FIRST RACE – Mid 60s … No wind in the early races … In the opener, everybody was in the path of the favorite for a long way, but when he got clear, … ARTACHE HANOVER was surrounded by horses leaving and tucked, then was pinned in from past the 1/8 until just past the ¾ by the continuous flow, escaped and went from one-wide to four-wide far turn, quickly looped the field and then held off the late rush of ROUGH ODDS. The latter was looped, pressed on to the lead 5/16, yielded 3/8, was in the pocket, lost momentum to the winner while waiting for the Pocono Pike, then had a sharp response when shown racetrack. JANAID stayed midpack outside leaving, wound up second-over, three-wide 11/16 for the duration, not quite the kick of the top two late. WINNING IS SWEET looped everybody leaving for the top at the 1/8, saw two go by in quarter two, third-in, had to wait for the deep Pike, had some pace. SPORTSMANSHIP was looped, had cover then went three-wide at the ¼ to ensure he’d have a good chance to not be parked the mile, hustled up to the lead 3/8 in the fast half, met with pressure, understandably tired. AIN’T IT FUN pulled from last at the ¼ seeing there would be a flow, stayed two-wide in a blindswitch 3/4, not much late. BEACHESBECKONME left for the early pocket, came out at the ¼ when a foe went three-wide, was left raw 3/8, challenged down the back, couldn’t sustain the move. EXCALIBUR SEELSTER joined the outer flow down the back, tried to follow in the three-wide lane but gapped (which is how the winner finally got out).
SECOND RACE – VALAR DOHAERIS left, parked a rival to the 5/16 in a fast half, pulled the pocket 11/16 and quickly went right by, named her winning margin. MADELYNN SOPHIA had a tough fight getting the top 5/16, went on to a fast half stringing most of the field, yielded 11/16, did hold for the very distant second over THE LETTER. The latter circled up to clear a gapper, went back in on the turn and gained, outside midstretch and narrowed in on the place horse. BETTOR STRAIT N UP was three-wide leaving, tucked fourth 3/16, left third after a breaker before the half but immediately left a big gap. RAINBOW RISING was out down the back to go around the gapper, did retuck third, outside on the turn trying for second, but had nothing left. MS TREACHEROUS was way back throughout. HELLRUNNER HANOVER followed cover to retuck fourth ¾, two- and three-wide from midturn but broke headstretch. COVENANT WOMAN actually was keeping up with the fast front two when breaking n the second turn.
THIRD RACE – DOWN THE PIKE MIKE settled in third, waited, then was “Down the Pocono Pike Mike” in going by late. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN left and yielded for the two-hole, outside headstretch, never ahead but along for place. BEER CHEESE came through at the start and went to the top at the 1/8, rolled along, held the lead until midstretch. FEAST DAY looked green: away slowly, out with cover on the second turn but then put in steps off that bend, recovered and third-over, wide stretch, never seemed to really dig in. DONATELLO HANOVER gapped in front of the stands, then moved raw 5/8 but didn’t threaten. IT IS WELL gapped inside. U BAKE THE CAKE was gapping in last 3/8. SCOTTISH moved on turn two, second-over, looking to tip three-deep far turn but broke.
FOURTH RACE – WHAT’S GOIN ON tucked third at the 1/8, followed cover 11/16, three-wide for the stretch and drew away. RUFFLE UP insisted on the lead from the rail and set fast fractions, held off the rest. SPINOUT wanted the early lead but took back for the pocket 3/16, pulled from the two-hole 11/16 and battled the leader, evenly. MR MCDREAMY was fourth-in, had a chance to tighten up to the pocket towards the ¾ as the 2-3 horses pulled but couldn’t close the gap, Pocono Pike, evenly. MICHAEL’S MONSTER was never a factor. BEACHMASTER TWO moved out down the back but offered little. CHANCELLORCULLEN N was last at every call.
FIFTH RACE – CHOCO CHARLIE spotted fourth at the 1/8, moved uncovered off turn two and went up to challenge, got little resistance from the leader and cleared mid-far turn, held off the late move of SCIROCCO PATRICK. The latter was away third, initially sat in then backed out to second-over 5/8, left uncovered midturn, finished steadily. JUSTIFY moved outside but gapped letting the place horse out, one-geared. BOSCH was far back, did well to make up some ground. ALEXANDER HANOVER went into the pocket past the 1/8, then was badly shuffled far turn as the leader totally gave way, finally could move out in the stretch and gained back ground well. BROOKVIEW BLUTO wanted to set the pace and did, got a 1:00.3 middle half and still packed it in when challenged past the ¾. LAKEVIEW TAMMY struggled to keep up throughout. LANDONFITZ gapped and then broke late turn.
SIXTH RACE – A gradually-increasing mild stretch tailwind … ZEUS HANOVER moved raw at the half and went up quickly to fight with the leader from the 5/8 to the wire, had a slight lead on the turn but couldn’t go by, but proved the better late. BUCHANNON HANOVER was parked to the ¼, set the pace, in a crackerjack battle with the winner the last 3/8, gave way slightly very late. PLAY THE ACE was three-wide most of the ¼, was able to race up into the pocket 5/16 after that spot’s former occupant broke, gapped down the back, then found more pace late. BACK IN MY DAY went evenly. DARIO HANOVER was right behind the early breaker and was bothered, stayed in then backed out to second-over 5/8, couldn’t keep up the last ¼. THE NEXT TWO were near the back and never in the main picture. BARRIER made the lead heading to bend one, yielding at the ¼ when offstride and taken to the infield.
SEVENTH RACE – CRUSHWORTHY moved off the first turn, needed much of the frontstretch to clear, drew clear at will despite a 30.2 last quarter. CHASE MY LINDY had nonhelpful cover, moving well late (as the pace slowed) for the distant second. PLUM WINE worked to the top just past the 3/16, yielded past the 3/8, couldn’t go with the winner the last ¼. GOO GOO LU LU moved uncovered 11/16 but was ineffective. AULTER EGO made the top heading to turn one, yielded 3/16, inside, little in the last quarter. CANTERAWISHING showed very little into the far turn, then broke between horses in the stretch. IVORY ROAD galloped just before the start.
EIGHTH RACE – HURRIKANE MON AMI dashed out to command then slowed the half, went faster down the back, lost the outer tiers on the turn, then held off ARMED BANDIT. The latter left and tucked behind the winner at the 1/8, came out in the stretch, neither gained nor lost ground. C-BET HANOVER was three-wide early then spotted 3/16, wound up third-over, three-wide far turn and just getting the distant third in a three-way picture. BUILDING BOOST sat in with the early-developing flow and was shuffled to last, stacked widest early stretch and finished well. HUNTING FOR MILES was fourth-over, four-wide in the stretch, evenly. GIBOR improved position early, stayed in, gapped far turn. DOUBLE DOUBLE moved before the half with a parked horse coming up on him, went 27.1 against the wind in a third quarter challenge but then backed off. JITTERBUG FLO, looking hard to steer at times, was on the rim the whole way, rushed up in the homestretch and got to second-over, but was gapping 11/16, moved inside on the turn, very little late.
NINTH RACE – GRAPPLE HANOVER was first to show, yielded past the 1/8 and kept tight behind the duelers, outside headstretch and a very easy winner. TUIS SHADOW was no factor inside until nearing midstretch, then found room on the far inside and won a multi-horse picture for second. BROOKROAD MASTER made the top past the 1/8, then was under pressure in fast fractions for this type, not too much left late. FRAC gapped inside, inside the pacesetter in the lane, evenly. MUFASA AS moved second-over but didn’t reach cover until it started to fade, three-wide midturn but couldn’t gain. KEYSTONE SERGEANT never went inside and one-geared it uncovered two-wide, pressed the leader but couldn’t go by, faded the last quarter. THE OTHER DUO did not make their presence felt.
TENTH RACE – HUNTANOVER was second-over and advanced as his cover hit a higher gear 11/16, three-wide headstretch, kicked in midstretch and managed to pass everybody. DANGER ZONE was three-wide to the first turn, was left two-wide and got resistance from a reluctant-to-yield leader who kept him out until nearing turn two in a fast half, backed off Q3 as the first-over was slow to get in gear, finished in 28.1 but still got caught at the end. HURRIKANE CHUCK went uncovered 9/16, drifted up a little then hit a better gear 11/16 and challenged hard, backed off just a bit late. TE AMO BLUE CHIP lagged the gate a little then came through and took the lead, had pressure and was under a deathgrip to let a rival go nearing the second turn, held OK in the lane. HUNTSVILLE PLACE was in the flow, didn’t tip wide but instead came between horses, gained then may have been shut off nearing the wire. AMERICAN ZESTAR went into the two-hole at the 1/8, had no room most of the last half. CAPTAIN COOK was not a major danger.
ELEVENTH RACE – MAGICAL JOURNEY looped foes early for command, yielded past the ¼ but was quick on the retake, set a fast pace, stringing out the field, the best today. WILLIE B WORTHY was looped and between horses, went on to take the front just past the ¼, yielded for the pocket, not quite in the league of the winner but far ahead of the rest. SUM FOR ALL went out for position, gapped the last ¼, just held third. ZSA ZSA DABOR had a bit of trot in the Pocono Pike late. MIGHTY SURF was three-wide to the 1/8, accepted a 4-tuck 3/16, moved out 11/16 but didn’t gain. PHANTOM RUSTY was never prominent. NIGHT FLYER K gapped midrace, moved with cover late backstretch but was no factor. BUTTER TOFFEE didn’t show much.
TWELFTH RACE – BLUESVILLE moved at the ¼ and was on top 3/8, set the pace without pressure but rolled on nonetheless, just held off the late bid of HAZEVILLE. The latter was away quickly to 1/8 command, yielded for the two-hole, came out headstretch, got in gear just a hair too late, narrowing in with every step near the wire. BAY CITY was looped early and tucked fourth, sat in and was shuffled, found room inside before midstretch and id very well. BULLVILLE FRANK was third-over, found his cover deteriorating so went three-wide midturn, finished well. BOBS REDEMPTION was forwardly-placed but didn’t have enough. FRAZZLEBERRY was last, swung wide, couldn’t reach. ROPE THE MOON backed out to second-over 5/8, struggled, accepted a blindswitch midturn, no factor. KJ UNREAL started uncovered 3/8, came a long way in the third quarter to get close to the leader, but tired thereafter.
THIRTEENTH RACE – Very little wind by now … STELLAR BB left sharply to command in a 26.3 quarter, had a sweeping challenger from before the ¾ who actually got a short lead on him late turn, but fought on and took the victory. BULLVILLE JONATHAN was third-over in a non-flow, three-wide to the 11/16 to two-wide to the ¾ and battled the winner, as mentioned getting a short advantage, paced on well ahead of the others but settled for second. LOVE THE ACTION was caught in as the top two got away, outside headstretch and just grabbed third over SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN. The latter was four-wide early, settled in fifth, found room in the Pocono Pike, so-so. BAY MEADOWS left enough to defend the pocket, but backed off the last 5/16. ROCK THREE TIMES was first-up into turn two, got cover to the 5/8, was soon blindswitched, three-wide far turn after being swept but didn’t get close. FROMASHESTOASHES N was looped, got in third at the ¼, gapped midrace, came off the rail 5/8 but had very little to offer. POCKET WATCH N was last and fell way back.
FOURTEENTH RACE – ETBAUER pulled from third approaching the 11/16 and blew right on by, opened a big lead, a safe winner. REGENTS HANOVER was behind not the greatest of cover, two-wide late turn, came on steadily. VARNEY moved out 5/8 and soon had cover, couldn’t step with that one, to the “pocket” late far turn, OK late. TSM BATMAN went wide from far back and was a distant next. STEWARDOFTHELAND never featured. LATEST ATTRACTION yielded, gapped in the pocket much of the way to late backstretch, then shuffled badly behind the tired leader, out in a blindswitch on the turn, little response once clear. PINEBUSHDRAGONROLL went to the lead 3/16, was on a speed mission, folded his tent at the ¾.