FIRST RACE – Upper 60s to low 70s … Not a good day in general for horses racing on the front end … End-to-end action for the fastest local mile of the year in the opener (1:50.4) … IM A GIGOLO N was third-over, gapped down the backstretch and on the turn, but put together better strides late and was up in the shadow of the wire. EAST BEACH had a good second-over journey, three-wide late on the turn, lead just past midstretch, just missed. CURIOUS CORTEZ was three-wide to the 3/16,then behind cover to the 5/16, lead 3/8, yielded at the half for the pocket, Pocono Pike, got to almost even terms past midstretch, flattened fractionally. PARMESAN N was buried inside, had willing kick once angling clear wide. OUR MAX PHACTOR N left from the rail, on the move into turn two, lost cover into the backstretch and challenged hard, not bad. DOUBLEORNOTHING N was looped between horses early, up to take the lead 5/16, yielded, came again to retake control just past the ½, under pressure, not quite enough. HOT DEUCE circled up three-wide to be the first on the point, yielded and was shuffled, couldn’t gain along the far inside late. CAPTAIN ROMANCE did not contend.
SECOND RACE – P L NOTSONICE pushed the early action, yielded, retook the front nearing the half, then just had too much for this crew. KENOGAMI COCO was looped between horses, carried on to the top 5/16, yielded before the half, a bit loose much of the last half, held second. BLENHEIM was left uncovered near the ½, didn’t threaten the winner, not quite second. MARION GONDOLIER was second-over, tipped three-wide, fair. BELIEVER was shuffled, outside past midturn, finished willingly. KING ALPHONSO was way wide early, used hard to get the front 3/16, yielded, inside, faded. THE OTHER PAIR gapped.
THIRD RACE – NEEDLESS TO SAY was first on top then forced a fast quarter before yielding for the two-hole, stayed tight behind the pacesetter, to the Pocono Pike and took the advantage midstretch, all-out to hold off HOPETOBEFIRST in a decelerating tempo. The latter gapped second-over in the third quarter fight, wide before headstretch, cutting into the winner’s margin late. SPORTY DRAGON moved out ¾, went wide and narrowed in. LITTLEBITASWAGGER was out to the 3/16 in a 26.3 opener before taking the top, under hard pressure down the back, couldn’t keep it going in the lane. FATHER SARDUCCI took back into a 4-tuck 3/16, moved raw past the 3/8, in gear down the back and fought with the leader, held OK after using much energy. VAGANOVA kept a hole closed early, no factor thereafter. DENALI SEELSTER couldn’t keep up in the second quarter and was pulled up.
FOURTH RACE – SHAMMA LAMMA was uncovered into turn two, was asked for and gave a 27 third quarter to get the lead ¾ and cross over on the turn, easy winner. AMERICA’S GUEST couldn’t go with the winner’s cover, enough for second. KEYSTONE TENACIOUS was in the pocket, shuffled midturn and waited for the Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite get to second. LORD OF MISRULE stayed in third until past midturn, evenly late. JUST A WRANGLER left well to force a lineup, really slowed down the half, then couldn’t summon enough second half sprint to stay in contention. ARTISTS RUFFLES disconnected in the second half.
FIFTH RACE – Stretch headwind picked up … CASINO BAGS ANSO gradually advanced a long way first-over, had a slight lead midturn to the finish as five were within a length to the wire. SOCIAL THEORIES had a fine journey second-over, wide headstretch, just missed in a clocking not fast for this class. HES GONE BADDER pushed much of a good quarter then yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, didn’t hit top stride until a bit too late. PREMIER ROCKSTAR had some speed, sat in, gradually angled wide before headstretch, gained ground, finished with “b.e.” NIALL HANOVER was no factor. MY FRISKIE BOY was wide early and pressed on to the lead before a 26.4 opener, slowed the half, had pressure come to him later on the backstretch, not much left in the last 3/16.
SIXTH RACE – WON LAST FEELING was looped early, proceeded up before the 3/16 to gain control 5/16, rolled his last half in 55.4 and needed to to withstand the persistent SULLIVAN. The latter showed gate speed, then moved raw off the second turn, never head-to-head with the winner but always a looming presence in a sharp grind. SO SO DE VIE sat in, blocked just before to just into the stretch, had a response for third. A BETTOR BEACH had fine cover, evenly. THISJETSABOOKIN closed OK from last. BLOW A CLOUD N went right to the top, yielded to the winner to sit the two-hole, not much response in the lane.
SEVENTH RACE – CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL was fastest away, yielded for the two-hole and stayed tight, backed outside ¾ and went three-wide late on the turn, ran away from these. ALL CHEDDAR stayed in, advanced up the rail the last 5/16 to get second. BASS PLAYER was parked just past the 1/8 to get the top in a very fast opener, slowed the half then had to pick it up again as a challenger came, not enough. URBAN RENEWAL gapped inside at a couple of points, next in line. RYCROFT N gapped second-over. WINNING IS SWEET was never close. PARKLANE JET was outleft and behind cover early, tucked third, went raw at the half and paced his third split in 27.2 to challenge, but that deprived him of further forward progress.
EIGHTH RACE – WESTERN TYRANT came raw early in the backstretch and went 55 the last half grinding, somehow got a nose up right on the money. CYRUS PEAK was between horses to the first turn, took the pocket at the 1/8, moved to the Pocono Pike, made the lead midstretch and only gave up the advantage at the death. THE BUS A rushed through at the start to take control from the pole, went slow-fast in the middle, passed midstretch but stayed battling. BROTHER JAMES gapped second-over. TREASURE MACH gapped much of the last half. DREAM OF LUCK never factored. SUPER PAC HANOVER was three-wide to the 1/8, was pressing on when breaking to the 3/16.
NINTH RACE – LEGAL POWER left, yielded, quarter-moved, was in charge of this race the last half in fast time. DREAMS ARE TRUE left between horses to take the lead and induce a tuck, yielded to sit the pocket behind the winner, held second. SPANISH ART spotted early then gapped most of the rest of the race, had improved pace finishing. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO was three-wide to the first turn, went in second 3/16, back uncovered down the backstretch, made a decent challenge, but tired past midturn. THE OTHER FOUR had little say at any point in this quick contest.
TENTH RACE – GO WEST GO FAST just kept on rolling past the 26.2 quarter, was not threatened at all. FRONTIER ROLLO sat in, moved out 11/16 and moved closer to the winner, clearly second-best. LEAR SEELSTER was far back, gained inside on the turn, outside in the lane and was the distant third. LYONS AMUSEMENTS yielded for the pocket, gradually unplugged in the last ¼. CAVIART MAX offered little. BOBBY K HILL tried to move frontward before the ¼, was under urging but looked hard to steer and just dangled on the outside, nothing left 5/8 and went back inside.
ELEVENTH RACE – KILLER MARTINI quickly circled dull cover early backstretch and went up raw, got cover ¾, three-wide headstretch and drew away from these. HASH-TAG SWAG had speed, sat in, to the pocket, angled behind the winner early stretch and was along for a no-factor second. JUMPIN JAKE FLASH yielded 3/16 to sit in the two-hole, popped out of same midturn, outpaced late. BEACH FIRE K was three-deep to turn one, in front 3/16, didn’t get pressure, still had very little at crunch time. IDEAL STAR N and SKYWAY BILLY were always far back. SPORTSKEEPER came out uncovered near the half, immediately stated to retreat despite encouragement.
TWELFTH RACE – LINCOLNJAMES saw outside horses leaving and let them go, stepped out raw off the second turn and went up to challenge, finally wore down the leader midstretch and held off the closers. TULLOW N had a great second-over trip, good but had to settle for place. CAPTAIN DISOMMA was third-over, struggled to keep with cover, finished steadily. CLASSIC PRO was inside the other two main leavers and was determined to have the lead, paid a 26.1 price for it, continued on the throttle, tired midstretch. MARCO BEACH was three-wide most of the ¼ before tucking third, sat in, shuffled far turn, threaded through traffic in the lane, perhaps never fully clear. ROLLIN IN NEW YORK went out between horses, finally settled for the two-hole near the ¼, struggled to stay close from the 5/8. ST LADS NEPTUNE trailed.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BAMSKI was three-wide leaving, on to command past the 3/16, had CAPTAIN MULZAC come to him 3/8, was urged to keep that foe out at that point, and ding-donged with that one the rest of the contest in fast fractions, gamely to hold on. The latter got a forward position then got underway just before the ¼, reached the leader at the 3/8 and went at it with him uncovered, terrific stretch resilience. BRANDON HANOVER got tighter on cover late backstretch, three-wide into the lane, not far off. MAJOR DESIRE went out enough to force a couple to retreat in behind, yielded before the ¼, tightened in after gapping early backstretch, Pocono Pike, not quite enough. THE OTHERS had little say in the outcome of this one.
FOURTEENTH RACE – VETTEL N put a foe in behind on the first turn, came home in 54.1 – 26.3, and no foe could do anything against that. AFLAME HANOVER moved uncovered from fourth 5/8, never got close to the winner but was game to hold off closers for second. GUMPTION gapped in the second quarter, then tighter and second-over, paced well late. BILL HALEY N was third-over from far behind, finished sharply. TITO ROCKS wanted the lead but eventually settled for the pocket, not too much in the last ¼. FRISKIE ALL NITE was never prominent. SOUTHWIND OZZI tucked third at the 1/8, not heard from thereafter. HIGHRTHANANEAGLE A gapped the last half.
FIFTEENTH RACE – VIRGIN STORM left enough to secure the pocket, stayed tight behind backstretch duelers as the others didn’t keep up, angled outside late turn and wide into the stretch, paced steadily to catch CIGAR SMOKING TONY late as Matt Kakaley rolled a seven-bagger on his birthday. The latter left and took a spot, uncovered off turn two and went a big third panel challenging the leader, had a small advantage late on the turn and early stretch, continued on for second. GUINNESS PANIC was three-wide leaving then two-wide to the 1/8 to the lead in a 26.1 opener, had hard pressure most of the last half, held well. HUNDIE N gapped the last half. JK WILL POWER sat in and gapped gapping cover. BULLVILLE TERROR was third-over behind a dull one, three-wide midturn, too far to come. JK MUSICMAN was off the gate, gapped early, then started raw 3/8, would have had cover from early backstretch if he could have reached it. CAVIART ROCKLAND never entered the picture.