FIRST RACE – A drop from 57 to 46 degrees through the nighttime card … LATEST ERA was looped early and took the pocket past the 1/8, sat a tight trip, outside stretch and along easily. SHAZAM BLUE CHIP looped rivals to get the lead into turn one, set the pace without pressure, tired and just held second over PLAY THE ACE. The latter gapped at a couple of points, stayed inside and gained in the latter stages. HES REALLY KEEN was away for early position, no punch in the stretch. SEAL O’NEILL moved uncovered 5/8 but never made much of a forward move. THE OTHER TWO were off the main pack at the back.
SECOND RACE – A BETTER GAME crucially kept a horse shut 3/16, stayed plugged-in in third, moved wide in the stretch and finished sharply after the fast pace. BULLVILLE KARLA sat in a tight pocket behind the quick tempo, to the Pocono Pike, OK but outkicked by the winner. IMPRINCESSGEMMA A was taking no prisoners from the rail, had a challenger from the frontstretch and went big numbers to keep the lead, couldn’t sustain late. SOME KINDA ANGEL left, found no hole so raced raw the whole way, up to challenge entering the second turn, fell back on the far turn but kept trying doggedly. GOLDSTAR ROCKETTE and TRAFFIC JAM never reached contention after inside trips. HP XANADU had nonflowing cover. SIRI BLUE CHIP was four-wide leaving, took all the way back to sixth, then moved out behind the parked horse down the back, wide into the stretch but had no more left.
THIRD RACE – WON LAST FEELING came quickly 9/16 and rushed right by to open a big lead that was not cut into. STELLAR BB was at the back, wide in the stretch, not even in the TV picture until the second pylon from last but outkicked all the others. MISTER DAYTONA N went to the top past the 1/8, yielded to the 3/8 for the pocket, wasn’t tight on the pacesetter after that one was looped late backstretch, to the Pocono Pike and enough for third. BETTOR’S WESTERN was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide almost to the 3/8 in quick time, offered no resistance when the winner came calling. KEPT UNDER WRAPS A moved out on turn two, couldn’t go with the winner and was left raw, didn’t gain. CAPOZZO backed out 11/16 but couldn’t get involved. LITTLE POWER was away last, well off the pack by the ¼, then broke.
FOURTH RACE – A stretch tailwind had started … UNICO LEGEND N was pushed to the 3/16 to make the lead, then was in control the rest of the way. COWBOY COOL backed out to third-over, four-wide past midturn and came from last to pass the others. BLOW A CLOUD N left well, yielded for the two-hole, evenly. VIRGIN STORM moved into the second turn and caught cover at the other end of the bend, three-wide towards mid-far turn, closed OK but was outkicked by the one behind him. HASH-TAG SWAG sat in, was blocked on the turn, but came clear in the Pocono Pike and didn’t have all that much. CAVIART VAL was hard to take back early, out in a blindswitch late turn, never factored. PERKINS tucked early, uncovered off turn two, gained down the backstretch then backed up.
FIFTH RACE – CHEYENNE REIJANE left quickly for the top, kept going to a 26.1 quarter to make sure he led, slowed the half, had pressure from TOPVILLE OLYMPIAN 11/16, looked like he had repelled that early stretch only to find him coming on relentlessly, did hold. The latter gapped during the blistering opener, then narrowed in and was uncovered on the second turn, grinded up to reach the leader 11/16, looked to have been shaken off early in the lane but dug back down and found more. STICK WITH CRAMER moved out fourth-over 5/8 and soon was three-wide the duration, made up a lot of ground in a quality showing. DARTH FADER was second-over, blindswitched by the sweeper, came on in the stretch while looking to be in tight quarters. JD’S NOAH left hard, very reluctantly took the pocket at the ¼, held OK given the hard early use. SHES A SASSY BEACH left between horses, tucked third then gapped off the early war, stayed in, so-so in the stretch. SLICK RICHARD was never prominent. AIN’T IT FUN gapped early, moved third-over, blindswitched before the ¾, never in the hunt.
SIXTH RACE – MARINER SEELSTER was three-wide early, took back to fourth 3/16, moved raw 5/8 and gradually gained, with the 14YO making the lead before midstretch and racing grittily; four straight wins for Kalaley. MAKE SOME WAVES had great second-over cover, raced well but couldn’t get to the greybeard. ARTIFACT HANOVER filled a forward hole early, stuck inside, then outside to headstretch, finally got a little room to the inside of the winner deep stretch and beat out DRAGON ROARS AGAIN. The latter left well and got the pocket, had to wait fractionally to get to the Pocono Pike, OK. BLAKEMORE was third-over, proved best of the others. DING DING DINGER headed down the road at a good clip, was engulfed in the last 1/8. LAST MACH was way out of it then had some late pace wide. BLACKLIGHT gapped inside.
SEVENTH RACE – Wind back to calm … RED REDEMPTION made the lead at the 1/8, rated the half, got pressure around the final turn, dealt with that one then had to regather to hold off the inside thrust of GREAT MAGIC. The latter was away alertly for the pocket, had his chance in the Pocono Pike and tried hard but couldn’t quite reach. TEDDY BROSEVELT spotted third, came out raw 5/8 and had reached the leader by the ¾ pole, held on pretty well. BROOKROAD MASTER came out 9/16 and got cover 5/8, not enough late. MANWILLING never entered the picture. THE OTHER PAIR gapped inside.
EIGHTH RACE – BUSBOY HANOVER was three-wide early then two-wide almost to the 3/8 to get the lead, kept working hard and was safe for his sixth straight win. BLACK CHEVRON N was outside between horses with cover until tucking fourth 3/16, moved outside ¾, finished steadily. BAMSKI used his positioning inside a host of leavers well, finally relinquishing the lead 3/8 for the pocket, OK but not quite enough late. AMERICAN BOY N left and got the early pocket, pulled from third 9/16 and gradually advanced, held his position well. INTRIGUED AGAIN gapped inside. DAVIDS COMING HOME was last much of the way, blocked behind a tired one on the far turn, but didn’t have much once clear in the stretch. BRAVO TEX N was three-wide early then two-wide midpack, never factored. ODDS ON DELRAY did not feature here.
NINTH RACE – COMET CRUSADER N got underway 3/16 to go to the lead 3/8, got a moderate middle half, then had enough in a 27.3 sprint home. DONT GET SHOCKED left well to command to the first turn, pushed the winner a bit before yielding 3/8, went to the Pocono Pike and gained a little in the dash home, good. COALFORD BET ALINE angled down into the early pocket, stayed connected in third, but couldn’t gain in the late sprint. BAY CITY was second-over in the non-greatest of flows, wide and finished with pace. C-BET HANOVER was three-wide early, got in fifth 3/16, came out raw to the 5/8 but didn’t get near the winner. PINK FLOYD HANOVER raced inside, had stretch clearance but not too much response. THE OTHER TWO were not major players tonight.
TENTH RACE – TNT BLUE CHIP was in front before the 1/8, yielded but was out early for the reclaim, strung out the field and was well in control of this field. FRANK THE ELDER was three-wide leaving then two-wide to the top before the 3/16, yielded for the golden journey, could make no dent in the winner’s margin but raced excellently in his own right. AP HALL OF TRIX avoided any mishap for third. RACER DAN moved outside on the turn but didn’t gain. FAMOUS DAN stayed errorless. DELICIOUSSTONE DK vacated third ¾ and had gained some before miscuing late on the turn. RESOLVING had just moved outside entering the lower turn when breaking.
ELEVENTH RACE – SLICK ARTIST A worked out a fine two-hole journey, outside stretch and got the nod in a blanket finish. SHADOW ONE backed out to third-over behind early movers, ducked inside of cover far turn and to the Pocono Pike in the stretch, closed well to just miss. NOWHERE TO HIDE was out three-wide to the 1/8, made the lead 3/16, slowed the half, then had steady pressure from the first-over, held decently. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI was widest in the stretch and gained nicely. CRUSH ME was outside very early and wound up second-over, gapped during the quickening third quarter, spun wide nearing the stretch, OK though outkicked. FOR CHIPS SAKE moved raw 3/8, challenged steadily from the half, tired a little after a hard trip. RHYME N ROLL was between horses early, tucked third, gapped out before the ¾. BETTOR B SAWYER lost contact and was pulled up.
TWELFTH RACE – SOMBODYITREASURE left strongly, forced a quick quarter and yielded, came out of third 5/8 after fast fractions and went right by near the 3/4, won for fun. PUZZLING sat in, blocked far turn, then had the Pocono Pike and was along for the distant second. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL went on to the front 3/16, hung out a challenger almost the next quarter mile before yielding, backed out after the winner cleared far turn and was left raw, OK. TERRITORY was three-wide in the early stages, slotted inside 3/16, shuffled with the lead change, outside and then three-wide late turn, couldn’t recover enough ground. DRAGON STRIKES was three-wide then two-wide with cover early then left raw 3/16, pressed on and took over before the second turn in hot fractions, had no response when the winner moved up to the ¾. A BETTOR BEACH (three-wide) and GUINNESS PANIC (two-wide) could make up no ground from far back. CAVIART MAX was not prominent when breaking midstretch.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ROMANTIC EVENING, a trifle rough mid-first turn, started uncovered at the half and paced in 27.1 down the back to clear ¾, tapped late to maintain the advantage over a good ON THE MONEY GB. The latter tailed the winner’s cover, uncovered around the far turn, held her ground staunchly. CATIE FAYE HANOVER defended the pocket, backed outside ¾, stayed well with a good top two. ST LADS BIJOU took control from the pole, slowed the half, but didn’t have enough quickfoot to stall the winner ¾, faded. THE LAST THREE weren’t factors in here.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DIAMONDTOOTHGERTIE was outleft, went on to gain control 3/16, had twin 28.2s coming home and drew clear in the last ¼. TIGERS WATCHING N was forwardly-placed, blocked on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike and got second over SIGSBEE. The latter was wide to the first turn and went to the top, yielded to the winner, went loose down the backstretch, couldn’t hold second late. PANATEE rode inside and ONE HAND KEG STAND went wide in the stretch in getting the last checks. COLORFUL SKY was uncovered at the half but didn’t threaten. TSM WESTERN SOUL gapped cover.