FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … Mid 70s throughout … Rain during the first race, and continuing: “fast +0” race 1, “good +1” race 2, and “sloppy +1” thereafter … PAPI HANOVER had an ideal second-over trip, wide stretch and asserted himself through the lane. JACKED had cover early, uncovered 3/16 to the top 3/8, in a fierce battle with the first-over and wouldn’t let that one cross over, good second. BRIDGE TO VICTORY pushed the pylons, forced a tuck, yielded 3/8, got a good trip behind the last-half duel, Pocono Pike, not quite enough. KEYSTONE APACHE started slowly and gapped in last much of the way, gained past a few late after the race had been decided. CHUCKY DE VIE came first-over just past the half and went 27.3 with the wind, got an advantage but never could cross over, tired. KASEVILLE left, put into the pocket 3/16, struggled from the 5/8.

 

SECOND RACE — …now to good +1, with the wind calm … DIRT ON MY BOOTS improved position early, vacated third 11/16 and marched right up to challenge, took the measure of CIGAR SMOKING TONY late in the sprint home. The latter was out 3/16 before claiming the lead, left alone up top until nearing the far turn, came home in 54.4 – 27.1 and still was caught. TERRY A HANOVER left, yielded for the two-hole, stayed plugged-in throughout, just a little shy late. TREVOR ONE started slowly and was gapping badly by the 1/8 with foes circling him, moved outside 5/8 but never reached the top three, passed a couple of gappers in CAPTAINS PLACE and HE’S ELECTRIC (who ironically had passed him when he gapped early).

 

THIRD RACE — …and now sloppy +1 … IGNATIUS HANOVER gapped second-over and was blindswitched late backstretch, did better on the turn, dropped down when the pocketsitter broke and used the Pocono Pike to take the victory. FOXY JOYCE was uncovered before turn two, gradually went up to start challenging the leader 11/16, may never have had the lead but trotted on steadily. DIVINE ZETTE was behind the gapping winner when going three-deep before the 11/16, found her best gear late to narrow in well. TSM LOYALTY T was three-wide to the first turn, took a tuck third 3/16, stayed in, out in a blindswitch past midturn, followed the path of the winner late, may not have been fully clear – hard to tell how much she had left. RAVIOLI came through between horses to assume command early, went a slow half, was challenged from late backstretch, tired. WAL STREET LADY made no moves, then had to sidestep a far turn breaker. TACTICLAND was innermost of three leavers, yielded for the pocket, started to fade at the ¾ then broke midturn.

 

FOURTH RACE – HUNGER STRIKE floated out and tucked third, moved out 5/8 and advanced, went by easily. FUNKY BUNCH showed sharp speed and rolled on the engine, couldn’t handle the winner but preserved second over ANTE UP HANOVER. The latter left well to secure the pocket, slightly shuffled nearing headstretch, to the Pocono Pike, couldn’t get second but far ahead of the rest. SILKEN SWEET was never in the main frame. ADRIATICO HANOVER moved to the 5/8 then accepted cover, couldn’t stay with it. PYRENEES HANOVER also gapped two-wide. LAST GOODBYE went to a run at the ¼.

 

FIFTH RACE – BRIGHT SIDE UP was three-wide to turn one, in front at the 1/8, slowed the half, then drew away from this field. PADRE gapped inside midpack, to the Pocono Pike and just got the distant second. CELEBRITY SERENA was part of the strung-out bunch behind the winner, inside then outside early stretch, found better steps late and almost made second. BY A HOFF HANOVER left between horses for the pocket, started going loose 5/8. KEEGAN HO did not benefit from his cover, three-wide midturn, did get a payday. CREEMORE followed cover from far back but never featured. RED OVERBACH, looking a bit hard to steer at times, left some, then gapped a little, underway uncovered early in the backstretch but his bid ended at the ¾.

 

SIXTH RACE – It has stopped raining; the track will remain “sloppy” … REACHTHRUTHESKY AS left well and reached the pocket at the 1/8, gapped in the third quarter duel, then up the inside in the stretch and drew away. KAY SAGE got to the top easily, picked up a determined challenger off turn two and had to deal with her, finally shook that one off but couldn’t stall the pocket rocket. A CRAFTY LADY moved out with urging but gapped cover, better late then had to steer inside the drifting horse for third. THINK OF GALAXIES moved sharply 3/8 to try to get the lead but was kept out (while having a small advantage on occasion), fell back in the lane and drifted wide. SPITTING IMAGE was behind gapping cover, did not factor. CLEAR THE WAY was not prominent from third-in.

 

SEVENTH RACE – ASWEETBEACHHERE yielded for the pocket, sensed the 3/8 slowdown and moved to the lead, went a soft third quarter as the challenger did not arrive until near the ¾, sprinted home in 27 to control her own destiny. HUNGRY FOR MONEY worked to command just past the 1/8, backed off the tempo then let the winner go by, not quite enough quickstep from the pocket but a good second. SHOWBOAT HANOVER made up a lot of ground raw in a soft third split, then held well in a fast last quarter. AMERICAN STARLIGHT followed cover from last, not much late. SALTZ SHAKER was third-in, didn’t have enough late sprint. PD’S GEM gapped at the half then broke before the 5/8.

 

EIGHTH RACE – TREVOR’S ACE was three-wide to the first turn, had cover to the ¼ then went up and took the top just past the 5/16, went head-to-head with CURBSIDE PICKUP starting at the 5/8, got away a little bit headstretch but still needed to go on to defeat his stubborn foe. The latter started uncovered 5/16, reached the leader by the 5/8 and got into a big tussle with him, stayed close considering the raw ground he had to cover. EDDARD HANOVER was inside other leavers and didn’t yield easily, finally did 5/16 for the pocket, a little loose in the fast third split, outside in the stretch and got close as the speed slackened a mite late. BEACH TOWN BOY was five-wide early, took back to tuck, then outside behind a sluggish one, ducked inside, raced better than the line would suggest. ROSE RUN WOODROW wasn’t prominent. A STUD NAMED SAM backed out to second-over but couldn’t keep up. KYUQUOT followed the place horse outside early but never reached contention. CALYPSO ROCK N left, finally took the pocket at the ¼, all done at the 11/16.

 

NINTH RACE – MUFASA AS quarter-moved and was far clear from the half on. REAL MCCOY moved to go around the gapping pocketsitter before the 11/16, tucked back in the two-hole, outside stretch and bore out almost to the outside fence, still a clear second. FIX-IT-UP was right behind the place horse, wound up out three-wide through the turn while a bit steppy, moving best of the rest late. SON OF LIBERTY came out in a blindswitch far turn, photoed for third. PHANTOM RUSTY sat third-in, eased out towards the ¾ to avoid a shuffle, had little late. MY BOY CHRISTIAN gapped at the back. CRITICAL MASS never reached critical mass. CRAZY ABOUT PAT went on to the lead at the 1/8, surrendered it to the winner, started going backwards from the pocket from the ½.