FIRST RACE – Again warm, in the 60 degree range … Mild stretch headwind, especially earlier … TRIUMPHANT’S CHIP forced tucks early, yielded to the favorite and stayed close in the two-hole, could get through when the leader broke and went to the infield near headstretch, kept TYSON at bay. The latter left, reluctantly took the pocket 3/16, came out raw past the 5/8 and pressed the leader, trotted well but beaten by the horse with the shorter trip. CAMPBELLINI tucked fourth, gapped much of the second half, evenly late. CLARION HALL was in the two-wide flow, briefly blindswitched then three-wide on the turn, not bad late. CREDIT FRAUD moved out to the 5/8, got cover but gapped it, ducked in and went evenly late. MASSAMILLION tried going three-wide at the ¾ but couldn’t enter contention. NAMJE left, took third, then moved quickly 5/16 to the lead and put up fast fractions, got rough mid-far turn then made a full break and was taken inside the pylons, placed. UNABATING gapped. SECTOR broke nearing the ¼.
SECOND RACE – JAHAN HANOVER went hard to the 3/16 to get the lead, yielded for the pocket, outside late turn, went right by early stretch, maintained the advantage to the wire. YUPPER went uncovered 11/16, got brief cover when the winner pulled late turn, paced steadily to make that one earn the victory. ABSOLUTE INTENT moved out 5/8, got cover, finished OK+. FEELING CAM LUCKY went away quickly, yielded, quarter-moved, came up shy at crunch time. STEADY PULSE was far back, OK late. ROCK THREE TIMES and GOLDEN GUN could not keep their holes filled. PONYTA BOY lost contact.
THIRD RACE – TOP ME OFF left between horses, grabbed the pocket at the 1/8, moved 5/16 after another horse tucked and blitzed right to the lead, set amazing fractions for this type while stringing out the field and just overpowered these, with the 1:54.2 (in a maiden race) equaling the fastest 3YO trotting clocking in North America this year on any size of track. SAMEDAME LIFE AS got going ¾ and had a good last split to be along for the distant second. SWAN BY LAND finally narrowed in before the ¾, moved at that call, was caught for second. DAGON HANOVER gapped. MADDYS LEADING MAN was stuck out three-deep to the 1/8, then tucked third, while STORM BRINGER went to the top, then yielded to the winner – both were tired in the last quarter from chasing the tough fractions. THE OTHER DUO were far behind throughout.
FOURTH RACE – WINNIE THE GOO moved raw before the 5/8 and gradually reeled in the leader by early stretch, had enough to stave off the closers. CHING CHING LUCKY moved out, initially couldn’t get close but found better strides, three-wide late on the turn and did well for second. DOODLE HANOVER tucked behind the two early duelers, backed out behind the winner before the ¾, outkicked for the deuce. CHOCOLATE MATTERS was three-wide far turn from far back, OK. HAVANA OOH NANA sat in, between horses late and fair. SERRANO VOLO was used to a 27.3 quarter to get in front and then opened distance until past the 5/8, began shortening stride, faded,; suffered “b.e.” LINDY PRETTY LADY never got a call. CHEESY HANOVER came through quickly at the start, hung a foe to a fast quarter then sat the two-hole, gapped a lot, got a little closer late backstretch, then faded a lot. FIRE UP went offstride 5/16.
FIFTH RACE – SCRAPPIN GOLD left well, yielded, quarter-moved, lost all but CAPTAIN MCKEE with a 27.4 third quarter, then had to go that fast again to keep that pesky rival safe. The latter tucked fifth before the 1/8, came raw just before the half, paced his last half in 54.4 raw, moving to the winner nearing the ¾ and giving that one all he wanted. STORMONT CZAR A sat behind a gapper until midturn, decisioned MR PROFETA for third. The latter ducked in late on the far turn and came up the Pocono Pike with pace. HEARTBEAT HILL was outside, couldn’t do much more than get the last check. FRISKY PEDRO offered little. ADIOS MUCHACHOS made the lead at the 1/8, yielded, started to get loose in the pocket 11/16. DOIN THE MOST got an early spot, started gapping at the half. REDDING HANOVER struggled throughout.
SIXTH RACE – NATURAL KEMP kept the pocket early then quarter-moved, had no problems en route to an easy win. PHANTOM RUSTY made the point at the 1/8, yielded for the good pocket trip, lost a bit of ground late but did save second from BRUTAL STORM. The latter took a long time to be put in a hole late on the first turn, came out ¾, trotted home steadily. WHOUCALNCRAZY sat in third, angled out in the stretch but didn’t gain. BUTTER TOFFEE had a touch of trot late along the inside. RARE MUSCLE was three-wide to the 1/8 midpack, could find no hole so sat outside midpack, only missed fourth by half a length. STORM PARTY showed little. MINEFIELD HANOVER came out 11/16 and tried to sweep up on the turn but could not. SHOEMAKER HANOVER fell back sharply in the last ¼.
SEVENTH RACE – KILLER INSTINCT left and settled in the pocket, stayed close in a spread-out field, outside into the lane, was coming on at a high gear and seemed likely to go by TUIS SHADOW even before that one broke. The latter headed down the road, rated the second quarter then went fast in the third, trying to hold off the winner when she broke; an inquiry into her break showed no reason for placing. SPUNKIN’SROCKETMAN moved out at the half, got no closer than the wheel of the pocket horse, did outnod I AM THE STORM for third. The latter was three-wide to the first turn and settled in third past the 1/8, went evenly and was just beaten out for third. COUNT CHOCALOT gapped at many spots. DUKE OF LINDY tried to gain two-wide but could not. LEROYBROWN, well off the gate, lost contact at the half. SHELL SHOCK broke at the start.
EIGHTH RACE – JANE DIAMOND was looped leaving and stayed with cover to the 5/16, then swept three-wide to the lead before turn two in a good half, opened a giant lead down the back, getting weary late but was too far ahead. AP BLAZE OF GLORY sat in until coming outside on the turn, appearing to have a dangling headpole when swinging wide early stretch, made up ground. GRIP N WIN was out behind the parked horse down the back then moved inside when that one faded, continued up the inside with some late pace. MORE THAN KUTE kept the hole plugged early, inside then outside ¾ but didn’t gain. SWEETONTHEBEACH circled the field approaching the first turn, was in a fight with one rival from nearing the ¼, left that one out, yielded to the winner’s brush then gapped most of the last half. SINFULLY DELICIOUS was way off the gate, never prominent. LAST LUXURY was never close. BETTER BID HANOVER also never contended. CATIE FAYE HANOVER was three-wide leaving then left out in the air, tried for command but didn’t have the speed, looped past the 3/8 and continued raw, faded late backstretch.
NINTH RACE – URSIS DES CAILLONS was away third then advanced to the pocket as a foe broke 3/16, stayed tight as the top two drew away in the last 3/8, outside midturn, went to the lead early stretch but was kept to urging to conquer a stubborn PIERCEWAVE HANOVER. The latter got the lead at the 1/8, slowed quarter two then sped up in quarter three, was passed early stretch but dug in hard to the line. MOOSE MADNESS, off the gate some, sat in, moved outside headstretch and was along for third. ALEXANDER HANOVER lost cover at the 1/8 and was on the rim raw until the 5/8, when a tuck developed, didn’t tire too badly after the hard trip. DON’T SASS ME was outside but not prominent. BATTLE MAGE couldn’t offer much. NICE STUFF took the pocket at the 1/8 but ran 3/16, recovered quickly and followed cover, lost it 5/8, could make no further progress and broke again far turn. MEETMEINTHEMIDDLE jumped past the start. TROLLER spotted, couldn’t increase his speed as the top two did early backstretch, broke and went to the infield.
TENTH RACE – GOLDEN SON left quickly and took the lead, yielded for the pocket and waited for the Pocono Pike, showed enough trot to hold off the late charge of LUCKY JUNE BUG. The latter was well-placed, went wide headstretch and was narrowing in nicely. MANWITHAMISSION sat in midpack, got room deep in the Pike and was OK late. WILLIE B WORTHY set the pace with two moves in fast fractions, came up shy in the lane. POND JUMPER got the last check. ADAGIO DE LA TOUR moved outside but gapped, three-wide on the turn to try to get around a fader, showed little. MAGIC VACATION and VALLORIA N were near the rear throughout. ONE DIRECTION was three-wide to the first turn, hard to take back to go in a 4-tuck 3/16, then out first-over 3/8, didn’t start fading significantly until the ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – THE LADY SHERIFF got a quick enough start to discourage other leavers save one, let that one go but was immediately on the retake, won more easily than the margin may suggest. SWEET YOUNG THING was the only leaver of note and hit the front 3/16, yielded for the two-hole, never really threatened but went a good mile. RELLA TIVITY stayed connected in the 3-hole. HURRICANE CALLEIGH started first-up before the half, never reached the leader but held her ground late. PHOOS GIRL was second-over, three-wide late turn but couldn’t enter contention. THE BAND K was at least forwardly-placed, but she and THE OTHER THREE were not threats in here.
TWELFTH RACE – TERRY A HANOVER yielded nearing the ¼ and sat the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, inched by midstretch, might’ve been hanging slightly late but proved the most photogenic at 36-1. ROUTHLAND was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to a fast quarter, got a breather then got a big challenge, had horses coming from every angle and still battled, unlucky to lose. HULOU went out between horses, settled third at the 1/8, thought about moving 3/8 but stayed in, pinned in on the turn, ducked to the deep Pike midstretch and was moving fastest of all late. MIKI U SO FINE showed good speed late in the backstretch to press the leader, kept on going right to the line. YUPYUPYUP and ISSA HORSE were near the back throughout. INTELLIGENT AM was second-over but gapped the last 3/8; third-over WELL DONE SON went three-wide headstretch but couldn’t reach.
THIRTEENTH RACE – GRATEFUL KISS stayed connected behind the early fireworks, moved out 5/8 but went back in as the parked horse faded, came out again two-wide midturn after the sweeper cleared to that lane, wide and picked up a tired crew. PATRIOT LINE was looped, advanced between horses on both sides of the 1/8 mark and finally got the lead 3/16, elected to park a challenger in a fast half, met the bold challenge of the sweeper on the far turn, held very well. WARRAWEE WHYNOT was still eighth at the 5/8 but had zoomed up to second just past the ¾ while going his third quarter in 27.1, flattened a bit in his first start in eight months but caught the eye with the big move. BLAZING NIGHT gapped before the half then got a bit tighter, couldn’t keep up behind the winner the last 3/16 but finished with pace. THE BIG PICTURE stayed in and was shuffled to last, then advanced inside the second part of the turn as horses moved out, looked to be pacing well in the Pocono Pike but may have gotten in tight quarters and appeared to check, hard-luck outing. JASPER HANOVER was first on top, yielded and kept the hole closed in the pocket, didn’t have much late and may have been running in affecting the Pike horse. DILLINGER was blindswitched then moved three-wide but couldn’t offer much. SETH HANOVER never featured. CAVIART SAGE was kept out three-wide to the 3/16, went up to challenge the new leader but was left out to dry in a very fast half, faded 11/16.
FOURTEENTH RACE – DA MAGICIAN left some, quarter-moved and cleared with mild urging to the 3/8, couldn’t be touched while coming home in 55.2. JK WILL POWER was three-wide to the 1/8 and went on, taking over off the first turn, ceded the lead 3/8 for the pocket, raced well but had to settle for second. INDICTABLE HANOVER gained inside down the backstretch, photoed BEACH BOOGIE for third. The latter outleft all of his opponents, yielded off the first turn, backed out to second-over before the 11/16, three-wide headstretch, paced home well. SWEET N FAST N moved uncovered on the second turn, not a major threat to the winner, held evenly until very late. BILBO HANOVER gapped inside. DO YA THINK was looped and between horses early, took back but found no hole and was outside midpack the duration, couldn’t keep up 5/8. THE LAST TWO were never close.