FIRST RACE – No, it’s not April Fool’s: the temperature went up through the card from the mid-60s to 70 … The stretch headwind seemed to sap the leaders: only six of fourteen horses ahead at the ¾ went on to win, and all six were favorites … CAVIART VAL dropped in fourth, gapped from the 3/8 until past the 5/8 then edged outside under urging, didn’t gain much until early stretch, but then showed courage (in a 30.2 kicker into the wind) to put his nose up on the line. DROPTHERAKEFREDDY left well to defend the pocket, then quarter-moved, didn’t get pressure until the winner’s late charge, just failed to hold him off. UNICO LEGEND N was three-wide early then two-wide to the front past the 1/8, yielded for a two-hole ride, outside headstretch, narrowed in a little but not quite enough. DRAGON ROARS AGAIN sat in then backed out to third-over ¾, swung wide and was moving very well late into the wind. BLACK CHEVRON N didn’t get much help from his cover, then gapped it. DERECHO wanted to leave between horses but took back and sat third, gapped out ¾. HASH-TAG SWAG was not heard from.
SECOND RACE – BETTOR MEMORIES came out before the 5/8 with good cover, left uncovered midturn as the first-over went by, determined and got the nod. PRINCE OF TIDES went a fast 1/8 to clear the pole horse, yielded for the two-hole, backed outside late turn and went wide early stretch, finished very well. MOTIVE HANOVER gapped in the second quarter, then came uncovered before the 5/8 and quickly engaged the leader, was kept out much of the turn before clearing, tired just a little bit late. THE WALL gapped badly down the back, then gradually narrowed in through the stretch. HIS BEATS HANOVER had late pace from an impossible spot. TUGGIN ON MY HEART yielded at the 1/8 then came right back out to take over the racetrack, set a fast pace with pressure from the 5/8, gave way the last 3/16. SILAS SEELSTER gapped from the 3/8. IM A GIGOLO N was always far back.
THIRD RACE – CLASSIFIED MATERIAL tucked fourth, then led the outer tier from going into turn two, grinded determinedly, made the lead towards headstretch and tenaciously held off this crew. A BETTOR BEACH was third-over, gapped cover three-wide late turn, then hit overdrive four-wide in the lane and made up a lot of ground into the wind. PLAY THE FIELD pushed the fast ¼, yielded then regained the throttle in front of the stands and got a rest to the half, came under pressure, not equal to this challenge. SAMSON BLUE CHIP had a great second-over trip, three-wide late turn, outpaced late. PUZZLING was shuffled to last, did OK in the stretch. ASTON HILL DAVE was used hard to gain control at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, not too much in the latter parts. GUINNESS PANIC stayed in and was shuffled badly, didn’t appear to have a clear path at crunch time.
FOURTH RACE – MARINER SEELSTER went to the top at the 1/8, slowed the half, fought with the first-over and gradually gained a little separation from that one. PERKINS spotted fourth, started raw into turn two and went up in 27 to challenge the winner, weakened only a little. DING DING DINGER left well then yielded to sit second, a bit loose down the back, Pocono Pike, evenly late. BAMSKI was hustled away and got third, stayed connected to the top ones but couldn’t gain much on them late. BLACKLIGHT moved outside but then ducked back in, got the last check. SIMPLE KINDA MAN was behind gappers much of the middle of the race. DAVIDS COMING HOME gapped early, moved outside but immediately had no forward gear. AMERICA’S GUEST developed a problem past the 3/8 and was pulled up.
FIFTH RACE – TNT BLUE CHIP exploded off the gate to hit the top past the 1/8 in a 27 opener, rated the half, didn’t have pressure until CHAPHEART narrowed in late, and broke his own record for fastest 2023 trotting mile at Pocono, 1:53.2. The latter went up belatedly and grabbed a four-tuck, went uncovered before the 5/8, didn’t really get close until late, when he showed a strong stretch kick. BULLY BOY HILL left strongly inside the winner and sat in the pocket, went a nice mile of his own. HEART MATTERS was forwardly-placed, struggled to stay semiconnected the last 3/8. DELGADO sat in and never factored. THE LAST THREE gapped while not able to get involved in the race.
SIXTH RACE – PARK OFFICIAL was three-wide to the 1/8, then briefly with cover then went on to take control past the ¼, rated the half, didn’t seem to have any problem in the latter stages. MUDVILLE did not have great cover third-over, three-wide midturn, finished strongly. BELLOWS BINGE left well, got in front 3/16, yielded for the pocket, came out of the hole early stretch but went sideways and needed to recalibrate, third. BRAVO TEX N went evenly inside. MINDTRIP started the outer flow then got cover but couldn’t stay with it. MAKE MY DEO never factored. ALWAYS BETTER was last most of the way, wide in the stretch but couldn’t get into the picture. CAVIART LUCA pushed the early fight to the 3/16 and yielded, back uncovered at the half, grinded but couldn’t really get at the leader, then tired in the stretch.
SEVENTH RACE – AMERICAN BOY N was second-over, swung three-wide past midturn, drew away while not looking like a 36-1 shot. CAVIART MAX advanced his way up the inside down the back, picked his way through traffic late turn/early stretch, had to move out to the path behind the second-over then go wider, finished well. INTRIGUED AGAIN gapped cover until early stretch, then found better steps. VIRGIN STORM was last, had traffic trouble on the turn, didn’t have the momentum of the outside ones once clear. ROCKIN THE BLAZE yielded for the pocket past the 1/8, horribly shuffled late turn as the pacesetter stopped, then finally to the Pocono Pike but not a sharp response once clear. HELTER SKELTER backed out to third-over, couldn’t muster much late. TUXEDO BAY left very well from PP8 and headed down the road, had no more left to give in the last 3/16. CAPTAIN T HANOVER moved raw at the half and battled the leader, empty through the lane.
EIGHTH RACE – SPORT SECRET went out for the early lead, yielded to the 5/16 but retook just past the 3/8, had a clear lead in early stretch then held off the late bid of LUCKBEWITHALEX. The latter was second-over, crucially blindswitched from before the ¾ through the turn, finally could swing wide to headstretch and finished with a full head of steam. MAXIMUS MIKI left and tucked midpack, underway to challenge before turn two, battled during a fast third quarter, then couldn’t keep going enough. LOU’S BEACH gapped then moved to third-over, three-wide 11/16, gained some but flattened midturn, came back a little late. BLUESVILLE kept a hole closed before the ¼, sat in, had room up the inside in the lane but didn’t gain. FOUR MORE YEARS left, found no hole so pressed on to 5/16 command, yielded for the two-hole, weakened before the ¾. IMA HAPPY FELLA GB was gapping at the back by the half.
NINTH RACE – BENJI’S BEST ducked in fourth to the 1/8, followed cover at the half, three-wide midturn as cover failed, determinedly for the tally. DRAGON STRIKES set the pace with two moves into turn two, dismissed the first-over with a fast third quarter, lasted a long way. HOMESTRETCH WES had room to improve up the inside, gapped a bit, then steadily in the Pocono Pike. TERRITORY was three-wide to the 1/8 to make the lead past the 5/16, yielded at the end of the frontstretch for the pocket, nothing left to offer late. IDEAL SON N had a little pace at the end. A FEARSOME HANOVER left a big gap down the back, then was moving well belatedly. URBAN RENEWAL also didn’t keep from midbackstretch, never in it. ELWELL left and pushed, yielded, uncovered top the half, went 27 down the back but then faded.
TENTH RACE – BETTORS DONTTELL improved position early, vacated third to go raw 9/16, grinded vs. the pacesetter as those two drew away in the last quarter, outpaced the leader to the line. PHOENIX OF FLUZZY left very hard, yielded in front of the stands but quickly regained, was in a hard battle from just past the 5/8, came out second-best but raced well. JUSTA LITTLE BIT A initially sat in but then was able to back out to follow cover, three-wide headstretch and closed very nicely. INDIGO ART gapped significantly from early backstretch, evenly late. MR DS ROCK was three-deep to the first bend, then two-wide challenging, came off the first turn on a line, advanced to the front then yielded, not much in the last quarter. CAPTAIN ROMANCE was not in a good cover flow. MIGHTY SANTANA N was outside early then got inside, not heard from again. DASH OF DANGER left a big hole from the 5/8.
ELEVENTH RACE – MACMORRIS HANOVER was three-wide towards the 1/8, then fell behind cover to the 5/16, left raw there and was hustled to clear into the second turn, kept up the fast pace, bottomed out the opposition. MARION GONDOLIER had cover, followed it three-wide then went four-wide when the cover broke late turn, made up a lot of ground as the pace decelerated. DELICIOUSSTONE DK was out past a 27 opener to get the lead, yielded towards turn two and stayed with the fast pace, OK+ in the Pocono Pike. MISTER BOINGA got an early forward spot, sat in, so-so late. THE LAST CHAPTER pushed very hard early, yielded past the fast ¼, back out raw 11/16, couldn’t gain much on the second bid. SAY YOU DO had cover, three-wide far turn but broke late on the turn. MUSHANA broke 3/16.
TWELFTH RACE – The stretch headwind was still blowing, but the day’s last three races yielded the fastest last quarters … BUSBOY HANOVER was outleft, refused the two-hole and went on to the top past the ¼, rated the second split, then had plenty left in reserve. SHORE OF HIMSELF whooshed right to the top, let the winner go by, came out strongly near headstretch but couldn’t make much of a dent. MODERN ROCK sat third all the way, all-out late, a clear third. I’LL TAKE THE BET was second-over behind nonflowing cover, three-wide before headstretch, next in line. BLAKEMORE came out of fourth before the 5/8 but never threatened. THE LAST THREE gapped at or near the rear of the field.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DRAGON CITY was three-wide before the first curve, then onward to make the top 3/16, pushed a brusher a bit before yielding for the ultimate trip, stayed tight in the brutal third quarter, to the Pocono Pike, and kicked in midstretch to go by the embattled pair. SAMHARA N roared out of fourth at the half and paced 26.1 to challenge and got the better part of a length ahead to the ¾ but could not clear, caught by the pocket rocket, game for second. C-BET HANOVER left, yielded, quarter-moved, was pushed a bit before reclaiming the top, rated quarter two, then had to go into full sprint mode to deal with the first-over, gamely held that one outside far turn, big mile. THE OTHERS could not keep up with the front three during the last 3/8, though BOARDWALK BET had some late kick.
FOURTEENTH RACE – REBELLIOUS got a forward spot, third-in, behind a wall until past midstretch, then found a seam and strongly burst through to get the decision. I’LL DRINK TO THAT moved out at the ¾ to second-over, wide and finished well in a quick last quarter into the wind. SHVAIKO left strongly to get the lead, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, OK but a step shy. BEAUMOND HANOVER made two speed moves, couldn’t hold the advantage to the wire. DOUBLEORNOTHING N was first-up 9/16 and went 26.4 with the wind, kept gaining on the turn, flattened out just a little. MR PROFETA gapped inside. WHITECOOKIE was looped leaving and was hung with no hole, taken back 3/16 and went back to last. SOMETHING BETTOR A broke way before the start, caught the field but didn’t enter contention.