FIRST RACE – Mid 70s to low 80s as summer approaches … DIEHARD SEELSTER yielded for a pocket trip, came out late turn and went by with ease. NICALO HANOVER sat fourth-in, benefitted when the two-in and three-in moved out for the stretch, steadily. ELEGANT DULUPIN FR was in front just past the 1/8, set the pace under no pressure, but gave way. ITS A HORSE slotted third at the 1/8, outside stretch but only so-so. NICE STUFF did not have great cover, three-wide midturn, not on the main radar. CAN’T SAY NO was put underway 3/8 but never reached the leader before retreating far turn. WARRIOR WAY didn’t make his presence felt. ARGENTO broke past the start.
SECOND RACE – TASTE OF HONEY was looped, worked to take control at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, backed out behind the first-over late turn, wide and defeated the second-half battlers. ZEUS HANOVER quarter-moved and put up crisp fractions while fighting the first-over from past the 5/8, held well. NOPEWASNTME came out uncovered at the half, went his third split in 27 to throw high heat at the leader, held solidly. DONT GET SHOCKED left better than anybody, saw horses go past early, stayed in, moved out a path stretch but couldn’t do that much. VARNEY was last, moved out, tried to circle a sluggish foe ¾ but made no meaningful progress. BEACH VIBES got cover at the half but gapped it. ALADDIN HANOVER never entered the main picture.
THIRD RACE – PARK STREET BLUES was looped and tucked third 3/16, moved 5/16 to take the lead past the 3/8, went on at a good clip without pressure, just enough. CAPTAIN WHO was three-wide before the first turn and continued on to take the lead, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, outside headstretch, with the 22-1 shot giving the 4-5 winner all he wanted late. PAULS BANDIT moved out midturn, stayed behind the pulling pocketsitter until midstretch, found best strides a little too late. BARNEY HANOVER was first on top, saw two go by, inside, evenly. GOFORBROKE YANKEE never surfaced. HUNGRY TO SUCCEED stayed outside early, was moving up late first turn when breaking, tried to recover but could not.
FOURTH RACE – KASEVILLE was three-high to the 1/8 and on the lead thereafter, rated quarter two, looked to being handled confidently late. FREDDIE MAC yielded and stalked in the two-hole, outside for the drive, enough for a DH2 with CHING CHING LUCKY. The latter was shuffled to last, three-wide ¾ and made a solid move on the turn, kept coming from well out of it to earn the tie for second. TRUMP THIS left between horses, tucked third, had his shot up the Pocono Pike but just a bit below the top three here. EXCHEQUER went uncovered 3/8, one-geared up in quarter three but couldn’t sustain the gain. SUM FOR ALL was never prominent. TRUEMASS VOLO was second-over, blindswitched ¾ just as he started to fade.
FIFTH RACE – KARABOUDJAN was between horses to the lead 3/16, slowed quarter two then picked up the pace, clear from before the ¾. SMOOTH LANDING left, got an inside spot that turned out to be the pocket after a breaker, did her best to stay close and did a pretty good job of that until the stretch, clearly second. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT showed some early speed, inside, next. PUB HOPPING stayed flat. SEMINOLE MOON sat fourth-in until the stretch, broke looking for more midstretch, placed for LOB. QUEBEC HANOVER was briefly four-deep then three-wide 3/16, had just gotten to two-wide when making a break late first turn, caught back and went up in the slow second quarter, nothing left in the last stanza. LOOKINTOGETLUCKY didn’t offer much here.
SIXTH RACE – SOUTHWIND DREDGE spotted midpack early, started to grind before the half, kept advancing and took the lead early stretch, gamely to withstand PERKINS. The latter got a golden trip second-over, went wide in the lane and narrowed in but couldn’t quite get there. ER VEGAS defended the early pocket, to the Pocono Pike, had pace, just came up shy. AIN’T IT FUN circled a backstretch gapper, moved out midturn, came between horses in the lane, gained, may’ve been shut off at the wire. ROYHILL left, took a 3-tuck, stayed in, to the deep Pike, couldn’t get into the main late battle. PLAY THE ACE gapped at a couple of points. CAVIART SAGE set the pace, had the winner come to him going into the far turn, was tired coming out of that bend.
SEVENTH RACE – PURE HOPE S was limbed most of the quarter getting the lead, had no problem after that and drew away. MISSILE got the early lead, yielded towards the ¼, kept close in the pocket until past mid-far turn, way ahead of the rest. WEATHER VANES tucked third, gapped most of the last ¼, preserved third. RUFFLES N LACES didn’t offer much. KEYSTONE SWEETPEA was off the gate then broke at the start but quickly caught, went raw down the back but never got close, then fell further back. UFTON ABBY HANOVER didn’t offer much. TALKIN’ BOUT YOU was uncovered 3/8, was taking the second turn badly then broke at the half.
EIGHTH RACE – ONE HUNDRED POOF refused an early hole and took over 3/8, strung out the field to the ¾, then went about three-wide into the far turn, restraightened, then was immeasurably aided when the pocket horse broke and took out much of the field, all alone in a speedy if adventurous win. PRAIRIE NUGGET moved outside 11/16, was alongside the breaking horse past the ¾ and was not affected, held for second. DEVITO HANOVER followed the cover of the place horse, pushed a bit wide on the far turn, showed some recovery late. TACTICAL FLAME was bothered in the outer flow. RFL’S JASPER went to the lead at the 1/8, pushed the winner to the 3/8 then yielded for the pocket, broke past the ¾ causing trouble, went to the infield, placed. TO MY CREDIT was rough and slinky-like coming out of the turn before the start, last, checked when the trouble started and then made an ‘ix.” TOMMY BOY HANOVER was right behind the breaker, suffered an “ix” and also went to the infield.
NINTH RACE – BULLVILLE STEPHANO gapped the torrid pace early then got closer, stayed in far turn, found room between horses and finished well in a “flukish” 1:49 mile given the wild pace. THAT DOG WILL HUNT was three-wide to the 1/8, got the pocket at the ¼, stayed very close to the outrageous pace, Pocono Pike, made a short brief lead midstretch but likely was bottomed chasing the big numbers. SIMPLY FAST was bothered early, came out raw from way back 11/16, finished sharply. THORN TOAD was out on mission with 26.1, 53.3, 1:20.4 in “nw2,” couldn’t sustain to the line. FOUT yielded, gave the pocket at the ¼, moved out ¾, went evenly. TRAIN STATION was bothered early, never in it. ESTEEM was gaping before the half. SOUTHWIND SAMBUCCA had his air shut off before the ¼, went to the infield, was pulled up.
TENTH RACE – DART GUY went uncovered past the 3/8, grinded up and sailed by on the turn, nice victory. CRAZYCAT was out between horses to the lead, yielded 3/16 for the pocket, slipped outside as the winner went by the pacesetter, left uncovered far turn, chased the winner home steadily. SIMON GOT LUCKY was behind the winner but gapped slightly letting the place horse get out, three-wide midturn, steadily. SMART AS HILL was well back in the flow, between horses in the stretch, OK. DIVINE SPIRIT was last-over, widest and gained some late. SYLVESTERAMERICA IT tucked third, caught behind the tiring pacesetter through the turn, to the Pocono Pike but couldn’t build any momentum. TRUMAN JR HANOVER stayed in, gapped down the back. TOWN VICTOR was three-wide early to the lead 3/16, nothing left in the last panel.
ELEVENTH RACE – UTOPIA BLUE CHIP was looped early, went up behind a pocketpuller and then by that one to the 3/8, fought off a challenger and was clear after the midstretch incident. SALDANA HANOVER moved at the half and pressured the leader, a clear second (but there was trouble behind). BIRDIE THREE went to command past the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, inside, bothered when the horse fell midstretch. LADY’S CHOICE K also kept to the inside, checked sharply with the midstretch trouble. MY SWEET KATE broke at the ¼ wiping out a rival, recovered and went up to challenge while staying out in the three-path, remained three-wide the rest of the way and was close to midturn, then faded, placed for the early incident. SWEET GADGETS was grabbed into hard to avoid a ¼ breaker, lost contact down the back, then had to avoid another problem near the end. SUMMER DREAMS was outside down the back, gapped and was blindswitched, then couldn’t avoid the fallen horse midstretch and ran loose afterwards. LURKINGNTHESHADOWS yielded, moved 3/16 to retake then yielded again, pocket, to the Pocono Pike and looked to be in a good spot to be second when suddenly falling midstretch.
TWELFTH RACE – EMIRA MIL IT took the pocket, moved 5/8 and was right by 3/4, drew off at will. SAINT TRIXIE took control from the pole, rated the half, couldn’t keep the winner out ¾, did last for second. U BAKE THE CAKE stayed in, gapped 11/16, evenly in the Pocono Pike. GINA’S ON FIRE stayed close to the top two in third until coming out headstretch, but had very little to give. LOUS LANCELOT was never in it. FIGHT SONG went off-key the last half.
THIRTEENTH RACE – KAY SAGE yielded early for the pocket, was taken to the Pocono Pike and responded immediately to overhaul BLAZING RAMONA. The latter was in front quickly, withstood pressure from the favorite to her right, but then couldn’t beat out the foe to her left. BENICIO moved out past the 5/8 and quickly moved up to press the leader, couldn’t quite sustain that move to the wire. TIME TO ROAR tucked third going to turn one, sat inside, evenly. THE NEXT TWO gapped at the back down the back. REGGAE HANOVER moved second-over but couldn’t stay with cover, then ran midturn.
FOURTEENTH RACE – JOEY came just before the ¼ after the early dustup was resolving itself, moved to the front past the 3/8, looked to be well in control. ANDOVER CONTESSA moved from last into turn two and got cover before the half, went up behind that two-wide one, three-wide midturn, finished well. HALL IT OFF was the innermost of three early battlers, yielded, sat in, to the Pocono Pike, enough for show. MISS MUSCLE was between horses to the 3/16 until tucking third, back out raw before the half, gained, held well after a hard trp. DEE’S RED DELICIOUS was three-wide 3/16 then moved on to the lead, yielded past the 3/8 for the pocket, had little punch in the stretch. SWIZZLE HANOVER moved outside but gapped. WHAT THAT IS never was prominent.