FIRST RACE – Nice day temperature-wise; shifting winds early … LADYFORD DOLLAR GB was three-wide early, tucked third 3/16, moved behind cover at the half, three-wide just past the 5/8 and got to two-wide ¾, couldn’t clear though having the lead much of the turn, held off SOUTHPORT BEACH. The latter left and yielded for the two-hole, behind a duel, backed out behind the winner far turn, wide in the lane, just couldn’t reach. DUCKIES DYNASTY stayed in, got room in the Pocono Pike, next-best. VOYAGER went away quickly for command, was pressured from the lower turn, got a new challenge ¾ and kept that one out on the turn into the stretch, then tired a little. WON LAST FEELING was far back inside, steered through a stretch opening with some pace. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was third-over behind the winner but couldn’t stay with that one the last 5/16. COWBOY COOL didn’t offer much. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL briefly tucked behind the three fast early movers, then came at the ¼ but couldn’t summon enough speed and was left out in the air, faded.
SECOND RACE – AFLAME HANOVER moved raw before the 5/8 and made a decisive 26.4 brush to go right by ¾, won for fun. THE WALL was behind the winner but couldn’t stay with him, raw ¾, edged FATHER NUNO for the distant second. The latter gapped gaping cover, a bit late. SPRINGSTEEN advanced inside down the backstretch but then had traffic issues far turn, outside in a blindswitch then found belated room between horses. BUDDY HILL gapped in last until the far turn, then out widest and with belated pace. FRISKIE ALL NITE was always far back, also had late traffic problems. CIGAR SMOKING TONY left well to the lead 3/16, yielded for the two-hole, terribly shuffled through the turn, but then had little response when shown the Pocono Pike. CONTROL HEAVEN set a very quick pace with two moves, all done far turn creating traffic woes.
THIRD RACE – P L NOTSONICE left hard to take control, kept her main rival parked, drew clear late. ROBBIE PEV sat third-in, to the Pocono Pike and just along for second over DIVINE SPIRIT. The latter left well and then yielded for the two-hole, a bit loose from the 5/8 and then looser in the lane, just failed to preserve the deuce. DONATO PATRIOT K was briefly three-wide then left parked raw, one-geared challenging, held OK. SHARE THE WEALTH backed out to third-over, finished with trot. ARMSTEAD COLE moved behind the parked horse but gapped, wide late turn, didn’t gain.
FOURTH RACE – GONNAHAVEONEMORE left purposefully, did let a rival go 5/16 but was right back on the retake, parked whatever challengers he had then drew away in the last panel. ROLLINWITHAMBITION left but settled back in the pocket 1/8, third-in, blocked far turn, Pocono Pike, just second over FRIDAY NIGHT BLUES. The latter was three-wide almost to the 3/16, then in gear to take over 5/16, yielded back to the winner, couldn’t go with that one the last panel and was caught for second late. DING DING DINGER followed cover two-, three-, and then again two-wide, wider again before headstretch, fair. CAPTAIN T HANOVER went out behind the parked horse, three-wide just past the 5/8 to uncovered 11/16 and briefly challenged before falling back. SOUTHWIND DREDGE never factored. DAAMERICANSKY eschewed an inner spot first turn and went on, not enough speed to threaten, fell back past the 5/8.
FIFTH RACE – Stretch headwind now … DIEHARD SEELSTER was right on top, then yielded to a leader who had to absorb several challenges, to the Pocono Pike and enough. SOUTHWIND ARTURO was third-in, to the deep Pike and finished well. FRANK THE ELDER rushed up in 27 down the back to give grief to the leader from the 5/8 on, held grittily and nipped that one for third. TNT BLUE CHIP went to the front, got very little rest facing challengers, gave way. ILBENEEDINSTITCHES joined a good outer flow, wide and closed nicely. BRIGHT SIDE UP never reached contention. PRIMO VOLO was inside, didn’t have too much in the last 1/16. SPEED AWAY gapped the two early speedsters then in gear before the ¼ and went on to challenge, was contending for the lead when breaking 3/8.
SIXTH RACE – CODE CRACKER tucked third before the 1/8, quarter-moved to take the lead and went on to set very fast fractions, opened a clear lead early stretch, enough to withstand the grind of BUILDING BOOST. The latter was in a high one-gear throughout, advanced second-over down the back, three-wide midturn, kept coming gamely but came up shy. ROCKIN ON VENUS came through nicely at the start for the top, yielded to the winner for the pocket, fair late. MONTANA CHIEF A left and had the early pocket, sat in, moved outside a path early stretch, fair. MR DS ROCK sat in, backed out to third-over before the ¾, blindswitched then ducked inside midturn, couldn’t gain. BUCHANNON HANOVER gapped at the back, then in gear and three-wide ¾ but couldn’t get nearer. CAPTAIN ROMANCE came with a rush down the backstretch to challenge but tired ¾.
SEVENTH RACE – THE DARK SHADOW was first away, yielded then moved before the parked horse came up, again took over and again yielded, came out for a third move in the stretch and despite bearing way out proved to have the most. BENJI’S BEST was four-wide to the first turn, advanced, got cover from the winner to the ¼ then passed that one 3/8 in a fast half, set the pace, knew he was beaten midstretch, well ahead of the others. TUGGIN ON MY HEART made the front 3/16, saw two go by in quick succession, sat third-in, not too much left late. ODDS ON DELRAY moved up second-over, was blindswitched, ducked in, almost made third. MAKE SOME WAVES was third-over from last, tried to make some waves going three-wide ¾ but didn’t have the kick. HOT DEUCE charged up with the wind down the back but quickly folded. ART SCENE showed very little.
EIGHTH RACE – KENZIESKY HANOVER led from the first step to the last as an overpowering presence here. MISS MCKEE had the pocket as there were no other leavers, maintained that spot. QUEEN OF ALL sat third, held third over DEE’S RED DELICIOUS, who sat right behind her but couldn’t get past her. GREAT MAGIC had little inside. ONE AFTER NINE moved early backstretch, steadily advanced but didn’t threaten before tiring midturn. SAY YOU DO gapped at the back. SEVENTIER gapped second-over, broke headstretch.
NINTH RACE — JK OBJECTION made the lead 3/16, got the fractions to his liking, and was going to be tough to catch in the 55.3 last half. BUSBOY HANOVER moved off the rail at the ¾, and closed enough to be the distant second. A FEARSOME HANOVER got away slowly and had his fate sealed when the winner got soft fractions, outside before the 11/16, cover on the turn but gapped it slightly, finished well as usual. ER VEGAS sat third in, angled out the upper half of the stretch, evenly. BLOW A CLOUD N never got into the race from near the back. TERRITORY made the lead and yielded for the pocket, looked to be in good position but came up empty in the last ¼.
TENTH RACE – CASUAL COOL, much-improved lately, was three-wide early then onward to 3/16 command, rolled on with pressure coming at the 11/16, had a trio at his throat in the stretch but held very gamely. MAXIMUS MIKI moved second-over, gapped later in the backstretch then tightened in, three-wide off the turn losing some ground, relentlessly with a fast one-gear late to just miss. ULTIMAROCA made the lead to turn one and yielded for the pocket, Pocono Pike, good race although coming up shy. JOESSTAR OF MIA A moved uncovered early backstretch, reached the winner 11/16 and battled with that one, held his ground staunchly late. THE OTHER TWO didn’t factor from the back of the pack.
ELEVENTH RACE – URBAN RENEWAL went from sixth-in to third-in past the half as the three horses directly ahead of him moved outside, saw all the outer tiers stall on the turn and was able to move out early stretch, finished with a good rush to be along in time. ELWELL left sharply and was soon on top, set the pace, briefly drew clear but just couldn’t make his lead last to the wire. PLAY THE FIELD soon was in the pocket, not tight late turn, but resurgent in the Pocono Pike and wasn’t far off at the wire. MODERN ROCK was fourth-over and had the two-, three-, and four-wide tiers stall on him late turn, five-wide headstretch and closed very well. FULSOME stayed inside and got the last check after groundsaving. PARK OFFICIAL was third-over, four-wide late turn but couldn’t gain. I’M BENICIO A was second-over, three-wide not much past the ¾, punchless today. P L LEEROY was looped leaving and dove in third, started the outer charge at the half, got to the leader’s wheel but no closer before tiring.
TWELFTH RACE – OUTWIT OUTRUN left but was second-fastest away, briefly took the pocket then went on to take over 5/16, not under much pressure and held off the inside closers. GENTLE GIANT went up behind the top two to tuck, sat in, to the deep Pocono Pike and decisioned STONEBRIDGE KARIS for second. The latter left with high speed and was soon in front, content to yield for the pocket, tried hard inside late but not quite enough. TOPVILLE SOMROCKET did not have great cover, three-wide midturn, best of the rest. ALWAYS BETTER never featured. LOUKES PERRY was uncovered 5/8 but was beginning to flatten out from his advance ¾. GOOD DEAL lost contact with the field.
THIRTEENTH RACE – COLLEGE TUITION was three-deep early to command at the 1/8, got the pace his own way, tired a little but still well clear of this field. STREET SMARTS was fourth then third, outside midturn and made some progress late. CANTSTOP YANKEE quarter-moved from third, took the pocket to the 3/8 after a breaker, not too much punch late. HEART MATTERS gapped, never close. ZETTE FLAME had the early pocket, broke 5/16 and went to the inside to minimize any trouble, recovered and caught up to get the last check. SAID N DONE AS was gaping early. HAND DOVER DAN was far back, better on the far turn and looked to have a chance for minor minor honors but broke headstretch.