FIRST RACE – 68 degrees … SAN DOMINO A was three-wide early, to the front 3/16, sprinted home in 54.2 – 27 to repulse all challenges. MR D’S ROCK maintained the pocket, outside stretch, good although not really threatening. THE WALL kept a hole closed early, inside, didn’t have that much left late. BENJI’S BEST moved uncovered past the half and went up in 26.4 to challenge, but that bid stalled midturn. GET LIT had a good second-over trip, three-wide midturn but couldn’t close into the fast late pace. THE OTHER DUO did not enter the main action.
SECOND RACE – ILBENEEDINSTITCHES sat third until midway on the far turn in the strung-out field, made the lead midstretch then just held off DELICIOUSSTONE DK. The latter left and took the two-hole at the 1/8, to the Pocono Pike, took just a little too long to hit high gear and was pictured, ahead a couple of steps past the wire. SEVENTIER headed right down the road at a good clip, held well and was far ahead of the rest. STEALING swung wide and was a distant next in line. MONEY MATTERS was struggling to keep up at several points. WOODSIDE EMILEAH offered little. SORTIE moved uncovered 5/8 but never got close. MISS PRINCIPLE trailed throughout.
THIRD RACE – SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL took the lead past the 1/8, slowed quarter two, then came home in 54.3 – 27.1 while in control. MAKE SOME WAVES went uncovered into the lower turn, grinded up, tucked in the pocket early on the turn, outside into the lane, held his ground. ODDS ON DELRAY backed out to follow cover early backstretch, couldn’t keep with it but at least avoided the breaker, got in third just past midturn, evenly. BETTER THAN SOME gapped off the top two early, stayed in, right behind the breaker and had to squeeze out early turn, went on evenly. SOMBODYITREASURE was pushed three-wide by the breaker, got the last check. HOT DEUCE was offering little when avoiding the breaker. CAVIART LUCA left best of all, yielded for the pocket, struggled to stay tight the third quarter then broke.
FOURTH RACE – Stretch headwind freshening some although never as strong as it often is… I’M BENICIO A sat in the pocket, under a good hold the first half, moved outside in the stretch and showed the most to the finish. URBAN RENEWAL sat third, got to the Pocono Pike, outfinished ELWELL for place. The latter left well to be the pacesetter, went a big third quarter, still ahead two pylons from the finish but was caught by fresher horses. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL gapped a bit second-over then had to check strongly ¾ when his cover broke, inside, never again in a contending spot. LADYFORD DOLLAR GB never featured. BRAVO TEX N gapped inside. KEYSTONE STEAM was uncovered at the half and advanced, started to get rough late backstretch and broke ¾.
FIFTH RACE – TERRITORY showed speed to get forward position, moved off the second turn and went by easily 11/16, opened a big lead, didn’t have a big last quarter but still was well-clear. COWBOY COOL was caught in in last, finally found room to angle between horses to midstretch and came on well as the pace slowed to just get second. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was behind dull cover, three-wide far turn, got to second past midstretch, was just edged for the deuce. PLAY THE FIELD was four-wide early and three-wide 3/16 to get the lead in a hot number, yielded to a challenger and sat the pocket, shuffled as the old leader fell back far turn, decent inside in recovery. WON LAST FEELING tucked, checked behind the 3/16 breaker, moved with cover down the back but never could stay with it, raw before the ¾, not too much late. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was looped early, never accepted the pocket and brushed to 3/8 command, was easily passed 11/16 and faded backing up some horses. CAVIART VAL was away last from the rail, lost touch. MUSICAL BOX took back to tuck, jumped 3/16.
SIXTH RACE – ROBBIE PEV was three-wide to the 1/8 to two-wide to the 3/16 to the lead, had hard pressure from nearing the half on but held resolutely as foes were coming from everywhere. SHARE THE WEALTH got a spot, then had great cover second-over, three-wide past midturn, steady finish. DANDY was uncovered before the 3/8 and went on in one-gear grind mode, tenacious as usual but not enough today. MISS MCKEE yielded for the pocket, gapped a bit on the turn but found some renewed energy in the Pocono Pike. SPICY NUGGET was between horses early and tucked third, backed out third-over 11/16, went between horses in the lane and was in very tight quarters with trot at the wire. BLENHEIM was not prominent. WARRIOR WAY disconnected the last half.
SEVENTH RACE – MODERN ROCK tucked fourth behind a three-way early-speed phalanx, started uncovered early in the backstretch and grinded up, took over early stretch then held off the foe on his back, JK OBJECTION. The latter left well and yielded, backed out to second-over 11/16, couldn’t quite catch his cover but well clear of the others. MIDNIGHT DAY stayed in, came out late backstretch but ducked back in, then outside again early stretch and took third. ROLLINWITHAMBITION sat in and was shuffled, angled between horses and with pace once clear. BLOW A CLOUD N was between horses to 3/16 command, yielded off the first turn for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, was third deep stretch but didn’t have much late punch. DING DING DINGER was three-wide past the 1/8 to two-wide to the lead off the first turn, slowed quarter two then sped up, got pressure on the turn, came up empty in the stretch. A FEARSOME HANOVER was outside but devoid of any zip today. ATLANTIS never featured.
EIGHTH RACE – COLLEGE TUITION hung a rival in a 26.3 opener before that one broke, then drastically slowed down on the lead with the second quarter 4 4/5 seconds slower than the first and a foe running up on him, sped up down the back and held a clear lead, enough to cross the wire first; an inquiry revealed that the considerable slowing of the pace caused a jam-up and interference to the 3/8 breaker, and COLLEGE TUITION was placed last. BETTERINPINEHURST inherited second after the 3/8 incident, sat in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and narrowed in, then was placed first. CANTSTOP YANKEE wound up third, outside far turn, not quite enough late. TORRONE went uncovered into turn two, retucked in the fast third quarter, was coming on late between horses and just missed 3pl2. SAID AND DONE AS didn’t have much late. FRANK THE ELDER left but then took all the way back to last, gapped the last ¼. BRIGHT SIDE UP was in a dogfight for the lead when breaking at the ¼, regained stride but couldn’t regain contention, then broke again. ZETTE FLAME was three-wide behind the top two at the 1/8 and tucked third, which became second after the break, was narrowing in on the leader when suddenly coming up on him and couldn’t avoid a jam-up resulting in a break 3/8.
NINTH RACE – RIP WHEELER was wide early and got the top 3/16 in a 26 opener, got a small rest in quarter two then sped up to resist the first-over, won comfortably with twin 27.2s home. LOUKES PERRY defended the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, held OK. HUNTANOVER let between horses and tucked third, uncovered 5/8 and made a big push at the winner that lasted through the far turn, started ceding some ground early stretch. KJ HUNTER stayed inside, looked all-out the last half in the fast mile. OAKWOOD VEGAS IR was on the move 9/16 but gapped cover past the 5/8. JOESSTAR OF MIA A was shuffled to last, finished with a touch of pace on the far outside. MAJOR SHOW gapped cover. YS DO IT RIGHT never entered the picture.
TENTH RACE – ON HIGHER GROUND showed speed, was content to stay third until just past the 5/8 when he pulled to challenge, easily grinded down the leader and went on to a clear victory in 1:51.4, fastest local trotting time of the year. P L NOTSONICE was three-wide to the 1/8 and then to the lead towards the 5/16, couldn’t handle the winner’s challenge but was a clear second. RICH AND MISERABLE was between horses to command just past the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, couldn’t keep up far turn. EUROBOND was last, pinned in on the far turn, unwound with good trot inside once free. WARRIOR ONE took back early and was never prominent. KINDA LUCKY LINDY moved outside but made no impact.
ELEVENTH RACE – LUCKBEWITHALEX was underway from fourth 3/16 and wound up quarter-mover #2, went onward to the lead just past the 3/8, fought off a big backstretch challenge, then had DA DELIGHTFUL challenge to his inside; those two were “in Thunderdome” the last 1/16, with the winner courageous to record his fourth mile in 1:50 or less here by May 20. The latter left and yielded, quarter-moved in front of the winner and yielded again, sat tight, challenged inside head-to-head late, gave a very good showing. JACK’S LEGEND N was three-deep to the 1/8 and went on to the top, saw two go by in quarter two, shuffled a bit, outside before midstretch and surged very nicely late. CAPTAIN COOL tucked between horses at the 1/8, shuffled to fourth-in, won a three-way photo for the 8%. SPORT SECRET was third-over, three-wide midturn, had late pace from a rough spot. ODDS ON OSIRIS came off turn two uncovered and in high gear, flashed 26.1 speed to challenge, but flattened on the turn. ROCK THE DEVIL never featured.
TWELFTH RACE – SENNA left well and forced a tuck, yielded for the pocket, outside to headstretch and went by AGGIORNAMENTO confidently. The latter gapped two early speedsters, then moved 5/16 to make the lead before turn two, held well but had to hold for second. SOUTHWIND ARTURO was a gapping last until in gear late backstretch, three-wide far turn, ate up a lot of late ground. BULLY BOY HILL moved outside, had to circle a parked horse to two-wide on the turn, fair late. BEER CHEESE was four-wide early, circled up to two-wide then took the pocket 3/16, inside, kept up OK late. ANGELONIA was three-wide to the 1/8 then tucked, started to gap 5/8. HAND DOVER DAN was caught out three-wide of slow-tucking horses early, went on two-wide midpack before fading. ALL CASHED OUT offered little before a late break.