Connors’ Comments for Monday, March 20, 2023

2023-03-25

FIRST RACE – Temperature rising through the 40s through the card … Stretch headwind … SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL got early forward position, moved 5/16 but was left out to dry, looking to be falling back on the turn but found renewed strength and put his nose on the wire just ahead of DONT JUDGE A BOOK. The latter headed right down the road setting a very quick pace, bravely held until the last step. MR CENSI left, backed off to fourth 3/16, vacated the rail into a blindswitch 5/8, cleared early stretch and had some late pace; an inquiry as to whether his coming off the rail down the back pushed a foe wide resulted in no placing. LOUKES PERRY moved quickly off the second turn and went out to the three-wide path before the 11/16, stayed wide thereafter, did well. A STUD NAMED SUE never factored. MOVE THE LINE gapped down the back. PICTONIAN THUNDER left well, yielded for the pocket, nothing left for the latter stages.

 

SECOND RACEI’M BENICIO A tucked, then followed a parked horse 3/8, three-wide 11/16 to the lead to the ¾, ran away. CAVIART REAGAN dashed out to the lead, set the pace under pressure, no answer for the sweeping winner, did manage to hold the distant second. SPORTY DRAGON sat in the pocket, came out headstretch but couldn’t get by the pacesetter for second. LUZIANA sat in, no factor. BUTTER UP was last, four-wide off the final turn and gained a little on the rest of the field. LITERL LAD HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked third 3/16, backed outside down the back, three-wide ¾ but no gain. SKY CAPTAIN moved outside early but never advanced. HIGHRTHANANEAGLE A was caught four-wide early, dropped behind cover then was left raw 3/16, found no hole so went up to battle the leader, looped and faded.

 

THIRD RACEBETTOR’S WESTERN came out on the grind 11/16 and steadily advanced, paced away from his opposition late. BRIGADOON was on the move before the ¼ to the lead 5/16, set the pace, no match for the winner but fought on for second in a photo decision over POINTSMAN. The latter took control early, yielded for the pocket, got to second in the Pocono Pike deep stretch but hung a trifle late. ADRENALINE RUSH moved second-over ¾, not far off second. FIRE SHINE sat in, to the far inside stretch, not enough. CALVERY HILL gapped past the 5/8. WHERES MY MONEY made a brief break earlier, quickly recovered and caught the field, but had no more left to give 5/8.

 

FOURTH RACESTEEL SCHOONER spotted, then was out behind good cover, uncovered midturn, kept on trotting strongly through the line. SMART AS HILL tailed the winner throughout and did well late in his own right. NASEY wanted the top and took it with two speed moves, got a bit tired past midstretch. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT moved uncovered 11/16, could tuck back into the pocket, up the inside late but didn’t have too much. GINGER TREE BRAD broke early, caught the field, three-wide ¾, not too bad in recovery. UPFRONT STONE was near the back in a blindswitch midturn when shoved wide by the trouble inside. JUSTIFY was no factor inside when suffering an “ix” running up on the breaker. PAULIE WALNUTS left and was parked 5/16 for the front, yielded for the two-hole, was struggling from down the backstretch, made a break on the far turn causing trouble.

 

FIFTH RACEPACK YOUR BAGS sat last, moved three- and four-wide on the turn, finished like LE BARON ROUGE overwhelming this field. LINCOLNJAMES spotted, moved 5/16 but immediately rethought the maneuver and went back in, back out raw at the ½, challenged, went by late turn and went clear briefly midstretch, but outpaced, just saving second. PHILOSOPHIZER was second-over, gapped his cover, one-geared in the lane. THOR was stuck inside, a mild rally deep in the Pocono Pike. SCRAPPIN GOLD utilized the pole for his goal of setting the pace, got pressure, done past midturn. RUNWITHTHEBIGDOGS gapped third-over, three-wide midturn while doing a little better, then flattened. FRITZIE PIC UP MAN couldn’t outstep the rail horse early and took the pocket, had little to offer late.

 

SIXTH RACEWARINER tucked in what turned out to be the three-hole, moved at the ½ and went by late backstretch in a 29.4 quarter with the wind, in hand late. UNCLE NINO left well to get the lead, set the pace until being passed by the winner, stayed tight, Pocono Pike, grabbed second. TEST MY WILL moved out before turn two, got cover at the half, left uncovered to the ¾ and challenged, tired a little late after being overland a long way. FAWN DE SIGN backed out and was three-wide far turn, next in line. WINE BAR maintained the pocket until not being able to keep up before the 5/8. DINKY WINKY drifted out then hit a high gear just past the 1/8, broke going up to challenge nearing the ¼. BULLVILLE REGGIE was never on the radar. FOX HOLE, off the gate, went outside but gapped.

 

SEVENTH RACEDONT GET SHOCKED took a hole early, moved from third 5/8 and went 27.1 (with the wind) to clear past the ¾, kept on going with strong strides for a crushing win in very fast time for these. RIOT was outside while far back to get around a breaker, kept coming far turn, drifted wide some late but still was up for second. PANTHEON HANOVER quickly moved from third 3/16 to take over control, couldn’t keep the winner out ¾, a decent mile in the fast fractions. P H KENNY darted away from the rail, yielded for the pocket, so-so the last ¼. THE OTHERS were left way behind in this very fast mile.

 

EIGHTH RACEHAMMER CREEK went right to the top, put the hammer down past the half and lost this field in the fast ¾, only home in 31 but way way ahead. BANG BANG BOINGA spotted, then moved outside from far back, three-wide far turn, trotted on well to defeat the mere mortals in here. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was also way back, also made up ground wide on the turn and through the stretch. KEYSTONE THUNDER sat in and was shuffled, went widest towards midstretch and passed tired horses. WILLIE B WORTHY got the pocket, already going loose not much off the second turn. TEDDY BROSEVELT dangled in the back early then moved up uncovered, never got close before tiring. CREATE MYSTIQUE was very wide early and three-wide to the 1/8, took back to settle third at the ¼, gapped from the 3/8, Pocono Pike in the lane but had little to offer. SUNDAE FUNDAY dropped further and further back.

 

NINTH RACEBELIEVEINTHESPIRIT was uncovered at the half, hit a better gear 11/16 and advanced, ducked in as the pocketsitter came out late turn, through in the Pocono Pike and went on to a nice victory. SOHO WALLSTREET A left for the pocket, pulled out to headstretch, never had the lead but went on to take second late. MONTY MONO took the top at the 1/8, set a steady tempo of his choosing, couldn’t make the lead last in the stretch. I SAW HIM FIRST followed cover, not in that one’s league but OK. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N tucked fourth, inside, stuck inside until angling out late turn, wide but free too late. PAR INTENDED never surfaced. SKYWAY BILLY gapped in the three-hole. MAYBE NED came out from last, was third-over, not enough the last ¼.

 

TENTH RACESUNDOWN KID went away well to control from the pole, had REAL PEACE at his throat from the 5/8, paced on tenaciously for the success. The latter tucked third past the 1/8, moved quickly off turn two and was at the leader by the 5/8, paced his third quarter in 26.4, was at least equal to the winner at several points, came up just shy in a big outing. RIFLEMAN was second-over, gapped a little in the fast third quarter, kept coming to the wire. TEXAS MIKI gapped midpack down the back, moved wide in the stretch and was OK. AFLAME HANOVER defended the pocket, didn’t offer much through the lane. WAIMAC ATTACK N never got close. CALYPSO ROCK N gapped from early in the mile. CENTURY ENFORCER took back at the start and never reentered the picture.

 

ELEVENTH RACELADY’S IMAGE quickly established command, slowed the second quarter, held off a tightly-packed field. MASSIVE OPULENCE left well and took the pocket at the1/8, awaited the Pocono Pike, got his chance, but couldn’t quite make it. NICE STUFF was second-over, blindswitched on the far turn, went inside the first-over in the lane, found enough room very late to take third in a four-horse picture. SPREE came grinding on the second turn and made a gradual advance, held his ground well in the drive. ARCH CREDIT had speed and was third-in, looked to want to split horses midstretch but may not have had enough room and appeared shut off. DIVINE SPIRIT gapped down the back, then did better on the turn and four-wide headstretch, narrowed in. RED REDEMPTION looked to leave but took back early, fourth-in, couldn’t gain contention. AMBERS CHAMPION was third-over past the 5/8 but gapped, then went three-wide late turn but didn’t have enough.

 

TWELFTH RACETHREE WAYS N took instant command, rated quarter two while on a line on turn two, then sprinted in 27.3 down the back to open a huge lead he never relinquished. REDHOT ROMEO tucked fourth, made with cover 11/16 and then three-wide nearing headstretch, had the most late of the rest of this field. SAMMY THE BULL N was away for the pocket, went loose 5/8. CAVIART SKIPPER moved uncovered after the two-holer started gapping but couldn’t get closer. IMIDEAL HANOVER gapped down the back then caught the main bunch but couldn’t improve along the inside. THE OTHER DUO lost contact to the ¾.

 

THIRTEENTH RACECOALFORD BET ALINE made a big 27.3 backstretch move raw to get the lead ¾, continued on nicely to the finish. CONGRESSIONAL, steppy at times again, was very wide leaving then took back to follow cover and then tuck, came uncovered into turn two, picked up cover from the winner and stayed with it, saw that one clear ¾ and was left raw again, continued to try hard. AMERICAN ZESTAR had the early pocket, moved in front of the stands to get the front, didn’t keep the winner out ¾, but continued to battle to the line. NOPEWASNTME had the best early speed, yielded, shuffled, evenly. WARRAWEE XTREME was third-over and not well-served by his cover, swung three-wide and was doing OK late. AXION HANOVER was in a dynamic cover flow but gapped far turn. LYONS PRIDE was three-wide to the 1/8, got in fourth towards the ¼, little in the second half. LYONS SWIFT was not so swift today.

 

FOURTEENTH RACEMISTER BOINGA left for the pocket at the 1/8, stayed close in extremely fast fractions, popped up 11/16, went by in the stretch and equaled the local season’s fastest trot mile of 1:54.2. ONE AFTER NINE stayed closely-placed, outside past the 5/8 and soon had cover, second-best. SAYLOR streaked down the road at a wild pace, held pretty well. KOSHER MAHONEY was four-wide to the 1/8, backed off to tuck fifth before the ¼, couldn’t go with the top trio. TRUMAN JR HANOVER, wide early, slid in fourth just past the 1/8, couldn’t gain. THE REMAINING THREE were well off the top ones connected to the searing pace.

 

FIFTEENTH RACEI WAS TRICKED was three-wide early, raced up to take over before the 1/8, slowed the half then was tapped entering the backstretch, responded by coming home in 56.2 – 28 in an impressive debut while holding off EL YERNO with encouragement. The latter moved with cover 5/8, three-wide headstretch, had very solid late kick. RUSTY BEACH moved into third at the 1/8, came outside past the 5/8 and advanced some, but couldn’t sustain that advance, next-best. MIGHT BE RIGHT left and got the pocket, not enough in the last ¼. RAYRAY gapped 11/16 but still got the last check. CRÈME DE LOU CRÈME was a bit off the gate when breaking 50 yards before the start, caught the field but was tired in the last ¼. ALEKSANDER was already losing contact by the ¼. HURRIKANE FERRIGNO broke at the ¼.

 

SIXTEENTH RACEHAILEY’S SISTER went right to the front, held out the first-over and then the potential pocket rocket in a good showing. BLANK CHEEK was first to the lead then yielded for the two-hole, stayed close, had her chance in the Pocono Pike, not quite enough. HUNGRY FOR KISSES made third before he 1/8, moved uncovered 5/8 while going her third ¼ in 27.3, challenged hard and may have gotten to even terms early stretch, but couldn’t quite sustain her bid. BIRDIE THREE gapped 11/16. MARTARITAONDAROCKS was wide to the first curve, went in fourth at the 1/8, stayed connected with the top bunch most of the way but then gave way. IDEAL ALEXA and TRULY never entered the picture. BULLVILLE MEMORIAL had lost contact by the 3/8.

 

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