FIRST RACE – Warm day … Stretch headwind … GENTLE GIANT was second-over, blindswitched past the ¾, ducked to the vacant Pocono Pike and finished well, holding off JK STANDINGOVATION. The latter was third-over, blindswitched ¾, then followed the sweeper then had to go wide of him as he flattened, flying on the far outside. OUTWIT OUTRUN was three-wide to the first turn, needed some coaxing to clear past the ¼, set the pace, was outpaced to both sides late. QUICK SNAP sat in and was last, out in a blindswitch headstretch, ducked behind the winner midstretch, OK late. SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL was forwardly-placed early, uncovered 9/16, challenged hard, held OK. DANCE PARTNER moved fourth-over and then almost immediately three-wide ¾, gained well through the turn, but then flattened out and broke late. STONEBRIDGE KARIS left, yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, was in good position past the ¾ but then developed a problem and backed way off.
SECOND RACE – IDEAL BEACH was looped, pressed on to take the lead at the 25.4 quarter, opened a big lead in the middle half, saw JIM BLUE get closer on the turn, but then paced away from that one. The latter left, sat third until coming from behind the gapping pocket horse 5/8, retucked in the pocket and gained on the leader, saw his bid flatten out but still clear in second. COMBATANT had dull cover, wide and just third over TERRY A HANOVER. The latter came out behind cover but couldn’t go with it. THE NEXT DUO never made their presence felt. HORSE was fastest away to 1/8 command, pushed the monstrous ¼ before yielding, fell back the last ½.
THIRD RACE – PARK OFFICIAL used being the innermost of three leavers to advantage and wound up in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and up at 10-1 as the longest shot on the board in his first victory since winning ten in a row earlier in the meet. THE WALL was three-wide to the first turn and on the point 3/16, dealt with the first-over, held well. FATHER NUNO came out past the 3/8, didn’t move up right away and was looped down the back, but stayed going one-geared, swung wide in the lane and fought on to the wire. SPRINGSTEEN was second-over, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide raw 11/16, challenged, held decently. CAPTAIN ROMANCE left between horses, took back, not a late factor. FRISKIE ALL NITE struggled to go with cover. CIGAR SMOKING TONY trailed throughout.
FOURTH RACE – BULLY BOY HILL, benefiting from breakers, came uncovered from last of the main pack before the 5/8, steadily advanced and proved the best. STREET SMARTS was close-up from the rail early and emerged with the pocket as three rivals broke before the ¼, moved to the lead 3/8 and rated the half, not enough for the winner. GREAT MAGIC was first on top, saw leaving rivals break, yielded to the frontstretch brusher, moved out with cover midturn then back inside stretch, fair. CHOCO CHARLIE gapped cover. GRAPPLE HANOVER stayed out of trouble and got a check. SAY YOU DO was three-wide early when breaking past the 1/8; MISS MCKEE, to his outside, wound up in tight quarters nearing the 3/16 and also broke. BLENHEIM was outleft, challenging for the lead two-wide when jumping it off before the ¼.
FIFTH RACE – ELWELL was second-over from last, ducked in third far turn and continued on the Pocono Pike to catch TRASHYTONGUETALKER. The latter was looped, had cover to the 3/16, then went up and got command before the 3/8, tried to lose the field with a big third quarter and three-quarters, but couldn’t maintain the advantage to the wire. DEALT A WINNER was uncovered into turn two, gradually passed horses the latter part of the backstretch, into the pocket on the turn, bore out extremely wide in the lane and didn’t gain. MODERN ROCK sat in and was shuffled way back far turn, had some pace in recovery. ODDS ON DELRAY backed outside after a shuffle but couldn’t offer much late. PLAY THE FIELD was on top to turn one, yielded, stayed in and was shuffled badly when the pocketsitter couldn’t keep up from the half. TUGGIN ON MY HEART went to the front 3/16, yielded in front of the stands, was bottomed out behind the fast pace and fell back more and more.
SIXTH RACE — COLLEGE TUITION was away sharply and got the lead at the 1/8 as the only leaver, set a quick pace, fought off QUEEN OF ALL late. The later used the rail to stay connected in the pocket, Pocono Pike, good but no real excuse. SHADOWFAX picked up cover 11/16, tipped wide midstretch and worked by ILBENEEDINSTITCHES for third. The latter moved uncovered 11/16, gained on the far turn, flattened a little. MARION GONDOLIER went evenly. THE OTHER TWO did not make their presence felt.
SEVENTH RACE – BENJI’S BEST left and fell in behind cover early, uncovered 1/8 and on to the lead 5/16, showed courage in defeating THE DARK SHADOW by a nose. The latter was on top 1/8 and yielded 5/16 for the two-hole, loomed boldly in the Pocono Pike, unlucky to get pictured out. GONNAHAVEONEMORE gapped behind the early contention, tighter and then underway raw to turn two, got as close as the leader’s wheel but no closer, tired but held off URBAN RENEWAL. The latter had pretty good cover but couldn’t do that much off of it. MAKE SOME WAVES gapped third-over. HOT DEUCE pushed the 1/8 and yielded, fell back from the 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – SPEED AWAY sat third until the 11/16 then went up to challenge the leader and found no resistance, right by into the stretch and drew clear. HAYEK took the pocket in a lineup, stayed close, shuffled headstretch as the winner went by, got going in the Pocono Pike and came on for second. SHARE THE WEALTH started uncovered 5/8 but soon picked up cover, couldn’t quite stay with it. ROBBIE PEV sat in, shuffled then outside early stretch, a bit of trot between horses. DIEHARD SEELSTER didn’t factor from third-over. CRAZYCAT caused a lineup from the rail and set fractions as he pleased, but had nothing left on the far turn. DIVINE SPIRIT gapped out down the back.
NINTH RACE – CAVIART LUCA took back between horses to tuck early, went at the leader shortly past the half and kept up the pressure, proved superior late. FRIDAY NIGHT BLUES was out 3/16 for the lead in a 26 quarter, let a foe go before the 3/8 but retook before the half, soon under attack and had to keep going at a relentless pace, clearly second. AWESOMENESS was second-over, gapped, inside third ¾, held that spot. AMERICA’S GUEST had some dull ones in front of him and went three-wide 11/16, steadily. SELECT FRIDAY was third-over, blindswitched, went inside late, so-so. ER VEGAS was never close. DING DING DINGER yielded 3/16, stayed in, was behind a tired one far turn but wasn’t keep up with that one anyway. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL was three-wide to the 1/8, fell in behind cover, left raw 3/16 and went on to the lead before the 3/8, yielded before the half and was soon retreating.
TENTH RACE – CASUAL COOL, in peak form, wouldn’t let anybody by early while paying a 25.4 price, got a breather to the half then picked it up, roused on the far turn and kept his dominance to the line. BETTORS DONTTELL left but took back, uncovered just before the half, speed-grinded in 26.4 down the back, stayed good in one-gear mode. CODE CRACKER was second-over, just got third over JOESSTAR OF MIA A. The latter took the pocket 3/16 in the hot initial stanza, was well-placed in the two-hole but just didn’t have enough the last 1/8. AFLAME HANOVER stayed close but wasn’t threatening late. GET LIT was third-over but couldn’t gain.
ELEVENTH RACE – LADYFORD DOLLAR GB left between horses and sat in what was mostly a distant pocket until the 11/16, worked by the leader on the turn, remained in control. SOUTHPORT BEACH got cover 5/8, gained while three-wide on the turn, clearly second in a good mile. BUSBOY HANOVER moved raw 5/8 and one-geared it for third. A FEARSOME HANOVER rode outside the first half, fell way back off turn two, but somehow found his closing kick late. ROLLINWITHAMBITION gapped out from the 5/8. CAPTAIN T HANOVER was three-wide early and then off to the races on the lead, reeled in to the ¾, tired. TERRITORY lost contact after the half.
TWELFTH RACE – FRANK THE ELDER was on top going to curve one, yielded, retook 3/8 and got a second quarter breather, then sped up down the back and gradually lost the opposition, giving ground late but too far ahead. AP HALL OF TRIX gapped in third most of the way, then rallied well up the inside to get as close as he did. POINT REYES also hugged the inside in finishing third. PRIMO VOLO was three-deep to turn one then in front 3/16, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, not able to stay with the winner. VELVET STYLE was outside on the turn but couldn’t gain. ZETTE FLAME broke soon after the start.