FIRST RACE – A few degrees either side of 80 during the card … Stretch headwind … The first race results in a “DH1” in this class for the second straight week … It also was unusual in that the timer did not work (official fractions were 27, 54.3, 1:23.4, and 1:52.1), and for the fact that the photo finish camera failed, leaving a close finish to the decision of the judges, who declared the dead heat … SEAL O’NEILL moved out from third just before the 3/8 to the lead nearing the quick half, held on for the tie for first. WESTERN WALTZ made the lead, pushed then yielded, stayed inside, gapped the third quarter then tightened, outside late far turn, inched up and got into the win dead-heat. JET ACE was out behind dull cover and ducked back in 5/8, to the deep Pocono Pike, not off by much. BUTTER UP was in front past the 3/16, surrendered the lead to the winner nearing the half and sat in the two-hole, to the Pike, evenly. CHUCK THE CHEESE never entered the main picture. CAVIART SKIPPER gapped at the back. BARRYWHITE HANOVER had early cover then tucked fourth, moved uncovered towards the half but couldn’t gain at all. CODYS KNAPSACK moved out from far back to the 5/8, gained some but then lost gait nearing the 11/16, returned with “b.e.”
SECOND RACE – DANCE IT OUT backed off between horses early, sat third-in, could get through deep in the Pocono Pike and got the decision. DRAGON STRIKES was three-deep to curve one and then in front at the 1/8, pushed the frontstretch brusher then yielded or the two-hole, to the Pike, got the lead midstretch, outkicked to his left. BETTER THAN SOME moved second-over but couldn’t stay with cover during the quick (wind-aided) third quarter, better midturn, wide and closed well. PARMESAN N was in the outside flow, good steps late though the pace was slowing. BULLVILLE TERROR was buried inside, gained in the Pike but wasn’t running over that area’s two occupants at the end. VIRGIN STORM used the rail to get the early pocket, quarter-moved and pushed past the 3/8 for the top, under attack down the backstretch in a brisk split, gave way in the lane. SHANE ADAM came with a rush just before the half, went his own third quarter in 26.4 to put high heat on the leader, couldn’t sustain the bid.
THIRD RACE – ROUGH ODDS was briefly three-wide early, parked well past the fast ¼ for the lead then yielded to the retaker to sit second, Pocono Pike and full of pace. WINNING IS SWEET had the lead right away, yielded 5/16 but then immediately on the retake, didn’t get pressure until the far turn, held on for second. PREMIER ROCKSTAR was on the way raw going to turn two, one-geared it up, flattened slightly late. IC A FREE SPIRIT was second-over from last, then three-wide 5/8 and stayed out wide, tried hard to the finish. PIRATES ALLEY didn’t have much response. ARCHANGEL THREE was backed up to last, came out in a blindswitch, couldn’t enter contention.
FOURTH RACE – MISS MCKEE moved from third 5/8 and was in grind mode, worked to the top late. BLENHEIM was briefly three-wide early, then two-wide to the lead at the ¼ and set a fast pace, fought gamely in the lane. BLUEBIRD DEACON pushed the ¼ then yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, got to even terms with the pacesetter midstretch, lacked the extra step late. ROBBIE PEV was not helped by cover, three-wide past midturn and closed well. MEADOWBRANCH RICKY was last, swung wide, OK but had too far to come. SWEET HEART AS was caught behind a tired horse far turn, Pocono Pike, not that much. VIC’S WINNER let and took back, couldn’t keep up the last ¼. THE LAST CHAPTER was outside off turn two, got cover 5/8 but couldn’t go with it.
FIFTH RACE – MR DS ROCK tucked third as the inside two battled, then moved not long into the homestretch to clear before the other end, went 27 down the back to leave these behind. GET LIT moved raw from midpack at the ½ and paced a 26.1 (wind-aided) third quarter but couldn’t even reach the winner’s wheel, did hold in a blanket finish for second. SEVENTH SECRET was third-over, widest and was moving well late. CERTIFIABLE was second-over but looked all-out to stay with cover at times. STELLAR BB got around the pole horse 3/16, yielded to the winner, loose from the 5/8 though right with those fighting for major minor honors. STELLAR YANKEE was shuffled back inside, Pocono Pike but didn’t gain too much. STATEMENT MADE A yielded 3/16, sat in, gapped some in the fast third split, not much late.
SIXTH RACE –UNDERTAKER was on top at the 1/8, rated the half then sped up, could not rest in peace through the stretch as ROLLINWITHAMBITION was living up to his name, but did hold on with 54.4 – 27.1 back fractions. The latter yielded for the two-hole and stayed close to the winner, outside early stretch, saw his rally come up just shy. DARTH VADER sat in, not in the league of the first two but did take third. HEREITIZ moved out on the far turn but had no gain. KINGSTONS BAD BOY was far back early before circling the gapper, never in it. PURPLE POET developed a problem past the 1/8, was pulled up.
SEVENTH RACE – STORM IS RAGING methodically worked his way to the lead 3/8 and had no real opposition. MISTER BOINGA raced up to the early pocket, then stayed third-in, cleared early stretch and up for the distant second. WORTHY OF HONOR did not benefit greatly from his cover from late backstretch, three-wide past midturn and closed well. TIE ONE ON darted right to the lead and went 26.4 to the ¼, yielded to the winner 3/8, was tiring very late after setting then chasing fast numbers may have caught up to him. CHURCH SOUT gapped at points but got the last check. DAGON HANOVER was uncovered before the 5/8 but made little progress before fading. TRICKY DICK was gapping. KASEVILLE was last at every call.
EIGHTH RACE – PLAY THE FIELD was right on top and went 25.4 to put the two favorites in behind him, rated the half, then wasn’t reached by any of the others the last 3/8. THE MOONSHADOW N had a good second-over trip, three-wide when cover stopped being an aid, closed pretty well. PUZZLING gapped inside down the back, then had to wait late turn behind a tiring horse, raced well once able to get to the Pocono Pike. CURIOUS CORTEZ had to hustle to catch cover third-over, then followed the second-place horse, evenly. INDIGO ART was last, widest, finished OK. CLASSIFIEDMATERIAL stayed in and was shuffled to last, had room in the Pike, gained only mildly. YOUMAKEMYHEARTSING raced up into the pocket past the 1/8, then went loose in same ¾. GO WEST GO FAST was wide early, settled third before he ¼, came back for more while raw into the backstretch but didn’t threaten before tiring.
NINTH RACE – GOOD DEAL left strongly from the rail and won himself the pocket journey, just behind the far turn duel, dove to the Pocono Pike and worked his way to the lead. SPRINGTIME DUEL was three-wide early then to the top just past a 26.2 quarter, had a breather then increased the speed, had a hard challenge from before the ¾ to his right, shook that one off but then was caught to his left. SOME DEAL HANOVER was uncovered into turn two, gradually worked up then hit a higher gear nearing the ¾ and really battled the leader the rest of the way, good race. CAPTAIN KEEN let but soon took back, backed out to second-over later in the backstretch, gapped cover, finished with pace wide. ARTIST BEST left but took back at the 1/8, inside, not that much late. THE NEXT TWO were slow-starting and never in the picture; COXCOMB gapped and never was a major danger either.
TENTH RACE – AMERICAN COURAGE got a midpack spot, moved when ready off turn two and rushed up in 26.1 to meet and then go by the leader, kept going to win in 1:47.4 – only 4/5 of a second off the fastest mile of all time on a 5/8-mile track. DA DELIGHTFUL left inside a gaggle of early speedsters, pushed past the 25.4 first quarter before yielding, left the pocket open past the 3/8, then caught behind the earlier leader on the far turn, to the Pocono Pike and proved a distant second. IM SIR BLAKE A quarter-moved but was given the cold shoulder, was able to tuck into the pocket towards turn two, backed out after the winner went by, did well after hard usage. VETTEL N was three-wide to the 1/8 then out to a 25.4 opener, kept going fast and forced an early challenger to take the two-hole, had no answer for the winner ¾, held decently. CAN’T BEACH THAT backed out 5/8 but couldn’t keep up with the flying action. SOUTHWIND OZZI was never a factor. THE LAST TWO couldn’t get into this supersonic mile from so far back.
ELEVENTH RACE – CAPTAIN SLEAZE left for the top then yielded to the brusher, sat in the two-hole, came out sharply midturn and went right to the lead, withstood PAT MCGARRY A. The latter was wide early, took the early pocket past the 1/8 then was third-in, followed the winner out on the turn, steadily but not quite enough. RIFLEMAN moved uncovered from far back past the 5/8 and hadn’t reached the leaders when the 2-3 horses came out late turn, finished steadily. DONTPASSME HANOVER sat last, found room between horses midstretch and went through with pace. CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN was four-wide towards the first turn and took a midpack tuck, not heard from thereafter. BULLVILLE JONATHAN did not come on. BEACH FORECAST was underway from third 3/16 and hit the front 5/16, was quickly passed on the far turn and fell back.
TWELFTH RACE – ELWELL had the early pocket, moved 3/16 to the lead just past the first turn then yielded in turn to sit the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike and went by ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP. The latter moved in front of the stands to the lead and put up fast midfractions, held gamely. CAPTAIN FANCY got a good trip second-over, steadily. CAPTAIN ROMANCE left but took back to get inside, uncovered at the 5/8, couldn’t go with the top couple late but held OK. MY WISH CAME TRUE angled widest for the drive and made up ground. THE DARK SHADOW circled everybody from three-wide early, saw two go by, started to gap far turn. STRAIGHT UP COOL gapped much of the last half, then picked up the pace along the inside late. PRAIRIE PANTHER gapped in last.
THIRTEENTH RACE – KILLER MARTINI had a second-over trip, gradually tightened on cover, started to gain when left two-wide raw midturn, just got his nose on the line first in the last step. WHAT’S GOIN ON got forward position, moved first-over into turn two, edged closer in the fast third quarter then got to tuck in the pocket midturn, used the Pocono Pike, had the lead with 20 yards to go, just got nostriled out. OWEN put an early foe in behind with a 26.4 opener, got a big breather in quarter two then turned on the jets again in quarter three, opened a clear lead just past the ¾, had horses at him on both sides through the stretch, still leading deep stretch, couldn’t quite hold. LEAR SEELSTER gapped inside as the pace picked up down the back, distant next. CONCUR never was a major factor. RYCROFT N wanted the lead but was reluctantly put in the pocket towards the ¼, fell back the last ¼. RAPTORS FLIGHT N broke at the start.
FOURTEENTH RACE – QUEEN OF ALL yielded for the two-hole, then came out to reclaim the lead past the 3/8, got a fairly moderate middle half then had enough strength to hold off MARION GONDOLIER. The latter was out 3/16 for the lead, pushed the winner before yielding for the two-hole, Pocono Pike, did well in the stretch but not quite enough, well-clear of the rest. ALTUS HANOVER sat in and was shuffled to last by a gapper, had to wait for the Pocono Pike then made a decent recovery. GREAT UNKNOWN swung four-wide off cover and finished with trot. SORTIE moved out on the second turn and gained a lot of ground to get close to the winner, but couldn’t sustain the forward move. GRAPPLE HANOVER couldn’t keep up along the inside. BEYOND ORDINARY went up nicely second-over, three-wide late turn, and no gain.