FIRST RACE – High to mid-70s … Rain came in – track rated “fast” 1-8, “good +1” 9, and “sloppy +1” 10-13 … Shifting winds, with a stretch headwind to start … BEER CHEESE yielded 3/16 and sat in the pocket behind a contested front end, to the Pocono Pike and by easily. NICE STUFF made the lead 3/16, kept a rival parked, saved second over MISS MUSCLE. The latter had forward positioning, trapped inside until after early stretch, then could move out and made up some ground. SMART AS HILL was wide then parked with cover to the 3/16, tried hard with urging to clear and was ahead but couldn’t cross over, held ground very well for being out every call. STEALING moved out towards turn two, three-wide 5/8 but only went evenly. KEYSTONE APACHE rode inside, little late. ARCHIBALD had non-flowing cover, little chance from far back.
SECOND RACE – PANTHEON HANOVER went to the pocket at the 1/8, to the Pocono Pike, surged very late and proved the best in a three-way photo. TODDLER TANTRUM headed right down the road, got pressure mid-far turn, held on until very late. ARTACHE HANOVER was urged leaving, got away third, outside ¾, one-geared home while bearing out and not far off. REAGAN BLUE CHIP circled the rest for a distant fourth. THE NEXT TWO got around a backstretch gapper but couldn’t get catch up with the top three. RUNHAPPY TEN left a gap from the 3/16, faded way back and was pulled up. EFFRONTE A developed a problem at the 1/8.
THIRD RACE – JOLLY RANCHER put everybody in behind in a good quarter for this class, got a rest to the half, had the first-over get to his wheel ¾ but never let him get any closer. DONATELLO HANOVER got early positioning, uncovered past the 5/8 and reached the leader’s wheel ¾, held well. PAUC HANOVER was three-wide early then tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved second-over, gapped then tighter on the turn, then faded some but clearly third. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT was four-wide early and got into the two-hole 3/16, started going loose ¾. ACTION SHOT was slightly off the gate, passed the others. THE NEXT TWO were not contenders. SEMINOLE MOON gapped inside, to the Pocono Pike but made a break midstretch.
FOURTH RACE – BRIDGE TO VICTORY was wide early and out past a 26.3 quarter to get the lead, but rated the half and had no problems the rest of the way. GRIZZLY BARE was the innermost of the quickest leavers, maintained the pocket, stayed close until the far turn, held for second at 80-1. SWIZZLE HANOVER was between horses early, tucked, had a chance for second in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t quite reach. STEEL SCHOONER avoided the clogged outer tiers, a bit of trot late. BANG BANG BOINGA was second-over, three-wide ¾ but didn’t get close. TEDDY BROSEVELT was uncovered at the half, gained some then fell back sharply in the last stanza. FORREST broke at the ¼ and went to the centerfield.
FIFTH RACE – SOUTHWIND FIREBALL spotted third, uncovered 11/16, found his best gear midstretch and just had the time to catch PRAIRIE FAMOUS. The latter was going down the road, rated the half then had a clear lead from past that point until just past midstretch, then couldn’t hold off the winner’s late move. FAIR KOUNTRY went up to get the pocket, little left late. DEVITO HANOVER broke before the first turn, caught the field, came on late with some trot in recovery. STRONG BREW was inside, had to avoid the breaking HS REMINGTON near headstretch; the latter gapped throughout, then ran late far turn.
SIXTH RACE – LOUSAIN BOLT was on the move from fourth 3/16 to hit the top to the 3/8, sped up down the backstretch to bottom these out and won handily. RUSTY BEACH took the two-hole before the 3/16, stayed in third, then moved out early stretch and gained though not threatening the winner. MOTLEY RAY showed speed, yielded to the winner, stayed relatively close but didn’t have much left for the stretch drive. HUNGRY TO SUCCEED was uncovered on turn two but never reached the wheel of the third-in horse; RICARDOSHILYSHALLY was behind this dull cover, three-wide far turn but did not gain. THE OTHERS offered very little.
SEVENTH RACE – PORTULACA cleared to the lead before the 3/16, slowed the half, remained in control. QUARANTINA made the lead early then relinquished for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, stayed close to the winner to the wire. KINGPIN HANOVER was last when pulling outside nearing the ¼, got cover but it gained little, so three-wide 11/16 to two-wide far turn, kept coming very grittily. YOU’RE DEAD TO ME stayed connected in third, little along the inside late. MISSILE was bearing way out in the lane. QUITE FAST was uncovered early on turn two but couldn’t live up to her name today. UNRESOLVED DEBT broke past the 5/16. GETTING ALLFIREDUP gapped down the back then broke 11/16.
EIGHTH RACE – Rain started this race, and the wind went calm … BARCELONA PRINCESS yielded and stayed third-in, came out after the ¾ and moved sharply to challenge and get the lead into the stretch, withstood a late challenge to either side. RAVIOLI was very wide early, spotted fifth 3/16, was behind the winner far turn and followed that one out, had a clear path but couldn’t catch the winner. FLASHY SWAN reluctantly took the pocket nearing the ¼, crucially shuffled late far turn, couldn’t regain any momentum to get closer and was nosed for second. KT DOUBLE DEUCE forced a lot of tucks, slowed the half then sped up to a clear lead, was reeled in. IT’S SNOW WONDER got a check. EVER HOPEFUL G had unhelpful cover, three-wide far turn, not that much. MY FRIEND KELLY was wide early, tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved out down the back but made little impact. SOPHIE HANOVER broke well before the start, almost caught the field then fell back.
NINTH RACE – “Pelting rain” as the track goes to “good +1” … WENTWORTH HANOVER drifted up three-wide to the 1/8 then got in gear and made the lead by the fast ¼, set the pace and was resilient late. SMOOTH LANDING moved uncovered at the 5/8, ducked inside when the pocketsitter pulled out late turn, continued to gain. YOUCOMEHEREOFTEN left for the lead, yielded for the pocket, moved outside late turn, gained a little then held OK but did lose a little ground. POWHATAN moved second-over, gapped. PRAIRIE NUGGET was caught in and shuffled far turn, not much late. NIGHT STAR went to a tuck third past the 1/8, tired ¾. BUDDY EARL was outside but wasn’t close when breaking far turn.
TENTH RACE — …and the track is now “sloppy +1” … Wind shifting, almost a second turn headiwnd … WEATHER VANES didn’t mind the change in weather at 18-1, going to the lead right away, rating the half and then being clear until the stretch, then held off the charge of MANDRILL. The latter sat third until almost the ¾, found her best strides just a touch too late. SOME KINDA CRAZY moved outside far turn, also making up late ground. EVIL GUY went up to the pocket 3/16, a bit loose of the leader much of the way, evenly in the Pocono Pike late. RUFFLES N LACE went an even mile. LADY LIRA came outside but didn’t gain. UNO MAS BLUE CHIP jumped right at the start.
ELEVENTH RACE – Rain stopped … Wind shifted to stretch tailwind … PARK SLOPE was parked to the ¼, set the pace, saw off the first-over and drew clear. MIDWIND SUCCESS was outside from last at the half, followed the cover of the early backstretch sweeper, left uncovered on the turn, stayed game to be just along for second. CHEROKEE JOY went around the parked out horse early backstretch to go first-over into the wind, into the pocket far turn, just photoed for the deuce. SANTA MONICA AS took back to tuck, kept a hole closed, backed out to get into the three-wide tier but never got close. FRESHGROUNDPEPPER was caught behind a wedge far turn and couldn’t recover. TSM EMILIA T went very wide early, shopped for a tuck late first turn but never found one, was looped to the 5/8 and faded. WAL STREET LADY forced the ¼, yielded for the two-hole, went loose past the 5/8, broke while fading. BT BABE ran coming off turn two.
TWELFTH RACE – IT’SGOODTOBEDAKING was three-wide past the 1/8 and then to command past the ¼, went on at a good clip, kept challenger STELLAR BLUE CHIP at bay. The latter was uncovered in the backstretch and advanced with speed to contend, held well for second. LORD OF MISRULE pushed the early action then yielded, backed out to second-over 5/8, gapped, into the “pocket” on the turn, next. SOUTHWIND DREDGE moved out before the half, one-geared with cover steadily. THE NEXT TWO were not factors. MIDNIGHT DAY was shuffled back. FRED’S NIGHT left between horses to the lead at the 1/8, yielded just past the ¼, all done 5/8.
THIRTEENTH RACE – …and back to a mild stretch headwind for the last … GREEK LEGEND was gapping midpack down the back, in a better gear ¾, outside, wide and along in time. MATTER OF TRUST went fast-slow-fast on the lead, caught late. TUXEDO ATTIRE went to the far outside and came a long way in the (slowing) last 1/16, picking up laboring foes for third. CUPID HANOVER went into the pocket at the 1/8, just didn’t have much to give late. KEYSTONE SERGEANT came raw off turn two, gained mildly, then flattened. CRITICAL MASS sat in third and was caught in when the pocketsitter and first-over tired, didn’t appear to have much once clear. PRAIRIE VIRTUE may have wanted to leave some but broke early, caught the field, three-wide ¾ but didn’t gain. MUSCLES D’ORO followed cover but gapped, faded.