FIRST RACE – Around 80 degrees all day … Atypical stretch tailwind … BRAVO TEX N left between horses, was ahead at the 1/8 but took back to the pocket before the ¼, waited for the Pocono Pike, then came through nicely. MINDTRIP was out the entire way, joined a flow in third-over, four-wide headstretch and closed very strongly. INDIGO ART got in fifth on the first turn, then was second-over, three-wide on the far turn, OK but outkicked for second. PURPLE POET got in fourth 3/16, raced uncovered into turn two and battled the leader very hard, had a slight lead to the 3/4 and into the turn, held his ground staunchly late. STAR MESSENGER was three-wide early, backed off to tuck third, third-in, deep Pocono Pike, was gaining late. SADIQ HANOVER insisted on cutting the pace against any and all comers, paid the price late. BLACKLIGHT sat in and was shuffled to last, no factor. CAPTAIN MULZAC was urged behind the gate but still got away last, moved outside down the back but gapped.
SECOND RACE – THE LONGEST YARD shut a hole early, sat in heading to turn two, then was able to back out first two- then three-wide, lost the cover of a sweeper and continued three-wide until midturn, ducked behind cover briefly then wide again in the stretch, finished powerfully in an impressive victory. JIM BLUE headed straight down the road, sped up the third split as challengers came on, held off everybody but the streaking winner. CODE CRACKER defended the pocket throughout, Pocono Pike, not quite enough late. SOUTHWIND SANDOR moved behind the parked horse into the second turn, three-wide before the 5/8 to two-wide uncovered after that point, challenged, fell back the last 3/16. BELL FAMILY and HIGH BALLER did not enter the picture. MAJOR SHOW left but had no luck and had to spend the mile parked, looped past the 5/8.
THIRD RACE – COVERED BRIDGE left, briefly three-wide as a foe settled in the pocket then onward to the lead past the 5/16, pressured on the lead, held gamely against two stout opponents. DEALER’S TABLE got a fine second-over trip, three-wide late turn, paced his own back half in 54.4 and got second in the last strides. REDBANK BLAZE A was first-over and paced his own back half in 55, challenging and not backing off at all. PAT MCGARRY A left, slid back into the pocket 3/16, stayed in, deep Pocono Pike, fair. NUTCRACKER SWEET forced a rival in behind late on turn one then yielded past the 5/16 to sit the two-hole, not enough in the lane. ROGERTHAT BLUECHIP sat in and was shuffled to last, not very much in the stretch. THE WALL was third-over but didn’t enter the main picture.
FOURTH RACE – RIPPLE OF HOPE went into the two-hole just past the 1/8 and stayed there until the stretch, then utilized the Pocono Pike and drew clear. AP HALL OF TRIX gapped a bit in third at times, then himself took advantage of a gapper to back out to second-over, steadily late for second. HALL IT OFF went right down the road, not enough at crunch time. CREATARMA started first-up into turn two, grinded to get to the leader’s wheel but no closer, held OK. FASHION ON A STAR sat in and was not a factor, finished with some trot. SPREE never entered the picture. BEABOB’S BOSS moved second-over but couldn’t go with the cover.
FIFTH RACE – I’M BURLINGTON N got the pocket in the dynamic opening ¼, then moved soon thereafter to the lead 3/8, was able to draw clear in the last ¼. OWEN spotted third, then got locked in as the one- and two-wide tiers failed to go on on the turn, finally to the Pocono Pike and had some rally. HOPETOBEFIRST was second-over, wide around faltering cover and closed well late. LEAR SEELSTER was locked in, evenly once clear. ROCK KING DEO never reached contention from third-over. PARK OFFICIAL raced into a midpack tuck before the ¼, then went raw early on turn two, made some progress into the wind down the back then tired. IDEAL WHEEL rocketed out to the lead in a 26 quarter, yielded for the two-hole, unplugged to the ¾.
SIXTH RACE – ROUGH ODDS worked out a good second-over journey, three-wide late turn, just got by KINGSTONS BAD BOY late. The later went first-over against the wind at the half, grinded in a long challenge, made the lead in the lane, very good mile although caught. THE MOONSHADOW N put a foe in behind early then rolled on in the atypical wind pattern, tired in the stretch. PLAY THE FIELD accepted the pocket just past the 1/8, stayed close, but had little when taken to the Pocono Pike. STATEMENT MADE A gapped a little 5/8, never entered the main battle. WHAT’S GOIN ON was last at the ¼ from the rail and gapped the main bunch much of the way.
SEVENTH RACE – SHNITZLEDOSOMETHIN left between horses and went on to command 3/16, slowed the half then picked it up when the first-over got closer, then came home in 27.2 and needed to with LOUIE THE HORSE N coming at him. The latter was the innermost of the early three-way dance and defended the pocket, outside headstretch and narrowed in well late. TONY TOO TALL was three-wide to the 1/8 then backed off to tuck, inside, OK late. CERTIFIABLE was second-over but had his cover stall early far turn so had to go three-wide, finished willingly. PARMESAN N didn’t show much. DANCE IT OUT was at the back throughout. CAVIART SAGE was uncovered into turn two, paced 26.4 against the wind to get close to the leader, but then gave way significantly in the last ¼.
EIGHTH RACE – TOKYO SEELSTER was to command directly, hung the favorite almost to the 3/8 then yielded for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and trotted by strongly. DELGADO was looped and between horses, worked his way up to the lead towards the 3/8, set the pace, clearly second-best. X O X O was four-wide to the first turn, three-wide 3/16 then backed off to tuck fourth at the ¼, underway again raw before the 5/8, held very well. EL TORO LOCO was buried inside, found room between horses past midstretch and had a late burst. BLACK HAWK DOWN did not make his presence felt. COCKTAILS N DREAMS was behind stale cover, three-wide far turn, OK late. UPFRONT STONE moved at the half and got cover before the 5/8, but flicked his tail when asked for more 11/16 and called it a day. DICENTRA sat forwardly-placed, backed out far turn but made a break nearing headstretch.
NINTH RACE – NEWBIE accepted the two-hole before the 3/16 and sat a fine trip, outside late turn, went to the lead then held off the rush of PREMIER ROCKSTAR. The latter was the first to move but wound up third-over, three-wide with cover on the turn then swung wider into the lane, finished with a furious rally. JANAID wanted to take control from the pole and did so with a 26.3, set the pace, just missed a length. ARTACHE HANOVER was second-over, three-wide just before midturn when his covert tired, steadily though outkicked from behind. BIZYS BEATLE had an excess of cover. BNGS EXPRESS gapped inside. NIALL HANOVER improved position at the start, was uncovered at the half, backed off in the last panel.
TENTH RACE – PYRO was three-wide early then dropped down to follow cover, lost that at the ¼ and went on to 3/8 command, had hounding but not threatening pressure outside him on the turn, drew off in the stretch. DA DELIGHTFUL was stuck inside, got a clear Pocono Pike and finished powerfully. CHATELROLL moved out 5/8 as the two-wide faded and before the three-wide could pin him, couldn’t sustain his challenge. GROOVY JOE pressed on to take over in 26.2, yielded 3/8, not enough in the last 3/16. AFLAME HANOVER was inside, not that much. INDICTABLE HANOVER was away last from the rail, too far to come. SOUTHWIND OZZI followed cover from the start to early in the backstretch, where he looped an uncovered foe to go to two-wide, but his forward action didn’t last much longer. PRIMARY COLORS was very wide to the 1/8, go in behind cover, left raw to the 3/8, looped down the back and faded.
ELEVENTH RACE – HUNDIE N stepped to the lead early, put a foe in behind then parked another opponent, had a sweeper come up to challenge down the back, but kept everybody at bay very nicely. AIN’T IT FUN gapped behind the fight in the second quarter, stayed inside, swung out headstretch, took a few moments for him to find his best strides then closed well. AMERICA’S GUEST went three-wide from third-over before the 5/8 to get to first-over, challenged, stayed in the thick of the fight to the line. PANTHEON HANOVER settled into the pocket 3/16, evenly along the inside late. CONCUR also stayed in, went in the deep Pike and made up some ground. IT’SGOODTOBEDAKING was last, three-wide before the ¾ but never got close. LITTLEBITASWAGGER moved out second-over, blindswitched early backstretch then able to go three-wide to two-wide but couldn’t keep up. UNDERTAKER was three-wide past the 1/8 then pressed on but couldn’t get the lead, faded in the last half.
TWELFTH RACE – BELLOWS BINGE defended the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike and worked by DRAGON STRIKES. The latter kept control from the pole through a couple of challenges, couldn’t quite deal with the winner late. PUZZLING was third-over, quickly three-wide not much past turn two to uncovered against the wind, challenged very hard to the line. A STUD NAMED SAM stayed in, angled wide for the stretch and was moving with speed late. GONNAHAVEONEMORE was out behind the parked horse, blindswitched early backstretch then backed out himself to three-wide but took awhile to get to second-over, kept on steadily. ROLLINWITHAMBITION tucked third at the ¼, never saw clearance in the last half. REGAL SON moved 5/16 but didn’t have the needed speed to challenge, looped before the 5/8, dropped far back.
THIRTEENTH RACE – COXCOMB gapped in the second quarter then picked things up in the third, went three-wide around the fading parked horse to challenge 11/16 and rushed by on the turn, ran away and hid. BARRYWHITE HANOVER stayed in, came up the inside and just edged BUTTER UP for the distant second. The latter defended the pocket in the early duel, then was boxed when the winner swept up and by, finally free headstretch, just missed place. MY WISH CAME TRUE was three-wide early then on top 3/16, had a horse come at him after the ¼ but refused to let that one go by, yielded to the winner and faded. MY BOY JACK moved out three-wide but couldn’t gain. MONEYORROSES never factored. MAJOR BEAN had some gate speed, quarter-moved but was given the cold shoulder in stiff fractions, wilted.
FOURTEENTH RACE – HORSE left but retreated to the pocket in the lineup, backed out on the far turn, wide in the stretch and with the most pace. SONNY WEAVER N gapped from the quarter and didn’t really find a high gear until the 11/16 when raw, moved up to take the lead into the lane, steadily in a good last quarter but caught. STRAIGHT UP COOL was on the move early from last and was second-over, gapped far turn and went inside, then found renewed life in the Pocono Pike and was along for third. FATHER NUNO backed out to follow the two-wide flow, behind a gapper, blindswitched, had some pace once free. ROCKIE GOT FRAMED pushed against the pylons strongly and caused a lineup, tired in the last 1/8. MACH WEST moved three-wide near the ¾ but did not gain. SAMSON BLUE CHIP was inside and shuffled, but didn’t show much once clear. FRISKIE ALL NITE came up empty at the ¾.