FIRST RACE – Back to cold: in the mid-40s … Wind not much at the beginning; will pick up … ANDOVER CONTESSA was behind a bad gapper when moving off turn two, advanced down the backstretch then picked up cover near the end of the straight, wide stretch, looked confident midstretch but just did get up over MISS MUSCLE. The latter closed in after the ¼ and stayed connected, to the Pocono Pike, solid to just miss. DAGON HANOVER dropped into the pocket leaving, came back out towards the ¾, gained briefly but then couldn’t sustain late. ASKMELATER HANOVER strung out the field to the half while setting the pace, tired. TRICKY DICK got the last check. WAVELIKEAQUEEN gapped from down the back; ARCH CREDIT gapped from the 3/8. FIX-IT-UP was at the back when going offstride entering the backstretch.
SECOND RACE — ALEXA’S SUNSHINE was looped early and didn’t get inside until nearing the ¼, back out raw at the half and grinded, no closer than aflank of the winner until midstretch, then had the more pace finishing. MORE PLEASE set the pace, rated the half then picked it up, couldn’t ward off the winner in the last few steps. MIKI B MOUSE was way behind early backstretch but steadily gained, inside on the turn, was in tight quarters gaining with pace late – a big race. STAY SPECIAL backed out to second-over 11/16, three-wide late turn, just a step shy. ALWAYS B BEACHIN got in the pocket just before the 1/8, stayed close, came up short late. ADULT SWIM moved out to the ¾, four-wide nearing headstretch, not quite enough. MILLDOOKER MOLLY and HAPPY HESTON lost contact in the last half.
THIRD RACE – Stretch headwind picking up … QUITE FAST made the top leaving and made life hard on other leavers before yielding, back out raw 5/8 and cleared into the far turn, all-out and stayed on well (in a 30.1 kicker) to get the decision. OVER BOARD was four-wide early, worked to two-wide and then worked to the lead 5/16, yielded before the second turn, quick to slip out behind the winner 11/16, left uncovered, briefly went inside then out again for the stretch, almost. DEFACEMENT was outside 5/8 but gapped, evenly late. CHEROKEE JOY was shuffled behind a tired horse far turn, angled wide and finished steadily. KEYSTONE SWEETNESS was widest early, three-wide most of the ¼, briefly with cover then raw to get the lead before turn two, couldn’t keep the winner out ¾. MARI moved outside but didn’t enter the main picture. GADOT HANOVER never featured.
FOURTH RACE – LADY’S IMAGE secured the pocket early, went to the Pocono Pike and proved most photogenic in a three-way picture. TOWN VICTOR was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead in a good quarter, rated the half, couldn’t make the advantage stand up to the wire. HALL IT OFF sat in third, got some room in a sliver between horses midstretch and responded well. ARGENTO was uncovered into turn two, grinded well. FOREVERHILLREIGN went second-over. wide headstretch but didn’t gain. MOLLY’S JAIL sat in then backed out two-wide on the turn, not prominent. TRUMAN JR HANOVER was looped between horses leaving, broke while two-wide 3/16, did well to be close to the end of the main field at the end.
FIFTH RACE – CAN’T SAY NO dashed out to the lead, forced a tuck, clear afterwards and drew off in the latter stages. SMART AS HILL was uncovered from last 5/8, three-wide late turn, did well to come all the way to second. AWSOME PAUL wanted the lead but was forced to take the pocket 3/16, couldn’t salvage place late. PATRICK HANOVER gapped down the back, inside, not all that much. CHING CHING LUCKY spotted third early, outside late turn, couldn’t gain. FAIR GLIDER wasn’t far off third place on the far outside finishing.
SIXTH RACE – A GOOD CHARDONNAY headed right to the top, slowed the half, remained in control. I CANT REFUSE landed the pocket early, broke briefly at the ¾ but got back on stride, clear in second; an inquiry into the ¾ break gave no reason for placing. RHIANNON HANOVER spotted fourth, advanced inside ¾, had the horse in front of her break but quickly regain stride midturn, clear third. BT BABE and EVER HOPEFUL G never factored. TACTICAL TAKEOFF lived up to her name early and landed third, came out ¾ but had lost her forward action by the bottom of the turn, already faded when breaking midstretch. NETWORK EXTENDER broke at the start, had caught the field by the ½ but couldn’t reenter the main race.
SEVENTH RACE – DEMON BOY came uncovered to the 5/8 and grinded up, wore down the stubborn pacesetter P L PHOENIX. The latter thought about tucking fourth but then went on 3/16 to the lead before the 3/8, set the pace, fought hard with the winner, good mile. GALLIE GETAWAY was in front at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite get there. CAMLACHIE CHROME yielded, stayed connected inside, had pace on the end with no clear path. BARRIER followed lively cover down the back, three-wide midturn, flattened slightly late. AIR RIDE was gapping off the second turn. LYONS SWIFT lost contact at the back.
EIGHTH RACE – ELEGANT DULUPIN FR was fourth as the field passed the “START” spot but took advantage of geometry and came through to the lead, fighting a rival when that one broke 3/16, got more pressure for ITS A HORSE from the 5/8 onward, but dug in to hold her ground. ITS A HORSE tucked, came away with the pocket after an outside challenger broke before the ¼, came raw 5/8 and went at it hard with the winner, held well. R HERBIE BLUE CHIP gapped a bit third-in, closer on the turn then to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t summon enough. DART GUY gapped at points, got in gear ¾ and was narrowing in late. DAZZLNDASH HANOVER gapped at points, then backed off for good ¾. NASEY was challenging from the lead 3/16 when he broke, continued to run.
NINTH RACE – WARRIOR WAY made the lead at the 1/8, had a clear lead from about the 3/8 on, stayed in control. DIEHARD SEELSTER moved towards the 11/16, briefly ducked in on the turn, then came out again, did well but was not getting to the winner while clear of the rest. LOUIS yielded for the pocket, wasn’t snug from the 3/8 on, enough for third. THE NEXT THREE lagged behind. SIMON GOT LUCKY broke in last before the 3/8.
TENTH RACE – KADDARI went right to the lead, set unchallenged fractions, was mildly-urged to keep BABY OIL safe. The latter went right into the pocket, outside headstretch, good but not quite able to make up the ground on the winner. EEE Z WOW stayed close until early stretch. QUARANTINA came out on the far turn, evenly. THE LAST TWO were gapping at the ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – CRAZYCAT started raw on turn two, rushed up before the 5/8 and went 27.1 (with the wind) to clear ¾, all alone. CREEMORE was wide early, took back to tuck, backed out behind the winner but couldn’t stay with him, left uncovered ¾, steadily for the distant second. NICE STUFF sat in, shuffled a bit, then angled wide and kicked home nicely in the last 1/16. SPREE was between horses early, sat the two-hole, shuffled a bit far turn, Pocono Pike, not all that much. JIVE NINETY FIVE was four-wide early and three-wide just past the 1/8, on top at the ¼, rated the half, couldn’t stall the winner to the ¾, tired. BANZAI AS never entered the picture. GINGERTREE STAKIAS broke at the start.
TWELFTH RACE – GRIZZ WYLLIE sat third until going uncovered 11/16, gradually gained and edged ROSALINE in the final steps. The latter set all the pace, just failed to complete the job while far ahead of the others. U BAKE THE CAKE was outside from far back off the second turn, gradually ranged up to cover, couldn’t trot with the top two but got third. TIPSY MONI was four lengths off the gate, gapped cover from early backstretch to past headstretch, then found a much better gear. CHARLIE BAR stayed in, shuffled on the far turn, made some recovery in the Pocono Pike. GINA’S ON FIRE never featured. WILD KAT G secured the pocket early, couldn’t keep up from late backstretch. MATTER OF TRUST gapped and was far back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – TERRY A HANOVER was four-wide early, backed off to follow cover and then tucked fifth before the ¼, came uncovered just before the ½ and rushed up to clear before the ¾, held together late as blocked horses were rapidly making up ground. SHVAIKO was three-wide leaving, then two-wide, backed off to tuck third at the ¼, sat in down the back, shuffled, out in a blindswitch late backstretch, stayed in the blindswitch on the turn, then chose the Pocono Pike and finished with a lot of horse after bad luck. BOARDWALK BET defended the two-hole, ran up on the leader towards the 11/16, was shuffled when that one was passed, found a path between horses midstretch and made up a good deal of ground. ALADDIN HANOVER had the winner’s cover, left uncovered to the ¾ and was left behind raw by that one, fair late as the pace slowed. FRISKIE ALL NITE was inside and shuffled, stacked widest and gained back ground. WESTERN BEACHBOY went to the top at the 1/8 in a 26.2 quarter, could do nothing with the winner to the ¾, stayed on halfway well considering the fast ¼. MOVE THE LINE gapped at the back. DOUBLEORNOTHING N was in the backstretch flow, three-wide from the 11/16, flattened out.
FOURTEENTH RACE – HORSE quickly made the top, had the favorite on the outside but not threatening, maintained a safe distance late over ONTO EL DORADO N. The latter gained up the inside from last until moving outside midturn, wide in the stretch and very good although in top gear a bit too late. DONTLIKEITLEAVE moved at the ¼ but could only one-gear steadily raw, perhaps never closer to the winner than at the wire. HELTER SKELTER went out for the pocket, empty in the lane. KEY ADVISOR was looped and took back, stayed in, had room in the path behind the winner but only evenly. CAVIART SAGE was never close. CAPTAIN CASH was looped early and wide to the first turn, backed off all the way to fifth, then second-over but had little the last ¼.
FIFTEENTH RACE – ILBENEEDINSTITCHES was one of several leavers, widest then took cover, left raw at the ¼ and rather than explore a tuck pressed on, took the lead with a lap to go, drew clear of these impressively. SWIZZLE HANOVER was the innermost leaver and got a few to tuck, yielded 3/8, started to go loose ¾ but did hold the distant second. KASEVILLE was three-wide early, got inside at the ¼, kept up OK. RED OVERBACH raced out to the two-hole at the 1/8, moved out 11/16, fair. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT sat in, blocked some far turn, but little when clear in the lane. MASSIVE OPULENCE had bad cover, couldn’t gain enough from three-wide. FRAC never surfaced. THE BOSS MAN moved uncovered at the half, gained down the back, got cover, then fell back the last 3/16.