FIRST RACE – The temperature started at 70 and fell through the card, as they usually do on these nighttime programs … Stretch headwind … IMMANUEL K S went to the lead at the 1/8, set a fast pace stringing out the field, getting a little tired late but with too big a lead to overcome. STONE MASON didn’t move outside until before the 11/16, then kept coming on solidly. MACMORRIS HANOVER defended the pocket, started going loose down the back, held for third. CHOCO CHARLIE came out behind cover but gapped it, evenly. MARION GONDOLIER was hard to settle back early, did OK. STEALING tucked third at the 1/8, not too much late. HUNTING AS was gapping before the half.
SECOND RACE – BULLVILLE TERROR spotted third, stayed in then backed out to second-over 5/8, edged wide headstretch, took a while for him to find his best kick but did so just in the nick of time to take the triumph. CAVIART VAL left, accepted the two-hole, Pocono Pike, got a brief lead in deep stretch, just missed. LAST MACH was out behind cover early, then was raw from the ¼, in gear off turn two and battled with the pacesetter the rest of the way, very big mile to be in the fight to the wire. REGAL ESCAPE headed down the road, fought with the persistent first-over, not far off at all. CENTURY IGLESIAS had dull cover, wide and best of the rest. LUZIANA never featured. PHANTOM SHADOW was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-high until squeezing in fourth at the ¼, backed out down the back but couldn’t keep up so went back in, not prominent thereafter. LATEST ATTRACTION was inside, faded badly.
THIRD RACE – The American Harness Drivers Club of amateur horsemen are back … LINDYS BOOZE CRUZ sat in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and prevailed in the driving finish. BLOGMASTER started uncovered at the 3/8, grinded up, made the lead towards midstretch, flattened slightly. WINNERESS sat in and was shuffled, OK in the deep Pike. KING CAST set all the pace, had a persistent challenger, a bit shy late. POSSESS THE STONE sat in and was shuffled to last, outside ¾, started inside towards headstretch but saw traffic and angled out wide, moving very well but too late. CAMPBELLINI was second-over from last, couldn’t quite keep up the last 3/16.
FOURTH RACE – LAZ sat in the very loose pocket, got closer past the ¾, to the Pocono Pike and reeled in STAY GROUNDED late. The latter was off to the races setting very fast fractions, opened a giant lead down the back, but couldn’t maintain his advantage all the way to the finish. SPARROW HANOVER gapped early, circled stragglers down the back to retuck fourth, then was moving with very high velocity through the stretch. MOTLEY RAY got away third, came out 5/8 but couldn’t pass the gapping pocket horse / winner, kept going OK. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC was away slowly, stayed against the pylons and got the last check. VORACIOUS was two-wide with little. MIGHT BE RIGHT was three-wide to the 3/16, took back to get in fourth just past the ¼, then gapped out the last half. HURRIKANE IRONHEAD had lost contact by the 3/8.
FIFTH RACE – AHDC … WILLY WALTON hustled up to the lead 3/16, rated the half, shook off pressure, won measuring over the potential pocket rocket JIVE NINETY FIVE. The latter was away alertly to protect the pocket, stayed close, outside stretch, gained a little but didn’t really threaten. TRUMP THIS was second-over 3/8, went inside ¾, then tipped out again in the stretch, best of the rest. MASSTER BLUE was never close. FAMOUS CANTAB was behind unhelpful cover, wide, not prominent. ALL RISE sat in, backed out late backstretch, offered little. SOUTHWIND FROST went in 3/16, back uncovered 3/8 and challenged a long way, then shaken off, broke while no factor.
SIXTH RACE – DOUBLE DIPPIN was the only outside leaver, got to the top before the ¼, opened a big lead on the far turn, saw that lead shrinking as FEELING OPTIMISTIC came on but had enough clear space to remain safe. The latter was outside, was able to come through two-wide on the turn as the first-over went wide and the second-over went inside, finished strongly. POWHATAN was second-over, ducked in mid-far turn when the first-up suddenly stopped, inside stretch, fair. ACTION SHOT shot through at the start, hung the winner a while then yielded, started to gap in the pocket before the 11/16. ACCELERATE came uncovered at the half, was gaining near the 3/4 when he suddenly lost his action and drifted wide. THE REST were never prominent in this one.
SEVENTH RACE – SELENA DEO was three-wide leaving then two-wide until taking the pocket 3/16, waited, to the Pocono Pike, got the win in a not-fast race. DIVINE ZETTE moved outside ¾, was doing better late (in a 30 kicker). QUEEN OF THORNTON tucked, sat in, moved outside before midstretch and finished OK while possibly in tight quarters between horses. TAILWIND PAT set a moderate pace, not quite enough. BINGO BRAIN gapped early, then underway uncovered into turn two, went the fastest quarter of anyone in the race (28.3) going up to challenge into the wind, held OK. IN YOUR DREAMS DEO was out at the half but immediately was gapping. LIRA HANOVER jumped before the 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – ANGELPEDIA left between horses to the front 3/16, got a slow half then sped up, in firm control with a :27.4 last quarter and a long stride to the wire. PERFECT PASSION sat third while slightly loose midrace, came out late turn and was clearly second. QUARANTINA relinquished for the pocket 3/8, had no more left to give late. WILD JIGGY S was caught in very early, finally cleared early backstretch, three-wide past the 5/8 but never advanced. FLARES ZIVA didn’t have too much inside. OLD MAGIC was three-wide early then took back behind cover, lost that 3/16 and was left midpack on the rim, faded the last ¼. ROSITA took back to last, then was on the move past the ¼ behind the parked horse, blindswitched, backed out behind the wide one on the turn but then broke.
NINTH RACE – THINK OF GALAXIES was four-wide to the first turn and three-wide to the 1/8, went on two-wide and needed until the 3/8 to get the lead, had a clear advantage most of the last half and was in control to the finish. SHIPNSTROL HANOVER got to the front at the 1/8, hung the winner to the 3/8 then yielded, loose in the pocket most of the last half, found her best strides late. EMMY LOU HAYES pushed early and yielded, stayed third-in, inside stretch and wasn’t too far away at the wire. BULLVILLEKARLA sat in and went evenly. BETTE TINA was uncovered at the 3/8, couldn’t quite reach the top three but held her ground decently after a hard trip. TARGARYEN EMPRESS was inside and not a factor; TRAFFIC JAM was outside and not a factor.
TENTH RACE – BOND, a 3YO trotting filly in her first start of the year, cleared to the lead from PP8 before the first turn, got her own pace, then was lightly-asked towards midstretch and came home in :26.4 in a commanding performance. RAILEE SOMETHING was in high gear early and secured the pocket, moved outside midturn as a foe came up to give herself options, gained late on the turn, then held courageously while trotting her own last quarter in 26.4, great effort. BELLA MACCHIATO maintained her position behind the top two, decisioned HEAVEN HANOVER for third. The latter moved out 11/16 and gained well, got cover from the place horse just past midturn, just edged for third. OVER BOARD stayed in and got the last check. TIPSY MONI moved out with cover but couldn’t go enough. HEART ON FIRE was outleft and took back all the way to last, not heard from thereafter. BABY TAKE A VOW was caught inside on the far turn, made a break headstretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – WESTBEACH wound up with a perfect pocket trip, to the Pocono Pike and caught REACHTHRUTHESKY AS late. The latter took over the racetrack in a fast opener, got a second quarter breather, then tacked on two 27.4 quarters but was caught by the pocket rocket. SIRI BLUE CHIP sat third, under a hold past the 3/8, moved out past the 5/8 and gained on the far turn, just a bit shy of the top two late in a good showing. DANCE CLUB was briefly third-over late backstretch but ducked back in, OK. ABBY ROSE was second-over, moved out 11/16 and kicked out the plugs but couldn’t keep up. RIGHTFULLY MINE took back to last, disconnected in the last ¼.
TWELFTH RACE – FASHION ANNIE moved at the ¼, got cover then proceeded on uncovered to the top early on turn two, was not to be denied here. SWEET ON HER was off of three early contenders while out with cover, lost the cover past the 1/8 and went on to the front 5/16, saw two go by in rapid succession, vacated third ¾ as the pocketsitter started to give way, very good after a hard trip. YES PLEASE came uncovered from midpack before the 5/8, got cover to the ¾ but gapped it on the turn, was doing a bit better once straightened away. PIANO BAR got forward position, stayed in past the 5/8 and was shuffled far turn, forced to wait in the Pocono Pike, fair. PEMBROKE MONI was far back behind not-great cover, wide stretch and OK. LADY LITA also was shuffled far turn, switched directions a couple of times in the last 1/8 trying to gain clearance, OK. KEYSTONE SWEETPEA was never prominent. PORTULACA, three-wide to turn one, got to the lead, yielded, moved off turn one in front of the winner to get the top back, yielded early second turn, nothing left for the last quarter.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CAPTAIN ROMANCE had the pocket early, moved to get the top of the first turn then yielded 3/8 to sit the pocket, outside early stretch and outpaced THE WALL late. The latter was looped and spotted, then was the last one to the top 3/8, OK but couldn’t hold back the winner. TREVOR ONE had moribund cover, swung three-wide before the ¾ and circled up well to two-wide midturn, next in line. KATIES BET was stuck behind a tired one on the turn, but didn’t gain much once reaching the Pocono Pike. SOMBODYITREASURE was quickly on top, saw two go by in quarter two, couldn’t keep up the last 3/16. PERFECT BET had dull cover, was blindswitched, never prominent. CLOSING STATEMENT moved uncovered towards turn two, had very little to offer the last 7/16.