FIRST RACE – A warmish day for mid-October in the mountains to start: “fast +0” races 1-4; it rained hard during the fifth race, causing the track to be “sloppy +1” from the fifth race on, and temperatures would drop after the rain came through … Stretch headwind … MAJOR DESIRE protected the pocket early, considered a quarter-move but retreated, then came full-bore at the half and paced down the back in 26.2 to open a good lead, saw others catching up but held to the wire. CAPTAIN MALICIOUS was away quickly for the lead, yielded past the 26.2 opener, backed out as the winner brushed past 5/8 and was in a new pocket to the ¾, outside stretch, very good mile. LINCOLN JAMES gapped early, outside and followed cover 5/8, left uncovered ¾, went on well to the line. MUSCLE MACH A came all the way up the inside to be next. CLASSY HILL wasn’t keeping up with the deposed leader ¾ then outside, not that much. LEAR SEELSTER gapped both inside and outside. HULOU was used to clear past the fast opener, held no defense against the backstretch brusher, faded.
SECOND RACE – CAPTAIN CASH used the rail to maximum advantage, set the pace, lost all but one in a 26.3 third quarter, and then was safe over the pocketsitter despite giving some ground very late. JK MUSICMAN was away well to land the two-hole, stuck with the winner throughout, not quite enough to go by but far ahead of the rest. BELLOWS BINGE left well wide but soon took back and tucked fifth, stayed in and was stuck behind a gapping one, out in a blindswitch late turn, between horses for third. WAGON MASTER was uncovered at the half but never reached the front pair, ducked in for the stretch, next. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N was second-over, three-wide midturn, evenly. SO SO DE VIE had cover but had too far to come. BLACKLIGHT went around the gapping ROCKNROLL CAPTAIN before the half; neither were factors. PATERNITY SUIT A landed the 3-hole early, started to gap out 5/8 despite urging.
THIRD RACE – RIVER OTTER burst out to the lead, went fast odd-numbered quarters with the wind establishing a commanding lead, tired and bore out a bit in the stretch but had enough to get to the wire first. ZLATAN worked up to the pocket 3/16, loose of the leader most of the way, went inside of the winner in the lane and gained some ground. SWANCREDIT sat third, gapped a gapper, next. CASH FOR GOLD was never prominent; nor was MUAY HANOVER. ZOOMING came uncovered at the half but never got close. INVINCIBLE had a slow start, then broke past the 5/16.
FOURTH RACE – DAAMERICANSKY was another who went fast with the wind, to get to the lead then to open a safe margin, not troubled at the end. BARON MICHAEL was wide leaving, took back to a midpack tuck, stayed inside and went up the Pocono Pike to be a non-threatening second. FEHERTY was two-wide, went to the pegs fourth at the 1/8, moved second-over at the half, wasn’t helped when cover tired on the turn and had to go three-wide, moving well late. SPORTS TEEN was off the front two early, started raw at the half, made a bid into the quick third split but then tired. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN was looking to move outside at the half but made a break; DIALAMARA, right behind, suffered an “ix”; BLOW A CLOUD N was pushed very wide; and PICKLED PREACHER ducked inside the trouble inside the pegs; all those involved in this incident were effectively taken out of the race.
FIFTH RACE – This is the race where it rained hard, and the track was rerated to “sloppy +1” … MR HOUDINI had good cover second-over, three-wide late turn, and had the most trot coming home. THISISSHE was uncovered soon off the second turn, applied steady pressure, gamely to the wire. MAJESTIC MARVEL was out until the 3/16 for the lead, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, so-so response. CIMERONKEN was first to show but took a balky step early, settled then took back, moved outside midturn, finishing decently wide. CREWS HILLTOPPER was underway before the quarter to control the throttle and rated the half, was pressured, didn’t have enough to last to the line. FRAC offered little.
SIXTH RACE – IMAROCNROLLEGEND N dashed to the top, pushed a brusher a bit then yielded for the pocket, outside to headstretch and sailed by to make George Napolitano Jr. the 26th driver to reach $100,000,000 in career driving earnings. KEYSTONE PHOENIX moved at the quarter, had to be chased a little to clear before the second turn, strung most of the field out until the far turn, had to settle for second. STATEMENT MADE A got the early pocket, then sat third-in, angled out early stretch but didn’t gain. BULLVILLE TERROR went evenly inside. SHAMMA LAMMA went wide in the stretch and had some pace. P L MUNSON moved outside from far back down the back, gained some, evenly. MAJOR OFFENSE was gapping before the ¼, never in it.
SEVENTH RACE – ATTA BOY DAN left under urging, as did the horse to his right, and got the lead because of track geometry, rolled down the back, then stayed clear of the opposition. PARKLANE JET was second-over 11/16, gapped then was better the later they got on the turn, wide and closed nicely. MAC ANOVER wanted the lead but backed off past the 1/8, just failed to hold second. MOVE THE LINE went evenly. BEACH FIRE K was uncovered 5/8 and grinded, backed off the last 1/8. ROCK THREE TIMES gapped at the back.
EIGHTH RACE – KING ALPHONSO was between horses leaving, pressed on well past a fast opener to get the lead, dashed a bit clear on the turn, successfully dealt with those narrowing in late. HOCKEY HANOVER tucked fourth behind the three early battlers, moved uncovered at the half, grinded up, kept on coming late in a game performance. MARION GONDOLIER was behind dull cover and moved three-wide ¾, gained through the last quarter nicely (even if it was in only 30). MISS MC KEE was three-wide to the 3/16 then backed off to tuck third, moved outside ¾, briefly blindswitched, got clear, OK. GRAPPLE HANOVER was inside, paused briefly when a horse made a break past midturn, but didn’t gain thereafter. ENZIO was outside with cover that he could not reach most of the last half. SORTIE broke moving out second-over before the half. ARCHIBALD was innermost among the three early fighters, finally yielded to the 3/8, struggled to stay close from before the 5/8, broke midturn and went inside the pylons.
NINTH RACE – SCOOTNROLL was away well for a midpack tuck, moved first-over and gradually advanced putting pressure on the leader, got a small advantage on the turn, proved the best with a 54.2 last half raw. GOOD ROCKIN had a good second-over journey, didn’t have the speed of the winner on the turn, along for second late. IM A GIGOLO N pressed on to get the lead past a 26.3 opener, rated the half then had to step it up as the winner came calling, held OK. NUTCRACKER SWEET left well, yielded after a fast quarter, slightly shuffled late turn, but then not all that much when finding the Pocono Pike. BILLY BADGER N passed the others for the last check while never a factor. BAY MEADOWS stayed up-close early, then began to back off 5/8. CAMWOOD was gapping early and was not ever a contender.
TENTH RACE—AMIGO VOLO was on top before turn one, made a foe work past a good opener to clear, then immediately retook, got a very moderate middle half, then came home in 27.4 into the wind in total control. EUROBOND went up to get the lead past the ¼, yielded for the pocket, no match for the winner, held second well. GHOSTINTHESHELL S protected the pocket early, sat third, couldn’t make up last ground. PATRIARCH HANOVER was uncovered 11/16, gained a bit then flattened out. MYSTICAL WYNN couldn’t go with these. RICH AND MISERABLE was last when breaking 11/16.
ELEVENTH RACE – AMERICAN REBEL initially sat in then backed out to third-over 9/16, followed advancing cover, four-wide headstretch, finished solidly (in a slowing last quarter) to just catch INDIGO ART. The latter got a good second-over trip, three-wide late turn, made the lead midstretch, just nipped by the late flyer. STELLAR BB was away nicely, made the lead 3/16, yielded to the retaker for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, not quite enough kick late. ARTISTS RUFFLES started grinding to the half, never really looked the leader in the eye until headstretch, carried on gamely. THE CANDYMAN CAN set the pace with two moves, rated the half, but then couldn’t sustain the lead. SULLIVAN was third-in, spent most of the stretch angling wide looking for clearance, had pace at the end. BABES DIG ME and LORD OF MISRULE weren’t far back at the end but never were major players.
TWELFTH RACE – ALEX TYE started raw towards turn two, went in 27 down the back, battled the leader head-to-head the last quarter and got the decision. REGAL SON was parked past the ¼ to get the lead, set wind-appropriate fractions, held very gamely. BENJI’S BEST was third-over, wide late turn, next one home. WALTER MITTY was second-over but gapped a bit and was blindswitched, evenly in the path behind the winner. TJ BLAST left, took the pocket at the 1/8, inside, Pocono Pike, evenly. WHITE HAIR ROCKS sat in, spent the upper stretch angling wide and finished quickest of all. BOBBY DAZZLER left very well, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, stayed close, came up empty in the stretch. SOMEBEACH BARON did not enter the main picture.
THIRTEENTH RACE – GANGSTER HANOVER gradually worked up to 5/16 command, came home in 56.2 and was far ahead from the 5/8. THE LIONKING AS flashed good speed to clear nearing the first turn, kept the winner out to the 5/16 then yielded for the pocket, clear second. JUST MAYBE THE ONE left and got a forward spot, inside, Pocono Pike, evenly. SOUTHWIND FROST sat in, won fourth in a photo over MAX. The latter came uncovered off turn two but made little headway in the fast third quarter, evenly. KENOGAMI COCO gapped second-over. MACMORRIS HANOVER and TWO AM were never close. LUCKY MATTER broke just past the start, recovered, but broke again before the ¾.