FIRST RACE – A couple degrees either side of 50 all day … Stretch headwind to start … WOODSIDE EMILEAH moved from third nearing the ¼ to take over 3/8, set a fast pace and continued on to a fast victory. MISS MUSCLE was three-wide to turn one, got in front 3/16, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, a bit loose down the back, never was threatening but still raced well. IN A TINY WAY looked at leaving but took back, sat in, found a tiny clear path midstretch and had closing kick. HALL IT OFF moved outside ¾, wide in the lane and not bad. CHUCKY DE VIE tucked third, moved out 11/16 but could make no headway. THE NEXT TWO were never close. ARGENTO broke late backstretch.
SECOND RACE – DOLE WHIP moved quickly from third 5/8 and paced a third split of 27.2 to clear the pacesetter, saw that one come resurgent midstretch but held on for the victory. ALEXA’S SUNSHINE pulled the pocket early to go to the lead, got a soft half, couldn’t keep the winner out past the ¾, but never stopped trying and was coming back on well late. PRIDEFUL showed quick speed to clear from the outside post, yielded and stayed in, clearly third. WILD BLUE YONDER left but took back, stayed out of trouble. PLAUSIBLDNIABILITY never got close. ALL YOU CAN EAT broke early and caused TRULY to make an “ix”; the former was placed. ILUVLOUCY came off the rail 5/8 but went nowhere, then broke far turn.
THIRD RACE – CHARLIE BAR was underway to the ¼ to gain control 3/8, got rightside pressure on the turn, dealt with that and then dealt with lefthand pressure from GINA’S ON FIRE. The latter was looped and took the point at the ¼, yielded 3/8, close-up in a three-horse breakaway, to the Pocono Pike, good but second. OPEN BAR was uncovered 5/8, challenged, tired early stretch. LOUS LANCELOT gapped inside. U BAKE THE CAKE couldn’t reach cover. TIPSY MONI broke before the 3/16, did catch the field. MR CRIMSON stepped around everybody early, yielded at the ¼, started to retreat 11/16.
FOURTH RACE – BABY OIL made the lead at the 3/16 and had no problems winning this one. QUITE FAST yielded to sit the pocket behind the favorite, held her position well. CHEROKEE JOY got positioning out of the gate, to the deep Pike and kept up pretty well with the top two. KEYSTONE SWEETPEA, slightly off the gate, moved uncovered 5/8, made some gain, held her ground pretty well late. THE OTHER TRIO never entered into the main action of this event.
FIFTH RACE—WEDDING DANCER was three-wide, mostly with cover, to the 1/8, then two-wide until tucking fourth at the ¼, moved uncovered at the half and trotted in 28 down the back to clear just past the ¾ and draw away easily. RUFFLES N LACE came out entering the backstretch, initially gapped then got in gear and made up ground to reach cover, wide and trotted well although not catching the winner. DOUBLE A SAMANTHA was second-over, gapped until being left uncovered ¾, evenly. GADOT HANOVER had some gain after the win had been decided. BUDWEISER GIRL was three-wide early, bypassed a look at the three-hole to take over 3/8, couldn’t stall the winner ¾, tired. WILD KAT G had some speed, not heard from tin the latter stages. A MILLION CHUCKLES gapped in last.
SIXTH RACE – The wind had calmed … BATTLESHIP LANDING was three-wide early then two-wide, made the lead at the ¼, yielded to the 3/8 to sit the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and along in a slowing pace. TOMMY BOY HANOVER was looped, three-wide with cover to two-wide with cover to the ¼, then onward to lead just before the 3/8, couldn’t hold up even in a decreasing tempo. WALLANDAR made the lead into the first urn, yielded at the ¼, moved again 11/16, steadily but not quite enough. P CHICO, slightly off the gate, was last when moving out early backstretch, steadily gained in the last half. FAST LANE FRANK stayed connected, evenly deep in the Pike late. TOMBSTONE was looped, took a tuck, came out with cover 11/16, not quite enough late. THE OTHER TWO didn’t make their presences felt.
SEVENTH RACE – BB LUCKY BOY was looped at the 1/8, drove on to ¼ command, strung out the field and opened some distance on the pocket horse down the back, kept that one at bay in a very fast mile. TUGGIN ON MY HEART was three-wide early looping to command, yielded for the pocket, a bit loose in the fast third quarter but dug in and battled to the line. CRUNCH HANOVER had some early speed, stayed in, couldn’t go with the top pair late. VEL MR NICE GUY was uncovered 5/8, got to almost-even with the pocket horse to the ¾, then backed off some. IM A POWERPLAY A was second-over, did a little better nearing the wire. ALADDIN HANOVER stayed in, could mount no threat even for minor honors. MOVE THE LINE came out off the second turn but immediately gapped. STENDAHL HANOVER was at the end throughout.
EIGHTH RACE – THE BLACK ACE stayed flat and was in absolute control of this group. SCOTTY DEO gapped from before the ¼ to midbackstretch, up the inside and just took second away late from KNIGHTS GUARD. The latter sat loosely in the pocket throughout, couldn’t quite hold onto the deuce. BIG BALLER BEANE looked at leaving but took back, got around a breaker on the far turn and was a distant next. FASHION KEN stayed flat. SHARP CURVE galloped 100 feet before the start. TEST MY WILL took back early to tuck 3/16, broke nearing the half. DONATELLO HANOVER was trying to narrow in when he broke ¾ and went to the infield.
NINTH RACE – KADDARI made the early lead, yielded and was content to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and drew off easily. A GOOD CHARDONNAY was three-wide early en route to 3/16, really slowed the second panel, couldn’t go with the winner late but good. QUARANTINA left and got a good spot, had trot along the inside late. OVER BOARD was outleft and went in fourth 3/16, backed out to second-over before the 11/16, finished willingly. I’M AMUSED pulled raw entering turn two and went up in 27.4 down the back to challenge, couldn’t sustain the bid. RHIANNON HANOVER sat in, never surfaced. BINGO BRAIN was away slowly, moved outside but gapped. DEFACEMENT was last, blocked on the far turn and in tight much of the lane, hard to say if she had any late foot.
TENTH RACE – ELEGANT DULUPIN FR had enough early to utilize the rail and control the pace in a lineup, asked to open up on the far turn and did, stayed clear to the line. LADY’S IMAGE tried to step around the pole horse early but retreated, not always right on the winner’s back, stayed on for the DH2. CAN’T SAY NO came out at the ½ to challenge, never was head-to-head with the winner, tried hard to get the tie for second. WARRIOR WAY moved second-over, was blindswitched from the 5/8, ducked in in the lane and just missed second. TOWN VICTOR followed cover including three-wide from the 5/8, widest, did well. MANOFMANYMUSCLES was third-over, three-wide from the 5/8 onward, didn’t have enough kick. SIMON GOT LUCKY gapped early in last, got closer but couldn’t get in the main picture.
ELEVENTH RACE – ZETTE FLAME was second behind the early runaway, in gear at the half and gradually ate up the distance to go past the leader 11/16 and himself go clear, was handled confidently even with STREET SMARTS bearing down in a fast mile for this type. The latter narrowed in behind the winner in quarter two, couldn’t stay with his move in quarter three but circled around the fader to tuck in the pocket, narrowed in in a good mile but had to settle for second. GRIZZ WYLLIE came out on the far turn, a very distant third. ROSALINE was wide leaving and streaked to a huge lead, tired the last 3/8. DEVIOUS PROMISES stayed flat and earned a check. BAR COINS was gapping at the back when making a break far turn. JAMESON N LIME broke at the ¼. FOOLISH MONI was being looped while trying for forward positioning, offstride before the 3/16.
TWELFTH RACE – NASEY was wide early and hit the front 3/16, slowed the half then sped up to not have any backstretch challengers, or indeed any challengers at all to the wire. TRUMAN JR HANOVER vacated third mid-far turn, just second over GINGERTREE STAKIAS, who tailed him and was doing well at the end. SPREE took the top into the first turn, yielded for the pocket, stayed close until tiring in the lane. STEEL SCHOONER gapped before the ¾. CREEMORE looked at leaving but took all the way back to last, also gapping near the ¾.
THIRTEENTH RACE — STICKLER HANOVER settled in third 3/16 then wound up in the pocket after a breaker, outside headstretch and trotted right on by. SWIZZLE HANOVER yielded for the early pocket then inherited the lead after the 1/4, set a moderate pace, couldn’t withstand the winner, did hold second over DROP THE MIC. The latter stayed in, showed steady trot in the Pocono Pike. DIVINE SPIRIT went uncovered at the half and got cover 5/8, evenly. GREG moved uncovered just before the 5/8, was a head ahead of the pocket horse on the turn but never got closer. MATTER OF TRUST never factored. MUSCLE STAR broke early, caught the field but then had no more to give. ASKMELATER HANOVER left well to the top in a quick quarter but broke right at that marker.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BOARDWALK BET moved uncovered before the 5/8 and went after the leader after that spot, cleared midturn, had enough to get the decision. VARNEY advanced inside down the back, angled out midturn, did very well in the last 1/8 to just miss. CAVIART SAGE was second-over, left uncovered midturn, ducked inside, Pocono Pike, some gain. KEY ADVISOR was first to the lead, yielded for the pocket, shuffled considerably when the leader tired, came out in a blindswitch headstretch, showed good pace in recovery. THE NEXT TWO were never in the picture. HOT DEUCE moved third-over but gapped. J B MAUNEY N was looped, took the pocket, quarter-moved and went a fast half in setting the pace, had no defense when challenged far turn.
FIFTEENTH RACE – BEER CHEESE was three-wide to the 1/8 to clear soon thereafter, set a fast pace and won in fast time. MASSIVE OPULENCE used the rail to advantage and sat in the pocket, outside past headstretch, couldn’t gain enough but held on well. KASEVILLE left between horses and settled in third, to the Pocono Pike and did OK. EMMA TOWN BUD was uncovered into the second turn, showed a good grinding gear and was still trying hard at the wire. BROOKROAD MASTER was not a factor. WISHFUL MAR backed out to follow cover just past the 5/8 but couldn’t go enough. WILLIE B WORTHY gapped at the back. JUSTIFY pulled out second-over into the second curve but soon went offstride.