FIRST RACE – Mid 50s; wet – track in “sloppy” condition, with the variant changed from “+1” to “+2” after the fourth race … Stretch tailwind early, then calming as the hard rain came through … LORD OF MISRULE got a fine trip second-over 9/16, went three-wide nearing headstretch and paced away from these. BAMSKI was urged early, was looped, made the pocket 3/16, shuffled a bit headstretch, came out behind the winner then went to his inside, couldn’t go with him but did come on for second. IT’SGOODTOBEDAKING moved first-over 9/16, started to gain on the leader at the ¾ and got a small lead coming into the stretch, only to be caught on both sides. INTRIGUED AGAIN had dull cover, four-wide in the lane and gained well. HASH-TAG SWAG sat in, backed out late turn, followed the winner’s path and didn’t tip wide in the lane, fair. LENWOODS REAL DEAL was out and going before the 3/8, got cover early backstretch but then couldn’t stay with it. JONAH left well and cleared early, set the pace, tiring through the last ¼. KEPT UNDER WRAPS A gapped inside.
SECOND RACE – BEACH VIBES left powerfully and strung out the field much of the way, resisted the inside charge of DONT GET SHOCKED. The latter started well enough to preserve the pocket, gained some along the inside late but not enough. PINK FLOYD HANOVER went out between horses, tucked third to the first turn, maintained that position. CAPTAIN MIKEY moved uncovered 5/8 but never made any serious inroad. ERINWOOD YVES went around a couple of stragglers, had backstretch cover that wasn’t the greatest, not too much late. SOUTHWIND SAMBUCA gapped most of the way. COALFORD BET ALINE stayed behind a slow opponent early and never got into the race. QUARANTINI was gapping out by the ¼ and was far back.
THIRD RACE – Rain resumed … BRAVO TEX N was three-wide before the 1/8 then two-wide to get command 5/16, rated the half, then soon got outside pressure, proved to be the best here. ODDS ON DELRAY stayed close second-over, three-wide late turn, edged GLOBALDOMINATION N for second. The latter moved uncovered going to the half and soon was putting hard pressure on the leader, did so until midturn where he fell back a little, but held his ground nicely. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS left for the top, pushed the winner past the ¼ then yielded for the pocket, looked all-out to stay relatively tight the last half, evenly late. MY WISH CAME TRUE gapped cover third-over, doing a little better late. LAST MACH moved out then went back inside, gapping to the ¾, no factor late.
FOURTH RACE – LIKE A WARRIOR tucked quickly, then backed out past the 5/8, three-wide headstretch, trotted away late. ACTION SHOT left, settled in the pocket before the 3/16, came off the rail early stretch and just got second in the final steps over PAUC HANOVER. The latter used the rail well to control the pace, really slowed the half, then was challenged, didn’t have enough late. LEAST WEASEL moved outside at the half, gapped late backstretch, next. CASHIER was uncovered before turn two, went right up to the leader down the back, but couldn’t sustain the move the last 3/16. FAWN DE SIGN took back early, ran up on a horse at the half and broke bothering a foe, ran much of the rest of the way, placed. HILLASVIVA suffered interference off the second turn and soon went on a break.
FIFTH RACE – Track downgraded to “sloppy +2” … HP XANADU left, yielded, quarter-moved, held off a long bid from FOR CHIPS SAKE. The latter started uncovered 5/8 and reached the leader ¾, battled very hard to the line. BETABCOOL N left and cleared past the 1/8, yielded before the ¼, inside until moving out with cover far turn, but couldn’t go with it. TRAFFIC JAM made a big burst near the 1/8 to the lead before the ¼, yielded to sit the two-hole, was moving into the Pocono Pike when going offstride, galloped home, placed. MACH’S DELI was never in the mix; nor was APRIL AVA.
SIXTH RACE – MIKI DE VIE spotted, then was underway quickly at the ¼ and soon got the lead, went clear ¾, held against the big late burst of PARK STREET BLUES. The latter followed cover, swung wide headstretch and narrowed in rapidly with good speed. YANKEE CLOUT was on top going into the first bend, yielded past the ¼, back out uncovered off turn two, didn’t reach the winner, retucked in the pocket late turn, held for a distant third. UPALLNIGHTBLUECHIP stayed in, blocked late far turn, angled out diagonally and finished with pace. CRÈME DE LOU CRÈME was far back, also found better pace nearing the finish. BARNEY HANOVER was second-over past the half, left uncovered just past midturn, not too much late. ROCKWELL left and gradually strung the front past the ¼, quick to yield for the two-hole, started leaving a gap 3/8 that gradually became a little bigger. OH DAVID couldn’t go with these.
SEVENTH RACE – Still raining hard … KEYSTONE SERGEANT was underway raw before the 3/8, one-gear grinded up, took the lead ¾ but couldn’t cross over, trotted on gamely to have “J. Kakaley” beat “M. Kakaley” in a photo. The latter yielded early, thought to try for the lead nearing turn two but retreated back into the pocket, got to the Pocono Pike and just missed making a father-and-son driving deadheat. THE BOSS MAN stayed in, angled out sharply past early stretch and was gaining well as the tempo slowed. PISTOLS ASPIRATION was carried up second-over from last, not far off at the wire. PUDDIN N PIE took back early and tucked fourth, shuffled to last, angled wide but couldn’t make up the necessary ground. CRITICAL MASS was three-wide to the 1/8 to command just past that point, rated the half, kept the winner out on the turn, but then tired. CASH EMPIRE backed out to third-over but had little to offer.
EIGHTH RACE – DING DING DINGER left at full alarm and dashed to the lead, yielded past the ¼ but was quickly on the retake, drew clear of this field. COWBOY COOL was second-over, ducked in midturn and had to wait for the Pocono Pike, responded well but wasn’t beating this winner. MIDNIGHT DAY was looped early, proceeded up to the lead past the ¼ but was quick to yield for the pocket, stayed close until late in the backstretch. TISADREAM N started uncovered 5/8, gained some then stopped gaining. PLAY THE FIELD had too far to come. BLOOD BROTHER couldn’t keep pace in the last ¼.
NINTH RACE – Pouring down rain … A FEARSOME HANOVER was in a good flow third-over, tipped out wide early stretch, still sixth midstretch but passed a bunch as the tempo moderated. SHORE OF HIMSELF got away a distant third, moved 3/8 and was able to quickly retuck in the pocket, waited, to the Pocono Pike, got the lead midstretch but was outblasted late. SOUTHWIND DREDGE was second-over, three-wide late turn, finished OK but was passed from behind by the winner. DAVIDS COMING HOME sat in, had room deep in the Pike, evenly late. JK OBJECTION refused to yield in a stiff opener, set the pace, gave way. MARINER SEELSTER fought very hard early, was forced to tuck second 3/16, gave the pocket nearing turn two, back out raw 5/8, not enough power late. THE LAST PAIR were always near the back.
TENTH RACE – SNOWMAN HANOVER was three-high into the first curve, made the top before the 3/16, slowed the half, was challenged by the chalk from the 11/16 all the way home, held very gamely. BESTFRIEND VOLO came raw 9/16, reached the winner 11/16 and gave that one all he could handle in a good race. BATTIN A THOUSAND maintained the pocket, stayed connected, outtrotted on the inside in the lane but way ahead of the rest. MONI BOOK was second-over, gapped and went back inside. I GOT THE TAB was looking to leave but broke early, at least recovered for the last check. CLYDEWEISER was taking back when miscuing at the 1/8, couldn’t get back into it. KALEUN gapped early, got closer, then backed off again. WENTWORTH HANOVER gapped a gapper early, third-over, broke late turn.
ELEVENTH RACE – BEAUTIFUL AMERICA went into the pocket just past the 1/8 and sat the two-hole trip, a bit loose down the back then better on the turn, outside into the stretch and caught MORE PLEASE right on the money. The latter sat sail from the rail, went clear to the ¾ and still seemed in command until just past midstretch, then wearied. BIRDIE THREE stayed in, photoed LADY’S CHOICE K for third. The latter was three-wide early, tucked third by the 1/8, not much late. IDEAL ALEXA broke at the half. MY SWEET KATE suffered an “ex” at the ¼. MIKI B MOUSE came out off turn two and gradually made up backstretch ground, then her bid stalled and she went offstride midturn.
TWELFTH RACE – BRECKENRIDGE moved uncovered from third early in turn two, speed-grinded in 27.4 to clear ¾ and then draw off, very impressive victory in a bad night. DAGON HANOVER yielded for the pocket, was stuck behind the passed pacesetter ¾ through the turn, finally clear in the Pocono Pike and had good trot for second. SWEET HEART AS swung to the extreme outside and finished nicely. GRAPPLE HANOVER was in front early, slowed the half, had no answer for the winner ¾, so-so late. GET TO THE POINTE was third-over behind a gapper, three-wide, did get a check. PADRE gapped inside. RACER DAN was second-over but was soon gapping. MONEY MATTERS was at the back, had swung three-wide but made a break just into the far turn.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BLOW A CLOUD N led from the first step to the last, kept to urging in the stretch to hold off BLAKEMORE. The latter was second-over, three-wide past midturn, closed well but couldn’t get there. MISTER DAYTONA N left for the pocket, stayed close until the stretch, then gave some ground. BETTOR’S WESTERN spotted third past the 1/8, uncovered at the half, didn’t really threaten before backing off a bit. PERKINS stayed in, gapped down the back then got tighter, did not have a clear path between horses late. BLACKLIGHT never reached contention. STELLAR BB was third-over, wide, not that much. UNICO LEGEND N didn’t factor here.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SAULSBROOK HERO started on the grind before the 5/8, gradually advanced, got a clear lead past early stretch, then turned back SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN. The latter backed out behind the winner ¾, gave good chase in the stretch. WEONA SIZZLER A moved outside late turn and was next in line. CAPTAIN CASH went right to the lead, put up a quick quarter and half, but was found wanting in the last 3/16. ROCK THREE TIMES had the pocket, locked in on the far turn, but then had little once clear. PHANTOM SHADOW was always far back. SOHO WALLSTREET A was outside, fell way back.