FIRST RACE – Temperature in the mid 50s; stretch headwind … GIVEN UP TERROR left and tucked third, stayed in then backed out midturn and quickly went three-wide, had the lead by early stretch and won easily. BYE BYE JOHN was uncovered just before the half, held on well to take second ahead of DON’TCALLMEFRANCIS. The latter defended the pocket early, shuffled a little as the winner went by, but then got the Pocono Pike and still couldn’t outkick a horse who had been raw the last half. AFTER THE LOVIN left a small gap much of the way, blocked into the stretch, came between horses with a little bit of late pace. ARTOFFICIAL FLAVOR was last most of the way, wide in the stretch, fair. INDIGO ART blasted away from the pole to set the pace with wind-appropriate fractions, had nothing left in the lane.
SECOND RACE – GOLDEN GESTURE was third-over behind bad cover, went three-wide midturn just before his decaying cover broke, finished nicely and took the decision in the final strides. NEWS WATCH stayed in, went up the deep Pocono Pike, actually got the lead deep stretch at almost 29-1, just edged. HIGHVIEW CONALL N took control from the pole and set wind-appropriate fractions, came under pressure late backstretch through the first half of the turn, still had the lead well past midstretch but tired. HES GONE BADDER stayed in, then out in a blindswitch, had to back out behind the winner upper stretch and got going too late. HEEZ ORL BLACK N went into the pocket to the first curve, to the Pike but didn’t offer too much. BAYONET tucked third 3/16, out raw 5/8 under urging, went up and challenged before tiring midturn. SHRIMP AND GRITS lost contact at the rear. SPORTSMANSHIP moved outside off the second turn, gapped as soon as getting cover 5/8, broke midturn.
THIRD RACE – PILOT HANOVER sat in down the back and gapped slightly, then slid outside past the ¾ and gradually got a little quicker, wide in the lane and up in the last two steps. CEFFYL DWR was three-wide leaving, then two-wide most of the ¼ before tucking third, uncovered 5/8 and went up to challenge, got the lead early stretch, almost lasted to the line. KILLER INSTINCT came out 11/16, three-wide past midturn, finished well. HALLS OF VALOR protected the pocket, stayed tight, got through after the leader broke with a minimum of damage, a step shy. FATHER OF IRELAND moved outside, wasn’t tight on cover, blindswitched late turn, angled inside through the stretch, fair. KEEPTHETAB HANOVER broke at the start, caught the field but was never in contention. SOOT HANOVER was on top at the 1/8 and set a pretty good pace for this type, lost composure just past midturn and was taken inside.
FOURTH RACE – GREAT UNKNOWN was well off the first quarter duel, got in gear 5/8 and quickly gained uncovered, to the lead late on the turn and drew away, with his own last half in 55.3. MOON BRIDGE followed the winner, left uncovered when that one cleared, second-best. SWEET HEART AS gapped when the first two moved later on the backstretch, then found better steps on the turn and moved outside, finished well. LIFE WELL LIVED was out most of the ¼ in a fight for the lead, set the pace, did not have an answer to the winner’s challenge, fell back. MARION GONDOLIER contested the brisk ¼ then yielded for the pocket, stuck behind the tiring leader on the far turn, but then had little when going to the Pocono Pike. BRONZE YANKEE broke early. ATABOY HANOVER started gapping off turn two.
FIFTH RACE – IN DULCE DECORUM was two-wide in the second half of the field when he stumbled and fell 3/16, with RARE MUSCLE unable to avoid him; both were DNFs; the accident did not materially affect the race … TRICKY DICK left three-wide to get the lead going to turn one, yielded at the end of the frontstretch for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike and gradually picked up CREDIT CON. The latter was on the move from fourth before the 5/16 and made the top before the turn, set the rest of the pace, was handled cautiously around the far turn as a loose horse was kept well out of the way of the field, couldn’t quite sustain late. SHARE THE WEALTH got an early spot, stayed in to the ¾, gained well in the last stanza. BY A HOFF HANOVER was under a good hold just before the start, left widest, accepted the pocket 3/16, stayed in, not all that much late. MADDYS LEADING MAN never entered the picture. SAN CRISTOBAL never factored before making a stretch break.
SIXTH RACE – POND JUMPER was away second, on the move before the ¼ to the top not too much after that station, set the pace, came home in 57.1. WISENHEIMER made the top at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, held his ground without threatening. MAGIC VACATION was looped early and tucked third past the 1/8, moved outside midturn, couldn’t gain but far ahead of the rest. LANDONFITZ was locked in on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike and the best of the rest. LAKEVIEW TAMMY started gapping towards the 5/8. NATALIE HANOVER never featured. CRITICAL MASS was always near the rear. NOBLE WARRAWEE tried to gain from far back down the back but couldn’t.
SEVENTH RACE – Wind is calming … INDICTABLE HANOVER took the shortest way around and finished with a pair of 27.4s to win easily. WESTERN HILL was second-over, three-wide 11/16 the duration, just up on the money to get second. ROCK THREE TIMES stayed in and gained some, to the Pocono Pike, not far off second. DO YA THINK left, went in third before the 1/8, outside midbackstretch with rocking but never gained menacingly. CENTURY ENFORCER was three-wide to the first bend, went on to the pocket to the 3/16, couldn’t keep up the last quarter. DRAGON STRIKES was third-over slightly off his cover, a bit on the end. BLUEBERRY HEAVEN never featured; nor did ABSOLUTE INTENT.
EIGHTH RACE – RAINBOWINTHEWEST had great cover, lost it 11/16 and went up uncovered, got an advantage on the turn and kept it to the finish. CONSUS VICTORY was outside but gapped cover much of the backstretch, better towards the ¾, wide off the far turn and easily second. RIVER OTTER went up between horses early to get the two-hole, backed out to avoid a shuffle 11/16, gapped some on the turn, next in line. FOREVERHILLREIGN moved uncovered on turn two and challenged, went by 11/16, but had little left the last quarter. O JONNIE was inside and shuffled, evenly. KEYSTONE SERGEANT had an excess of cover to deal with. BRUTAL STORM never got a call. TIGHT LINES was looped early, in gear 3/16 to the top 3/8, tried to resist the brusher down the backstretch but gave way before the ¾. BELLA AVA was three-wide to the 1/8 to two-wide to the lead 3/16, pushed a foe to the 3/8 and yielded, didn’t show too much the last 3/8.
NINTH RACE — ROYALTYWESTHO was the first to show, pushed past the ¼ then yielded for the two-hole trip, Pocono Pike, along in time. TOPVILLE ANGELINA worked up to get command past a speedy opener, got a bit of a rest but was under attack most of the quick backstretch, shook that one off, held gamely. GRANT ME THIS stayed in, went to the deep Pike, good. MAJOR BATTLE got forward position early, uncovered off turn two and had a big battle with the leader, held OK. ABIGAIL DAWN was buried in last, weaved while gaining in the lane but never was fully clear. BRING ME DIAMONDS was second-over, gapped 11/16. LADY LONDON was third-over, went between horses in the lane but never got in the main picture.
TENTH RACE – TOP ME OFF made the lead 3/16 and kept the field strung out the first ¾, held solid challengers to both sides late but preserved the advantage to the wire. TART TONGUE got the early lead then yielded for the pocket, had his chance up the Pocono Pike, OK. BLACK TIE BASH gapped down the back but was much better as the last quarter went on, finishing strongly. ROBBIE PEV sat third until popping out past the ¾, OK. CAPITAL T STORM and HOOLIE N HECTOR were far back most of the way and never reached. SPUNKIN’SROCKETMAN gapped in last. WINGMAN HANOVER started to gap early in the backstretch, broke far turn while out of it.
ELEVENTH RACE – HEAT WAVE HANOVER gradually ranged up to take over past the 3/16, pushed a foe a ways before surrendering the top for the pocket, a trifle loose down the back, but ready to go when sent to the Pocono Pike and worked by. KING ALPHONSO moved outside off turn one, took most of the frontstretch to clear to the lead, came home in 56.1 but still couldn’t hold although trying hard. HARNESS AM got early positioning, outside past the ¾ but didn’t gain and ducked back in headstretch, just held third over MUSHANA. The latter stayed in, showed a good last 1/8. NEXTROUNDSONME never was a major danger. NATURAL KEMP was last, began losing contact before the ½.
TWELFTH RACE – BETTERB CHEVRON N tucked fourth at the 1/8, moved uncovered 11/16 and went to challenge pacesetting GEORGIE MARTIN N, paced her own last half in 55.1 in a nice victory. The latter was in quite a tussle to the 3/16 before asserting herself, got a breather to the half and didn’t have much pressure until the ¾, not quite enough late sprint. LITTLE SANDY TOES slid in behind the winner 1/8 then moved out behind that one but gapped on the turn, doing better late. SWEET YOUNG THING was head-to-head well past the 1/8 before reluctantly taking back for the two-hole 3/16, a little loose late turn, evenly late. TRAFFIC JAM moved out third-over ¾, some late pace. DELISHKA N never showed much of anything here. THE OTHER TWO gapped the main pack the last half.