FIRST RACE – Dropping from the mid-50s to the mid-40s during the evening card … Stretch headwind … SHORE OF HIMSELF went right to the lead, yielded 3/16 for a golden pocket trip, to the Pocono Pike, and (oh, brother) caught STONEBRIDGE DUEL late. The latter went to the front 3/16 and was off and winging, just came up a bit shy late. A FEARSOME HANOVER gapped much of the race, then found some stretch vigor and caught ALWAYS BETTER for third. The latter moved around the gapping former down the backstretch, but tired late. DILLINGER was inside, got the last payday. JK OBJECTION never was on the radar. I’LL TAKE THE BET couldn’t circle three-wide around the dull cover of RIDINLIKEYASTOLEIT; both were far back.
SECOND RACE – BAMSKI moved uncovered at the half and battled the leader from the 5/8, made the lead early stretch and stayed in control with coaxing. LENWOODS REAL DEAL was second-over slightly off his cover, one-geared in the stretch, won second but didn’t have a good late kick. PERKINS took back early, sat in, wedged between horses with pace while possibly not fully clear, or at least until very late. ATLANTIS swung four-wide from last and finished well. HAH-TAG SWAG started well and sat in the pocket, but didn’t have much response late. FOUR-STAR FLASH sat in, wasn’t clear, hard to tell how much pace he had. CHEYENNE REIJANE took over just past the 1/8, got pressure from the 5/8, faded in the last 1/8, SPORTS BETTOR was no factor from third-over.
THIRD RACE – TWO PROUD had the pocket leaving and kept tight on the early leader, moved 3/8 as the parked horse was closer to midpack, to the lead before the half, ran away with this one. JAGGED LITTLE PILL kept a hole shut near the ¼, inside, blocked as the winner got away, clear stretch and had enough to be the distant second. ON THE MONEY GB made the lead, yielded before the half and gapped most of the rest of the way. RACIN HUNGRY was caught inside by the parked horse, a touch of pace late. BLAZING RAMONA left and was out with cover most of the way, swung wide and wasn’t bad late. SOUTHWIND RYE never entered the picture; nor did SHES A BULLVILLE. ST LADS BIJOU left, couldn’t make the top and couldn’t find a hole, tired after the hard journey.
FOURTH RACE – FOX HOLE followed cover nicely second-over, wide and along. PAUC HANOVER stayed in third, outside in a blindswitch headstretch, angled in towards midstretch and gained well while not having the momentum of the winner. PRAIRIE FAMOUS made up a lot of ground from the half to headstretch, steadily for third. LEAST WEASEL gapped a little early, moved uncovered 5/8, put in a challenge on the far turn but could not sustain it. KOLB HANOVER made the front, yielded, moved again 3/16 to be on the point before the 3/8, couldn’t last in a 1:00.4 back half. A GREAT CHAPTER gapped, broke midstretch while not in contention, placed. UNCLE NINO made the lead before the 1/8, relinquished for the pocket, not much in the lane. HILLASVIVA broke just as the gate sprang.
FIFTH RACE – CRUSH ME was offstride for a couple of steps into turn one but quickly righted, came uncovered at the half and applied pressure to ROSEY TIME from late backstretch, just got the better of that one on the money; an inquiry into the winner’s early break gave no reason for placing. ROSEY TIME left, moved at the ¼ and was on top past the 3/8 in a fast half, fought with the winner gamely to the line. HP XANADU left, was forced to take the pocket nearing the ¼, inside and badly shuffled on the far turn, had pace once clear to the inside after the top two were gone. TEEN DREAM came three-wide off dull cover from third-over, finished OK. APRIL AVA was on top at the 1/8, forced a tuck, pushed the brusher a ways before yielding, started to fade past the ¾. FOR CHIPS SAKE didn’t show much from second-over. THE FINAL TWO never were prominent.
SIXTH RACE – Mild stretch tailwind as they went to the gate for this one … SNOWMAN HANOVER went on mid-first turn to take the top off the first turn, set good numbers for these and drew away from this field. BATTIN A THOUSAND used the second quarter to tighten the gap left by the early breaker, outside with cover 5/8, gapped some on the turn, the found a better gear late and was up for the distant second. CURADH got away third, inherited the pocket 5/8 but was loose in it, couldn’t preserve second late; came back with “b.e.” I GOT THE TAB got the top on short order, yielded just after the ¼ for the two-hole, pulled out 5/8 and challenged, but then gave way. KALEUN gapped at the rear. ACTION SHOT was slightly off the gate, closed a hole 3/16 but soon afterward went to a gallop.
SEVENTH RACE – HES REALLY KEEN, deftly-driven, took the pocket 3/16, pulled out behind the first-over as the pocket horses gapped down the back, was able to duck inside to the pocket and then the Pocono Pike, and proved to have the most late. SHARKY BEAR was on the move from third before the ¼ and quickly got the lead, went on at a good clip, almost held it together in a good showing. MADDOX HANOVER was first-up at the half and made good progress against the wind down the back, tired a little bit late. PLAY THE ACE came off the rail far turn and was gaining late. SLICK RICHARD got the last check. BRUMBY offered little. STILL THIRSTY was away quickly, forced a tuck, yielded, then went loose in the pocket from before the 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – KING KONG KALIBRE was three-wide past the 1/8, then went up to get the lead before the 5/16, had a horse hounding him to and past the fast half, held together against challenges from both sides in the stretch in a gritty race. BARNEY HANOVER went clear very early, yielded to the 3/16, stayed connected third-in, went to the Pocono Pike and just missed. HESTONATOR was used to gain the lead 3/16, yielded 5/16, came out of the pocket for the drive but had to settle for a clear third. VORACIOUS was leaving a gap before a foe broke at the ¼, was nowhere close to the lead for the next half mile, then got going behind cover far turn, widest and with some pace late. CRÈME DE LOU CRÈME came out down the back to get around the gapper, swung three-wide turn, fair late. GAYLE’S ARSENAL gapped at the back. SOLAR BOLT was triple-looped early, left uncovered 5/16 and challenged in fast fractions but didn’t have the speed, didn’t fade until the last 1/8. FATEFUL DUEL made a break at the ¼, then suffered “b.e.”, never close.
NINTH RACE – HIGH IMPRESSION left for the pocket, backed out behind the first-over headstretch and swung wide, with good pace late to defeat WON LAST FEELING. The latter came out raw 5/8 and grinded up, head-to-head with the leader on the turn, made the lead midstretch but was outkicked late. ROCKIN THE BLAZE headed down the road, was challenged before the ¾, gave way through the stretch. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS gapped cover second-over; LAST MACH gapped gapping cover third-over. BLOOD BROTHER was stuck inside last headstretch when being bothered by the breaking CAVIART MAX, who also raced inside and made a break turning for home.
TENTH RACE – WENTWORTH HANOVER was unhurried to the 11/16 then moved raw, sprinted home well to get the decision over G LOAD. The latter took over before the 1/8, yielded off the first turn and sat in the two-hole, a trifle loose on the turn then hitting a higher gear, Pocono Pike, not beaten by much. MONI BOOK made a delayed frontward move, took the top near the ¼, got a crawling middle half, but then didn’t have the sprint when the pace picked up late. CLYDEWEISER was well-placed throughout, to the deep Pike, did well. THE FINAL TWO didn’t make an impact here.
ELEVENTH RACE – DING DING DINGER was very fast away, yielded to sit behind the choice, to the Pocono Pike and along nicely as the Braxten Boyd Show continued. MARINER SEELSTER tucked third at the 1/8, underway off the first turn and with the wind went up to take over 3/8, was hard-pressured by the first-over from the 11/16, didn’t have enough to withstand the fresh pocket rocket. ODDS ON DELRAY was uncovered from off turn two, gradually went up and battled hard with the pacesetter, held pretty well late. COWBOY COOL was third-over, wide stretch and OK. ASTON HILL DAVE was second-over, didn’t not tip wide for the drive, evenly. STICK WITH CRAMER was stuck behind too much cover. UNICO LEGEND N had the early pocket, stayed close, but came up empty late. BOLT OF LUCK gapped at the back.
TWELFTH RACE – PARK OFFICIAL was three-wide to the 1/8 to take over at the bottom of turn one, yielded for the pocket, got the Pocono Pike and charged home as much the best. BUSBOY HANOVER made the top then yielded early, stayed connected third-in, to the deep Pike and edged CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL for second. The latter went uncovered 5/8 and challenged, almost lasted for second. MONEYMAN HILL was second-over from last, found some decent pace late. SOMBODYITREASURE set the pace with two moves, nothing left late. BRAVO TEX N sat in and was shuffled, moved out, four-wide stretch, never reached contention. MUDVILLE gapped at the back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BUILDING BOOST was underway raw into turn two, argued with the leader from the 5/8, stayed strong late to take the victory. MAMBA moved from third not long off the first bend and made the front, under hard pressure from the winenr, had to settle for second. BEACH VIBES was third-over, wide stretch and was along for third with late speed. DON’T GET SHOCKED raced close-up throughout, got some clearance midstretch and was coming on at the wire. PINK FLOYD HANOVER was in front before the 1/8, yielded for the two-hole, came up empty in the stretch. ERINWOOD YVES was second-over, another who did not tip wide of his cover, not too much late. ZEUS HANOVER was stuck behind a gapping LATEST ATTRACTION, who lost contact in the last ¼.
FOURTEENTH RACE – It had not been a good night for horses setting the pace, but URBAN RENEWAL flew in the face of that logic, making the lead just past the 1/8, setting good fractions and withstanding a long challenge from I’M BENICIO A. The latter left well to tuck third, started uncovered coming out of the second turn, gave the winenr all he wanted. HOMESTRETCH WES was outside down the back then ducked in, between horses in the stretch for a distant third. ALOTBETTOR N rode the two-hole trip, tired the last 1/16. BELLOWS BINGE was second-over, never really got going. PUZZLING never entered the main picture. CAVIART VAL sat in, started gapping at the 5/8. A BETTOR BEACH made a break nearing the first turn.