FIRST RACE – Low to mid 80s … Stretch headwind … WINNING IS SWEET was three-wide to clear at the 1/8, immediately yielded to the brusher, stayed in the pocket to the Pocono Pike, inched by a stubborn JANAID. The latter was innermost of the three leavers, relinquished but immediately moved to retake, s-l-o-w-e-d quarter two, held very stubbornly in the stretch. DARTH FADER was between horses and looped, went in third 3/16, back out at the half, didn’t reach the leader until the ¾, held his ground OK. ARTISTS RUFFLES was underway 3/8 and got cover at the half, gapped early turn then got closer then three-wide headstretch, not bad late. BETTORS WESTERN gapped in a midpack tuck behind the three early contestants, stayed in, appeared to have room deep in the Pike but faltered a little late. SOUTHERN FLIGHT looked hard to take back early, sat last, swung widest in the lane and came on some. SCRAPPIN GOLD backed out to third-over but had little to offer.
SECOND RACE – SPINOUT moved out 5/8 and rushed up, blew right by past the ¾ and won in a laugher. MR MCDREAMY got the pocket, outside when the leader tired early turn and soon left raw, went on to be a clear if distant second. SHARK FANTASY got around the faltering one but didn’t have that much. SPIDER MAN HANOVER couldn’t begin to stay with his cover, letting horses to get out and avoid a shuffle, inside midturn, outside again stretch but not that much. CHANCELLORCULLEN N stayed in and got the last check via the Pocono Pike. REYS N A RUCKUS set the pace as he pleased, nothing left in the last quarter. BEACHMASTER TWO was off the gate, trailed, not prominent.
THIRD RACE – FOUREVER BOY was three-wide early, to two-wide then took back to tuck nearing the ¼, moved out near the 11/16, grinded to the wire and won by the closest margin possible. SIX FEET APART went on between horses to the lead, yielded and sat the pocket, one-geared in the Pocono Pike, may’ve had a nostril up near deep stretch, just edged. CAPTAIN COWBOY was four-wide early, was beginning to back off when the winner also took back and went on three-wide to challenge past the very fast ¼, two-wide and made the lead 3/8, held his ground very well after hard early usage. BET A BUNDLE was innermost of the four leavers, yielded, stayed in, not clear in the stretch. LOUKES PERRY did not get a quick start, moved with cover ¾, wide, only two lengths off at the wire.
FOURTH RACE – CODE CRACKER was three-wide early, to the lead 3/16, yielded, out of the pocket 5/8 and went by nearing the fast ¾, went clear early stretch but hustled to the line and held off HECANDANCENCRUISE. The latter was behind dull cover late backstretch, found his best strides ¾ and gained well three-wide on the far turn, almost got there. BAY CITY stayed in, then backed out with cover on the turn, steadily, outkicked. WEHADABABYETZABOY was last during the fast tempo, finished well. LOU’S BEACH was uncovered 9/16, got cover 5/8 but lost it ¾, challenged, tired. JK MIKI MANTLE was four-wide towards the first turn, went on two-wide to the lead just past the 26.1 opener, got pressure 5/8 and surrendered ¾, faded. MASK ON MASK OFF moved out down the back but had little, ducked back in, far back.
FIFTH RACE – NEW VIEW was three-wide leaving, made the front before the 3/16, set the pace without pressure, then had TONY’S MOM mount a late charge and just did hold on. The latter made the lead towards turn one then relinquished to sit the two-hole, edged out past headstretch, found her best strides midstretch, came up just a bit shy. JAGGED LITTLE PILL struggled to keep up in third at a few points, tired, did hold on to show. SWEET GADGETS sat in, waited for outside clearance, got it midstretch and almost was along for the distant third. KILEE ROCKS was far back, moved out on the turn then had to swerve inside the breaker midturn, got the last payday. AMARETTO HANOVER moved uncovered off the second turn but wasn’t in the main hunt. TEEN DREAM was not prominent. BEST DIVA was behind nongaining cover, starting to tip three-wide midturn when making a miscue and suffering “b.e.”
SIXTH RACE – DANCIN SANCHO maintained the early pocket, sat in then backed out with great cover 11/16, came on steadily and took the lead deep stretch. JO PA’S WARRIOR looked at leaving but took back, uncovered 9/16 and went up to challenge in 27, took over late on the turn, couldn’t quite make the lead last. GOOD DEAL used the rail to advantage early, left a foe go 3/8, had to back out late turn to avoid a further shuffle behind a tiring leader, best of the others. WAR OF WILL was off the gate and last much of the way, picked up the rest. DANGER ZONE looked a little steppy early, outside and pressed on to take over 3/8, was challenged down the back and through the turn, gave way an 1/8 out. DONTLIKEITLEAVE stayed in, Pocono Pike, no late response. CAUGHTINALANDSLIDE was outside 5/8 but wasn’t a big factor.
SEVENTH RACE – JOYGO quickly crossed over to control, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, retightened towards the ¾, to the Pocono Pike and by late. BULLY BOY HILL came out from third before the ¼ and took over 3/8, got some pressure on the far turn but shook that one off, then just failed to hold the lead to the end. JETBORNE came uncovered into turn two and speed-grinded up until late on the turn, then fell back but was still far ahead of the others. ANOTHER LONG SONG faded in the last half. KOLB HANOVER was never prominent. WINE BAR left and was eyeing a possible tuck when breaking early, recovered but stayed at the rear. IT IS WELL came out down the back but didn’t gain. THE GOGESTER started to lose contact before the half.
EIGHTH RACE – BOSTON needed until past the ¼ to find a spot inside, moved second-over and initially gapped then tightened in, three-wide late on the far turn, finished powerfully to take it all. ROCKNROLL GOLD was wide leaving to 1/8 command, rated to the half then faster down the back, could not withstand the late burst of the winner. WORLD FOR TWO was able to sit in the pocket, a bit loose much of the backstretch then closer, Pocono Pike, not far off. ONE OF THE GUYS was looped and tucked third at the 1/8, went uncovered before the 5/8, got no closer than the leader’s wheel but stayed on OK. BUILDING BOOST gapped a little third-over as the backstretch pace picked up, then in gear and four-wide headstretch, gained some. CAPTAIN COOK was never prominent. CAMOUFLAGE MONEY was going forward between horses early when making a break, caught the back of the field, broke again 5/8.
NINTH RACE – LEVITATION was first-over into turn two, gradually advanced, went to the lead when the pacesetter broke, didn’t go much of a last quarter but it was enough for the victory. POSSESS THE STONE maintained the pocket, a bit loose late backstretch, then had to check and be steered inside the breaker late turn, had a good recovery. KEYSTONE THUNDER tucked fourth past the 1/8, inside, also had to check with the far turn incident, held third over ZSA ZSA DABOR. The latter was off the gate, hadn’t moved until going wide around the trouble, finished well. BANZAI AS was uncovered 3/8 then picked up cover, gapped it, then was shoved wide by the breaker. WHATS THE WORD took the lead, slowed the second split then picked it up, still in control when breaking past midturn. CHOCO CHARLIE was off the gate then broke early.
TENTH RACE – NIGHT HAWK took back early, was on his own until the 11/16 when he moved raw, moved to engage the leader rounding the far turn, got a short advantage upper stretch but was kept “in Thunderdome” by the resilient MAD MAX HANOVER, did prevail in a Pocono season’s record 1:48.4. The latter was parked to a fast quarter for the lead and continued to roll in hot fractions with no challengers until the winner came, held his ground very impressively. LAYTON HANOVER showed very high speed to quickly get the lead, pushed the fast ¼ then yielded for the pocket, stayed close until midstretch, held on to beat the others. VICIOUS backed out behind the winner midturn, went on well in the fast mile. JM’S FINALTREASURE wasn’t quite keeping up at the ¾, evenly late. ENERGETIC HANOVER paced in 1:49.3 and didn’t get a check.
ELEVENTH RACE – FOXHUNT was away smartly to the lead and put a rival in behind, yielded to the brusher to sit the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, got a nose up deep stretch and held on over HUNTED HOUSE. The latter was launched from third on a quarter-move, kept up a smart pace so that nobody moved until approaching the far turn, just edged in the final steps. ZEUS HANOVER came out ¾ and quickly moved to contention, finished very strongly. SILVERSTONE tucked in the early pocket to the 1/8, sat third-in, OK late. WOLFTRAX came out of fourth before the ¾, advanced some on the turn but never seemed a stretch major danger. THE OTHER THREE just could not go with the others.
TWELFTH RACE – MARKET BASED was in a loose pocket much of the way, tighter late backstretch, outside headstretch and paced to the top. ARIO HANOVER was away third, gapped in the sprinting third panel then closer, to the Pocono Pike and finished steadily for second. NAUTICAL HANOVER sat in, pinned in on the turn, found room to move out early stretch and finished with energy. PJ LOU was sent down the road, had a big lead early, went in 26.4 down the back to try to lose the field, but got tired in the lane. BIRTHDAY gapped in last. TRUE BLUE LINDY came out uncovered before the 5/8, made a little bit of progress then fell back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ATLAS HANOVER was away in the pocket, got room to quarter-move as a parked foe was wide late on turn one, set the pace, drew off at will. LOUS SASSIN was outside 5/8 but did not advance until late on the far turn, swung wide and overhauled the others. RULE OF LAW was strung out behind the brisk tempo, briefly blocked headstretch, to the Pocono Pike, just missed the distant deuce. ETBAUER went right out to the lead, yielded and did his best to stay close in the pocket, but could do so no more nearing the ¾. THRESHOLD gradually progressed up on turn one, bore out late turn giving the winner room to move, had to spend life on the rim, fell back. THE OTHER PAIR were never major dangers.
FOURTEENTH RACE – STATEMENT MADE A protected the pocket, came out 3/16 but went back to the pylons, outside again past the ¾ and kept going to take the finale. TULLOW N was behind weak cover, three-wide ¾ and gained sharply on the turn, very commendable outing to be along for second. HYPNOTICDREAM sat third, edged out on the turn but went back in, Pocono Pike, just missed for second. REDBANK BLAZE A circled up four-wide and soon made the lead, discouraged the winner from moving early, didn’t have enough in the lane. DEPENDLEBURY A stacked wide and wasn’t bad from a very tough spot. THE MOONSHADOW N moved outside early second turn but quickly tucked back in, evenly late. LINCOLNJAMES moved with cover but soon lost it, made no gain.