FIRST RACE – 77 degrees; stretch tailwind for most races (otherwise fairly calm) … GO SUE ME was three-high leaving to 1/8 command, opened up a big lead down the back and through the turn, then was tiring but when the driver looked back over his shoulder midstretch, he saw he was far enough ahead to last to the wire. ALWAYS THE SUN used the rail well to defend the pocket, went loose 5/8, then moved out in the stretch and mad up ground. BARNABAS stayed in and gapped, found clearance early stretch and gained well late. WELL DONE SON left between horses and took a tuck third 3/16, was blocked when the pacesetter gapped, came up empty late. HOPETOBEFIRST was uncovered on the second turn, never got close to the leader. LOVE YOURSELF was never a major danger. BLACKLIGHT was on the move from far back 3/8 and soon got cover, but was gapping by the 5/8. WHATA TREASURE backed out to be third-over, three-wide 11/16 the duration but didn’t gain.
SECOND RACE – DUDELOOKSLIKELINDY left enough for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and gradually got there for The Trot Man as the pace slowed. CLARION HALL was three-wide early and on the lead at the 1/8 in a fast quarter, had lots of midrace pressure, tried gamely but just couldn’t last. JUSTIFY stayed in, went to the deep Pike and gained while likely in tight quarters. ZSA ZSA DABOR moved with cover, advanced in a blindswitch far turn then went inside the first-over and split horses, coming on while not appearing fully clear. KEYSTONE SERGEANT left between horses and tucked third before the 3/16, on the move again past the 3/8, challenged raw, held OK though the last 1/4 wasn’t much. CRAZYCAT came outside 3/8 and soon got cover, moved three-wide to the 11/16, gained some then flattened out wide. MATT’S MUSCLES was hustled approaching the start and lost gait as the gate sprung, recovered, to the outer flow and followed the wide cover late backstretch, wider in the lane but had no more gain. CHOCOLATE MATTERS was inside, not too much to offer late.
THIRD RACE – Wind fluctuating in intensity … HUNTING SEASON was three-wide to the first turn, finally settled in fourth, under a hold 3/8, up to challenge uncovered at the half, applied steady pressure in a slow third quarter, then came up sharply to prevail. AMBUSHED was in the pocket, didn’t want to go inside for the stretch so had to wait under a hold early stretch while the winner went by, then regathered and finished strongly to take second. ALEXA’S SUNSHINE tucked third at the 1/8, stayed in, to the Pocono Pike, held OK in the sprint home. SHE’S A LADY was a fast starter, then got a very slow middle half despite pressure, couldn’t make her lead last to the wire. BLANK CHEEK moved second-over, tighter down the backstretch, then backed off some in the last ¼. CHIKFROMFRENCHLICK raced inside, gapped on the far turn. IVY HANOVER lost contact in the last ¼.
FOURTH RACE – U BAKE THE CAKE stayed third-in, got clearance in the Pocono Pike and was just along in the 1:01 back half. ROJO MAN was second-over, three-wide late turn, just missed. PRIMO VOLO made two speed moves to control the pace in a very fast half, couldn’t hold on. DWIGHT HANOVER moved uncovered before the 5/8, didn’t advance much but didn’t retreat. KOLB HANOVER left sharply and got the front, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, no punch in the lane. TSM PRINCE TRISTAN was far back, gained down the back, wasn’t a major factor. CS EXPLOSIVE CHIP made an “ix” trying to avoid CANTAB THE FOX off the second turn. The latter left but took back to sixth, ran coming out of the second bend.
FIFTH RACE – DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS moved from fourth at the ¼ and cleared nearing the other end of the frontstraight, opened up down the backstretch and won nicely. CLEARCHOICE DE VIE got the early pocket at the 1/8, sat in, moved out ¾, in headstretch after clearing a tiring foe, steadily to just catch TICTOCMOE for second. The latter pushed the ¼ and yielded, came out 11/16 and retucked in the pocket early turn, was a clear second but couldn’t maintain that spot to the line. BULLVILLEPANDEMIC was part of a disconnected back three, wide and was next in line. ROCKWELL was outside at the half but never gained. CODIGO LEE started to gap at the half. RUSTY BEACH had cover early then went up and took the point off the first turn, yielded into the second curve, was unplugging by the 5/8.
SIXTH RACE – PUBLICITY SCOOTER was unhurried early, started on the grind to the second turn, kept up pressure, snatched victory in the final steps from CHUCKY DE VIE. The latter yielded for a pocket ride, to the Pocono Pike, briefly had the lead midstretch, couldn’t quite hold it to the wire. CREDIT CON got a forward position, sat in and was pinned in until into the stretch, finished with trot. DYLAN THE GREAT was three-wide just past the 1/8 and was in front 3/16, went along at a pretty good clip with pressure from the 5/8, tired. CAN’T SAY NO was outside into the backstretch, three-wide ¾, couldn’t reach. GIVEM THE GOO was far back, widest in the stretch and gained some. CELEBRITY ROLEX was second-over but couldn’t stay with cover. TUIS SHADOW struggled from before the 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – QUICK SNAP was the first to show, quickly yielded to a runaway and gapped through the wild half, moved out 5/8 to the lead ¾, drew away and put up an impressive 1:50 in “nw2” company. HUNTSVILLE PLACE tucked third 3/16 and could stay on the winner’s back until the ¾, retucked second on the far turn, just managed to hold off COUNTER OFFER for second. The latter was last, circled a gapper then continued on and was three-wide past midturn, flying late. IVY STUD circled a fader, next in line. MY BOY JACK gapped the top three down the backstretch, circled the fader but had no more response. STEWARDOFTHELAND never featured. BUD TRUCK was gapping soon into the backstretch. MELANIE’S NICK rocketed away and was all alone in a very fast quarter and half, was passed ¾ and really slowed down.
EIGHTH RACE – Wind down to negligible for some races … BRIGITTE BI was in front at the 1/8 and kept on going, just held off two late challengers in a nice mile. DICENTRA left with cover, considered going on then tucked third 3/16, uncovered 5/8 and was a presence outside the winner, kept on coming and just came up short. ALL RISE maintained the pocket as the front three drew clear, had a shot up the Pocono Pike, not quite. PRAIRIE VIRTUE moved uncovered off turn two, couldn’t go up to take advantage of cover. TAKE SHAPE was third-over in a nondynamic situation. BILLY RAY HANOVER sat in, gapped ¾. NANCY BAR was gapping by the half.
NINTH RACE – INTO THE UNKNOWN was third-over, had just launched three-wide before a foe broke past midturn, closed steadily and was just along late. CHANCES ARE IDEAL spotted, then was uncovered at the half, grinded, went to the lead past midstretch, just overhauled. KILEE ROCKS yielded, quarter-moved, came under pressure, held on pretty well. JAGGED LITTLE PILL was between horses past the 3/16 to get in front, forced a tuck then yielded to a brusher, chose to wait to follow the first-over in the stretch instead of using the Pocono Pike and cleared too late. SWEET KATIE BUG gapped, but stayed out of trouble and got a check. SWEET GADGETS was fourth-over when badly bothered by the far turn breaker; BEST DINA was second-over, was that far turn breaker. COME ZOOM WITH ME was three-wide much of the opener before taking the early pocket off the first turn, stopped badly.
TENTH RACE – BEYOND THE LENS made the top and had no interest in surrendering the lead in fast fractions, drew clear upper stretch then was tiring late but still held off LUISELLA. The latter was amazingly good – three-wide most of the first turn to get outside the leader past the ¼, then left out in the air and challenged hard, dropped back a little headstretch but then kept on coming (as the pace slowed) to be in the picture. MUSCLE DYNASTY came outside 11/16 behind the parked horse, three-wide midturn, one of many gaining as the late tempo decelerated. ARGENTO gapped most of the way, then went wide in the stretch and made up good ground. IDENTITY POLICE sat in, moved out in a blindswitch late turn then ducked into the Pocono Pike, fair late. BY A HOFF HANOVER kept the pocket closed, tired in the stretch. THE OTHER PAIR were far behind.
ELEVENTH RACE – BUILDING BOOST tucked third, went uncovered at the half and grinded away, won the battle with HUNTED HOUSE. The latter made the top quickly and was under a hold setting the pace until the winner came up to challenge, fought very hard with that one from the 5/8 and just gave way. FLIGHT ONEFORTYSIX was second-over, gapped backstretch into the turn then was tighter, didn’t tip off his cover until past midstretch, then found his rush come up a bit shy. BULLVILLE FRANK advanced inside from last, came between horses in the lane and closed well. PRAIRIE HANDSOME was fourth-over, wide and moving well at the wire. DANCE PARTNER started the outer flow but quickly found himself third-over, not too much late. BUCHANNON HANOVER advanced inside then was blocked when the pocket horse gave way. BULLIT TRAIN grabbed the early pocket, stated to unplug 5/8.
TWELFTH RACE – CAVIART ROCKLAND went right down the road, put a rival in behind then left another on the outside raw, in control the last 3/8. THNDRFRMTHETHRON N made the pocket circling a foe then kept the hole shut, got a little bit loose down the back, came out in the stretch, didn’t gain but was far ahead of the others. RIVER DALI sat in and never achieved prominence. FIXED IDEA was shuffled to last, made up a little ground in the Pocono Pike. AWESOMENESS was looped and left on the outside early, went up 3/16 and challenged the leader but couldn’t go by, held halfway decently. DIVISION BELL had poor cover. ARTIFACT HANOVER came out behind the parked horse, followed along, went three-wide midturn but had little to offer.
THIRTEENTH RACE – JK MUSICMAN settled in fifth 3/16, didn’t stay there long but came uncovered before the 3/8, was challenging the leading OUR MAJORDAN A from before the half, won their private battle. The latter made two speed moves, was under pressure from the half, fought very hard right to the finish. YER SO BAD found the room inside to gain from seventh all the way to the distant third. LOVE THE ACTION went in front past the 1/8 and then yielded for the pocket, started to unplug 11/16. LUZIANA trailed much of the way. MCNEIL Z TAM had dull cover, three-wide ¾ but did not gain. BOBBY K HILL was three-wide before the 1/8, tucked third 3/16, gapped from the 5/8. MISTER DAYTONA N moved second but couldn’t keep up by the half, returned with “b.e.”