FIRST RACE – Mid 80s through the day; no wind to start, but that will change … STEALING was three-wide leaving, in front at the 1/8, had a challenger from just past the half, behind that one much of the backstretch but maintained the inner advantage, stayed game and got the decision late. CHOCO CHARLIE came with a rush just entering the backstretch, looked like he was going to clear to the lead but was just shy of being able to cross over, raced well but had to settle for place. STAR TRACK HANOVER sat the early pocket, backed out down the back when it looked like the first-over was going by, back to the pocket on the turn, next-best. MISS PRINCIPLE had an excess of cover, was finishing well. SO LONG HANOVER gapped second-over. NANCY BAR briefly left then settled back, could have gotten the pocket late backstretch but didn’t reach, Pocono Pike, not much. TUIS SHADOW was never close. TRICKY DICK was gapping by the 3/8 and lost contact the last half.
SECOND RACE – Stretch headwind started … RIOT went to the lead, backed off the half, then greatly benefited with confusion behind him off the second turn and opened a huge lead, gave back most of the advantage in the last quarter but had enough to hold on. PERKINS was bothered, out with cover, uncovered late turn, kept eating into the margin. PANTHEON HANOVER was wide around the trouble, left uncovered way back, got to the pocket on the turn, outpaced for second. REAGAN BLUE CHIP was right behind the breaker and made an “ix,” recovered and had the distant “pocket”, couldn’t hold that position, not a late factor. BLACKLIGHT was also affected by the trouble. STELLAR BLUE CHIP was three-high early, took the pocket 3/16, looked hard to hold sitting in in the slow second quarter, unruly and made a break before the half scattering all but the winner.
THIRD RACE – MR GRANT led from the first step to the last, slowed the half then sprinted in 28 to be in full charge, big 56.3 back half by a 2YO maiden trotter. LITTLE MARK was soon second and stayed relatively close nicely in the fast last half. ALL TOO WELL settled third at the 1/8, outtrotted a bit by the top two but still far clear of the rest. THE NEXT TWO did not have the speed to be competitive here. TWILIGHT MOTION started to gap in the backstretch and broke 5/8. I’M OUT was in(side the pylons) after a 3/16 break.
FOURTH RACE – DOUBLE DIPPIN was three-wide leaving to the top before the 1/8, set wild fractions for this class while on a huge lead, tired in the lane (31 last quarter) and kept to task to hold on to an unassailable advantage. PRAIRIE NUGGET yielded to the 1/8 and gapped from the 3/16, but narrowed in some in the last quarter. TEST MY WILL came on to catch ACTION SHOT for third; the latter left between horses and went in third at the 1/8, gapped the pocket horse from the 5/8. THE NEXT PAIR had little to offer here. PAUC HANOVER broke soon before the start; SOUTHWIND FIREBALL broke w-a-y before the start.
FIFTH RACE – GOING GREEN quarter-moved, unchallenged until going to the ¾, held off the favored closer. SECURITY PROTECTED was strung out like many of the others much of the way, outside 11/16, three-wide late turn, found good strides in the last 1/16 but was too late. MEMORYNIMAGINATION entered the picture behind the place horse far turn, initially wanted to try to split horses in the stretch then ducked further inside and did well late. FIVE SECOND RULE was immediately on top, yielded, briefly backed out to second-over but then to the pocket ¾, tired some. CAN HAVE IT ALL struggled to keep up from the 3/8 to late backstretch, little late. STICKY FINGERS was looped leaving, worked up to the top at the ¼, yielded to the winner, moved out 1/16 but didn’t have too much on the second move. MBF CONQUEST fell further and further back the last half.
SIXTH RACE – SANTA MONICA AS took the pocket early, outside ¾, proved to have the most in the late stages though going wide some. FRESHGROUNDPEPPER took control from the pole, rated the half, got pressure ¾, stayed in the middle of a three-way battle through the stretch. BARCELONA PRINCESS was three-wide to the 1/8 then tucked third 3/16, up to the pocket on the turn, looked like she might have had a brief short lead inside midstretch, flattened some. TSM EMILIA T was bothered by a breaker but got back into the race well; GADOT HANOVER was bothered by the same breaker but never recovered. SELENA DEO moved from fourth 11/16 and got cover ¾, was following that cover far turn when she ran. SOUTHWIND DESI was looking to leave when going offstride. AVA MARIE broke going into turn two and went to the infield.
SEVENTH RACE – SIR FRED JONES was uncovered from way back before the 5/8, one-geared it up steadily to challenge, lead midstretch, very impressive. BIRD AND GRENADE kept the pocket tight early, to the Pocono Pike, good for second although not quite enough to withstand the winner. MODELO backed out 11/16 for cover, raced well but not as well as the winner. THIS ONEISONME wouldn’t surrender early, then backed off the half, not enough in the lane. ATLAS ROCK was three-high before turn one, challenged but was parked, took back to the three-hole after a breaker, fell back. HEYTHERBARTENDER was off the gate and never in it. GREENSPAN first broke nearing the ¼. CYCLONE BEN was wide early, spotted, looked a bit unruly in the hole before breaking to the 3/8.
EIGHTH RACE – Stretch headwind has become strong … CROWN MONARCH launched a long uncovered move 5/8 that carried him right to contention and then the lead late on the turn, maintained a safe margin. VAQUERO BLUE CHIP was quarter-mover #1 from the pocket, yielded, outside behind the winner late turn, wasn’t getting to him but was a clear second after using much energy. RIVERIA BEACH was QM#2 to the front 3/8, tired some from midturn. INTERNATIONALCRAZE went to the lead, saw two go by in quarter two, couldn’t keep up in the last 1/8. SPACE EXPLORER broke w-a-y before the start, recovered and minded his manners to get a check. GREEN MEADOW sat in, backed out before the ¾ but had little. ALFAROMEO broke an 1/8 before the start, recovered, moved outside on the second turn but sputtered again coming out of that curve.
NINTH RACE – The last ¾ was 1:31.1, so many were close at the wire … DEVITO HANOVER was uncovered down the back to command 11/16, held off the late chargers. TEMPLETON advanced in then moved out in front of a gapper past midbackstretch, narrowed in just a little too late. FULL SCALE moved with cover then was left uncovered 11/16, up to challenge the winner late turn, proceeded on steadily. PRAIRIE FAMOUS gapped early then inherited the pocket to the ¼, was shuffled midturn, then went to the Pocono Pike, not very far away. WINE BAR sat in and was buried inside, came between horses with trot then was shut off nearing the wire. TO MY CREDIT made the lead at the 1/8, couldn’t fight the winner’s move 11/16, didn’t back up too far because of the slow time. ALTITUDE was in front then yielded, broke while close at the ¼, recovered and wide far turn, flattened. STRONG BREW gapped at several points.
TENTH RACE – REFORMATION went to the lead and yielded, third-in, backed out past midturn, swung four-wide and was trotting the most solidly late. HIGHLY MOTIVATED was uncovered 5/8 and kept gaining, got a DH2 tied with CARRERA HANOVER. The latter broke at the start, made up considerable ground in second-over position down the back, wide stretch, good recovery. LONELY LAKEWOOD made the front 3/16 then yielded 3/8 for the pocket, Pocono Pike, not enough. EXECUTIVE GAME gapped down the back, deep Pike, fair. RISE went behind cover early, uncovered 3/16 to the lead 3/8, fell back through the stretch. CALL OF THE WILD broke coming of turn two.
ELEVENTH RACE – LORD OF MISRULE took command 3/16, rated Q2 into the wind and didn’t get a severe challenge down the back — had many coming at him in the stretch, though, but gamely refused to surrender the lead. SOUTHWIND DREDGE was second-over behind a one-gear horse, three-wide past midturn, finished well but came up just shy. ARTIFACT HANOVER yielded 3/16 for the pocket, outside headstretch, had aim, just short. DOCTOR BB was forwardly-placed, got to the Pocono Pike, a step shy. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was uncovered into turn two, only could one-gear while not threatening. MISTER DAYTONA N was wide early then backed off, in fourth to the 3/16, not a factor late. SELECT FRIDAY didn’t enter the main picture. TERRITORY was third-over at the half but gapped the flow.
TWELFTH RACE – FORREST got the pocket leaving, loose of the fast-stepping pacesetter until before the ¾, reeled that one in far turn to take the lead, had enough to keep the winning margin as the pace (inevitably) slowed. HOLLAND HALL raced in a strung-out third-in position, behind the winner on the turn, narrowed in on that one late. MATTER OF TRUST went in fourth before the 3/16, gapped severely early backstretch, narrowed in, but could not continue forward progress. CUPID HANOVER was loose on the lead with big fractions stringing out the field, tired in the last 5/16. PRAIRIE VIRTUE never featured. STEEL SCHOONER broke right at the start. UFTON ABBY HANOVER gapped severely 11/16. KEYSTONE SERGEANT made a break in front of the stands the first time.