FIRST RACE – Warm day; no wind to speak of at the start … BETTOR NOT TALK pushed away some then backed off, moved at the quarter, didn’t clear until nearing turn two though still slowing the pace, came under pressure from early backstretch, may have been a nose down mid-far turn, but held together gamely to win in a close finish. JIM BLUE made the lead into turn one and stretched out a foe before yielding near a 26.1 quarter, sat third-in, in tight quarters early stretch then found room between horses midstretch and gained rapidly to just miss. STONEBRIDGE DUET started uncovered on turn two and quickly went up to have a long battle with the leader, as noted may have had a brief short advantage far turn, may have lugged in a little early stretch, restraightened and fought hard to the wire. TRAY SURREAL had excellent cover second-over, just a bit shy of the top ones. OHARE HANOVER was third-over, ducked to the path behind the place horse in the stretch and gained, probably without full clearance. ARTIST BEST was out most of the quick opener, yielded for the two-hole, not too much in the lane. TERRY A HANOVER was last at every call.
SECOND RACE – Bombers (we’d see a couple more of those in the upcoming few days) … COXCOMB was fourth-over, accelerated quickly four-wide turn (really an optical illusion as the pace slowed down), finished most strongly. SEAL O’NEILL was third-over, three-wide midturn as cover started to falter, outkicked by the winner but steady as the pace slowed for second. BUTTER UP was caught in and badly blocked, probed the inside for a hole early stretch but found none, so had to angle wide midstretch and gained quickly once free. BARRYWHITE HANOVER was third-in, advanced to the pocket 5/8 as the two-holer pulled, Pocono Pike, outpaced. JET ACE was last, wide and got the last check and completing the five longest shots beating the top three choices. SEXY BLUE CHIP was between horses early then looped, found himself raw in wild fractions, got cover at the 5/8, tried hard but couldn’t sustain forward movement. WESTERN WALTZ was three-wide to the first turn and took over 3/16, set the fast pace with pressure the whole way, gave way. MAJOR BEAN came through to defend the pocket, pulled out 5/8 but didn’t have enough after being involved with the hot pace.
THIRD RACE – ROUGH ODDS tucked third, came out at the ¼, urged 3/8 but was left outside until the 5/8 before getting the lead, had horses coming from everywhere but managed to get his nose on the line first. KILLER MARTINI came out in a backstretch blindswitch and advanced two-wide, backed out three- and four-wide on the turn, moving well late to just miss. KINGSTONS BAD BOY had cover but went three-wide early in the backstretch when it appeared his cover was sluggish, finally cleared that foe to get to two-wide uncovered ¾, battled, held well after a tough last half. THE MOONSHADOW N went to the lead at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, had to move out into a bad blindswitch when the leader tired, ducked to the deep Pocono Pike for the drive and gained. MAJOR DESIRE came out towards the half, hit a better gear and raced up to the pocket late backstretch, inside the winner in the Pike, outpaced. STATEMENT MADE A was in the three-wide flow, left three-wide uncovered on the turn, couldn’t sustain. PUZZLING chose to stay in, not that much. STELLAR BB was three-wide to bend one and on top 3/16, resisted the winner until being passed for good to the 5/8 and folded.
FOURTH RACE – Stretch headwind picking up … ONE AFTER NINE was second early then moved to be on top off the first turn, had PRACTICAL CAT as his only threat and held off that one. The latter came from third 11/16, battled and acquitted himself well. THE IRISHMAN gapped down the back, came closer on the turn and along late for third. DAGON HANOVER went to the lead then relinquished for the two-hole, not much in the lane. BEYOND THE LENS moved uncovered to the half, was beyond the lens of the main picture but got the final check. MOON BRIDGE never advanced much. KASEVILLE was having difficulty staying close by the half. WORTHY OF HONOR first broke approaching the start.
FIFTH RACE – WHAT’S GOIN ON was looped three-wide early, to two-wide to the front off turn one, drew away in a fast third quarter and just kept going to win by a country mile. HEREITIZ had nonadvancing cover second-over, three-wide midturn, got second ahead of NOAHS MILL; the latter followed the place horse’s three-wide cover, went even wider and was gaining late. ALWAYS THE SUN was looped, tucked, sat in, gapped a gapper down the back, Pocono Pike, not a sharp response. WINNING IS SWEET was fast early four-wide to clear the field, yielded, started unplugging in the pocket from the 5/8. HEARTLANDBANYSBRO sat in, was shuffled and lost all chance at a major minor award. SPORTSMANSHIP was meekly uncovered down the back, ineffective. PREMIER ROCKSTAR trailed.
SIXTH RACE – MYSTICAL WYNN was quickly in front, kept a foe parked, then left that one and the rest of the field behind from the 5/8. SWEET HEART AS was behind the unplugging pocket horse, outside midturn and along for the distant second; NIGHT FLYER K followed the place horse and got third. BEYOND ORDINARY maintained the pocket early, couldn’t keep up 5/8, very tired late. SILVERMASS VOLO stayed in and got the last check. COCKTAILS N DREAMS was four-wide early, to two-wide but did not have the needed speed to reach the front and remained two-wide, gave way. SMART AS HILL moved behind the parked horse to the half, tried three-wide 11/16 but came up empty. EXPLOSIVE DRAMA provided neither.
SEVENTH RACE – REGAL SON was very fast early, three-wide to the first turn to the lead just past the 1/8, had no anxious moments. IT’SGOODTOBEDAKING made the top towards turn one then yielded for the pocket, stayed connected, Pocono Pike, second-best. CONCUR came uncovered at the half, never really menaced but held on pretty well. OWEN sat third, not too much late. DARTH FADER gapped inside. RAPTORS FLIGHT N was first outside then got cover, but could do nothing off it. UNDERTAKER was in an impossible spot. IC A FREE SPIRIT gapped third-over.
EIGHTH RACE – BEE FOREVER was handled cautiously early while three-wide, made a small bobble while out wide but quickly righted, motored on up to the lead just past the ¾, used his superior capacity to take a new lifetime mark. CHAPOLIER went to the lead, then yielded to sit the pocket behind the heavy chalk, stayed with him very nicely. NYLANDER stayed in good contact for 7/8, then backed off some but was still clearly third. ALTUS HANOVER followed nonadvancing cover, three-wide through the far turn, good from where he was. LEVITATION gapped inside. BULLY BOY started uncovered into turn two but never got closet o the front. FOUR UNDER PAR backed out to get into a moribund cover flow, far back. TEQUILA N ROSES broke as the gate sprang while looking to want to leave, caught the field but broke in the stretch.
NINTH RACE – PLAY THE FIELD burst out to instant command, rolled on the front end, was challenged by CURIOUS CORTEZ down the back and surrendered the lead on the far turn, but stayed up on the bit and came back on in the Pocono Pike to win easily. The latter worked up into the pocket, came out 5/8 and powered by past the ¾, but couldn’t sustain the lead to the end. ROLLINWITHAMBITION moved uncovered at the half, got cover 5/8, lost it when it cleared to the lead past the ¾, battled and just missed place. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP spotted past the 1/8, then was third-over, blindswitched, ducked inside in early stretch, OK to the line. INDIGO ART tried to sweep up from last, flattened a bit but not a bad mile overall. COOL BLUES MAN advanced up the inside down the backside, blocked through the stretch. MY WISH CAME TRUE was shuffled to last, ended pacing OK on the extreme outside. PARK OFFICIAL was forwardly-placed, advanced to the pocket late backstretch, but didn’t have too much late.
TENTH RACE – CASUAL COOL was four-wide early determined to get the top, made the front before the 3/16, sailed right along and made casual work of a tough field in a fast time. BETTORROCK was innermost of the leavers and defended the pocket, raced very hard but could make no gain on the winner late. WESTERN JOE, three-wide early then taking back to tuck, was uncovered at the half but soon afterwards got cover, gapped on the turn then found better strides late and was moving very well at the finish. MR DS ROCK was two-wide early and tucked, came uncovered into the backstretch, almost got to the winner’s wheel but no closer, held OK. CHATELROLL was outside at the half, ducked in in front of a gapper, then gapped himself in the last panel. KING JAMES EXPRESS didn’t keep up the last 3/8. THE LAST TWO were not contenders here.
ELEVENTH RACE – PRIMARY COLORS quarter-moved and was pushed well past the 3/8 before clearing, opened a big lead late turn into the stretch, much the best. HIGH BALLER came through for good early position, sat in, got out headstretch and gained pretty well in the stretch but not catching the winner. RIFLEMAN moved second-over, three-wide mid-far turn, next to the wire. GOOD DEAL sat in, was no factor. CERTIFIABLE made the top at the 1/8, pushed the winner in the frontstretch then yielded, went loose 11/16 and to unplug mode in the stretch. LONG WEEKEND A tucked fourth, came out 9/16 but was not much of a threat before fading badly. DONTPASSME HANOVER was a little off the gate, made a nasty break before the first turn.
TWELFTH RACE – CAPTAIN FANCY made sure of the pocket trip, went to the Pocono Pike and gradually worked by GRAND CAYMAN. The latter took control from the pole, slowed the half then sped up to keep the first-over outside, had shaken that one off, outpaced to the inside, failing as the heavy favorite. THE WILD CARD stayed in, then angled sharply to widest late turn into the stretch, finished with solid pace. AFLAME HANOVER shut a hole 3/16, uncovered at the half and paced his third quarter in 26.3 to challenge the leader, held pretty well. GET LIT was wide early, found no tuck so took back to fourth, inside, didn’t have the needed steps late. GUINNESS PANIC gapped early, started uncovered into turn two then got cover, evenly. CAPTAIN ROMANCE never was a major player. JK MUSICMAN started the outer flow 3/8, was third-over but gapped.
THIRTEENTH RACE – OLLIE’S ZTAM headed right down the road, got a big breather in the second quarter then sped up, won easily. DO WORK SON stayed in, gapped midbackstretch, then closer and angled to a wide position stretch, finished well to win a photo for second over MONTEFALCO N. The latter was away in good order and retained the pocket, gapped a little most of the last half, just failed to hold place. MACH WEST had to take back early, came uncovered at the half, went a good third quarter but couldn’t pressure the leader, held OK. ROCK THREE TIMES kept a hole closed on the first turn, not a late threat. CAVIART SAGE was three-wide around dull cover ¾, got wide cover past midturn but couldn’t go with it. NUI BA DEN N (Vietnamese for “Black Virgin Mountain,” an actual place) had too big a mountain to overcome from post eight. BETTER THAN SOME gapped cover and didn’t live up to his name at all here.
FOURTEENTH RACE – VANILLA MALTED forced all challengers to retreat under his determination to maintain the lead with fast odd-numbered quarters, and the plan worked. IMAGINARY LINE came uncovered 3/8, wanted to clear at the half but was left outside, eventually got into the pocket late in the backstretch, Pocono Pike, stayed close. THE WALL was out with cover, feathered three-wide at the half to keep up momentum “as the lead changed hands,” but it didn’t and he dropped back to second-over 5/8, left uncovered when his cover tucked in the pocket, stayed on well. SEVENTH SECRET had good cover but couldn’t quite go with it. PARMESAN N ducked in early stretch after excess cover, evenly. STRAIGHT UP COOL went wide but was too far back. IDEAL FEELING was three-wide early, then with cover until taking a three-spot at the ¼, not heard from thereafter. GO WEST GO FAST had to accept the pocket at the ¼, unplugged down the back.