FIRST RACE – A hot afternoon at The Downs … WHAT’S GOIN ON was second-over, three-wide 11/16 when cover began to stall, three-deep the duration, up in the last couple steps in a blanket finish. MARCO BEACH left between horses and was looped, cover to the 3/16 then raw and went on to the lead 3/8, yielded at the half for the pocket, came out past midturn before the winner could pin him in, fought very hard to the line. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was third-over, went four-wide midturn, just failed to reach. ARCHANGEL THREE left well, pushed the fast ¼ and yielded, third-in, to the pocket midturn, Pocono Pike, had a brief lead past midstretch, not far off. RYCROFT N was three-wide most of the way to the 3/16 then two-wide to command at the ¼, yielded 3/8 but was right back out to regain the lead at the half, held his ground well after the fast pace. ROLLINWITHAMBITION was last-over and four-wide with cover late turn, couldn’t reach. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO never factored. PIRATES ALLEY was first-over at the ½, gained a little then stopped gaining 11/16 despite urging.
SECOND RACE – COCKTAILS N DREAMS was looped leaving, left uncovered near the 3/16 and took command off the first turn, rated the half, went along nicely, held off DAGON HANOVER. The latter went to the lead before the 3/16, yielded for the pocket, moved out early stretch when the first-over bore out, did well late but didn’t reach. GOLD STONES never settled inside, worked up first-over, challenged, bore out in the lane but kept going sturdily. PRACTICAL CAT was last midturn, angled to four-wide headstretch and closed belatedly. TRAIN was buried inside, belatedly to the Pocono Pike, evenly. GERARD briefly had the lead then yielded, sat third-in, in tight quarters early stretch but didn’t have all that much late. SWEETIES N ALIBIS got away slowly, backed out to third-over second turn, three-wide midturn but didn’t gain. WHAT A DAME was second-over from last, gapped midturn.
THIRD RACE – SPRINGBRIDGE DUEL had early position, moved uncovered 5/8 and advanced, never gave up and snatched the victory on the money. BEACH FORECAST set all the pace, rated the half, then came home in 55.1, but weakened slightly in the last 50 yards. CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN tucked fourth 3/16, followed the winner out down the back but gapped until midturn, then hit a better gear and went three-wide for the stretch, did well; BULLVILLE JONATHAN was behind his gapping cover, four-wide nearing headstretch, moving fastest of all late. TERRY A HANOVER sat in, fair along the inside late. SOME DEAL HANOVER went away enough to sit the two-hole, had nothing in reserve late. TRAY SURREAL trailed throughout.
FOURTH RACE – Stretch headwind picking up … A wild and woolly one, after which the photo finish man asked for a bonus after all his work in the early races … IC A FREE SPIRIT spotted third, gapped the duelers in the frontstretch then closer to the second turn, moved out before the 11/16, grinded, took the pocket mid-far turn, back out for the drive and just got the nod as the pace slowed late. PURPLE POET was urged leaving, went to the lead in a 26 quarter, pushed the retaker and yielded, then came out early backstretch and went to the lead just past the 5/8, opened a sizable advantage far turn, held the lead to the last steps in a giant performance. PREMIER ROCKSTAR gapped midrace then advanced, three-wide before and through most of the last turn, kept coming on and came up just shy. LEAR SEELSTER stayed connected with the front bunch, eased out to the ¾ to avoid a shuffle, back inside near headstretch, Pocono Pike, couldn’t quite make it. OWEN was last behind dull cover, very wide much of the far turn, too far to come. ROCK KING DEO stayed in, had room to gain inside late backstretch but didn’t, then was blocked behind a fader, never recovered. HEREITIZ was out at the half, badly gapped cover. DAAMERICANSKY pushed a foe to the hot quarter, yielded but came back for the retake, was passed by that foe past the 5/8 and started to back up.
FIFTH RACE – P L NOTSONICE went to the lead to the 3/16, strung the field out and then drew away, with the 1:52.1 time equaling the fastest trotting mile of the year at Pocono. MARION GONDOLIER left well, yielded and stayed tight in the pocket most of the way, held for second over MISS MCKEE. The latter showed good speed then tucked third, came out mid-far turn but couldn’t gain a place. GREAT UNKNOWN went evenly. CHAPOLIER sat last, had some trot on the end between horses. ROBBIE PEV was first to move down the back then got cover, couldn’t get into it. THAT OLE BAR STOOL moved uncovered 5/8 but never gained.
SIXTH RACE – STELLAR BB came through at the start and would not yield despite fractions of :26 and :53.3, had them come at him three-wide down the back but held them in abeyance, went clear with oral encouragement after a very big mile. PUZZLING gapped the top three as they were in a duel, advanced up the inside to the pocket, did well for second. BROTHER JAMES also used the groundsaving route, next in line. GO WEST GO FAST followed cover until tucking third 3/16, gapped the fighters in quarter two, moved off the second turn but had the pocketsitter pull so was three-wide the third quarter, dropped back down to two-wide on the turn, actually held decently. MAJOR DESIRE wanted the lead but couldn’t go by the winner, finally tucked in the pocket past the 3/8, right back out again into the backstretch, also didn’t fade too badly after a very rough trip. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL moved outside then retreated inside. UNICO LEGEND N tried to gain three-wide past the 5/8 but could not.
SEVENTH RACE – KILLER MARTINI originally moved behind the parked horse to the second turn but tucked back in and passed him inside, outside again late backstretch and with a burst went to three-wide 11/16 and wide the duration, went by in the last steps as the pace slowed. UNDERTAKER tucked third past the 1/8, moved with cover then was left raw 11/16, battled on, had a short lead five steps out, just nipped. IDEAL COWBOY went out enough to force tucks and preserve the pocket, narrowed in then moved out down the backstretch and went by 11/16 in fast splits, held the lead past midstretch. LITTLEBITASWAGGER tucked, moved out in a late backstretch blindswitch, cleared a fader then went back inside, next-best. AIN’T IT FUN was never close. WINNING IS SWEET looped rivals four-wide early and went a quick half, challenged down the back, yielded 11/16 and faded. TRENTE DEO had no say in this. MANNY was three-wide most of the ¼ then two-wide raw, faded before the 5/8.
EIGHTH RACE – QUEEN OF ALL was away second, moved 3/16 to take command, and left little doubt who was best. ALTUS HANOVER moved uncovered off turn two and gained, not in the league of the winner but very good for second. KENOGAMI COCO was second-over but gapped while in one-gear mode, up for third. MASSIVE OPULENCE sat in and was never prominent. GRAPPLE HANOVER was between horses early, tucked, then gapped a gapper; that gapper was BEYOND ORDINARY, who was three-wide early to the lead 3/16 then yielded for the pocket and was quite loose from the winner the rest of the way. SO LONG HANOVER got a slow start and was always far back.
NINTH RACE – VANILLA MALTED went out between foes and tucked third, raw early in the backstretch and went in 27.2 with the wind to advance and challenge, made the lead early stretch and could not be caught as tacking a 27.1 on the end. DRAGON STRIKES was the innermost of the main leavers and retained the pocket, stayed close, backed out behind the winner early stretch mad did very well. FRANCO TOTEM N was second-over, gapped late backstretch and one-geared it home. SADIQ HANOVER was last behind dull cover, swung wide and finished very strongly. HORSE went on to take the pacesetting duties, moderated the half then got hard pressure, nothing left in the stretch. HE’S ELECTRIC was third-over, gapped a gapper. WESTERN TYRANT never entered the main picture.
TENTH RACE – IM SIR BLAKE A commanded the field with two moves, stepped home in 54.1 – 27 and was uncatchable. SOUTHWIND OZZI was briefly wide leaving, dropped behind cover and then into the four-hole, started uncovered off the second turn, labored to get close to the leader, went on gamely to second late. WILD WILD WESTERN was between horses early, went onto the lead near the ¼, yielded to the retaking winner, wasn’t tight behind from late backstretch. VETTEL N was three-wide much of the quarter before tucking third, struggled to keep up in the last ¼. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP was first to move outside and flushed the first-over, but then couldn’t go with him. THE REST were far back throughout.
ELEVENTH RACE – The third dead heat to win of the year at Pocono, and in almost sequential order (on days 19, 40, and 60) … Wind has diminished … COXCOMB sat third-in, angled out early stretch, had a big last 1/16 to be up for the tie with BARRYWHITE HANOVER. The latter stayed in the pocket until headstretch, short lead midstretch, hung on for the DH1. SEAL O’NEILL, a bit hard to manage as he often is, did not like being taken back early, moved outside past the 5/8 but then went back in as cover was no good, had room in the Pocono Pike as the 2-3 horses moved outside and dashed up the inside to just miss. BUTTER UP made the lead, moderated the half and didn’t get pressure in Q3, came up shy late. WESTERN WALTZ moved uncovered at the half but didn’t get into the main action of the race. CAVIART SKIPPER was disconnecting off the second turn.
TWELFTH RACE – STATEMENT MADE A was quickly on the lead, yielded at the ¼ to sit the two-hole, a bit loose down the backstretch and early turn, but had a response when taken to the Pocono Pike and got the nod over SEVENTH SECRET. The latter was third-over, four-wide early stretch and had a giant last 1/16 to just fail. SHANE ADAM was parked to the ¼ to make the top, got somewhat of a breather in Q2 then picked it up to meet a challenger, couldn’t quite retain the lead to the line. MACH WEST was uncovered just past the half, challenged the leader, held well. KAUAI KING was second-over, three-wide late turn, OK but outkicked. DECLAN SEELSTER stayed in, not that much late. INDICTABLE HANOVER broke early, caught the field, but broke again off the second turn.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DONTPASSMEHANOVER moved out past the half, was three-wide as horses abandoned the pylons to avoid a shuffle, got to two-wide midturn, just had enough for the victory. RIFLEMAN followed the path of the winner, couldn’t quite gun him down at the wire. CAPTAIN SLEAZE made the top, yielded to a brusher 3/8, moved out behind the new leader late backstretch, into the pocket again far turn, Pocono Pike, a step shy. PAT MCGARRY A left between horses, took the pocket past the 1/8, moved out before the half, took over to the 11/16 to the fast 3/4s, tired. STELLAR YANKEE was outside in a blindswitch ¾ then back in, not enough late. IMOUTTHEDOOR never entered contention. MAJOR BEAN was three-wide leaving, tucked third at the 1/8, quarter-moved and put up a quick half, challenged down the back and all done once passed 11/16.
FOURTEENTH RACE – NYLANDER left, refused the two-hole 3/16 to take over to the 5/16, opened up at the 5/8 and was not threatened. MISTER BOINGA had early speed, sat third until the stretch, where he came out to get a clear second. RED REDEMPTION left strongly to the front to turn one, let the winner go 5/16, went loose in the two-hole 5/16, tired late but still third. KASEVILLE was inside, couldn’t keep up the last ¼. ONE AFTER NINE had very poor cover, ducked back in, had a little on the end. HOOLIE N HECTOR gapped. CHING CHING LUCKY gapped baldy second-over. CHARMING BANK was outside raw down the back but had nothing in the bank the last ¼.