FIRST RACE – Temperature right at freezing, and the track again heavy after snow earlier in the day … Stretch tailwind … BRAVO TEX N went on to the lead 3/16, had an easy time of it. BOBBY K HILL left to command then yielded for the pocket, didn’t keep up on the far turn but narrowed back in some late. HOMESTRETCH WES sat in and was buried, to the deep Pocono Pike and finished well. LITTLE POWER sat third-in, inside the winner, so-so. BROTHER JAMES moved with cover at the ½ but soon lost it, never advanced enough to threaten. ARTIFACT HANOVER was no factor after not being helped by his cover. MINGO JOEL tucked midpack past the 1/8, started up raw at the half but soon was offstride.
SECOND RACE – EUROBOND was limbed three-high to the 3/16 then two-wide to command well past the ¼, under attack from the 5/8, but shrugged off that one, and the rest of the field, off through the stretch. CHIPLOSIVE was between horses early, made the pylons to the 3/16 then yielded before the 5/16 for the two-hole, urged to stay connected 11/16, distant second. MISS MCKEE made a bold uncovered move into the wind to challenge the winner, held her ground well. MISSION VOYAGE showed some speed, inside, so-so late. NEWSBOY gapped second-over, never a major danger. THE LAST TWO did not keep tight at the back.
THIRD RACE – SECRECY showed some speed from the rail, stayed in, buried on the far turn, then got room deep in the Pocono Pike and finished well to beat out SAMSON BLUE CHIP in a photo. The latter was three-wide before the 1/8 to the lead at that point, set the pace, held up under pressure very well but just nipped late. MODERN ROCK was in front before the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole, dropped down to the Pike and had his chance but couldn’t quite make it. ODDS ON DELRAY got underway uncovered just before the ½, challenged, a step shy at crunch time. MEADOWBRANCH FLASH was third-over, came on well from a tough spot. JOHNNY CHIP was second-over, gapped cover on the far turn, not quite enough. AMERICA’S GUEST was never prominent.
FOURTH RACE – BOUNTY HUNTER left between horses to sit the two-hole trip, to the Pocono Pike and wore down AMERICAN CLASSIC gamely. The latter was on top at the 1/8, not under pressure until the winner came calling, gave ground only grudgingly. DRAGON CITY got an improved position early, uncovered off turn two, advanced to the three-hole late backstretch, outside headstretch, clear third. MAJOR SHOW gapped much of the way. BLUESVILLE followed cover, tucked in far turn, not that much late. PROMISE ME ART was not heard from; nor was C-BET HANOVER. DANCING JOE stayed connected with the top two to the 5/8 then dropped back.
FIFTH RACE – CAVIART VAL was hustled away, moved from third at the half and went by just past the ¾, ran off and hid. PLAY THE FIELD yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, was trapped in on the far turn, got to the Pocono Pike and was along for second over CENTURY FURY. The latter moved to the outside far turn and three-wide headstretch, OK. SNOWBALL’S ROMEO couldn’t stay with cover 5/8, left raw ¾ as the winner ran off, not that much. THE NEXT TWO never entered contention. JK OBJECTION was three-wide early then two-wide to the ¼ to get the top, folded when challenged ¾.
SIXTH RACE – STOP STARING left between horses, went on to the lead just past the 3/16, yielded for the two-hole just past the 5/16, waited for the Pocono Pike then utilized it, defeated BULLVILLE TERROR. The latter started on the grind 9/16 and kept going forward, held gamely against the “trip horse.” DASH OF DANGER was second-over but gapped a long way, did better in the stretch. PRINCE OF TIDES was three-wide almost to the 3/16, could’ve taken a 3-tuck but went on to get the front just past the 5/16, came under pressure, tired. VIVA LAS VEGAS N didn’t have great cover, wide and fair finishing. CRUNCH HANOVER went evenly after an inside trip. SHVAIKO left well, yielded, stayed in third, gapped out down the back, as did DO WORK SON, who was behind him.
SEVENTH RACE – MUDVILLE was sent up raw at the half, kept on grinding, got the lead headstretch, withstood the late-clearing DRAGON STRIKES. The latter had to make up a lot of ground circling a bad gapper early, advanced along the inside, blocked midturn and into the stretch, finally found room to go outside towards midstretch and finished very quickly in a hard-luck mile. CAVIART MAX was looped leaving, went on to get the lead 3/16, tired in the last 3/16. VIRGIN STORM spotted early, backed out to second-over past midbackstretch but gapped. LATE MAIL N left like a shot for command, yielded for the pocket, little to offer in the lane. GLOBAL CRUSH moved behind the winner but couldn’t keep up. STELLAR BB had broken equipment early and fell further and further back.
EIGHTH RACE – IDEAL STAR N sat in before the second turn, then backed out to third-over off that bend and got in the lively flow, three-wide late turn and quickly went to the lead in early stretch, a safe winner. DAVIDS COMING HOME moved out from last 11/16 and went three-wide ¾, couldn’t reach the cover of the winner on the turn, but finished as the best of the others. SOMBODYITREASURE had early speed, stayed in and was shuffled, got out in a blindswitch past the ¾ then ducked back in to the Pocono Pike, had some late step. BLACK CHEVRON N was uncovered 3/8, continued steadily first-up and cleared to the lead just past the ¾, not enough left late. TUXEDO BAY was second-over, left raw before midturn, fell back. RICKYBOBBYNTHEHAUS was three-wide to the 1/8, got in front past the 1/8, had pressure down the back and was finished ¾. ROCKET RUSSELL went to the lead at the 1/8, yielded for a two-hole trip, was stuck behind the tired pacesetter on the turn but had nothing left to offer himself.
NINTH RACE – A ROCKNROLL STAR went to the lead into turn one, yielded past the 1/8 to sit in the pocket, vacated same nearing headstretch and gained in a 27.4 last quarter to catch a resilient BIG FRITZ. The latter hustled away well and set all the pace, gave only a little ground and that grudgingly late. DONTPASSME HANOVER didn’t leave but improved early position around slow-starting foes, outside 5/8, never near the top two but clearly third. MASTER MIKI had some speed, couldn’t go with the top two ¾, tired a bit more. JK STANDINGOVATION gapped most of the mile; IDEAL BEACH started slowly and gapped virtually the entire mile. MAC’S MARVEL was never close; nor was YS DO IT RIGHT.
TENTH RACE – HEMSWORTH N was out for early position and spotted fifth before the 3/16, uncovered off turn two and made a sharp move to go up to NICHOLAS BEACH, engaged that one on the turn and got the decision in a fine two-horse finish. The latter was outside behind the earliest mover then followed him to command, set the pace, held very well but didn’t have enough to withstand the winner. MR DS ROCK moved just before the ¼ to get control of the racetrack then yielded for the pocket, urged on the turn, fought on for a good third. TITO ROCKS left, forced a rival to tuck, then saw two go by in quarter two, stayed third-in, to the Pocono Pike, looked to get to almost-even-third midstretch but then flattened a bit. MIGHTY SANTANA N left, was put in a hole, stayed in, couldn’t go enough. MULLINAX would have had the winner’s cover had he been able to stay with it. THE LAST PAIR were away slowly and never entered into it.
ELEVENTH RACE – PARK OFFICIAL was on the lead at the 1/8, yielded at the ¼, then made a quick move to reclaim the top 3/8, absorbed pressure then paced away. ALWAYS BETTER gradually grinded up from turn two, rebuffed by the winner but a good second. AMP IT UP N was second-over, three-wide late on the turn, not quite enough. BARRAGE HANOVER was three-high to the 1/8 then two-high to the ¼, yielded to the winner’s brush 3/8, asked towards the ¾, didn’t have too much left to give in the lane. BROTHER DICK left well, sat third-in, out in a blindswitch far turn, was in tight quarters most of the way to the line with some pace. DECOY did not factor. HASH-TAG SWAG was third-over but never got into the main picture.
TWELFTH RACE – VEL MR NICE GUY moved at the 1/8 before being pinned in by the parked horse, made the top 3/8, fought off pressure then saw that one break midturn and had no further difficulty. DOUBLEORNOTHING N used the rail well, yielded just past the 3/8 for the pocket, couldn’t make a dent into the winner’s lead but was a clear second. THE WALL chose to ride outside early, got cover to the 3/8, dropped inside mid-far turn just as his cover broke, raced bravely to be third. TERRY A HANOVER left, took the pocket 3/16, backed up then slid out ¾, uncovered midturn, not bad. YUPPER stayed in and gapped down the back, was in tight quarters between horses nearing the wire. HIS BEATS HANOVER was third-over but couldn’t make a dent. CALYPSO ROCK N had little. UNSUNG HERO tucked fourth, came out to the 3/8 so as not to be pinned in, challenged hard, started to drop back slightly before breaking just past midturn.
THIRTEENTH RACE – FRONTIER ROLLO was three-wide early, then two-wide to the lead at the 1/8, forced a tuck, yielded to the chalk just past the 3/8 for the pocket, moved outside headstretch and dashed away from these. I’LL TAKE THE BET sat in, was stuck inside through the entire far turn, finally angled out into the stretch and passed tired horses. DILLINGER gapped to the ¼ then went tightened in, uncovered before the half, never got close enough to threaten. CAPTAIN T HANOVER left, yielded, moved to the 5/16 to the lead past the 3/8, nothing left for the stretch. A FEARSOME HANOVER gapped at the back. ALI was four-wide leaving and three-wide at the 1/8, then two-wide to the pocket 3/16, gapped out. SEAL O’NEILL moved outside but couldn’t keep up.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DIVISION BELL got a perfect second-over trip from last, left uncovered late turn, paced right to the lead early stretch, and had enough to prevail. A BETTOR BEACH tucked third, stayed in and had horrible traffic problems far turn into the lane, came clear to midstretch angling out, made up ground but not quite enough. BARGAIN SHOPPER went uncovered at the 3/8 and kept on grinding up, made the lead late turn at 46-1, held very well. NOCH TEN sat in then came out to third-over at the half, edged three-wide late turn, one-geared in the lane. AMERICAN BOY N left well, yielded for the pocket, trapped as the pacesetter yielded, then out in a blindswitch late turn, back inside, couldn’t get into the main picture. SIMPLE KINDA MAN sat in and was shuffled to last, never entered contention. EAST BEACH left quickly and got the top, all done when challenged midturn.
FIFTEENTH RACE – COLLEGE TUITION moved raw from third just past the 5/8, challenged, took the lead nearing headstretch and won handily. TORRONE outleft everybody, yielded to the early brusher for the pocket, backed out behind the winner towards headstretch, steadily for second. HEART MATTERS sat in, got to the Pocono Pike, OK. BULLY BOY HILL pulled from second 3/16 to move to the lead, set a slow pace in the slow going, came up wanting the last 1/8. CIEL BLU was second-over, gapped cover, not that much. THE OTHERS were always near the back and no threat.