FIRST RACE – Stretch tailwind on a warm day not too favorable for high finishes by closers … SHARE THE WEALTH was outside leaving, looked at a tuck but decided to go on 3/16 and made the lead 3/8, had challengers lurking headstretch but stayed strong in a fast mile. ZETTE FLAME came through for early positioning, second-over 5/8, gapped a little, outfinished the rest but didn’t really threaten the winner. BRIGHT SIDE UP moved to the lead 3/16 and surrendered it a like distance later, a bit loose midrace, Pocono Pike, OK but not threatening late. COLLEGE TUITION was first on top, yielded, came again raw 9/16 and challenged in a fast ¾, stayed in there well. HEART MATTERS was last, swung wide and was gaining at the end. SNOWMAN HANOVER was gapping midrace, not a factor today. GET TO THE POINTE moved third-over but couldn’t keep up.
SECOND RACE – LUCKBEWITHALEX was underway 3/16 to take command in an extremely fast half, opened up a little distance on the turn then bested RIP WHEELER in yet another fast mile. The latter grabbed command early and encouraged tucks, yielded to the winner, saw the winner get away a bit on the turn, but kept trying very hard to the wire. LOUKES PERRY challenged early but took a two-tuck past the 1/8, inside, looked all-out to keep up late backstretch and most of the turn, angled wide and continued on nicely. DRAGON CITY avoided the clogged outer tier and was next in line. COMET CRUSADER N left, tucked fourth 3/16, not too much late. JK GOING WEST came out from last but was hampered by ineffectual cover, between horses late, so-so. K J HUNTER was second-over behind a nonadvancer, wide stretch, not enough. OAKWOOD VEGAS IR was behind cover early, tucked, went uncovered into turn two, never got into contention in the fast mile.
THIRD RACE – SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL left and was briefly very wide, to two-wide to take over 3/16, had to deal with the big first-over move of ODDS ON DELRAY from the 11/16, but kept that one at bay. The latter moved raw into the backstretch and went up in 27.1 vs. the wind to challenge the leader, held stubbornly. A FEARSOME HANOVER gapped and was last down the backstretch, angled wide headstretch, still last just before midstretch, but then found a really big last 1/16. DING DING DINGER made the lead and yielded, had a chance in the Pocono Pike from the pocket but didn’t have the needed response. TERRITORY stayed close second-over but then didn’t have the needed late pace. DILLINGER gapped third-over ¾. MODERN ROCK gapped in last, may’ve been shut off between tiring horses late. BLAKEMORE never featured.
FOURTH RACE – ELWELL made the early lead, forced a tuck, then yielded to the brusher, pulled out of the pocket midturn, inched away from midstretch. SHORE OF HIMSELF was underway before the ¼ to take the top, had only the winner near him most of the last half, kept trying hard but not the late speed of the winner in this fast mile. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL came out down the back to circle a gapper and retuck third, well-removed from the top two in show. URBAN RENEWAL came out but never entered the main picture. SOMBODYITREASURE left well and took the two-hole past the 1/8, didn’t keep up in the last half. HOMESTRETCH WES never factored.
FIFTH RACE – COWBOY COOL kept on between horses to the top at the 1/8, yielded past the 3/16 for the two-hole, took advantage of the good trip in the Pocono Pike and proved the best. KINGSTONS BAD BOY had good cover second-over, closed steadily. MIDNIGHT DAY moved raw 9/16 and advanced, stayed right in the fight to the line. ATLANTIS was third-over, wide in the stretch and was narrowing in well late. SOUTHWIND DREDGE was last, angled widest for the drive but couldn’t make up enough ground. WON LAST FEELING was three-wide to the 1/8 to command past the 3/16, really didn’t get much pressure until the ¾, but still came up empty in the drive. DROPTHERAKEFREDDY was the innermost of three quick starters, yielded at the 1/8, looked all-out to keep up 5/8, faded.
SIXTH RACE – P L NOTSONICE quarter-moved and rolled along, seemed in hand holding off the inside move of SEVENTIER. The latter was four-wide to the first turn, three-wide to the 1/8, then onward to command before the 1/4, yielded to the favorite, did very well in the stretch. CANTKEEPMIASECRET was three-wide early, took a tuck fourth, uncovered before the 5/8, went well but had to settle for a clear third. STEALING was third-over behind dull cover he circled late turn, next under the wire. MISTER BOINGA was the first to show, yielded to the ¼, inside, not keeping up the last ¼. WOODSIDE EMILEAH never was involved in the main action. SORTIE moved second-over but couldn’t offer much.
SEVENTH RACE – SAID N DONE AS yielded to the outside speedsters at the 3/16, moved uncovered 5/8, reached the pacesetter AGGIORNAMENTO at the ¾ and slugged it out with that one the last ¼, barely getting the decision. The latter was three-wide past the 1/8 to the lead before the ¼, could rate the middle half, then braced for battle and gave a good accounting of himself. PORTULACA was between horses well past the 1/8, got the lead then yielded for the pocket, Pocono Pike, good but just a bit shy of the top two. BEER CHEESE moved out on the far turn, swung wide, next in line. RACER DAN moved out raw at the ½, got cover 5/8 but soon was gapping it. MISS PRINCIPLE started to gap 5/8. HAND OVER DAN was off the gate, tried to rally from far back but broke before the ¾. ANDOVERTHEWINNINGS went offstride approaching the first curve.
EIGHTH RACE – PARK OFFICIAL had cover to the3/16 then went on to grab command just past the 5/16 and got a breather with a tailwind to the half, fought off the first-over, then had THE DARK SHADOW surge from the pocket but dug in with customary tenacity for his tenth straight win. The latter pressed on to grab control by the 3/16 then yielded as described for the two-hole trip, outside in the stretch and narrowed in gamely but couldn’t get to the game winner. LADYFORD DOLLAR GB left well and yielded, stayed plugged-in behind the top two until the stretch. MAKE SOME WAVES was second-over, three-wide early far turn, couldn’t close enough. BELLOWS BINGE tried to circle four-wide headstretch from last but couldn’t reach. BUSBOY HANOVER took back early, came out before the half and was aflank of the leader the third split, then began to gradually fade.
NINTH RACE – SAMHARA N got a textbook second-over trip, moved three-wide midturn and overpowered the pacesetting REDBANK BLAZE A. The latter controlled the pace with two speed moves in a vicious half, kept the first-over out, held well after setting fast fractions and well ahead of the others. CAVIART LUCA yielded, a bit steppy on a couple of occasions while gapping some of the middle half, backed all the way out late on the turn to four-wide headstretch, found better foot late. MIGHTY SANTANA N followed the winner, couldn’t stay with his three-wide move far turn. CAPTAIN ROMANCE made the lead 3/16 in a sizzling quarter, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, not much left for the stretch after early usage. BULLVILLE FRANK gapped at the back at the half, never in the picture. LYONS LIBERTY came uncovered late on turn two, gained until at the pacesetter’s rump, advanced no further then started to fall back. ADDISON HANOVER dropped back in the last half.
TENTH RACE – BAD TOTHE BONE N was briefly three-deep then took over before the 3/16, merited such respect that he got a very soft middle half for these, then took off at the ¾ and dominated these with a 26.3 last quarter. ODDS ON OSIRIS launched an uncovered move 5/8, had solid finishing lick against a tough winner. JOESSTAR OF MIA A came through at the start and maintained the pocket, OK but couldn’t quite sprint enough late. BEE TWO BEE was second-over, OK from a very hard spot. BETTORS DONTTELL took back early, stayed in, to the Pocono Pike, didn’t gain. PRINCE OF TIDES showed little.
ELEVENTH RACE – DANDY showed some gate foot and secured the pocket, shifted to high gear and moved out just past the ¾, showed his usual late kick and went by easily. ROBBIE PEV was in front at the 1/8, got pedestrian fractions with no challenges, not enough for the winner but held the deuce. SPICY NUGGET gapped a little at points, inside, Pocono Pike, couldn’t reach second. MACMORRIS HANOVER stayed in, never a factor. KINDA LUCKY LINDY was last most of the way. BLENHEIM moved uncovered off turn two, never got close, then broke while far back headstretch.
TWELFTH RACE – CRUNCH HANOVER moved outside before the half, had a long way to come to get tight on cover but did so late backstretch, three-wide midturn, the strongest late. SAN DOMINO A drifted out midpack, in gear 3/8 and challenged for the lead very hard in a 55.2 middle half, actually was in front though not inside the majority of the last half, kept striving gamely to take second in a three-way photo. TRIP HAMMER was four-wide nearing the first turn, got the front 5/16, was under relentless pressure the last half, kept the first-over horses out by highlining, held well; an inquiry after the race showed that TRIP HAMMER had gone inside a pylon headstretch and thus was placed fourth. CIGAR SMOKING TONY was three-wide to the first turn and onward to the lead, pushed a foe past the ¼ before yielding for the pocket, not snug-tight in the big third quarter battle, to the Pocono Pike and performed well. SHVAIKO left, yielded, gapped down the back, never in the picture for major honors. HORSE was actually first to show at the word “GO” but took back to last, gapped. TERRY A HANOVER backed out to third-over but never factored.
THIRTEENTH RACE – LIVINTHEBEACHLIFE was chased after at the start, yielded, quarter-moved to 3/8 command, under fierce pressure from CASUAL COOL from late backstretch but kept that one out, then drew clear late. The latter took command at the 1/8, yielded 5/16, backed out raw 5/8 and was head-to-head with the winner from the 11/16 to headstretch, backed off a little but still second in a good mile. TRACEUR HANOVER had excess cover fourth-over, three-wide late turn, passed a bunch of horses for show. CHATELROLL was third-over, blindswitched, came clear between horses with some pace late. MYSWEETBOYMAX tucked fourth, gapped behind the early duel then gapped when second-over, so-so. THE WALL was inside, pinned in far turn, not all that much when clear inside late. BENJI’S BEST never featured. BB LUCKY BOY was three-wide to the 1/8, two-wide to the top 5/16, yielded to the winner, started to gap some in the pocket late backstretch.