A couldn’t go with these. RESTAURANT BULLY took back early, was flushed out early and gained on the grind, then fell back far turn, broke midstretch while still in contention for minor honors.
FOURTH RACE – CAVEMAN A got early forward position, then quarter-moved but was under encouragement and needed the length of the frontstretch to clear to the top, then had to do battle from the 11/16 with BULLVILLE TERROR, held together gamely. The latter was out third-over, three-wide before the 5/8 to two-wide and gained a short lead 11/16 through the turn, lost a little ground early stretch but went on very courageously. TERRY A HANOVER was second-over, blindswitched by two different horses and shuffled to last, finally escaped and went three-wide, very good late. DOUBLEORNOTHING N battled hard to gain command 3/16, then pushed the winner all the way to the second turn before yielding, backed out two-wide headstretch, OK. CALYPSO ROCK N moved out to the place horse’s path late backstretch but couldn’t go with him, to two-wide turn, had no more gain. ROCKIN MARTY A was very wide early and made a break, caught the pack but couldn’t reenter contention. STILL THIRSTY left hard for the early lead, yielded 3/16, came back out at the half, was looped late backstretch and tired through the last ¼.
FIFTH RACE – Track getting deeper … A BETTOR BEACH gapped inside in quarter two then gapped outside in quarter three, got into gear midturn and three-wide mid-far turn, just enough over DAVIDS COMING HOME. The latter sat in and advanced up the inside, found room between horses headstretch and came on steadily. ASTON HILL DAVE was urged off the gate, moved from the pocket before the ¼ to the lead after that point, set the pace, held until midstretch. DRAGON ROARS AGAIN left three-wide to gain early control, relinquished for the two-hole, couldn’t summon much late. BARGAIN SHOPPER left between horses then took all the way back to last, was gaining late as the tempo slowed. RICKYBOBBYNTHEHAUS moved raw 5/8 but didn’t have much horsepower.
SIXTH RACE – CANTSTOP YANKEE was four-wide early, dropped behind cover, uncovered 3/16 and on to the lead past the ¼, impressive although the time was not fast. BULLY BOY HILL fought for the early lead, accepted a tuck 3/16, moved out 11/16 behind the parked horse then had to go three-wide as that one faded on the turn, kept at his task steadily. TORRONE was very aggressive early, finally yielded past the ¼ and stayed close in the pocket, fair late. HEART MATTERS was far back, came out 5/8, followed cover two- and three-wide, widest stretch, good late. AP HALL OF TRIX stayed inside, evenly late. HOOFBEATS DE VIE changed his mind and went up before the first turn, had cover to the ¼ then was left raw, pressed on, finally tired far turn. THE OTHER PAIR never achieved prominence.
SEVENTH RACE – CENTURY FURY moved out third-over on the second turn, started a three-wide move to the 11/16 and completed a sweep early on the turn, the easiest kind of winner. ODDS ON DELRAY was three-wide to the first turn, grabbed a midpack tuck, uncovered towards the half, one-geared steadily for the distant second. MEADOWBROOK FLASH was second-over, gapped and was blindswitched late backstretch, continued two-wide for a very distant third. MINDTRIP was looped leaving, took the pocket 3/16, struggled down the back, little in the stretch. DECOY rocketed to a quick lead, forced a tuck, was looped by the winner early on the turn and fell back. I GET THAT never got into it here. FORREST BLU had some early speed, then very little late speed.
EIGHTH RACE – A ROCKNROLL STAR stayed in, got to the deep Pocono Pike and just outpaced STONEBRIDGE REEF. The latter raced into the pocket leaving, waited on the far turn then to the Pike, got a brief lead after the first-over swerved, couldn’t hold off the winenr. DRAGON CITY was very wide early and broke but caught back on quickly, into the flow third-over, widest in the midstretch then briefly forced wider, photoed C-BET HANOVER for third after a good recovery. The latter was second-over, couldn’t stay tight on cover on the turn, then was pushed out a little wide midstretch. MAC’S MARVEL gapped much of the way, then was angling behind a wall when being bothered the most by the midstretch swerving horse. AMERICAN CLASSIC came uncovered off the second turn, grinded, got the lead into the lane, then slinkied first inside then outside in the lane and ruined his own chances. MIND HUNTER burst out five-wide to the lead, set the pace, pressured, was giving way when the first-over started changing course early stretch.
NINTH RACE – CAPTAIN T HANOVER went uncovered off the second turn, tucked in the pocket ¾, out again before midstretch and went right on by. SAMSON BLUE CHIP was quarter-mover #2 and went to the lead just past the 3/8, put up a fast time for the ½ and ¾ on this day, couldn’t hold off the winner. AMERICAN BOY N was second-over, left uncovered ¾, steadily for a good share. LATEST ERA was far back down the backstretch but finished well (n the slowing kicker). TUXEDO BAY led early, let a horse go, was quarter-mover #1, let a horse go to sit the pocket, then couldn’t keep up from just before the ¾. WON LAST FEELING took the lead past the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, had little to offer before the ¾. ROCKIN THE BLAZE was far back throughout.
TENTH RACE – DRAGON STRIKES was three-wide leaving, took fourth at the 1/8, was second-over, gapped cover a bit on the turn and was blindswitched, ducked inside the first-over to a brief lead deep stretch, lasted for the DH with CAVIART VAL. The latter was third-over, three-wide through the far turn, kept coming and got up for the win tie. DILLINGER took back early, proceeded first-over off the second turn, was resisted by the pacesetter, finally got a short lead, just missed holding off the closers. BROTHER JAMES was last most of the way, wide and went past the others. STELLAR BB came through at the start for the lead, had his mind kept to business at several points, fought with the first-over, submitted in the stretch. FRONTIER ROLLO stayed in, outside in a blindswitch far turn, not much punch late. MY MIND IS MADEUP defended the pocket, was struggling to stay close starting at the 11/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – INDIGO ART left well and maintained the pocket, went to the left of the pacesetter in the stretch, got the lead, then held off KEYSTONE STORM to his left. The latter kept a hole closed early, stayed in, to the deep Pike, finished well. WHITECOOKIE took over past the 1/8, never had a righthand opponent get closer than his wheel, but couldn’t stall the two to his left. I’M SOME GRADUATE was second-over, crucially blindswitched midturn and did not escape that box until going free in tight quarters past midstretch, finished with a big burst. CARLISIMO spotted, then went first-over nearing turn two, never got closer than to the leader’s wheel but held on very gamely. STOP STARING was third-over, three-wide mid-far turn, steadily late. DANCE IT OUT left but decided to take back to fourth by the ¼, not heard from in the last stanza.
TWELFTH RACE – First half 55.2, last half 1:01 … DIVISION BELL sat off of the bigtime fractions, kept circling wider until four-wide late turn, shot right by everybody coming into the stretch and drew clear. JK OBJECTION played hardball from the rail until the ¼, then kept the hole closed in the fast midrace battle, cleared in the Pocono Pike, the best of the others. MUDVILLE followed the winner and then moved even wider into the lane, did not have that one’s early stretch burst but closed steadily to just be third. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO originally took back, moved out at the ¼ but was left out in no-man’s land in a wicked half and beyond, actually held together OK given his hard route. MY WISH CAME TRUE sat in, out in a blindswitch late turn, came clear between horses just past midstretch, a bit of pace (in a 1:01 back half). VIRGIN STORM tucked fourth then left a gap off the duel for a long time, got closer and moved out 11/16, three-wide turn but didn’t gain. JOHNNY CHIP was three-wide early then two-wide to a very quick quarter, finally got the lead, then under severe pressure in the wicked half but would not yield, paid the price for his exertions.
THIRTEENTH RACE – JULA MUSCLE PACK made a quick uncovered move at the half, went 27.3 against the wind down the back to have the lead at the 5/8 but could never clear, saw the pacesetter regain equal terms on the turn, but just outfought a determined crew in a big showing. SHARE THE WEALTH left sharply and cleared at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket and kept up well, to the Pocono Pike, had his shot, just missed. DANDY had dull cover, got in gear after that cover ducked inside, flying through the stretch. DOUBLE ACCOUNT made two pace-controlling moves and slowed the half, did manage to keep the winner outside from before the 5/8, fought hard but came up a trifle shy. P L NOTSONICE sat in and was shuffled to last, found good strides belatedly. MISS MCKEE stayed in, avoided trouble from the breaker but didn’t offer much late. BLENHEIM gapped second-over almost immediately, ducked in on the turn, made a break just past midturn and went to the infield.
FOURTEENTH RACE – MR DS ROCK was looped early and settled fourth, uncovered 5/8 and cut into the leader’s advantage on the far turn, strong enough to catch PRINCE OF TIDES. The latter pulled from the pocket before the ¼ to the lead 5/16, went on to a clear lead late backstretch and through the turn, tried hard but was gradually reeled in. DO WORK SON had great cover but he couldn’t stay with it, just along for third in a picture. THE WALL tucked third, sat in, locked in on the far turn, then to the Pocono Pike, OK. CAVIART LUCA left very quickly looping horses, yielded for the two-hole, could not keep that hole filled ¾. RIFLEMAN moved out on the second turn, gapped, then came between horses in tight quarters late with some pace. SOMBODYITREASURE stayed in and gapped. DASH OF DANGER never posed a threat.