FIRST RACE – PATERNITY SUIT A got shut out of a hole first turn and took back, came raw 5/8 after a fast half and grinded, took the lead for good entering the stretch and held off the field. OLLIES ZTAM was away quickly for the top, yielded to the brusher for the pocket, backed out of the pocket midturn then swung three-wide, came up just shy. QUALITY BUD gapped cover until the far turn then got closer, finished solidly. CAPTAIN MCKEE shut a hole on turn one, sat in, could advance to the pocket far turn, Pocono Pike, not quite enough. GRATIAN HANOVER was last, finished steadily between horses. TULHURSTSANTANNA A yielded early but then retook and had the lead well before the fast half, encountered pressure near the ¾, did not have enough in the stretch. MR PROFETA didn’t get into the mix; nor did YAYAS HOT SPOT N.
SECOND RACE – Hempt Consolation II … LOU’S PEARLMAN got the early pocket then was on the move again just before the ¼, went 27.2 – 27.2 – 26.4 – 27.1 stringing out the field and left these at a great distance in the last ¼. ALWAYS A MIKI tucked at the 1/8, came uncovered 5/8, did well on the grind to get the distant second. EXPLOIT sat in, caught behind a tired one on the turn, to the Pocono Pike and earned third over STRAIGHT TALK. The latter stayed in as well, had to wait a long time to find a seam between horses with pace. FOREFATHER went wide and got the last check. DEAN B HANOVER started uncovered at the half, got cover 5/8, three-wide late turn but didn’t have enough even for the battle for major minor awards. SUMMA CUM LAUDE offered little. HIGHLANDBEACHBEST was three-wide to the 1/8 for command, yielded to the winner, came out totally dry in the last quarter blocking the inner tier far turn.
THIRD RACE – COVERED BRIDGE left well between horses to get the pocket, looked to want to quarter-move but rethought, sat the two-hole, Pocono Pike, lead midstretch, had the most. A length separated the Final Five: WES DELIGHT yielded at the 1/8, started raw off turn two and grinded, stayed in the fight all the way. SERIOUSLY HANOVER was second-over, didn’t tip wide until early stretch, just edged for place. VETTEL N was three-wide to the first bend and on top at the 1/8 in a fast quarter, went on enough to get the winner to retuck, had hounding pressure, not quite enough but not bad at all. BILL HALEY N sat in, was in the Pike behind the winner and gained without full clearance. JOESSTAR OF MIA A was last, behind a wall of horses through the stretch.
FOURTH RACE – Delmonica Hanover Consolation I … DAZZLING REIGN yielded the lead near the ¼, sat in and was shuffled back, out in a blindswitch midturn then angled three-wide behind cover, four-wide into the stretch, took advantage of the 30.1 last quarter and got past everybody. AUNT IRENE never saw the pegs, advanced, three-wide 11/16 the duration, very tough but caught by fresher legs late. ABOVE THE CLOUDS sat in, got room in the deep Pocono Pike and came on some. EVENING STROLL sat outside with cover early, followed that tier up and went to the lead when left raw 3/8, set the pace, couldn’t sustain. CHABLIS moved out with cover 5/16, lost cover into the second turn, fell back in the backstretch and looked done, but was coming back some as the tempo slackened. GOO DOO DOLL was on top at the ¼, yielded, back out raw for more 5/8, challenged, evenly. THESUNRISESAGAIN sat in, no room in the lane. QUICKEST HANOVER was never a factor. KEYSTONE BARRACUDA was three-wide to the 3/16, went behind cover, left coverless and pressed on to the lead 3/8 then yielded for the pocket, nothing left for late.
FIFTH RACE – Lynch Consolation I … NASHVILLE ELGENNA went to the lead early, yielded to the looped horse, shuffled a bit as the lead changed hands to the ¾, got room for the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter moved outside, came with a big burst and went by easily. ODDS ON WHITNEY started uncovered on the second turn, went 25.3 (!!) down the back and cleared to the ¾, but paid the price late. MACKIE HANOVER was looped early, worked to the lead at the ¼, couldn’t hold the brusher out in the giant third quarter, but kept on going, outside in the lane and didn’t miss second by much. PODIUM GIRL went wide around stalling cover midturn, OK. STAYCATION HANOVER was forwardly-placed, in and shuffled, outside on the turn and four-wide early stretch, OK after an unlucky trip. PAULAS BEST HANOVER kept up with the megabrusher down the back but then stalled in the last 1/8. JK ALWAYSBALADY had no impact on the outcome of this one.
SIXTH RACE – Beal Consolation I … FLY LIGHT was uncovered into turn two, got cover from his stablemate 5/8 and followed that along, left uncovered ¾, worked by CAPSTONE late. The latter kept a hole closed at the ¼, then moved raw 5/8 and went by ¾, did well but couldn’t resist his barnmate. MAGICAL MUSCLE MAN was three-wide at the 1/8, had holes kept closed on him so had to take back to fourth, backed out 11/16 to follow the entry, no-factor third but far ahead of the rest. COLONIAL AS IT was at the back, passed tired horses. ZENITH STRIDE used the rail and set a quick pace, tired when challenged ¾. TYPE A gapped early, moved out with cover 3/4 but gapped that cover down the back. TRICKY DICK couldn’t get into the race. MON AMOUR left, went into the pocket, made a break ¾. CARUSO was offstride well before the start.
SEVENTH RACE – Hempt Consolation I … WHICHWAYTOTHEBEACH left and yielded, moved out 3/16 in front of the parked horse, was kept out to the 3/8 and then in turn had to keep the parked horse out, ensuring a lively pace, saw the two, three- and four-wide tiers stall late turn and found his biggest threats right behind him, but drew clear of them. MYSWEETBOYMAX quickly made the front, pushed the winner to the 3/8 then relinquished and sat in the pocket, moved outside, drifted out a little further, enough for second. GAMBLIN MO defended the early pocket, caught in, up the Pocono Pike, just missed second. EMBLAZE HANOVER stayed in and was shuffled to last, but avoided all the clogged tiers far turn and was fourth in a four-way photo. SIMON SAYS HANOVER had an excess of cover, wound up five-wide near headstretch, came on late for the last check after an impossible trip. CRUNCH HANOVER followed a three-wide mover 5/8 but wasn’t helped by that cover, swung four-wide, OK. SOUTH BEACH STAR had an excess of cover as last-over, advanced in a blindswitch far turn but then had trouble finding a path and sacrificed crucial momentum to others before clearing. BILLY CLYDE moved up, got cover from the 3/16 to the 3/8 then was left raw, had sweepers galore try to circle him but kept them all in their wide paths before the stretch, then tired. BROOKLYN BULLET was second-over, moved three-wide 5/8 but clear the two-wide parked horse.
EIGHTH RACE – Sebastian K S Invitational Trot … ATLANTA was between horses to the 1/8, yielded for the pocket 3/16, came out late turn and roared right by full of trot. WHEN DOVESCRY kept tight for early position, went to the Pocono Pike and was along for second late. LINDY THE GREAT was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the front 3/16, put up quick numbers, couldn’t maintain the lead. READY FOR MONI was uncovered before the half, slowly advanced (but not enough to keep the pocket horse in), steadily late. HYPNOTIC AM and MAJESTIC PLAYER A raced with cover but couldn’t get into the race (a theme that will occur often in the second half of the card). PLAY TRIX ON ME didn’t keep up. MISSISSIPPI STORM was outside midpack until getting a tuck near the 3/8, not heard from again. EUROBOND was at the back throughout, broke on the far turn.
NINTH RACE – Lynch Championship … GRACE HILL left three-wide to the lead before the 1/8, saw her stablemate brush around her in the frontstretch and sat the pocket, used the Pocono Pike and overhauled her game rival. FIRE START HANOVER was looped by her barnmate, took the early two-hole, moved past the ¼ after the other outside leaders had taken seats, set the pace, pushed back against the first-over, only to be caught up the inside. THEBEACHISCALLING improved position early then improved it again to third-in as the two in front of her pulled out, outside stretch and narrowed in very nicely. BLUE DIAMOND EYES took a tuck third 3/16, moved raw at the half and made a serious third quarter challenge, lost ground in the final split but only inch-by-inch. CHASE LOUNGE was last, used the Pike well behind the top ones to get the final check. HOT MESS EXPRESS left and tucked fourth, had good cover second-over, gapped it slightly then closer, swung wide but couldn’t gain significantly. CONTINUALOU was third-over and didn’t reach contention. ITZPAPALOTL and EASY TO PLEASE never entered the main picture.
TENTH RACE – Delmonica Hanover Championship … DARLENE HANOVER sat midpack off a fast half, moved in the slowest quarter of the race and went up to challenge, was able to draw clear late. FLAWLESS COUNTRY took the early pocket, stayed in, was shuffled back, moved outside past midturn and wide in the stretch, eating up the ground late. YOU ATO DREAM was on the move from fourth before the ¼, strung out to nearing the second turn and continued to a quick half, got a little relief down the back but did not have enough late. MAY KARP was third-over behind dull cover, went three-wide 5/8 and dropped back down to second-over, but couldn’t stay with the winner the last 3/16. PUB CRAWL also suffered a shuffle, wide and decent late. MAZZARATI went to the top in a fast opener, pushed the brusher past the 3/8 before yielding for the pocket, little left in the late stages. WET MY WHISTLE was never in the picture. FRANKLY MY DEAR pulled behind the winner but couldn’t keep up. SWEEPING RAINBOW was offstride well before the start.
ELEVENTH RACE – Hempt Championship … LAWLESS SHADOW won the race past the start when MacDonald took advantage of the rail to hustle him through and force other hard leavers to back off, rated the half, and in fact did not get much pressure until PERFECT STING began to narrow in, had enough to ward off that one. The latter was two-wide to the 3/16 before taking the pocket, sat loose in the two-hole until the stretch, then pulled out and kept gaining and gaining, just coming up short. HELLABALOU was three-wide to towards the 3/16 then backed off to tuck third, in, couldn’t go with the top two late. CHASE H HANOVER backed off early, stayed in, which was a good strategy on this day, and got a good piece. SOUTHWIND GENDRY gapped off the front three in the torrid quarter, started uncovered at the half but never reached the leader. ROCKYROAD HANOVER was second-over, tried three-wide at the ¾ but didn’t gain. I’LL DRINK TO THAT was too far back. ABUCKABETT HANOVER broke early.
TWELFTH RACE – Beal Championship … CAPTAIN COREY was away third and quarter-moved, and stayed in control, trotting home in 27.1. JOHAN PALEMA was three-wide to the first turn, got on top 1/4 in a 26.4 opener then yielded to his barnmate, did well to stay as close to the powerful winner as he did. TAKE ALL COMERS left well, hung a foe to the ¼ and yielded for the pocket, no match for the top pair but held third. IN RANGE didn’t hit the pegs until the quarter, stayed in, gained some inside. SONOFAMISTERY was second-over (which wasn’t a great position on this day), gapped slightly, evenly late. DELAYED HANOVER moved uncovered at the half and pressured the leader, was the middle horse in 1-2-3 Svanstedt positioning headstretch but made a break. SPY BOOTH was out a long way at the back, no factor. LOCATELLI was third-over, not close when altering course to go inside the breaker, then made a break himself. ETHAN T HANOVER offered little.
THIRTEENTH RACE – J M MANDAMIN went to the front 3/16, rated the half, then sprinted home in 54.1 – 27 and could not be caught. NO LOU ZING started uncovered at the half, gained by pacing a third quarter in 26.3, then came home in 27 to be close and win second over ROCKIE GOT FRAMED. The latter hustled to push the pace early then keep the pocket, stayed tight, inside stretch and just missed second. ENVIRONS HANOVER proved best of the rest. FATHER NUNO moved with cover at the half but was soon gapping. IM A GIGOLO N gapped ¾. REBELLIOUS was at the back, outside on the turn but broke.
FOURTEENTH RACE – Always B Miki Invitational Pace … 25.3 + 29 + 26 + 26.4 = 1:47.2, or 29 + 1:18.2 = 1:47.2 … ALLYWAG HANOVER streaked away to the lead at the 1/8, got a 29 second second quarter, and still came within 2/5 of the all-time world record for a five-eighth mile track in the mile of the year – anywhere — in harness racing 2021 so far, finishing powerfully. NICHOLAS BEACH had to settle for second all the way around (while pacing 1:47.3). RUTHLESS HANOVER was fourth-in, came up the Pocono Pike for the distant third. NANDOLO N took back early, went uncovered, did pace a 25.3 third quarter while getting to the leader’s rump, held pretty well considering. AFLAME HANOVER stayed plugged-in third a long way before giving some ground. SOUTHWIND OZZI couldn’t get in it from last. LEONIDAS A was second-over, couldn’t keep up ¾. WESTERN JOE tried to go up third-over but didn’t have the steps.