FIRST RACE – In the 70s, with a stretch headwind, mild to start … ALTUS HANOVER came uncovered 5/8, kept advancing and had started to pressure the leader when that one broke midturn, leaving him with a clear lead, tiring late but held together over CHING CHING LUCKY. The latter moved behind the winner, slightly loose of him midturn, left briefly uncovered after the breaker then inside late turn, out again stretch, couldn’t quite eat up all of the winner’s margin. DAGON HANOVER went away right to the top, saw two go by and stayed third-in, avoided the far turn confusion with only minor difficulty, clear third. WOODSIDE EMILEAH left and took the pocket, inside and jammed up some far turn, not a late factor. ARGENTO couldn’t stay with outside cover. PADRE gapped, was bothered far turn, had a little in late recovery. GRAPPLE HANOVER moved nearing the ¼ to get the lead, pushed a foe to almost the second turn before letting him go to sit second, then was wiped out by him when he broke midturn. NICE GUY EDDIE made a “shake and bake” (delayed then go) start, went up at the 1/8, briefly had cover from an early mover then worked to clear going into the second turn, was trying to find a response when the winner came up midturn but broke.
SECOND RACE – LINCOLN JAMES came out of fourth at the 1/8 and worked up to the top 5/16, under bigtime pressure from the 11/16 but wouldn’t let that rival go, then held off the inside charger in hand. BRIGADOON went away well to take over, yielded for the pocket, came after the winner up the inside but couldn’t get to him. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN moved uncovered just off the second turn, reached the leader 11/16 and battled, even getting a small advantage to the ¾, but was shaken off in the stretch. REDHOT ROMEO left for the early pocket, looked to be going all he could to keep up third-in the last 3/8. MACH’S DELI never surfaced. I SOAR HIM FIRST gapped cover second-over past the 5/8, three-wide late turn but didn’t gain. RIPPLESONTHEBEACH was a little off the gate, couldn’t feature from third-over.
THIRD RACE – ANDOVER CONTESSA went uncovered going into the backstretch and cleared 11/16, seemed in charge to the line. CRAZYCAT got into the flow third-over, ducked inside on the turn and came up the inside in the stretch, took second. EMMA TOWN BUD tailed the winner, tucked in the pocket ¾ then came back out on the turn, drifted a bit wide while holding evenly, lost gait right at the wire. AP HALL OF TRIX was in a hard duel before yielding before a 27.2 quarter, was shuffled in the pocket while the leader gave way 11/16, backed out far turn, fair late. TECH TITAN was away slowly, did get the last check. PISTOLS ASPIRATION sat in, was shuffled, backed outside but couldn’t keep up far turn. CUPID HANOVER was hung in a 27.2 opener for the lead, rated the half, but had no response when challenged late backstretch. FRAC was off the gate and trailed throughout.
FOURTH RACE – ITS A HORSE left well, forced a tuck, then let a parked rival go to stalk him behind a fast pace, outside ¾, made the lead nearing headstretch and drew away. TOWN VICTOR left between horses, accepted a spot behind the winner 3/16, followed that one out ¾, enough for second. SIMON GOT LUCKY gapped midrace in the fast pace, then had a better last quarter in finishing third. CREEMORE went evenly along the inside. SAYLOR was off the gate until bursting through as it sprang, was left out three-wide to the 3/16 then onward two-wide to the top to the 3/8, set a fast pace, nothing in reserve for late. THE LAST TWO gapped at the back.
FIFTH RACE – HURRIKANE LADY LOU forced a tuck early and benefitted from that enormously as that foe broke and scattered the others, slowed the half then sprinted home in 55.4 – 27.2 to keep control. EAZY HUNTING spotted, probably the least-affected by the breaker and came through for third, stayed connected in the top three, outside stretch, very nice race in recovery (1:24.4 last ¾). BEAUTIFUL AMERICA was right behind the first turn breaker and “ix”d but caught back quickly and got the pocket, tried to come on in the stretch but was a bit foul-gaited early stretch and didn’t gain while an ocean ahead of the others. SWEET GADGETS went past BABY BUGATTI G; both were bothered early, and then the latter, who was off the gate, couldn’t stay with the top three. RELENTLESS JULIE left and had just taken the two-hole when making a break which bothered all save the winner; placed. KALYPSO had nowhere to go behind the breaker, made an “ix” and was taken to the infield.
SIXTH RACE – ELEGANT DULUPIN FR shut the pocket early, then came out at the ¼, soon uncovered and to the lead before the 3/8, withstood the late burst of DART GUY. The latter did not have great cover second-over, three-wide midturn, came on very strongly late. HALL IT OFF was looped early, pressed on to the lead off the first turn, yielded to the winner, swung outside headstretch but could go only evenly. LADY’S IMAGE sat in and was shuffled to last, a bit of vigor in the Pocono Pike late. TRUMAN JR HANOVER was uncovered towards turn two but never got near the front. CAMPBELLINI outleft everybody and cleared, yielded past the ¼, was sitting third-in when making a break mid-far turn.
SEVENTH RACE – GADOT HANOVER stayed with the main pack throughout, still had a ways to come in the stretch but gained as the pace slowed and was up on the money. BUDWEISER GIRL was away well, three-wide to the first turn then two-wide to take over 3/16, yielded for the two-hole, came out midturn and had the lead in early stretch, just nipped in the shadow of the wire. RHIANNON HANOVER was between horses early and took the 3-tuck at the 1/8, gapped the top two a bit on the turn, evenly inside. I’M AMUSED came through for the early pocket then quarter-moved, was challenged midturn and could not respond. BINGO BRAIN was outside far back down the back, beat the others. MISCHIEVOUS G couldn’t go with these. BUMPY JACK started gapping just past the half and broke 11/16. STRIKING TACTFUL gapped, then went offstride 9/16.
EIGHTH RACE – WORTHY OF HONOR was first to command, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, shuffled far turn and out into a blindswitch, found a seam between horses midstretch and burst through (in a slowing last ¼). FOREVERHILLREIGN backed out to follow cover 11/16, three-wide midturn, steadily but caught to his inside late. K J DIAMOND was last, out in a blindswitch late turn then ducked back inside and to the Pocono Pike, OK. JIVE NINETY FIVE grabbed the early pocket just past the 1/8, in, shuffled, outside ¾, three-wide with cover late turn and four-wide in the lane, evenly. TRUMP THIS started uncovered to turn two, made a big move to challenge the pacesetter from heading into the backstretch, caught by fresher horses. R HERBIE BLUE CHIP settled fourth early then quarter-moved, was under hard pressure almost the entire last half, not enough. SCIROCCO PATRICK moved outside but immediately started to gap.
NINTH RACE – DECOY left, accepted the pocket 3/16, pulled out 11/16 to challenge, game and took a three-way stretch battle. MY WISH CAME TRUE was third-in, up to the pocket as the winner pulled, to the Pocono Pike, almost. WAIMAC ATTACK N made the top and forced a tuck in a quick opener, set the pace, lasted very well. SOHO CHELSEA A didn’t have too much response throughout. ALADDIN HANOVER was badly bothered early, made a huge recovery to catch the field by just past the half, couldn’t quite sustain the regain but showed lots of energy. K J MICHAEL also was bothered by the breaker and never did recover. NORTHERN REIN went offstride midfield at the 1/8.
TENTH RACE – MANOFMANYMUSCLES took the pocket at the 1/8, moved coming out of the first turn with cover he soon lost and went on to claim the front before turn two, drew away in the last 1/8. WARRIOR WAY left, had cover early, on to the lead 5/16, yielded before turn two, popped the pocket before the 5/8, never gained on the leader but just did hold second over AWSOME PAUL. The latter was the first to show, yielded, stayed in, went to the pocket 5/8, not that much late. GINGERTREE STAKIAS gapped inside at a couple of points. PAYMAQ never made an impaqt. REAL MCCOY was way back when breaking far turn. QUINCY MARKET showed nothing throughout the mile.
ELEVENTH RACE – BEACH VIBES moved raw out of third 9/16, went up in 27.2 and had a short lead on the turn but couldn’t clear, finally made the clear lead midstretch. SOLAR BOLT was outside from last soon coming off the first turn, got to second-over but couldn’t stay tight in the fast third quarter, wide and resilient late. FOUT sat in, shuffled a little then between horses early stretch, fair. KING KONG KALIBRE was three-wide to the first curve then two-wide to take over 3/16, rated the half then worked to keep the winner outside, faded only in midstretch. DAVID’S IDEAL left, yielded for the pocket, couldn’t offer much late. VORACIOUS had a touch of pace late from far back. WATCH U R BACK never offered much. RAYRAY fell back badly the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – NICE STUFF left and relinquished for the two-hole trip, a trifle loose late backstretch and on the turn, to the Pocono Pike and had to work but got the job done. DAZZLNDASH HANOVER was in front at the 1/8 and set the pace, rejected the first-over foe, did as much as he could. BANZAI AS was a bit loose of the top two much of the first half, moved uncovered 9/16 and challenged, fell back but still a clear third. SPREE avoided trouble. STEEL SCHOONER broke just after the start, had caught the field by the ¼, came between horses late to get the last check in a decent recovery. MR CRIMSON was no factor here. HL MAMMOTH broke just before the ½ and was taken inside.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CIGAR SMOKING TONY went in front at the 1/8 and dusted these with a 55.2 back half. SEAL O’NEILL moved uncovered 11/16 then got cover to the ¾, came along pretty well for the distant second. OHARE HANOVER settled third early, moved out ¾, just won a three-way photo for third. BIG BOSS HILL, who suffered “b.e.” early and did not look at his best on the turns, left for the pocket, disconnected from the leader down the back. CALYPSO ROCK N didn’t achieve prominence. OUTWIT OUTRUN never entered the main picture. OCEAN BLUE lost contact the last half; so did GUMPTION after starting a move outside into turn two.
FOURTEENTH RACE – CHARLIE BAR patiently worked his way to the top at the 1/8, slowed the half, never had the first-over get closer than his wheel, looked confident the last half of the lane. WAVELIKEAQUEEN rode a great pocket trip, narrowed in slightly but did not appear a threat. HOLY BEING moved outside 11/16, four-wide off the final bend and unwound with good trot. MISS PRINCIPLE went along evenly. PHANNYS MATTER moved second-over but gapped down the back, three-wide late turn, not all that much. RUFFLES N LACE squeezed in fourth just past the 1/8, on the go again early backstretch but as noted could only get to the winner’s wheel before backing off.