FIRST RACE – Highs in the high 60s to low 70s … Swirling wind aiding those racing on or near the pace and most third quarters; stronger later in the card … PRINCE OF TIDES was looped leaving, persevered on to get the lead to the 3/8, opened a big lead midstretch and had enough to withstand the closers. MR DS ROCK gapped second-over down the back then closer, three-wide midturn, edged PRAIRIE PANTHER for second. The latter was urged leaving but then took back, out fourth-over, gapped wide cover on the turn, went five-wide early stretch and found a good late kick. CHATELROLL was third-over, four-wide late turn, OK though outkicked. REDBANK BLAZE A moved uncovered off the second turn and made a good challenge, but couldn’t sustain the move from midturn. CAPTAIN ROMANCE sat in, blocked far turn as the winner got away, but didn’t have much once clear inside. OUR MAJORDAN A left well wide and was in front past the 1/8, pushed a bit to the 3/8 then yielded for the pocket, tired, then had his wheel hooked by RIFLEMAN, trying to find a path in tight quarters, late in the stretch.
SECOND RACE – LOU’S BEACH was away second then improved that position by one, set the pace, had enough to take the victory. YS DO IT RIGHT used the rail to large advantage, then yielded for the two-hole, came out in the lane and narrowed in, good but had to settle for second. C-BET HANOVER sat in then moved out midturn, clearance headstretch after the breaker, enough for a distant third. JACK ROCK dropped in fifth at the 3/16, inside, fair late. GROOVY MAN backed out to follow cover 5/8, gapped, wide late turn, had to alter course headstretch to avoid the breaker, recovered fairly well. YS MATHIS BRO made a good third quarter challenge uncovered but couldn’t sustain it. BULLVILLE FRANK gapped at the back. SAMHARA N was uncovered from last, went 26.2 down the back (with the wind) and kept improving, but made a break late on the far turn.
THIRD RACE – KINDA LUCKY LINDY left to get the three-spot, uncovered 9/16 and grinded away, looked shaken off upper stretch but displayed courage and kept coming to get the nod. MYSTICAL WYNN was wide early, pressed on to take command 5/16 past the fast quarter, absorbed pressure and looked to have shaken off the winner early stretch, just failed to hang on. MACMORRIS HANOVER was briefly wide the between horses to the lead at the 1/8, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, couldn’t gain in the lane. DANDY was underway uncovered from last, gapped cover down the back, three-wide ¾, steadily but too far to come against the day’s bias. SORTIE stayed inside, gapped down the back, evenly. MUSHANA was never in the picture. BANK BOX TREASURE moved with cover 5/8 but gapped.
FOURTH RACE – ANNABELLE HANOVER went into the two-hole at the 1/8 and bided her time, stayed tight in a three-horse breakaway, to the Pocono Pike and was along in time. FRANTASY HANOVER used track geometry to emerge with the lead, slowed the half, fought off the first-over but was just caught to her inside. CRAZY CUTE came out raw 11/16 and made a good run at the leader on the turn, held well far head of the rest. PEARL HARBOUR N stayed in, proved best of the rest. PRAIRIE WESTERNGAL, a bit roughgaited at points, was three-wide to the 1/8, backed off to tuck fourth before the ¼, came back out second-over but gapped. THE LAST THREE did not make their presence felt in this contest.
FIFTH RACE – ARCHERY SEELSTER got the pocket easily and was the only one to stay close to the pacesetter, moved out headstretch, gradually gained and went by just past midstretch. FRANK THE ELDER was away in good order to grab the lead, slowed the half then streaked in 27 down the back, held well but the two fast odd-numbered quarters may have taken a toll. RACER DAN went around a gapper for third. BY A HOFF HANOVER started gapping in third soon into the backstretch. HEART MATTERS was wide around early trouble, got the last check. HAND DOVER DAN was in the early mix but soon ran and galloped much of the rest of the way. AP HALL OF TRIX jumped it of an 1/8 before the start. RED REDEMPTION broke towards the first turn, was pulled up.
SIXTH RACE – I WAS TRICKED was three-high to command at the 1/8, rated quarter two, then had twin 27.3s coming home to defeat JOEMIKIYOURSOFINE. The latter left between horses for the pocket, stayed pretty well plugged-in to the line although not able to reach the winner. GHOST SHARK was wide early then backed off to fourth, moved out 11/16 but couldn’t gain too much into the fast back half. TRIFECTA HANOVER left some, started gaping in third towards the 5/8. SOMEWHERE ROCKIN never surfaced. NOPEWASNTME moved two-wide but never gained. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC was far-off well before the ¼ and never connected with the field.
SEVENTH RACE – MISS MCKEE made the lead 3/16, got a breather in quarter two, had P L NOTSONICE coming at her from before the ¾ but dug in to beat out that rival. The latter came out 5/8 and went up to engage the lead, good mile in defeat. DEE’S RED DELICIOUS yielded and got the pocket when another early challenger broke, to the Pocono Pike but not that much to offer late. MARION GONDOLIER stayed with the main pack most of the way; SAY YOU DO didn’t but got the final payday by staying errorless. ONE AFTER NINE moved second-over but gapped, then broke late on the turn. DOUBLE ACCOUNT galloped soon after the start. BLENHEIM was three-wide a good part of the 1/8, then behind cover, was going up to bid for the lead when breaking 3/16, recovered but then continued with misbehavior.
EIGHTH RACE – MAXIMUS MIKI settled midpack early then came just past the ¼ to control the throttle, fought off the first-over threat to his right then turned his attention left and withstood Pocono Pike-shooting BILL HALEY N late. The latter went out in 26.2 to control the early proceedings, yielded for the pocket, challenged hard in the stretch but couldn’t quite make it. PHOENIX OF FLUZZY sat in, found a tight seam midstretch and finished with strong pace. BETTORS DONTTELL was out most of the fast ¼ before accepting the two-hole, came again early backstretch and went 26.3 to really pressure the winner, only faded a little bit late. DONTPASSMEHANOVER gapped second-over most of the last half, then suddenly found a better gear late. CAVEMAN A sat in and never got into it. WESTERN JOE moved outside but fell back.
NINTH RACE – LAYTON HANOVER used the rail well to establish early control, got a stroll to the half, got some pressure but drew away from these impressively late. LUCKBEWITHALEX kept the pocket closed, not in the league of the winner today. AMERICAN CLASSIC was underway raw from before the 3/8, gradually grinded up to reach contention on the turn, just missed second behind a superior winner. COMET CRUSADER N kept a hole shut early, inside, outside stretch, evenly. BUCHANNON HANOVER was far back inside when bothered by the breaker to headstretch. KATIES BET moved second-over but was gapping towards the far turn. CODE CRACKER never was heard from. CAPTAIN COWBOY went up early but didn’t have the speed to clear and had holes plugged behind the leader, finally got in fourth 5/16, inside, pinned in when breaking late on the turn and going to the infield.
TENTH RACE – ALL CLASS was all business, taking the lead, rating the half into the wind, continuing on and then finishing into the wind in 26.3 under a hold – a very impressive finish and mile. BINGE ON YANKEE kept close in the pocket until the ¾, held on to the distant second behind the powerhouse. WE SHALL SEA sat third almost the whole way and held that position over MAYWEATHER HANOVER. The latter came out of fourth ¾, gained the first part of the turn but seemed to get a bit rough and lost his momentum, didn’t gain any more. THE NEXT TWO were outpaced. HUNTERS HERO broke just past the start, had just about caught the field when jumping again at the half.
ELEVENTH RACE – BULLY BOY HILL got good positioning early, moved from third at the half and grinded up in the third quarter en route to taking the lead midturn, was able to draw clear despite the kicker being only 30.2. SAID N DONE N moved second-over, gapped 5/8, one-geared and just took second over ANGELONIA. The latter went to the lead 3/16, surrendered the top about a like distance later for the pocket, blocked on the far turn, angled wide early stretch and came back some. ANDOVERTHEWINNINGS went up a beat or two late early, finally wrestled command 3/8, had pressure from the winner and couldn’t hold that one out midturn, continued to give ground. CHAPHEART gapped a gapper third-over, then hit a high gear nearing the ¾ and was moving up well through the turn when lapsing from gait late on the bend. WALLET broke before the ¼. BRIGHT SIDE UP gapped down the back then broke far turn.
TWELFTH RACE – IDIOSYNCRATIC maintained the pocket, backed out ¾ as the lead changed hands, went right by the new leader and drew away. CONGRESSIONAL was three-wide to the 1/8 before accepting third well ahead of the others, went up to challenge raw and had the lead just past the fast ¾, couldn’t handle the winner, kept to hustling to the line to preserve second after a hard mile. BULLVILLE STEPHANO was behind gappers into the backstretch, got around them, three-wide headstretch and did well from a hard spot. RUSTY BEACH gapped off the early speed duel, got tighter in quarter two, moved out far turn but couldn’t summon enough. HURRIKANE HUNTER went to the lead to turn one, carved a fast tempo, powerless when challenged ¾. YANKEE CLOUT was well back. MARRIED MAN bore wide off the first turn, never regained any forward motion.
THIRTEENTH RACE – SERIOUSLY HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the 3/16 to get the front, had a clear lead at points including to the ¾ after a 26.2 third quarter, kept after late to turn back a steady WALKINSHAW N. The latter left between horses to 1/8 command then relinquished to sit the two-hole, a bit loose at times, but steady in the stretch and went well. REBELLIOUS pushed the 1/8 and yielded, stayed plugged in until early stretch, still far ahead of all the others. TRACEUR HANOVER sat midpack, fell back far turn, still fourth. THE WALL left a gap in the fast third quarter, along for the last check. DRAGON CITY never factored. INDIGO ART moved uncovered down the back but went nowhere. STONEBRIDGE KARIS gapped in the second quarter, little late.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SOUTH BEACH STAR was parked just past the 26.4 opener, really slowed it down in quarter two, then sprinted home in 54.1 as much the best here. CASUAL COOL made the front right away, yielded to the winner, did pretty well keeping up in the sprint home, far ahead of the rest. HARD ROCK HULK stayed inside and was just up for third over GROOVY JOE. The latter raced in proximity to the pace, not too much late. BULLVILLE TERROR, reacting to the drastic pace slowdown, moved from seventh uncovered 3/8, made some gain before backing off. CAVIART LUCA was out second-over but gapped in the fast third split. AFLAME HANOVER backed out to third-over before the half but wasn’t on the main radar. CAPTAIN SLEAZE could offer very little.