FIRST RACE – Stretch headwind … MYIDEALSON N shut a hole 3/16 and stayed third-in, swung wide headstretch and just caught PICKLED PREACHER at the very end. The latter maintained the pocket behind the front-end fights, swung out headstretch and had the lead midstretch, just caught. BARON MICHAEL headed right down the road keeping out all challengers until midstretch, then gave way, still well clear of the rest. LITTLE ADMIRAL moved two-and three-wide with cover late backstretch then ducked in and had plenty of room inside, but not too much pace. VALRHONA was four-wide to the 1/8, then took back, found no hole so was outside with cover, moved out three-wide 5/8 and was circled by a sweeper late backstretch, had to go three-wide late turn, tired after covering all that ground. HIGHVIEW CONALL N was last, brushed three-wide off the second turn and was briefly four-wide 5/8, circled to first-over late backstretch, got to the leader’s wheel but no closer. LANAS DESIRE was three-wide to the 1/8, tried to get the lead but was left outside, fading by the 5/8.
SECOND RACE – BANK BOX TREASURE was three-wide to the first turn, had to work in 27 to get the lead nearing the ¼, had a slow second split, opened a big lead late backstretch that kept getting bigger. BILLIE BLUE tucked third to the 1/8, stayed inside as he couldn’t get out from late backstretch, to the Pocono Pike and the distant deuce. FINAL DREAM moved uncovered 9/16 but didn’t make much headway, held decently. LIBERO HANOVER left strongly and forced the 27 quarter out of the winner, got loose in the pocket 11/16. PUERTO RICO stayed in, to the deep Pike and got the last payday. SCIROCCO JAKOB struggled to keep close. NOBLE ANTHONY gapped early, not much. ANDOVERS TOUCH moved outside but couldn’t come close to the main action. LAKEVIEW TAMMY broke 3/8.
THIRD RACE – TACHYON sat third, moved out 5/8 as the pocketsitter did, briefly three-wide back to two-wide 11/16, found a higher gear midstretch and got by a stubborn DISTANCE LEARNING. The latter pushed a foe early than sat in the pocket behind the hot early pace, came out 5/8 and went right by the leader, fought the winner very hard to the finish. MAGNIFICENT CHAPTER came on to beat out STRONGERWITHLINDY for the very distant third; the latter was way back, finished OK. BANTAM was gapping by the 3/8. ZETTE FLAME made the lead 3/16, rattled off a fast ½, but was tired when challenged past the 5/8. CHELIOS got a slow start and fell further back. REECE N TEDDY had just settled into a spot at the ¼ when making a break.
FOURTH RACE – SHESTHELUCKYONE got the top, pushed an adversary to the ¼ and yielded, came first-over 5/8 and sailed right by ¾, won all by herself. BUCKET HEAD tucked, shuffled upper far turn then outside, closed for second. CHOLULA came three-wide far turn from way back and finished well. TSM EMILIA T had bad traffic trouble most of the last 1/8, some at the wire. CURRY HANOVER was uncovered at the half, couldn’t reach cover. HEART MATTERS was three-wide to the first turn, was in front at the ¼, yielded for the pocket, shuffled badly as the pacesetter was passed, but had little response once taken to the Pocono Pike. YOUNG MICHELLE was wide with cover early then with two-wide cover to the ¼, then up to the lead 5/16, had no answer when challenged late backstretch and clogged the inner tier. WILD KAT G was outside but never entered the main battle. PATRICKS CHOICE was away slowly, not heard from.
FIFTH RACE – THERESNOLIMIT S left well, yielded for the pocket, struggled to stay connected during the late backstretch duel, could get through on the inside as the leader broke past the ¾, alone at the wire. ANDOVERTHEWINNINGS tucked third past the 1/8, also had good fortune inside far turn, held off the resurgent FAMOUS FATHER. The latter dove in behind the early battlers to tuck, came first-over to the half, was in a big war with the pacesetter when that one broke just past the ¾, had to briefly check as the breaker went outside to stay out of the way, lost momentum, regathered well and almost claimed the deuce. BEER CHEESE was outside at the half but soon gapped. JAQEN H’GHAR (named after a Game Of Thrones character) broke looking to gain early position, made a decent recovery until breaking again in the stretch. HL BALOU left well three-wide then two-wide to the lead 3/16, set the pace, was involved in a fight with the chalk when breaking just past the ¾, was taken to the far outside. T REX BLUE CHIP and THE AMERICAN EAGLE made late breaks while not in contention.
SIXTH RACE – DESIGN FASHION had the top at the 1/8 and was well clear of the field throughout. PURE WOW maintained the pocket as after a breaker the field was a lineup save the winner, funky-going on the turns but enough to maintain the distant second. CHAMBERS COVE went evenly to be third. FREE DRINKS came outside 5/8 to try to gain but did not. THE NEXT TWO were always far back. LED BY THE LIGHT was leaving but soon broke. CANT STOP MARIE was last in the main bunch when going offstride before the half.
SEVENTH RACE – NEWELL PLACE moved second-over, circled three-wide past the 5/8 to get to two-wide raw ¾, battled the leader through the turn, with those two joined to the inside in the stretch, proved to have the most. MONEY MATTERS had early position, brushed 5/16 to the lead 3/8 and got a slow second quarter despite a challenge by the favorite, saw that one fall back but then had to deal with the winner ¾ and a Pocono Pike horse later, held very well. GUMDROP HANOVER was three-wide early, to the top just after the 1/8, put a foe in behind her, yielded to sit in the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, may have had a head up midstretch, couldn’t quite muster enough. AVACAKES was four-wide early, worked up to the pocket 3/16, inside, clearly next-best. HODA HANOVER stayed out of trouble to get the last check. DALLAS BI was on the move with cover 5/16 and was left raw 3/8, couldn’t clear on her brush despite it being in a 30.4 quarter as looking hard to steer, continued to press unsuccessfully then faded ¾. TICKET TAB, off the gate, fell far back. TURN THE TAB broke w-a-y before the start. BETTER SINCE, also off the gate, jumped on the first turn.
EIGHTH RACE – DARK ENERGY N was wide leaving, momentarily content with the three-hole then went on to the lead at the ¼, well in control the last ¼. MELANIE’S TEDDY tucked behind an insistent inside leaver, backed out to follow cover on the turn, wide stretch and had some late kick. FATHER FRED used the inner draw to advantage, forced a tuck then yielded for the pocket, loose from the 5/8. THE NEXT FOUR got “i”s having to go around a breaker 3/16: ABSOLUTE INTENT moved out on turn two but quickly ducked back in, gapped, not much; SI SEMALU initially had cover then raw and paced a 27 third quarter to get close to the leader, then tired; ROCK THREE TIMES and CAPTAIN KEEN were not forward factors. POP’S ROMEO made a break 3/16.
NINTH RACE – AMERICAN ARTIST K got forward position, uncovered past the 5/8 and to the lead just past the ¾, saw foes narrowing in on both sides late but held together. VARNEY yielded for the pocket, squeezed out just past midturn as the winner opened a big lead, narrowed in steadily. BET ON ZETTE had shown little before the stretch, then went out then in to get clearance and finished furiously. ZEUS HANOVER cleared before the first turn, rated the half, still could not respond when challenged ¾. R CAPTAIN HANOVER gapped the winner’s cover, was three-wide midturn, no factor. BRYCE was gapping out by the 3/8. CURRENT YANKEE was not close when breaking near the 5/8.
TENTH RACE – EBBIES LADY left quickly and made the front in short order, rated the half, then trotted away from her more-fancied stablemate late. BAPTISM had a good two-hole journey, good but second-best. TIE ONE ON and VOGUE stayed inside and gained a spot as DANZNQUEEN HANOVER tired. The latter tucked third, moved out late turn and was asked for more but had no response. MIMI OCEAN HANOVER broke midturn while far back. DREAMONHIGH jumped past the start.
ELEVENTH RACE – BORN ON THIRD BASE went to the top and got a moderate half, then lost all but one of her foes with a 28.3 third quarter, was handled fairly confidently despite the fact that I’LL HAVE A LINDY was narrowing in. The latter defended pocket position from the rail, stayed attached, went to the Pocono Pike and inched up, good mile but had to settle for second, f-a-r ahead of the others. FORTUNAPEDIA moved outside on the turn to be along for the very distant third. DIVINE KRONOS S defended the 3-hole early, tired ¾. GINGERZZZ was behind cover on the turn, got the last check. WHISKEY GIRL never featured. V FOUR VICTORIOUS settled in fourth at the 1/8 and was not heard from again. HL REVINA was wide early before finding a spot, far back when breaking. BLUE TESLA tried to come first-up but misbehaved 5/8.
TWELFTH RACE – MON CHEVAL was four-wide towards turn one then three-wide then two-wide with cover, tucked near the ¼, then brushed 3/8 to the lead at the half, much the best. A PERFECT HELEN stayed in the two-path as outleft, worked up to the lead at the ¼, yielded at the half, stayed close until headstretch, far ahead of the others. PALERMO HANOVER moved outside ¾ and picked up the rest. BEHINDBLUEEYES was three-wide early to command, yielded, stayed close to the ¾ then unplugged. PHANNYS MATTER could not rally. TILTHELOVERUNSOUR fell back from past the half. LUISELLA broke nearing the half.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Wind decreased for the last two races … GEMOLOGIST went right to the lead, yielded after a fast quarter to sit the pocket, outside in the lane and went by smartly. WINNERUN was looped early, pressed on at the 1/8 to command off the first turn after a good quarter, rated the half, not enough late. MUSHANA moved outside raw from fifth before the 11/16 and steadily narrowed in in a good effort. THE LIONKING AS left alongside the winner, took back to follow him, inside, Pocono Pike, not a sharp response. TRUEMASS VOLO moved out on the turn and wasn’t bad late. PAPI HANOVER sat in, hard to tell how much he had left as he was behind a wall through the lane.
FOURTEENTH RACE – HL REVADON got position leaving then quarter-moved, looked in control the rest of the way. SPRUCE CREEK moved uncovered 5/8 and gained steadily, with a last half of 56.2 raw. SEVEN IRON was four- then three- then two-wide to get the lead 3/16, yielded to the winner, couldn’t keep up the last 3/16. BANZAI AS couldn’t quite go with cover. NICE STUFF was three-wide early then two-high to the top at the 1/8, yielded, stayed in, gapped on the turn. BIG MONEY HONEY was shuffled much of the far turn behind a tired horse, went outside but did not gain. THE OTHER PAIR did not make their presence felt.