FIRST RACE – Warm … Stretch tailwind … CIGAR SMOKING TONY blasted right out to the lead, hung the favorite from just past the ¼ just past a vicious half and sat in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and along in a fast mile. BENJI’S BEST moved from third at the quarter but was kept out until just after the timer read “53.3,” kept rolling, just could not hold off the pocket rocket. TRIP HAMMER stayed connected, uncovered 5/8, grinded, never closer than aflank of the leader, tried hard and raced well. THE WALL went up to the pocket by the 1/8, sat third-in, evenly late. FRISKIE ALL NITE moved second-out but couldn’t quite keep off of cover. CALYPSO ROCK N gapped early, and he and THE OTHER TWO were far detached from the main action.
SECOND RACE – HUNGRY FOR LOVE was in front towards turn one, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and had a sharp burst to gain into a 27 back quarter and win nicely. TWO PROUD remained outside early, worked up to 3/8 command, came home in 27 and still was caught. MY LITTLE CAPTAIN stayed inside, had good pace between horses late while not threatening for the top spot. ROMANTIC EVENING raced up to the pocket just past the 1/8, moved outside 11/16 but couldn’t gain. CATIE FAYE HANOVER followed cover then moved back inside, not prominent. SHIPNSTROL HANOVER never entered the main picture. SPITTING IMAGE struggled to stay close much of the last ½.
THIRD RACE – SPECIAL PROSECUTOR left alertly and took over at the 1/8, yielded to a brusher 5/16 and sat tight in the two-hole, Pocono Pike and like many early on the card took the inside path to victory. KINDA LUCKY LINDY sat well-placed, outside late turn, went widest and found better strides a little too late but just got second. BRECKENRIDGE went uncovered 5/8 and battled the leader, held very nicely. MISS MCKEE yielded at the 1/8 for the pocket, on the move again shortly thereafter to 5/16 command, came under hard pressure, didn’t give much ground. GREAT MAGIC stayed connected but couldn’t gain late. DANDY never got going. MYSTICAL WYNN gapped at the end of the main bunch. EUROBOND broke an 1/8 before the start.
FOURTH RACE – BLOW A CLOUD N was the first to show, let his righthand neighbor go by 3/16 and sat the pocket, another Pocono Pike pocket rocket. JK OBJECTION as noted made the front 3/16, went on at a good clip without pressure, beaten by a trip horse. MIDNIGHT DAY was looped, settled in third 3/16, went inside pylons upper stretch, evenly late but placed from third to fourth for the pylon violation. KINGSTONS BAD BOY struggled to stay close much of the mile inside, evenly late. GONNAHAVEONEMORE moved uncovered into the backstretch but never posed a major threat. ARTIFACT HANOVER was second-over but couldn’t stay with cover. MARINER SEELSTER trailed.
FIFTH RACE – ELWELL was four-wide leaving to two-wide to the lead past the 1/8, rambled on the lead then opened up ¾, came home in 26.4 to leave these well in the dust. MODERN ROCK was three-wide early and took command, yielded for the two-hole, went loose to the ¾ but finished far ahead of the rest. SHINEONUCRZYDIAMND A sat third the whole way. MAKE SOME WAVES moved uncovered to turn two and made third quarter progress, but couldn’t sustain the gain. BUSBOY HANOVER was never prominent. PARK OFFICIAL went shopping for a midpack tuck, moved second-over but couldn’t keep up with cover, ending the 10-race win streak. COWBOY COOL was no factor today. HOT DEUCE gapped at the back.
SIXTH RACE – DELICIOUSSTONE DK stayed outside leaving, in gear 3/16 to the lead 5/16, yielded past the 3/8 for the pocket and sat tight, yet another two-hole up the Pocono Pike to victory. ILBENEEDINSTITCHES drifted up then in gear before the 3/16, followed cover to the 5/16 then moved up to command past the 3/8, was challenged down the backstretch, fought off that one to his right but couldn’t resist the one to his left. HEART MATTERS used inside positioning to establish early command, yielded, stayed third-in, found a fine gear a 1/16 out and was making up good ground. HAND DOVER DAN started an uncovered bid just as the pacesetter cleared to the top, went up a long way uncovered, held on pretty well. CANTSTOP YANKEE backed off early, was shuffled to last, then was not helped by his cover while third-over, wide, tough spot. SAID N DONE AS gapped second-over. BEER CHEESE actually showed first but took back when his lefthand neighbor took advantage of track geometry early. not heard from again.
SEVENTH RACE — …and finally, a blast from the last! … A FEARSOME HANOVER, helped by the fractions, moved three-wide from third-over 11/16 and made a huge gain on the far turn, to two-wide late turn to the lead early stretch, withstood PLAY THE FIELD. The latter was three-wide leaving to the top into the first turn, yielded to a rusher 3/8 and sat in the pocket, sacrificed momentum to the winner but had a good response in the Pocono Pike. A BETTOR BEACH was second-over, blindswitched nearing the ¾ then backed out to follow his three-wide cover, closed well. TERRITORY left and yielded, moved out 5/16 to take over pacesetting duties, didn’t have enough in the last 1/8. LORD OF MISRULE stayed in, didn’t show much late. LYONS JOHNNYJNR went first-over into the backstretch but was never much of a danger.
EIGHTH RACE — … and another from well off the pace! (but they’re won’t be any more today) … SPEED AWAY was in a very lively outer flow, moved three-wide just past the ¾, kept gaining wide and ran down SOUTHWIND ARTURO. The latter started uncovered from midpack off the second turn, got to tuck in the pocket approaching the ¾, out again for the drive, almost took it all. SENNA was double-looped and three-wide almost to the 3/16, pressed on to take over the top 3/8, held well. FRANK THE ELDER got into the good outer flow, left uncovered ¾, best of the rest. ZETTE FLAME was out most of the ¼ before getting the front, yielded for the pocket, went loose late backstretch in the race’s slowest ¼ giving a tuck, evenly in the last ¼. AGGIORNAMENTO stayed in and was shuffled to last, wide but couldn’t reach. BETTERINPINEHURST went out quickly to take over, pushed then yielded, shuffled when the pocket horse unplugged to the ¾, but didn’t seem to have much when clear – hard-to-evaluate mile. BULLY BOY HILL did not make his presence felt.
NINTH RACE – OUTWIT OUTRUN didn’t look like the “nw2000L5” horse he was a few lines back – looped early, he moved up at the 1/8 to the lead 5/16, pushed a bit then yielded, right back out for 9/16 and went head-to-head with the pacesetter the rest of the way, managed to get his nose to the wire first. SHORE OF HIMSELF was well-placed and got the pocket when the winner pulled, to the Pocono Pike and had his shot, just nosed out. SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL made two moves to control the throttle, had the winner at him the last 7/16, held strongly to the very end. I’M BENICIO A was uncovered early on turn two, picked up cover early backstretch, struggled to keep with his cover and ultimately could not. REDBANK BLAZE A was fifth-over, went between horses in the stretch, fair. THE DARK SHADOW had an excess of cover, four-wide and with some pace at the line. URBAN RENEWAL had room to get tighter down the backstretch but did not. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL was third-over, three-wide late turn but came up empty.
TENTH RACE – ON HIGHER GROUND was three-wide early and briefly tucked third, then was unleashed 5/16 and powerfully took over, opened up a clear lead in the slowest quarter of the race, then threw a 27.1 haymaker to reduce his own Pocono seasonal standard to 1:51.2. P L NOTSONICE seated foes early, yielded to the winner, started going a bit loose 5/8, but still was a clear second. ROBBIE PEV moved uncovered 5/8 from last in the main group, raced well. DEWEY ARNOLD backed out to second-over but couldn’t get close even for the major minor awards. RICH AND MISERABLE took the pocket early, inside, couldn’t keep up far turn. ARMSTEAD COLE started slowly then ran 3/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – STONEBRIDGE KARIS used the rail well in the 26.2 opener, finally yielded to the 3/8 to sit the pocket, came outside past early stretch when the first-over finally faded, finished well. CODE CRACKER left and was four-wide early but then took all the way back to fifth, was third-over, had to go four-wide late turn, narrowing in very well late in a mile better than it appears on paper. BULLVILLE FRANK was fourth-over and widest in the lane, had steady pace. A STUD NAMED SAM sat in, gapped in the third quarter, got closer late on the far turn and finished steadily along the inside. CAPTAIN ROMANCE was second-over, three-wide late turn, outpaced. STOP STARING was three-wide all the way to the ¼, finally hit the front before the 3/8, set a fast pace with pressure from the 5/8, gave way. LAST MACH was last, looked to have pace while blocked through the lane. CONTROL HEAVEN was between horses to the ¼ then tucked, came again first-over to the half and battled the leader, tired.
TWELFTH RACE – BUILDING BOOST gapped the early duel but was underway raw 3/8, grinded and grinded some more, made the lead towards deep stretch and then held off SPORTY M THREE with courage. The latter gapped a bit inside then got in gear ¾ and angled very wide, finished powerfully. DRAGONONTHEBEACH went right to the top and yielded 3/16 for the pocket, Pocono Pike, got a short lead midstretch but couldn’t outfinished the outside ones. LOUKES PERRY was right up on the gate, worked to the top 3/16 and set the pace with a lot of pressure from the winner, held well. TJ’S INDY PACER was third-in, to the deep Pike, hard to tell if he was fully clear. OAKWOOD VENUS IR had belated pace from last. PARMESAN N was not a big factor. K J HUNTER gapped cover down the back, was blindswitched, didn’t have too much late.
THIRTEENTH RACE – JACK’S LEGEND N was in front at the 1/8, set the pace as he pleased then stormed home in 25.4 in hand. SPORT SECRET spotted third near the 1/8, moved outside midturn, won the battle for the distant second. HESA KINGSLAYER N moved uncovered 9/16, didn’t threaten the winner but stayed in the battle for place. MIKE’S Z TAM left, yielded for the pocket, didn’t have quite enough late in the battle for the deuce. CASUAL COOL had gapping cover, got the last check. CRUNCH HANOVER stayed in, never a player. VENIER HANOVER gapped much of the first half, moved out down the back but had very little.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SEVENTIER tucked in third 3/16, moved raw off turn two and challenged hard, got a couple of short leads but couldn’t clear to the inside, but had the most late. DAGON HANOVER left well and yielded for the pocket, moved two- and three-wide headstretch, good outing but had to settle for second. MACMORRIS HANOVER set the pace, under pressure from the winner from just past the 5/8, couldn’t hold on to the lead. CHOCO CHARLIE gained a lot of ground up the inside, Pocono Pike, OK. IN A TINY WAY was at the back most of the way, behind dull cover, evenly late. MISTER BOINGA tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved second-over but didn’t keep up. DROP THE MIC gapped early, moved outside but could offer little. SORTIE broke coming off turn two.