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FIRST RACE – From the high 50s to the mid 60s during the card … TRY TRY AGAIN used the rail to advantage, yielded for the early pocket, looked to move just past the ¼ but was rebuffed and retucked, waited for the Pocono Pike, then caught pacesetting TRIUMPHANT’S CHIP. The latter left between horses and went on to 3/16 command, kept two different challengers from getting the top, held well late. WILLIE B WORTHY moved outside to the half and trotted up to cover, three-wide early in the far turn, came home steadily but came up shy. NAMJE took back early, sat in, went to the deep Pike, may not have had full clearance. BROADWAY BRUISER got into the flow third-over, evenly late. ICINGON DE CUPCAKE showed little. URSIS DES CAILLONS left three-wide well past the 1/8, backed off but found no hole, went up again nearing turn two to challenge and pressed in the third quarter, tired but not too badly.
SECOND RACE – Stretch tailwind starting … STOP RESISTIN backed out to trail up second-over into turn two, three-wide midturn, came home steadily then held off CLARION HALL. The latter originally stayed in then backed out to third-over at the half, three-wide with cover on the turn, still last past midstretch but finished with a rush. ADAGIO DE LA TOUR stayed in, out into a blindswitch headstretch, found a stretch seam and moved through well. EXPLOSIVE MAGIC started uncovered at the 5/16 and reached just outside the leader 9/16, went 27.4 against the wind down the back to challenge, stayed right in the fight until very late. FINAL DREAM left and got the pocket, Pocono Pike, not enough. DARTY moved out quickly to the lead, came under pressure early in the backstretch, weakened a bit late. GOLDEN SON broke right at the start, recovered and caught the field by the ¼, but then couldn’t get into the main action.
THIRD RACE – SURE R LOOKIN GOOD went quickly to the lead, never let the uncovered favorite get to with a length of her down the back, then drew off impressively in the last ¼. LET ‘ER BUCK was looped, got in third at the ¼, uncovered before the 5/8, clearly second-best. SPEAKING OF COFFEE came out at the half, had cover before the 5/8 but gapped it, distant third. SUNRISE HANOVER defended the pocket early, gave ground the last 5/16. SIGSBEE sat in and was boxed in on the turn, finished with some pace in the Pocono Pike. RHYME N ROLL stayed in, evenly. WINNING WORDS went three-wide from behind dull cover but couldn’t get into the picture. LADY PHOENIX moved outside, gapped a gapper. NARINA HANOVER wasn’t in the main hunt when making a break headstretch.
FOURTH RACE – ALPINE tucked just behind the early three-way war, moved coming off the second turn and grinded up to clear nearing the ¾, a safe winner. P L OLIVIA was innermost of the three early battlers, yielded past the quick opener to sit the two-hole, came out on the turn after the winner had gone by and was three-wide headstretch, finished very nicely. LEXA HANOVER was between horses well past a 27.2 opener before getting command, kept the winner out most of the backstretch, tired some. R SPEED OF LIGHT was three-wide virtually the entire ¼, then backed off to tuck third, came out behind the winner past the 5/8, left uncovered towards the ¾, didn’t have much more to give. PRAIRIE VIRTUE and LILYBET never entered the picture. MYREANNA was last when making a break early backstretch, regained stride then broke again after the ¾.
FIFTH RACE – FRANKLY MY DEAR was three-wide to the first turn then went on to get the lead 3/16, strung out the field in quarter two despite slowing it and kept the opposition well in her wake thereafter. ORANGE ZEST gained forward position to turn one, moved outside just past early stretch and finished well to be along for second. CHEESY HANOVER left well and got the top before turn one, yielded for the pocket 3/16, couldn’t quite preserve second late. NANCY BAR backed out to second-over 11/16, three-wide late turn, moving well under the wire. GRACEFUL TITAN was uncovered past the half but never reached the winner. SECRET EDGE offered little. PRAIRIE TRINKET looked to be struggling to keep up by the 5/8.
SIXTH RACE – BILLY CLYDE was handled cautiously while three-wide early, went frontward from just before the 1/8, a bit wide at one point but powered on to command soon off the first turn, slowed the half, then came home in 54.3 – 27 and looked within himself. REST ASSURED left well, hit the point at the 1/8, yielded past the ¼, a bit loose in the third quarter but very good in the latter stages. BEACH TOWN BOY gained position at the start, then was caught behind a gapper, angled out headstretch and along for the distant third. KAUAI KING started uncovered on turn two, couldn’t make progress in the rapid back half. YOUR HONOR never factored. INTELLIGENT AM was well back. MONTERREY JACK was out near the back from the start, got cover, blindswitched 5/8, not a major presence. AMAZON broke off the turn before the start, recovered and joined the outer tier, went three-wide 5/8 but soon flattened significantly.
SEVENTH RACE – BREEZING PRAYER was four-wide early, three-wide past the 1/8, then two-wide to the lead just past the ¼, strung the field out in quarter two and didn’t get much pressure, got a couple of late taps in warding off HAVANA OOH NANA. The latter used inside positioning to defend the pocket, made up a little ground late. COUNT CHOCALOT was second-over at the 5/8, three-wide midturn, closed for third. CROWN FASHION started raw past the half, got to the wheel of the pocketsitter to the ¾ but no closer. SHELL SHOCK moved wide with cover far turn and had some trot on the end. NEWYORKBLUEBLOOD sat in, out into a blindswitch late far turn, had some stretch traffic difficulty. DUKE OF LINDY left between horses, backed off to tuck third, couldn’t keep up late.
EIGHTH RACE – CHING CHING LUCKY left a gap behind the top two most of the first half, got in gear before the 5/8 and grinded up, worked past GERARD late. The latter made the top quickly (aided when the rival starting just inside him broke early), set the pace he wanted, almost lasted to the line. DAGON HANOVER moved third-over, finished alertly. I’LLALWAYSBEBACK sat the pocket, no more forward gain the last 3/16. ROOKIE SEASON sat in with little. DRAIN THE SWAMP was never prominent. SEVEN NATION ARMY moved out second-over, was swinging three-wide headstretch when going offstride. ARMANI HANOVER was leaving when breaking.
NINTH RACE – TONIANNE went right to the top, put a foe behind her, set the pace, dealt with a backstretch challenger and then drew away in the last ¼. SWEETONTHEBEACH quickly went up into the pocket, couldn’t keep up to the ¾ but held on for second. MIKI THE CLOWN sat in third, had no room on the turn, had room in the Pocono Pike but couldn’t gain. PEAKS CRUISER appeared to want to move at the ¼ but rethought that tactic, then moved second-over, three-wide far turn as the winner was drawing away, could make up no ground. MORE THAN KUTE sat in, angled out early stretch but did not make her presence felt. TIAMOGONEDANCIN was off the gate, wasn’t in a lively cover tier. TSM PRINCESS TEDDI gapped third-over. DANCING TINA was underway raw on turn two and reached the leader well before the 5/8, went her third split in 27.1 but was tired after that move. LAST LUXURY lost contact.
TENTH RACE – ETRA DE VIE took back for the pocket 3/16, stayed close, inherited the lead when the pacesetter broke, wasn’t to be caught. KAYLA’S PLAYMATE got around non-fast starters, gapped some the middle half then was tighter ¾, OK going under the wire. TRIP SEVENS forced a tuck and set the pace, wasn’t the smoothest far turn but still clear early stretch when losing her gait; placed fourth for a violation of the breaking rules. FIRE UP didn’t get away well and was outside, got in gear past the 1/8 but made a brief break off turn one, regathered and went up to challenge for the lead, didn’t fade badly; an inquiry into her break showed no reason for placing. CANTABSLEADINGLADY made a short break after the start but mended quickly, then broke again going to turn two. SUNSHINEINTHERAIN wanted a quick start but lost composure right after the start. TRIX ME jumped at the ¼.
ELEVENTH RACE – NO MAS DRAMA cleared at the 1/8 then yielded for the pocket, had drama searching for room late on the turn and came out into a blindswitch, then deftly angled back in to midstretch and showed an instant burst to draw clear. LAZER JET yielded and sat third, backed out to second-over, three-wide towards late turn, had a short lead to midstretch but was caught to his left. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN rode in the two-path in one gear, grinded up to challenge down the back, actually made a short lead into the stretch, held with great endurance. PROTOSTAR gapped a bit third-over then was tighter on the turn while three-wide with cover, fair late. CAN’T SAY NO was inside, didn’t have much response when free. MISTER BOINGA had a lot of cover, but it was lively, couldn’t quite reach. HALL IT OFF was three-wide to the 1/8 and soon made the lead, wilted. MY BOY CHRISTIAN was out to follow cover 5/16 but broke, caught and was last, broke again past the 11/16.
TWELFTH RACE – CIGAR SMOKING TONY had one mission and accomplished it in an overwhelming mile. CAVIART VAL struggled to reach cover later on the backstretch but then hit a high gear, rolled four-wide off the far turn and finished powerfully. GONNAHAVEONEMORE tucked third at the 1/8, came out raw before the 11/16, held his ground well in a talented field. HORSE moved out 5/8 and soon got cover, three-wide but couldn’t get closer. SOCIAL THEORIES sat inside, not a factor. NOME HANOVER trailed most of the way. ESAI HANOVER left but took back to sit the pocket, bottomed out at the ¾.
THIRTEENTH RACE – SO LONG HANOVER was very wide leaving, hit the top 3/16, refused to let a foe go in a vicious half, had enough to keep the late chargers at bay. WORTHY OF HONOR left and kept the hole closed, the only one with a shot in the stretch, ducked in, did well. STEEL SCHOONER came out towards turn two, rushed three-wide 5/8, to two-wide ¾, best of the others. RECIPROCALBLUECHIP made a break w-a-y before the start, recovered to get back in the cover flow, went along steadily in a good comeback. CHERRY RED was shuffled to last, wide around spent horses then ducked back in, not all that much late. TUIS SHADOW was three-wide with cover early getting around a break, went inside near the 3/16, outside and three-wide early in the backstretch to get to two-wide raw, tucked third ¾, gapped far turn. CELEBRITY ROLEX was very wide early, went up to try for the lead but was hung in a very fast half, faded soon thereafter. SANCHEZ ROCKS gapped 3/8 behind the early fight, then steadily fell back. AP HALL OF TRIX was in the middle of a bunch of leavers when breaking 1/8.
FOURTEENTH RACE – BULLVILLE TERROR moved rapidly the latter part of the backstretch to catch up to cover, three-wide with then without cover on the turn, still pacing strongly to the wire. TREY SURREAL pushed a foe past a fast quarter then yielded for the pocket, vacated same past the 5/8, went three-wide when the first-over couldn’t clear, swept and did himself clear to cross over late turn, second-best in a better mile than it may appear. ROCK IDOL sat in the back, came up the rail and was a distant third. WINDEMERE FRANK had forward position, moved to go head-and-head with the leader from past the half, faded in the stretch. FULL VIEW was under urging leaving to no visible effect, sat in, shuffled and moved two- and three-wide late turn but didn’t have all that much today. MCNEIL Z TAM was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide just past a very fast quarter to get control, came under hard attack just past the half, kept the uncovered horse two-wide, but then had nothing left to give late.