FIRST RACE – “The hazy day” … Warm, with a strong stretch tailwind (look at the fractions of the races) … Take the fractions of the opener as an example … NOPEWASNTME sat outside much of the first turn, went 26.3 to go to the lead 5/16 and then pushed the favorite until past the half, went to the Pocono Pike from the pocket and barely got there, big race. PACINO HANOVER moved at the ¼ and also went his second split in 26.3 making the top nearing the backstretch, just failed to hold the advantage. HURRIKANE CHUCK was right to the lead, saw two go by in a contested quarter two, outside stretch, did OK in a quick mile. VARNEY gapped most of the way to the 5/8, then got cover, three-wide around it late turn and made up good ground. TO THE HUNT sat in, evenly. DEMON BOY moved out raw 11/16 but didn’t gain. ARMED BANDIT gapped in last most of the race.
SECOND RACE – GLOBALDOMINATION N led from the first step to the last, repulsed an early bid and was clear the last 3/8 (despite each quarter being slower than the one before it, a statement ignoring the wind). ER VEGAS stayed connected, outside ¾, just along for second over SOUTHWIND DREDGE. The latter gapped a little near midrace then got in gear, three-wide past the 5/8 to two-wide ¾, couldn’t get closer. SELECT FRIDAY left and made the pocket at the ¼, loose of the winner most of the last half. THE NEXT TWO were not in the hunt. CHEYENNE REIJANE left, saw a horse take the pocket to the ¼ and moved into the frontstretch, tried to brush by but couldn’t, done to the 5/8.
THIRD RACE – CHING CHING LUCKY moved raw 5/8 and kept gradually gaining, bore out in the stretch but still hauled in DEVIOUS PROMISES. The latter kept the pocket closed early and was the only one staying with the runaway leader, to the Pocono Pike, made the lead midstretch but couldn’t quite hold that advantage. BY A HOFF HANOVER was sent down the road in blazing numbers even on a speed day, got a bit tired midstretch. FAMOUS DAN stayed in until moving out in the stretch, next. WILLIE B WORTHY was between horses early, tucked third 3/16, disconnecting from the ½. SON OF LIBERTY was very wide leaving and three-wide most of the ¼, took back to tuck fifth past that station, moved out again but had no gain. FRAC offered little. NO NAME YANKEE was disconnecting before the half.
FOURTH RACE – FULL SUPPORT drifted out early then in gear to take over early in the frontstretch, under pressure down the back, appeared to have dealt with that one, then saw a bunch coming at him late despite his pacing in 27.4 (wind-aided), held on. HURRIKANE JOHNYBOY went to the lead before the first bend, yielded to the winner and stayed close, found room to go outside before midstretch, narrowed in menacingly. BULLVILLE STEPHANO came on the grind off turn two and fought with the leader, fell back some off the far turn but then redoubled his efforts and was right there. ZEUS HANOVER was second-over, three-wide nearing headstretch, steadily; SIMPLY FAST was third-over, four-wide near headstretch, steadily. DONT GET SHOCKED left, stayed in third, had to wait until past early stretch to get to the Pocono Pike, had some gain. BEACH VIBES was last but fairly close when breaking far turn.
FIFTH RACE – DIVINE SPIRIT bounced out straight to command, cut fast fractions appropriate with the wind, then blasted home in 27.4 to win all by himself. VALENTINE EXPRESS came raw from third 5/8, advanced some, couldn’t sustain any gain but stayed clear for the deuce. CRAZYCAT raced into the pocket, went loose on the far turn. SMART AS HILL took back to tuck fourth, not heard from again. SIMON GOT LUCKY came out uncovered then got cover, but then gapped it before the far turn. LOUS LIVIA was last, dropped far back.
SIXTH RACE — HOLY BEING was outside early, got in gear at the 1/8 to make the lead at the ¼, went along steadily. ALDEBARAN ACRUX moved out of third ¾ and advanced, made a break midstretch but recovered and was second; no reason for placing was found. GINA’S ON FIRE left quickly and got the lead, yielded at the ¼, pocket, not quite enough late. MISSILE stayed close to the 3/4. LONESTAR FASHION and U BAKE THE CAKE were behind a gapper early and never entered in contention; the same is true of FIGHT SONG, who broke way before the start, caught the field at the ¼, but never got close. GHIBLI started leaving a gap at the 3/8.
SEVENTH RACE – CAPTAIN WHO left wide but easily crossed over to the lead before the 1/8, was clear from the half and even more clear when the “new” pocket horse broke ¾, giving ground late but way too far ahead. UNSETTLED BUSINESS was outside to the ¾ then was soon pushed wide after a foe broke, to two-wide uncovered, steadily made up stretch ground. BARNEY HANOVER left OK from the rail and was in the pocket, gapping from before the 5/8, not bothered too much by the breaker, next. THE NEXT THREE were well off the front end the last half. CRÈME DU LOU CRÈME went outside off turn two and got around the gapping pocket horse to retuck second to the ¾, but soon went offstride and to the infield.
EIGHTH RACE – NASEY left well, yielded and sat in the hole patiently, went to the Pocono Pike and got the better of JUSTLIKEHIM. The latter went up to take over 3/16, set the pace without much pressure, fought very hard to the line. DART GUY gapped much of midrace, some along the inside in the stretch. NICALO HANOVER left some, moved uncovered from third 11/16 but didn’t make serious inroads. ITS A HORSE backed off to tuck early, not heard from again. PATRICK HANOVER was never prominent. LEVITATION moved uncovered from last at the ½, broke to the 5/8.
NINTH RACE – PRAIRIE NUGGET tucked third at the 1/8, then went around a breaker 3/16 and enjoyed a pocket trip, outside headstretch and slowly wore down TO MY CREDIT. The latter went right to the front, slowed the half, grudgingly yielded late. THE NEXT THREE held their 3-4-5 positions trotting along evenly. A GREAT CHAPTER couldn’t keep up. UNCLE NINO left, took the two-hole at the 1/8 but then broke 3/16 and went inside the pylons, recovered and caught the field but broke again into turn two. DEVITO HANOVER broke past the start.
TENTH RACE – DIEHARD SEELSTER went in front at the 1/8, yielded in front of the stands for the two-hole, outside into the stretch and was moving well late to overhaul the pacesetter. SHADOWFAX moved just before the 1/8 and went a 27 second quarter with the wind to reach the top in a very fast half, strung the field out, was caught late. LADY’S IMAGE left and went to the early pocket, evenly well off the top two. SYLVESTERAMERICAIT never entered the main fight. MUSHANA gapped. TOWN VICTOR was rough both taking back early and at a couple of other points, far back. NICE STUFF made a bad break coming off the turn before the start.
ELEVENTH RACE – KAY SAGE moved 3/16 to the lead before the 3/8 and kept going at a steady pace (her individual fractions were 28.1, 27.4, 28, 28) en route to an easy victory. BLAZING RAMONA made the top, got a challenger to go in behind, yielded to the winner, did well late but second-best. ON THE MONEY GB left well, got the early pocket at the 1/8, evenly in maintaining third. YOUNONOTHINJON was second-over, gapped cover late backstretch, ducked in on the turn, fair. BENICIO went her middle half in 54.3 raw in advancing a long way, had to right to fail to sustain her gain. BLANK CHEEK was in the outer flow but was not a threat. MO’S BEST ERA EVA was far back. JAGGED LITTLE PILL was gapping by the 3/8.
TWELFTH RACE – ANDOVER CONTESSA was between horses early, made the front at the ¼, could back down Q3 into the wind, still could draw off. GRAPPLE HANOVER was the innermost of three leavers, pushed to the ¼ and yielded for the pocket, no match but a clear second. MAGICAL JOURNEY moved out from midpack past mid-far turn, along for third over MISTER BOINGA. The latter was three-wide past the 1/8 then tucked in third, not too much late. KASEVILLE never factored. ALLINDOTIME backed out behind cover, took the last check. MISS MUSCLE moved uncovered 9/16 from last, almost made it to midpack before tiring ¾. GET TO THE POINTE broke going into turn two.