FIRST RACE – ARTACHE HANOVER had some early foot and sat third-in, swung out late on the turn and just did catch GUNSLINGER HILL on the money. The latter made the lead to the first turn, yielded to a brusher for the pocket, a bit loose at the ¾ and much of the turn, but accelerated when shown the Pocono Pike, to the lead just before midstretch, unlucky to be caught late. ASCARYONE HANOVER controlled the pace with two moves, clear ¾ but couldn’t make the lead stand up. INTERNET HANOVER sat in, never prominent. SWEET TALKIN SATIN was uncovered early second turn, never made enough progress to be a major danger. LOOKINFORADVENTURE never factored. XPERT BAYAMA was behind the cover of REDHOT ROMEO, swung three-wide midturn when that one didn’t keep up, but himself also didn’t get into the battle. SPECTRUM had lost contact with the field nearing the ¼.
SECOND RACE – ALWAYS BE LUCY was first to show, yielded and stayed third-in, two- and then three-wide late turn, made up a lot of ground late to get the duke. JUSTABITOFCHARM moved uncovered early backstretch and quickly in high gear to get the lead 11/16 and to clear midturn, just failed to hold up. GATORS BEN WINNING was in front at the 1/8, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, came out past midturn, couldn’t regain enough ground. ENGLISH ROSE N had cover to the 1/8 then left raw until the 5/16 for the front, kept the brusher out until midturn, didn’t collapse. AUDI BAYAMA was behind dull cover, three-wide late on the turn and had some late sped to get the last check. BIG BAD BABY was away slowly and never entered the picture. SUN BELLE SLIPPERY could not stay with cover down the back. HOW ABOUT MURPH trailed.
THIRD RACE – ELENIARK A came in 27.3 from fourth in front of the stands to make the lead before the lower turn, turned it into a laugher the last ¼. MARYMACISBACK was last most of the way, had to go four-wide around clogging cover far turn, second-best. RHYME N ROLL was the only leaver in what otherwise was a lineup, yielded past the 3/8 to sit the two-hole, started gapping to the ¾. JERICHO DIVA went out uncovered at the half, soon got cover but it was of little use, went three-wide midturn, didn’t gain much relative to the rest. ROCK N ROLL BABE gapped the first half, inside, blocked far turn, but had little once clear. MELANIE’S FILLY pushed early then yielded, came back out raw 5/8 but didn’t make a dent.
FOURTH RACE – STOP RESISTIN slid and early tuck and kept a hole closed late first turn, moved out off turn two and three-wide 5/8 to two-wide 11/16 to the lead just past the ¾, opened a big advantage and had more than enough to stay clear. MYSTICAL MOTOR forced the ¼ from the rail then yielded, shuffled a bit then outside going midturn and three-deep nearing headstretch, closed very well. LE REVEUR N came out behind the winner, couldn’t match that one’s sharp burst late backstretch and was three-wide first covered then uncovered, to two-wide raw ¾, tired. VICKI ALL sat in, no factor. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE was between horses leaving and needed until the ¼ to clear the pole horse, then kept a challenging foe parked, had the winner charge up late backstretch and couldn’t resist. INNER PEACE and MOOSE MADNESS offered little. EV’S GIRL was three-wide almost to the 3/16, behind cover then uncovered past the ¼, pressed the issue but was left outside, faded.
FIFTH RACE – DAFINATY led from the first step to the last, withstanding LITTLE ADMIRAL. The latter was second-over but was slightly off cover to the ¾ and around the turn, wide and found good strides late to narrow in well. SPECTACULAR ROCK was away well and grabbed the pocket, to the Pocono Pike but couldn’t produce enough. NEEDLESS TO SAY was uncovered 11/16 and challenged, couldn’t sustain that move. SMART TALKER gapped inside down the back; SIR JAKE’S Z TAM (who suffered “b.e.”) gapped outside him. BIG CC’S ROCK and WORDSMITH fell far behind.
SIXTH RACE – PRINCE OF MINTO was three-wide towards the 1/8 to the lead, rated quarter two then opened up enough to put the first-over behind him down the back, had enough when that one came again late. O JONNIE was underway before the 3/8 and had reached the leader by the half, challenged then saw he wasn’t going by and tucked in an open pocket, gave it another try in the lane, narrowed in some in a good outing. MANDELA BLUE CHIP was blocked badly in the back of the bus, got room in the Pocono Pike and closed well. ARUBA VACATION settled in third at the 1/8, gapped at the ¾. BUZZEN GARLAND left between horses and got the two-hole at the 1/8, gapped past the half but got tighter late in the backstretch, then ran out of gas. PENNIMAN had dull cover from CAN DO, went three-wide but couldn’t make much headway. APLOMB HANOVER offered little.
SEVENTH RACE – MYSTERY ISLAND went right to the front, rated the half, turned back the first-over then held off the inside move of JAMAICAN COWBOY. The latter had a good two-hole trip, to the Pocono Pike, did OK. STONEBRIDGE PROUD was underway from last before the 3/8 and picked up cover heading towards turn two, three-wide midturn, couldn’t get there. STEUBEN GLADIATOR tucked fifth, then backed out to third-over, not bad at the end. SUCHASENSEOFHUMOR gapped inside down the back. NEWS WATCH never got a call. WHOSURPAPA came uncovered towards turn two, pressed the winner, tired.
EIGHTH RACE – REGAL HOPE went to the front and forced tucks, strung the favorite out the length of the frontstretch before taking the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, quickly to the lead midstretch, but had to stay good to hold off the comeback of CARMENS BEST. The latter moved from fourth nearing the ¼ and needed the length of the frontstretch to make the front, was soon passed when the winner had inside room, but was coming back a little at the end. SPORTY REDHOT left and made the early pocket to the 1/8, gapped the top two but way ahead of the others. URBANA BAYAMA was third-over in a dull flow, three-wide 5/8 and got to two-wide at the ¾, flattened out but still beat the others. MAGIC TRICKS didn’t offer very much. AWESUM ACE was three-wide early, in third at the 1/8, came out raw off the second turn but didn’t make a threatening inroad and was looped ¾. THREEHUNDRED WIRTH was not away well and gapped. DELIGHTFUL FASHION was second-over, blindswitched just past the 5/8, never entered the fight. DEVISSER was always in the back.
NINTH RACE – SPECTRE took back to get into the pocket 3/16, sat a great trip as the top two drew away, came out headstretch and easily went by in a good mile. DARTY headed right down the road, kept a foe parked in brisk fractions, second-best tonight. SPOILER ALERT was third-in, couldn’t keep up most of the last half, still a clear third. SCARLETT RAIDER, gapping early, passed tired horses. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY was three-wide past the 1/8, briefly had cover then was left out in the air, challenged but couldn’t go by in a fast half, went inside later down the backstretch, salvaged the last check. TURVILLE HANOVER and KANDY KORN both offered very little. ANOTHER BREATH took a midpack tuck, came out at the half and was starting to circle the parked horse when he went offstride before the 5/8.
TENTH RACE – GOLD STAR YODER pushed a leaver early then sat the pocket, gapped in the fast third quarter then tightened in ¾, outside midturn, made the lead early stretch, held off the late charge of NOTWITHOUTAFIGHT. The latter raced third, was strung out like the rest of the field down the back then tighter, three-wide late turn, lost a bit of ground to the winner straightening away, but closed resolutely. SOUTHWIND DREDGE backed off to a 4-tuck 3/16, stayed in, just got third over the tiring JAHAN HANOVER. The latter worked for the lead before the 26.2 quarter, tried to throw a haymaker with a 26.3 third quarter but couldn’t sustain. DIVISION BELL got past the rest. TAIL HOOK moved outside at the half but never got close. CENTURY ENFORCER looked to leave but took back, little late. I’M NO PANSY couldn’t keep pace. EVCO LANE went two-wide but didn’t advance.
ELEVENTH RACE – PERFECT STICK went four-wide 11/16 around dull cover to get to two-wide on the far turn, still had a lot of work to do but finished strongly and went by as the pace slowed. TW LAUXMONT tucked then gapped in the speedy 26.3 opener, moved to the second turn and quickly made the top, opened a big lead until early stretch when others were coming to him, did well to hold off all but the winner. DYNAMIC EDGE made the lead past the 1/8 in a 26.3 opener, slowed the half then soon was passed and gapped the new leader, regained ground as the tempo slackened. BRUTAL STORM did not get away particularly well, stayed in, made up some late ground. DJOKOVIC N went between horses and pushed a horse then yielded in the fast quarter, went to the Pocono Pike and for a brief moment loomed, then appeared to hang. SHIVERED and ANDOVERS TOUCH were never close. ARCHIBALD vacated fourth but never gained a step. TROLLER spotted midpack, had cover then tried to go three-wide around it but could not, broke midturn.
TWELFTH RACE – TALK SHOW CHICA quickly made the front, yielded but retook, had a big fight with PEGGY J from the half, looked to have disposed of that one on the turn but saw her coming back late, held onto the lead. The latter was underway before the 3/8 and was left raw as the winner retook, pressed hard, fell back on the turn but courageously found a renewed life late. SWEET ACE was forwardly-placed, came outside on the turn and moved wide before midstretch, couldn’t quite reach the deuce. ROLL WITH ANGEL tucked, stayed in, a bit in the Pocono Pike late. WINNING WORDS was very wide early and three-wide to the 1/8, made the lead before the ¼, yielded and in the two-hole, struggled the last 3/16. MARTINIQUE BEACH was urged leaving but didn’t offer much speed and tucked in, went second-over but couldn’t stay tight on cover. COURTING MARIE was last, had traffic trouble weaving between horses with some horse. RHODATOLDME did not factor. MADDELLE couldn’t stay with struggling cover.
THIRTEENTH RACE – NEZBLANC inherited the pocket when the outside foe in an early duel broke, stayed close, seemed to have the option of using the Pocono Pike but awaited clearance between horses, got it midstretch and burst right through. PRESIDENT was under a good hold in the slow second quarter then moved uncovered into the backstretch, grinded, got a brief short lead to deep stretch but was caught. LAZER JET moved second-over, gapped a bit then was closer far turn and three-wide off of same, came on. WORTHY OF HONOR was in an early battle when the outside foe broke, backed off the second quarter then sped up again when challenged, not enough late. WINNING GENE stayed flat and got the last check. CELEBRITY MIRACLE was outside leaving and had a small advantage when running 3/16, caught the field, but broke again headstretch. SWEET HEART AS had some early foot but misbehaved before turn one.
FOURTEENTH RACE – ANNABETH was looped and took the pocket at the 1/8, sat the good trip then went to the Pocono Pike, surged late to get the decision. JUSLIKEAQUEEN was in front in short order, rested in quarter two, then came home in 55.4 – 27.4 and still was caught, good outing. PERSISTENT BETTOR finally came out before the 5/8, never pressed the leader but went on steadily. CASIE’S BELIEVER left some, sat third-in, some late. MISS IRISH ROSE A was third-over, widest in the stretch and had pace on the end. BRING ME DIAMONDS was second-over, not a brilliant finish. TRAFFIC JAM was never prominent.