FIRST RACE – Warm; stretch tailwind … JOHNNY SACK pressed on early to the lead then yielded off the first turn, stayed close in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and along nicely. CABOT BEACH was three-wide early, then two-wide to take command off the first turn, couldn’t hold on to the advantage. HESTONATOR left from the rail, wound up third-in, came between horses in tight quarters with some late pace. BET ON BUTER settled n fourth near the 1/8, broke after the ¼, went up and got into his previous hole before the second turn, then moved uncovered before the 5/8, made another challenge then fell back. BE THE CAPTAIN was second-over, wide in the lane and moving well late. MIKI DE VIE never factored.
SECOND RACE – CHAPOLIER was far back early, gained three-wide from the 5/8, veered wide late turn but got straightened away, closed best into a slowing pace. CHUCKY DE VIE made the top at the 1/8 and then hung a foe in fast fractions, stayed on to get second just on the line. CREEMORE spotted fifth, moved second-over, blindswitched then to the pocket as the pocketsitter faded, just edged for place. LOUS LANCELOT spotted, was shuffled behind the tired pocketsitter much of the far turn then out into a blindswitch, back inside and did OK. PRAIRIE VIRTUE was out behind the parked horse, blindswitched past the 5/8, never a major factor. NANCY BAR was three-wide to the 1/8, then as left out in no man’s land during fast fractions, held pretty well a long way. KEYSTONE SERGEANT couldn’t rally enough. TEDDY BROSEVELT kept the pocket closed, then steadily fell back from the 5/8.
THIRD RACE – SPORTSMANSHIP made the lead and yielded, backed out behind the parked horse 5/8, three-wide late turn, was moving best of all as the pace slowed down. TODDLER TANTRUM left, was behind cover then uncovered before the 3/16 to the front off turn one, rebuffed the early move of the favorite while going a very fast half, couldn’t quite hold to the wire. PANTHEON HANOVER stayed in, sharply angled wide headstretch and gained as the tempo declined. ARTACHE HANOVER was behind a two-wide gapper and was three-wide from nearing the 5/8 but never really entered contention. RUNHAPPY TEN took command before the 3/16 and yielded just into the frontstretch, gapped out late turn. AWESOMENESS slid in fifth 3/16, out behind cover on turn two but gapped the last half. RIOT tried to get to the top in the frontstretch but was left out in the air in a very fast half, pressured the leader before giving way. SPORTS BOX had all kinds of dull traffic ahead of him, had little chance trying to circle up four-wide from before the ¾.
FOURTH RACE – HESPOOKSHESCORES looped rivals to the first turn to take the lead, yielded past the 3/16 for the pocket, came out headstretch and went by easily. PRAIRIE FAMOUS was looped and three-wide to the 1/8, got to the front past the 3/16, se a slow pace, still had little in the last 1/16, did hold second. CASHIER came out ¾, wide headstretch and bore wide in the lane, narrowed in. STRONG BREW inherited third, couldn’t keep up the last 3/16. FAWN DE SIGN moved outside 11/16 but never did much. STAR HOPPING broke just before the start. SWEDISH HAT left from the pole, was in the early battle for second when breaking before the 3/16 and went inside. SOUTHWIND FIREBALL broke w-a-y before the start.
FIFTH RACE – ADULT SWIM went out well to the lead, forced a tuck, then yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and went right by. NO CIGAR TONY got an early spot, moved before the ¼ to take command, could offer little resistance late; reported back with “b.e.” DOWNBYTHEBANKS went uncovered from midpack 11/16, did OK in the fast last ¼. PARTY LOUNGE left well, took a tuck 3/16, began to fade midturn. CAVIART SABRINA gapped, never entered the picture but did get a check. ALL YOU CAN EAT was far back behind nonadvancing cover. TRULY was outside before the half, made up ground until the 11/16, where she got cover and immediately started to gap it. HALLELUJAH CHORUS gapped, then fell further behind.
SIXTH RACE – CUTIECUMBER left between horses and sat the pocket journey, outside headstretch and proved to have the most late. RAVIOLI was three-wide leaving, had the top by the 1/8, set the pace as she pleased, not enough to withstand the winner. MISS HALL sat third, not in the league of the top two late but far ahead of the others. QUEEN CAMILLE gapped at several points. EVER HOPEFUL G broke coming off the turn before the start, caught the field by the 3/8, made up some ground down the backstretch but flattened in the last 3/16. MERCURY LANE never featured. NINA HANOVER was wide early, took back but broke nearing the first curve.
SEVENTH RACE – SCOTTY DEO was four-wide early, worked to two-wide with cover to the 3/16, then left raw and went right on to get the lead 3/8, never let up on the speed while stringing this field out and won impressively. P CHICO was three-wide leaving, then two-high to 3/16 command, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, well ahead of the rest. PAUC HANOVER went right to the lead, yielded 3/16, wasn’t keeping up in the 3-hole from down the backstretch, just third over OPTRIX. The latter moved out with cover, ducked in far turn when cover stalled, to the Pocono Pike, evenly. JOLLY RANCHER moved uncovered 5/8 but never threatened. FOX HOLE gapped third-over. YO CARTER never entered the picture. BATTLESHIP LANDING gapped from the 5/8, broke in the stretch.
EIGHTH RACE – APPLE VALLEY ART found enough at the 1/8 to put the first challenger in behind, then kept another challenger parked, went clear headstretch and won handily. STELLAR BLUE CHIP was third-over and steadily advanced in that wide lane, enough to take second at the wire over IT’SGOODTOBETHEKING. The latter was actually ahead of the winner early but track geometry forced him to back off to the pocket 3/16, didn’t gain the last 1/8 and lost second very late. LACHIE MAGUIRE N was out behind cover early, tucked at the ¼ but was back out behind the cover 3/8, blindswitched 5/8, backed out to follow the three-wide cover far turn, steadily. SHARKY BEAR was buried inside, out in a blindswitch past midturn, angled wide and was OK late. LENWOODS REAL DEAL had cover to the 3/16 then was stuck raw on the rim, challenged a long way, was passed by several horses but still showed good energy in the luckless trip. BLAKEMORE couldn’t keep up in the last ¼. PERKINS was behind cover but didn’t enter contention.
NINTH RACE – SILENT NIGHT turned out to be quarter-mover #2, briefly three-wide before the 3/8 then going to two-wide when making a break, reset before turn two and rushed up, took the lead ¾, was handled cautiously late when others came back on her but seemed in control very late. CHEROKEE JOY was three-wide early to the top at the 1/8, yielded 3/8, moved outside on the far turn after the lead changed hands, just nipped WAL STREET LADY for second. The latter pulled the pocket as QM#1, got the top 3/8, couldn’t not resist the winner ¾, kept on going late. FRESHGROUNDPEPPER moved out far turn, best of the others. SANTA MONICA AS went evenly. GADOT HANOVER gapped out in the last half. I CANT REFUSE broke at the start.
TENTH RACE – CERULEAN HANOVER made the lead 3/16, yielded to a brusher to the second turn and stayed tight during the backstretch duel, outside midturn, saw LOUSAIN BOLT get away upper stretch but kept digging gamely and got the decision very late. The latter came with a roar before the half and went up in 27 against the wind to go head-to-head with the leader, finally cleared that one far turn, just failed to hold the lead to the wire. FOUT left well, yielded, gave a tuck to a foe past the ¼ so he could brush to the lead before turn two, dueled with a tough rival from the 5/8, weakened a bit in the last 1/8. KID FROM THE BRONX was wide to the first turn then behind cover, raw 3/16, got a hole 5/16 to clear the way for a brusher and was under a hold in the hole 3/8, to the Pocono Pike but couldn’t make a comeback. CAPTAIN UP stayed in, shuffled some, wedged between horses in extremely tight quarters with pace late. LOOTABLE gapped the backstretch duel, couldn’t enter into the main battle.
ELEVENTH RACE – HAMMER CREEK strung the field out early in a lineup minus the breaker, had only MUSCLES JARED stay with him most of the last half, held off that rival. The latter stayed close in the pocket, outside late turn, bore out through the stretch but still gained. QUINCY MARKET was last of the main pack ¾, three-wide circling the rest to be clearly third. CRITICAL MASS had trouble staying close throughout, separated from the top two in the third quarter. BOASTER COASTER tried to go around a gapper down the back but could not, inside far turn, far back. CELEBRITY SERENA never got going. MATTER OF TRUST showed in front as the gate sprang then made a break a few strides into the race.
TWELFTH RACE – HES REALLY KEEN was three-deep early, in front just past the 1/8, never got much pressure after a slow second quarter, came home in 55.2. MISTER DAYTONA N was away between horses and got the two-hole, loose of the leader on the turn but preserved the deuce. ASTON HILL DAVE was third-over, three-wide 5/8, urged 11/16, got to two-wide far turn, good race. MUSICAL BOX pushed the 1/8, yielded, not enough in the last stanza. BOLTMAN was second-over behind the parked horse, blindswitched then himself tried to go up three-wide, got the final payday. SUNSETBOOZECRUISE struggled to stay tight inside, briefly blocked late far turn, but little once clear. DILLINGER was three-wide early outside of “slow tuckers” then rode uncovered midpack, advanced some off the second turn but then faded. HOOSIER SHARK was last at every call.
THIRTEENTH RACE – EXCHEQUER, benefitting from the pace, sat third-in, angled wide past early stretch and got in high enough gear quickly enough to just catch HOT SUMMER KNIGHT. The latter went to the lead at the 1/8 then yielded for the two-hole, sat right behind the protracted duel, outside late turn, went to the lead midstretch, just missed. PADRE was three-wide to the 3/16, circled a foe then got in front just before the ¼, under a lot of pressure from the foe he looped, couldn’t keep the lead. ARCHIBALD was last, four-wide late turn, in close quarters early stretch, outfinished the others. FORREST sat in and was shuffled, not too much late. SORTIE didn’t get in gear until well past the 5/8, three-wide with cover far turn, not much response. FREDDIE MAC gapped early, then moved out down the back, three-wide ¾ but with little. TUIS SHADOW stayed outside in the first turn, went up to challenge but was left two-wide raw, contested the pace until the far turn then tired.