FIRST RACE – REDHOT ROMEO moved into turn two and had excellent cover from the parked horse, left uncovered midturn when that one did clear to the lead, drew safely clear. XPERT BAYAMA was fourth-over, wide headstretch and gained a lot of ground to be a clear second. ASCARYONE HANOVER left and ducked in then kept a hole closed, caught in when the leader tired and was shuffled, to the two-path but didn’t clear, then in midstretch had room to go wider and responded once free. GUNSLINGER HILL wouldn’t yield in the burning first quarter, finally did to the looper 3/8, shuffled when that one tired, quickly went around him and then back in, Pocono Pike, not all that much. ALWAYS B MAGIC was between horses leaving, was denied a hole and then looped to the 3/8 so coverless all the way, actually went to the lead and the inside before midturn, understandably tired after a huge effort. GARRETT’S GUIDE was third-over but couldn’t do much. SWEET TALKIN SATIN was shuffled to last, widest in the lane and had a little on the end. FERNADO was three-wide leaving and in the three-path until finally clearing 3/8 in a scorching early pace, tired ¾ and appeared to be half in the safety lane past midturn to not “stack” those behind him.
SECOND RACE – GATORS BEN WINNING left and defended the pocket, out in a blindswitch ¾ and inside late turn, to the Pocono Pike and responded readily. A WISH FOR WINGS was last, advanced in a two-wide blindswitch on the turn, blocked between horses until just past midstretch, then found a seam and was closing well (into the 1:00 back half). HOW ABOUT MURPH was outside, followed the 5/8 sweeper and stayed out three-wide far turn, just a bit shy. JUSTABITOFCHARM followed three-wide cover, too many to pass late. SUN BELLE SLIPPERY closed a hole past the rapid half, moved two- and then immediately three-wide 5/8, to two-wide past the ¾, flattened a bit. SAPPHIRE HILL gapped early, never entered the fight. ALWAYS B LUCY was stuck raw on the outside in torrid fractions, with the unlucky Buter again parked over 4000 feet and then clearing to the lead early on the turn, again understandably tired. NORTHERN SWIFT kept the lead in hot fractions, tired ¾.
THIRD RACE – DYNAMIC EDGE had the pocket as a leaver broke, quarter-moved, seemed to have this situation well under control. SPOILER ALERT got quickly to the top, yielded for the two-hole, a little loose latter backstretch, held second over PRINCE OF MINTO. The latter was the first to the outer tier and wound up third-over, three-wide far turn, big mile. YUGE went uncovered nearing the half, one-geared it along, OK. O JONNIE was second-over, blindswitched on the far turn, a bit of trot belatedly. WHOUCALNCRAZY did not factor. KANDY KORN sat third, had very little late. TW LAUXMONT was leaving but broke a few steps into the race.
FOURTH RACE – JAMAICAN COWBOY one-geared it up first-over, kept grinding and scored at $51.20 for the first Pocono victory for McGwire Sowers, who was born in the 21st century. MYSTERY ISLAND was out between horses to past the 3/16 to get the lead, yielded for the pocket, Pocono Pike, had his chance but couldn’t quite make it. NEEDLESS TO SAY pushed the pace most of the quarter and yielded, stayed third-in, was weaving for a clear path half of the stretch, then found room inside the winner and closed well. JOE LARRY N CURLY moved out on the far turn and three-wide headstretch, couldn’t quite reach. CARMENS BEST was three-wide most of the ¼ then on top before the 3/8, didn’t have pressure until the far turn, but the early hard trip caught up to him. QUICK ART did not factor. WORDSMITH was off the gate, lost contact the last half, returned with “b.e.”
FIFTH RACE – STOP RESISTIN made the pocket before the 1/8, waited until past the ¾ then moved to challenge, got by CASH FOR GOLD late. The latter had the top fairly easily, rated the second split then picked up the pace, got tired very late. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE was out in the cover flow before the half, three-wide late on the turn and finished steadily. LE REVEUR N moved second-over then was left raw just past the 5/8, stopped gaining far turn. EV’S GIRL was three-wide before turn one, made the 3-hole past the 1/8, came uncovered at the half but had ducked back in the 3-hole 5/8, not much left. MYSTICAL MOTOR was outside and bothered by the breaker off turn one, never got into the main fight. APLOMB HANOVER and NEW IDENTITY never factored. NOBLE PRIZE gapped before breaking off the first turn.
SIXTH RACE – DAFINATY quickly was in front as the only strong leaver, rated the half then may’ve bottomed out all but one with a big third panel, lost ground in the face of the stretch charge of URBANA BAYAMA, but the wire came just in time. The latter defended the pocket to the 3/16, then waited until moving out headstretch, gained inch by inch but needed a few more yards at the end. SIR JAKE’S Z TAM moved second-over, three-wide past midturn, just up for the distant third. DOCBETTS’ SHAMROCK stayed in, gapped a bit, moved into the Pocono Pike but could not quite get to third. BETTER BANGBANG stayed in, little. BIG CC’S ROCK was behind not-so-progressive cover, didn’t fire here. REGAL HOPE was looped, hoped to make the pocket but took back for the 3-spot 3/16, on the move again past the 3/8, gained a little bit raw then fell back.
SEVENTH RACE – WINNING PRINCESS came through early and got the lead, set good fractions for this type and drew off in fast time for the bottom-level trotters. CASA PALMERA gapped at the back of the main field down the back, found room between horses in the stretch and just edged SHIVERED for second. The latter moved out ¾, had to go three-wide when his cover broke towards midturn, OK finish. MANDELA BLUE CHIP was the first horse away but couldn’t go around the winner and accepted the pocket, may’ve been bottomed a bit chasing the fast pace. PONDA’S MUSCLE MAN jumped early. WALK THE FLOOR had some gate foot, moved outside ¾ but broke midturn.
EIGHTH RACE – SPRINGBRIDGE PROUD was second-over, accelerated when his cover tucked in the pocket ¾, bore out through the stretch to six-wide but still finished in 54.4 to save his backers at 1-20*. SPECTACULAR ROCK made the lead at the 1/8, slowed the half then sprinted home in 55.2 in a bottom claimer, raced very well. ACHILLES BLUE CHIP sat the pocket, loosened from midbackstretch and gave the pocket up 3/4, outside stretch and came back for the very distant third. CHANCELLORCULLEN N started uncovered towards turn two, challenged the leader and got into the pocket ¾, but soon backed off. LITTLE ADMIRAL gapped third-over. HANDS OFF FRANK could offer little. DELIGHTFUL FASHION was very hard to take back on turn one, continued headstrong then broke past the ¼.
NINTH RACE – DOT DOT DOT DASH left, yielded, moved from third off turn two and went by 11/16, all-out to withstand the late inside move of HOT SUMMER KNIGHT. The latter tucked early, then was second-over, retucked in the pocket ¾, to the Pocono Pike, came up just a little short. KEYSTONE SERGEANT gapped in the outer tier, then had some on the end to take third. P L ICABOD was three-wide to the front before the 1/8, strung a foe out almost to the 3/8 before yielding, slipped out after the top two went by down the back, in third on the turn, far late. ANDOVERS TOUCH sat in and was shuffled when the pacesetter gave way before the ¾. ABBIE’S CELTICLASS was three-wide with cover early then two-wide and out in a fast tempo before gaining the lead 3/8, powerless when challenged 11/16. PERFECT STICK was far back when breaking to the 11/16. ARCHIBALD ran 3/16.
TENTH RACE – SCOOTNROLL bypassed a pocket opportunity to press on and get command 5/16, held off the first-over then proved himself the best in this group. SWEET TRUTH sat in third, slow to clear between horses in tight quarters then finished powerfully. DIAMOND HEAD went uncovered off turn two and paced in 27 to put pressure on the leader, held his ground OK. BILLY LINCOLN N went right to the lead, made the winner work until the 5/16 before yielding, well-placed, couldn’t gain late. DIRT ON MY BOOTS was outside on turn two and got cover off that bend, did OK in a 27.1 last quarter. SO MANY ROADS stayed in and was shuffled to last, finished with pace belatedly. LETS HAVE ANOTHER gapped third-over.
ELEVENTH RACE – THE BAND K had the early pocket, stayed third-in, to the pocket again ¾ and then got access to the Pocono Pike, along in plenty of time. LAUGHING EMOJI N was looped and worked up to the front 5/16, had plenty of pressure, couldn’t quite sustain to the finish. ELENIARK A came from far back far turn first with cover then very wide, finished strongly. MELANIE’S FILLY made the lead at the 1/8, yielded 5/16, moved back out 11/16 to fight with the leader, held pretty well. RHYME N ROLL was buried inside, weaved through heavy stretch traffic and gained strongly. ROCK N ROLL BABE was not prominent. MARYMACISBACK had to go three-wide around a dull one past the 5/8 to two-wide 11/16, three-wide midturn, flattened. LOTUS SEELSTER was uncovered going to turn two but showed little.
TWELFTH RACE – CELEBRITY MIRACLE went out in 26.4 to make sure he led, slowed the half, then held together nicely. PEMBROKE YOYO went into the pocket 3/16, tipped into the Pocono Pike but soon went on the run and galloped home, placed last for being in violation of the breaking rules. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN started uncovered 3/8 and grinded steadily, big mile. LAZER JET was behind dull cover, three-wide late turn and finished well. BEERTHIRTY K and STORM PARTY were not major factors. WINNING GENE backed out to be second-over going to the half, gapped cover ¾. HAVANA OOH NANA was out with cover past the 1/8 the first time she went offstride.
THIRTEENTH RACE – SCRAPPIN GOLD was on top going to turn one, turned loose the favorite 3/16 to sit the pocket, outside early stretch and had a very strong last 1/8 to be along in time. JAHAN HANOVER was three-wide to the first curve, on the lead 3/16, slowed at the half, raced strongly but was chased down by the pocket rocket. GOLD STAR YODER was uncovered at the half and paced in 27 down the back to challenge, was rebuffed late turn but still far ahead of the rest. DIVISION BELL gapped at the back down the back, passed tired foes. I’M NO PANSY was second-over but couldn’t keep up ¾. CENTURY ENFORCER had some gate speed, stayed in, empty ¾.
FOURTEENTH RACE – TALK SHOW CHICA yielded and sat just off the early fireworks, then moved 5/16 to the lead past the 3/8, drew clear towards the ¾ and won in a laugher. MARTINIQUE BEACH initially moved second-over on turn two but then went back in, was blocked around the far turn as the pocketsitter fell back and had to wait for the Pocono Pike, just did get second via that path. SOMEBEACHSOMEFRA followed cover from third-over, wide and not bad late. PAIGE’S GIRL was second-over, got tighter then went three-wide ¾ to two-wide on the turn, third in a three-way picture for second. MADDELLE was not in the picture. SWEET ACE made the front then went on to seat a rival in a 26 opener, yielded for the pocket in front of the stands, started getting loose going to the ¾. ENDURING HOPE was never close. STOWAWAY HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8, hung past the 26 opener before tucking, out uncovered before the half, empty before the ¾.