FIRST RACE – Warm day; stretch tailwind to begin, then it moderated … ALEX TYE left three-wide to get the top at the 1/8, yielded to the quarter and sat tight in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and paced away in the last 1/16. TUXEDO BAY was four-wide early, could cross down to two-wide and challenged until getting command at the ¼, kept going at a good pace, did have enough to maintain second. URBAN RENEWAL sat in, used the Pocono Pike to be third. HEREITIZ was second-over, gapped some then closer ¾ and three-wide past midturn, OK. STELLAR YANKEE was third-over, blindswitched past mid-turn, found room between horses in the stretch, evenly. MOTIVE HANOVER was fourth-over in a not-great flow, three-wide ¾, not a factor. HUDSEN A was uncovered just before the half, went up in 27.1 against the wind, but then couldn’t make any stretch progress. CAPTAIN HILL was buried inside. IDEAL FLIP left a big gap behind the front two to the 9/16, tightened, but then was empty in the lane.
SECOND RACE – STELLAR BB quarter-moved and went a uniformly fast pace, no problem taking this one. MACH WEST used the pole to maximum advantage, yielded to the 3/8 for the pocket, only gave ground to the winner in the last 1/16, held second. RHP left and was soon in the two-hole, inside, outside stretch and gained some. DREAM OF LUCK stayed in and seemed to be all-out to keep up, but then showed better pace late. BELLOWS BINGE was three-wide to the first turn, took back to fourth 3/16, then went uncovered into the backstretch, never got particularly close before fading. THE OTHERS never got into the main action here.
THIRD RACE – WAR-N-MUNN was stung well past a 26 opener to gain the lead 5/16, rebuffed all challengers including the closing CURIOUS CORTEZ. The latter was in front at the 1/8, stung the winner a way before yielding for the pocket, outside in the lane and gained inch by inch but came up a couple of inches short. SPEED N FAST N sat in, and advanced along the inside, to the Pocono Pike, a step off the top ones. ALBERGO HANOVER followed good cover in quarter three then went three-wide midturn when it flattered, next. INDIGO ART swung wide from last to get the final payday. BUSBOY HANOVER broke at the start but recovered, was third-over, looked to be trying to find a better gear but galloped again before the ¾. LYONS AMUSEMENTS had speed, uncovered after the fast half but was all done on the far turn.
FOURTH RACE – SPORTS TEEN was three-wide to the 1/8 and then two-wide to the 3/16 to get the lead in a 26 quarter, decided to park out the challenging favorite in fast fractions, but once disposing of that one no one else could get near in a powerful mile. DO YA THINK stayed third-in, angled out late turn after the outer tiers backed off, clearly second. NEEDLESS TO SAY went to the front at the 1/8, yielded 3/16, kept up in the pocket until the far turn. JANAID backed out to follow the parked horse near the half, went three-wide 11/16 when that one tired, but couldn’t gain contention. AMAZON gapped at the back. LOUD SPLASH stayed behind the front wall of three to the first turn, had cover to the 3/16 then was left raw, despite urging was left out to dry in hot fractions, faded late backstretch.
FIFTH RACE – SOMEBEACH BARON tucked, moved at the ¼ ahead of a parked horse, worked up to the lead by going 26.4 the second quarter and cleared at the half, then left these in the red dust by immediately going another 26.4 to open up a huge lead, in another dimension from these today. BENJI’S BEST was last and outside at the half, behind non-advancing cover, went from seventh to second in the stretch with good late pace. BABES DIG ME was outside midpack early until taking the hole left by the pulling winner just past the ¼, second-over but gapped, next in line. THE CANDYMAN CAN came out past the 5/8 to try to circle the gapping pocketsitter and get closer to the leader, but THE CANDYMAN couldn’t. NOTABADGAME was shuffled to last and behind a wall, had a bit at the end. SHANE ADAM went to the top 3/16, surrendered to the winner at the half, then fell further and further behind that one. LOVE THE ACTION looked at leaving but took back, gapped midrace and never factored.
SIXTH RACE – MUSHANA was up close third-in, got a great break when the pocketsitter broke late turn, was able to clear to the outside early stretch and trotted right by. HALO ITS ME went to the lead 3/16, had them coming in waves at him, fended off all but the last challenger. FOREVERHILLREIGN got out behind the sweepers just past the 5/8, four-wide headstretch (didn’t seem to lose any momentum when the breaker angled wide), closed nicely. MANHATTANUP NO ICE joined the two-wide tier into turn two, followed the sweeper to second-over position early backstretch, three-wide past midturn (also not much affected by the breaker), evenly. JACK RULES tucked, came out 3/8 and was three-wide raw just at the half, quickly got to two-wide raw and challenged the pacesetter, tired far turn. SCIROCCO PATRICK was off the gate while breaking before the start. MOSCONI HANOVER wasn’t in the hunt when breaking midstretch. INAPERFECTWORLD came through at the start to defend the pocket, in good position when losing gait late on the turn, angled sharply wide to avoid causing interference. CHRISTOPHER CRAZO had cover leaving then was left raw and two-wide, looped just past the half and fell back.
SEVENTH RACE – WALTER MITTY left quickly, yielded 3/16, moved out again 11/16 and grinded up, went by in a slowing last quarter. HE’S ELECTRIC made the lead going to the 3/16, then kept an early brusher out to a fast half before yielding, sat in the pocket then went to the Pocono Pike, might have gotten to even honors for the midstretch lead, not quite enough. KERRIN JOSEPH A came out 9/16, got cover to the 11/16, narrowing in late. FEELING CAM LUCKY tucked third at the 1/8, moved out 5/16 but was stung to a fast half before clearing, couldn’t make the lead stand up. WHATA TREASURE left a gap inside at a couple of points in the first half, tightened in, so-so late. RECORD MACHINE was third-over, widest, fair. THE OTHER TWO never featured from the back.
EIGHTH RACE – ARCHIBALD left OK, got in gear towards the 5/8 and went right up to challenge the clear leader, went right by in the mile of his life. GEMOLOGIST sat the pace on an open lead until the winner came nearing the ¾, held for the distant second. DON’T SASS ME was inside, angled between horses wide headstretch and passed many horses in the lane. DAYTONA DREAMIN gapped throughout. ZOOMING left for the pocket nearing the 1/8, soon loose of the leader, faded. TRUEMASS VOLO was outside but had little gain. THE REST never were prominent.
NINTH RACE – BARNABAS moved uncovered 5/8, gradually advanced, proved best in a four-way fight to the wire. THREE WAYS N yielded for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, had a very short lead midstretch, just did not have enough at crunch time. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was three-wide early to the lead, slowed quarter two, got pressure from the winner, held his ground fairly well. MELODIES MAJOR charged up early backstretch and got to second-over, continue to narrow in, wide headstretch, flattened slightly. REPEAL OR REPLACE never entered contention. TACT TATE N was way off the gate, caught the field but never contended. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N never factored. MAJOR DECEPTION was well-placed but came up empty down the back.
TENTH RACE – SCIROCCO ROB was in front at the 3/16, rated the half, then had twin 27.4s for these in a knockout mile. AFTER ALL PAUL sat third then came out midturn, just in time to avoid any trouble from the breaker, still only got the distant second by a diminishing margin. RICH AND MISERABLE was able to swing wide near headstretch and avoid most of the trouble, finishing very well. MACMORRIS HANOVER was on the rail, had to check as in the path of the breaker late turn, didn’t regain any momentum. JUST MAYBE THE ONE wasn’t the one today. GHOSTINTHESHELL S yielded for the pocket, was trying to find more to keep up late turn but went to a break and then the infield.
ELEVENTH RACE – MAJOR BETTS was out until the 3/16 to make the lead, set his own pace and turned back OLLIE’S Z TAM. The latter pushed the winner then yielded for the pocket, came up in the Pocono Pike and made up some ground but not quite enough. MYKINDACHIP came on a steady grind from the 5/8, did well. ROBBIE BURNS N came out off the second turn and got cover 5/8, OK late. ATTA BOY DAN got a forward spot, but couldn’t gain in the lane. PATERNITY SUIT A was three-wide early but took back to last, then tried to split horses in the stretch but never was clear. MIGHTY SANTANA N and SI SEMALU raced inside and never got into the main action.
TWELFTH RACE – P L NOTSONICE was double-looped and between horses, pressed on to command at the 3/8, came a back half in 56 as an impressive winner. GLOBETROTTING was double-looped and three-wide past the 1/8, tucked, started uncovered early second turn and went up in 27 down the back, backed off a little late. BLENHEIM raced up into the early pocket, backed out second-over 11/16, fair late. THE LIONKING AS quickly looped the field from the outermost post, yielded, let loose in the pocket in the last ¼. DARTY was first to show but was passed early by three horses, sat in and was gapping much of the last half. THE REST could not make their presence felt in here.
THIRTEENTH RACE – HIGHALATOR was away second then moved 3/16 to command 5/16, rated the half, came home in 54.1 – 27, saw the pocket horse loom briefly but then dug in in his usual game fashion. OAKWOODNITOWNIT IR circled the field in a matter of strides, yielded for the pocket, looked menacing into the stretch but didn’t quite have the late steps. BLAZEN RIVER N was a bit tardy to the gate, second-over, wide and wider off the far turn, narrowed in very nicely. STONE HANOVER went up in 26.4 down the back but never got closer there than the rump of the pocket horse, kept trying to the wire. RESPECT OUR FLAG sat in, looked all-out ¾. ROCK THE TOWN was last throughout.
FOURTEENTH RACE – REGAL SON took the pocket, gapped in it at a couple of points, drew closer with urging ¾, up the inside and went right by CAVIART ROCKLAND. The latter was in control from the pole, rated the half, went :26.4 down the back and opened a big lead, but not big enough to keep the winner safe, but big enough for none of the others to threaten second. BENSON BOYS N tucked fourth 3/16, out second-over, three-wide from the 11/16 the rest of the way, steady to the line. PRAIRIE PANTHER was first-over early second turn, was side-by-side with the gapping pocket horse down the back, not enough. LUCK N ROLL K gapped ¾, not prominent. MCMIKE looked at leaving but took all the way back to last, sat in last, shut off trying to gain late. CAPTAIN MULZAC found no hole and sat midpack or worse on the outside throughout. BLACKLIGHT never featured. DIALAMARA had little from third-over.