FIRST RACE – Very warm for Pocono in May … ONE AFTER NINE was quarter-mover #2, set the pace without pressure, then withstood the inside late thrust of GRAPPLE HANOVER. The latter left, yielded, made a “hidden” quarter move, yielded again, stayed close, went to the Pocono Pike and gained but not enough. KEEGAN HO went to the lead at the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, lost ground on those two in the stretch, next. CHAPOLIER looked at leaving while wide but took all the way back to last, came again behind cover, not too bad an effort. TEDDY BROSEVELT and TIDQUIST could offer little. MONEY MATTERS moved uncovered 5/8, couldn’t get close, then broke midturn.
SECOND RACE – (Not much of a) stretch headwind starting up … CAPTAIN UP took command early, wasn’t threatened as he stepped home in 27.2. MOTLEY RAY took a while to settle in, came out at the ¾ and had to go four-wide around a logjam midturn, finished very powerfully. VORACIOUS left and got the pocket, couldn’t keep up, held for third over CLEVELAND B MIKI. The latter spotted third, inside, Pocono Pike, fair. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC pulled raw from last at the ¼ and took air the rest of the way, did well to get a check. SOLAR BOLT was outside down the backstretch and moved up quickly going three-wide past the 5/8, but flattened at the ¾. MIGHT BE RIGHT didn’t offer much. CRÈME DE LOU CRÈME moved out on turn two but broke at the half.
THIRD RACE – ARCHIBALD was underway late on the first turn but needed until just past the 3/8 to clear, set the pace, under mild encouragement to maintain a good margin. JIVE NINETY FIVE made the lead and yielded, stayed inside third until late on the turn, along for a no-factor second. CHUCKY DE VIE worked to the front at the 1/8, pushed the winner then yielded just past the 3/8, stayed close to midturn, then tired some. FRAC gapped; BAR COINS tried to go around that one but could not. JUSTIFY lost contact early in the backstretch.
FOURTH RACE – SIRI BLUE CHIP moved 5/16 to the lead and rated quarter two, then sprinted off in 56 well in control. BULLVILLE KARLA pushed a foe almost to the ¼ and yielded, back out uncovered 5/8, couldn’t threaten but enough for second. BETTE TINA moved uncovered from last, got cover 5/8 then gapped it, better late turn and went wide, steady late. FOX VALLEY CACHET gapped inside at several points, in gear and four-wide late turn, finished OK. EMMY LOU HAYES was used hard in a very fast quarter to make the lead, yielded, started to go loose late backstretch. TRAFFIC JAM was not prominent.
FIFTH RACE – PAUC HANOVER went out to take over, yielded ¼ for the pocket, vacated the two-hole 11/16 to challenge the leader, had passed the leader before that one broke, held off the closers. ACTION SHOT was forwardly-placed, outside ¾, wide, gained some. F SCOTT’S MUSE followed cover, wide midstretch and gained some. CHEF ROCCO was looped, went on at the 1/8 to the lead at the ¼, got a slow middle half but also got pressure late backstretch, already passed when breaking late, placed for a double LOB. LEAST WEASEL advanced inside to pocket position late turn, only evenly late. DIVINE ZETTE wasn’t prominent. TRY-HARD HANOVER broke soon after the start.
SIXTH RACE – NO CIGAR TONY got early forward position, moved 5/8, quickly cleared and opened up a big lead, coasting late. HUNGRY FOR MONEY moved in the lively outer flow, three-wide ¾ and gained to the wire. MIKI B MOUSE was inside, out in a blindswitch far turn, ducked in in the lane, fair. HES EXPRESS spotted fifth at the 1/8, moved with cover but was left raw before the ¾, evenly. HERS HUNGRY got the last payday. EVERHART HANOVER left well from the rail, yielded, shuffled badly when the pacesetter tired, but had no recovery in the lane. KEYSTONE PEARL offered little. KALYPSO, outside early, moved up at the 1/8 to the lead past the ¼, strung out the opposition from the 3/8 to the 5/8, then was engulfed by the winner and backed through the field.
SEVENTH RACE – SAY YOU DO left well enough to put a foe in and set the pace, slowed the half, had enough sprint to hold off a challenger to both sides. STEALING went uncovered into the backstretch, was coming on very well at the end. NEXTROUNDSONME couldn’t get around the winner early and had to settle for the pocket past the 1/8, clear in the Pocono Pike, just not enough sprint. BANK BOX TREASURE went up to tuck third at the 1/8, sat in, may not have had full clearance inside. SWEET HEART AS was second-over, wide, not enough. PADRE never factored.
EIGHTH RACE – FRIDAY NIGHT BLUES was pushed most of the 26.2 opener to clear but did so, rated the half, opened a big lead into the stretch, appeared safe. SELECT FRIDAY was urged hard leaving, seemed reluctant to give up the lead but did so near the ¼, sat the pocket, not tight on the winner to the ¾ and then saw him get away late turn, found a better late gear while bearing out some and cut into the winning margin. MISTER DAYTONA sat third-in the whole way; HES REALLY KEEN was right behind him. GLOBALDOMINATION N was shuffled then backed outside 11/16 only to see the tier go stagnant, too much ground to make up. LENWOODS REAL DEAL moved out at the ¼ and got cover 3/8, didn’t advance too much two-wide and three-wide midturn, outpaced. LEAVE AND ROLL backed out to third-over but went back inside down the back. SHARKY BEAR was uncovered before the 3/8, never got near the leader and retreated in the last ¼.
NINTH RACE – Wind calm now … DIRT ON MY BOOTS tucked third, then paced his back half in 54.1, moving raw 5/8, getting inside on the turn then coming out again towards midstretch, determinedly to catch MIGHTY SANTANA N. The latter went straight to the top, got a breather in quarter two then sprinted down the back losing all but the winner, good but not quite good enough at the end. BULLVILLE TERROR was raw at the half, got cover 5/8 then couldn’t stay with it, distant third. STENDAHL HANOVER was outside but never entered the main picture. TITO ROCKS left, took the two-hole, under a hold 3/8, couldn’t keep up from late backstretch. THE OTHER PAIR were inside, gapped out.
TENTH RACE – HUNTING SEASON moved after things sorted themselves out in the 26.2 opener, made the top, was threatened only by MY HUNGRY GIRL late and held that one off. The latter refused to yield early from inside leaving position, then ceded the leader to the winner and trailed close-up, out into the stretch, good but second here. EXTREME Z TAM had cover but it didn’t advance much, gained a little too late. BLANK CHEEK was very wide early and three-wide past mid-first turn, tucked in third at the ¼, came raw again 5/8, gained to the far turn but then couldn’t gain any more. JAGGED LITTLE PILL was between horses then took the pocket before the ¼, couldn’t keep up in the last ¼. PLAY WITH ME was away last from the rail and gapped at the back.
ELEVENTH RACE – MUDVILLE showed good gate speed, yielded to the challenger in front of the stands and waited for the stretch, outside and snapped right on by. AMERICA’S GUEST pulled from third to the ¼ to take over 3/8, set the pace with no challenges, well ahead of the others in second. ROCK THREE TIMES was away second, stayed in third and began to go loose nearing the ¾. SPORTY DRAGON retucked around a gapper backstretch, didn’t gain late. PHANTOM SHADOW went up and found a 4-tuck 3/16, not heard from again. I’LL TAKE THE BET moved outside before the half but didn’t gain. LATEST ATTRACTION fell far back. CENTURY IGLESIAS broke towards the first turn.