FIRST RACE – High 80s; mild stretch headwind to start … PICK A GENRE dashed right to command in a fast quarter, backed off the half then sped up again, coming home in 55.3 – 27.3 impressively. LIFETIMEEXPERIENCE got the pocket, a little loose late on the turn then outside stretch and was gaining some at the end of the sprint home. CODYS KNAPSACK came out of third 11/16 to challenge, bore wide coming out of the turn, resteadied and had some finishing kick. BULLVILLE FRANK moved outside 5/8 and got cover 11/16, came through two-wide headstretch as the first-over bore out, finished OK. LATEST ERA stayed in, gapped before the ¾, Pocono Pike, not that much. DIVINE RIGHT could not make up ground. THANOS wanted to leave but broke as the gate sprung, quickly rebalanced but never entered the main picture.
SECOND RACE – MILLENIUMS GIRL yielded near the quick ¼, sat the two-hole, backed out 11/16 when the first-over gained an advantage, swung wide off that cover headstretch and proved to have the most to the line. BROOKDALE JESSIE was uncovered on the second turn, quickly in gear pacing a third split in 27.1 to get a lead but never could cross over to the rail, held very gamely. CULINARY ARTIST gapped off the third quarter duel then tightened in on the turn, Pocono Pike, just missed second. FIRSTUP was out most of the quick quarter to get command, got a soft second split but then was under hard pressure in trying to not let the first-over clear, tired. DREAMING IMAGE wasn’t heard from. NARINA HANOVER tried to follow the cover of the first-over but couldn’t. TIGERS WATCHING N left and had tucked third before breaking nearing the ¼.
THIRD RACE – There was an inquiry into the overall conduct of the race, with a placing … ALL RISE was parked to the lead in another fast opener, set the pace, saw a short lead suddenly become a huge lead as the pocket and first-over horses locked up to the ¾ scattering the others, a bit tired late but way far ahead. FAIR GLIDER pushed the fast ¼ then yielded for the pocket, had his right wheel become entangled with the left wheel of the first-over and lost considerable ground, untangled and stayed second. SHOEMAKER HANOVER gained position behind the three early fighters, wound up third, came out 11/16 but didn’t get a wheel clear of the pocket horse and got tangled up causing massive interference, recovered for third but was placed. RIVER OTTER was three-wide past the 1/8 then took back to two-wide covered, outside 5/16 when appearing to clip a rival’s wheel and going on a break, fell back to last, came along the inside through the traffic far turn and finished with trot. TSM PHOTO BUGGER went wide around the trouble. CHIEF JUSTICE was shoved extremely wide avoiding the trouble and made an “ix.” SERRANO VOLO was inside and had no way to avoid the stackup, also made an “ix.”
FOURTH RACE – Wind has picked up, and would continue to affect the races though not that hard of a wind … TEMPURA HANOVER kept close to the leading JUXTA COWGIRL from the pocket, moved out headstretch, was just up on the money in an exciting Nap-Nap finish. The latter cleared at the 1/8, showed the drastic second panel slowdown that has been used all card, picked it up, just missed in the shadow of the wire. ANOTHER BEACH DAY sat third, couldn’t gain late but well clear of the rest. JB’S STAR DANCER was first to pull, got cover but it was no good, three-wide headstretch and had enough rally to be next. DELISHKA N sat in and couldn’t make an impact. ABUELITA HANOVER was hurt by no outside flow. THE FUN MARSHALL was gapping early and never was on the main radar. CRUSH ME got in fourth 3/16, came raw at the half but gained little, clogging up the two-wide path.
FIFTH RACE – INNISFALLEN got the early lead, was clear from early on then opened a double-digit-length lead down the back, had SILVERMASS VOLO make a big recovery but it came up short. The latter pulled behind the parked horse on the second turn, three-wide to circle that one before the 5/8, got to the “pocket” before the ¾, finished in 27.4 gaining sharply but was too far back. WARRIOR WAY closed a hole early, was stuck in by the “wedge” forming midbackstretch, finally got to the Pocono Pike and was the very very distant third. CAMPBELLINI was last and in another area code down the back, swung wide and passed some rivals. WINNERESS tried to go three-wide around the traffic but then herself caused more traffic. MY BIG KADILLAC was loose in the pocket from the ¼, a situation which got worse as the race progressed. THE BIG MUSCLE was stuck outside midpack throughout, never in the main hunt.
SIXTH RACE – CONTINUALOU moved uncovered 9/16 and went 26.4 the third quarter speed-grinding, made the lead early stretch and did not surrender it. JACANA was away third, was behind a gapper then backed out before the 11/16, found a better gear in the stretch and narrowed in late. BRING ME DIAMONDS got the lead easily, on her own until the winner challenged 11/16, kept her out on the turn but then gave way. TALL POPPY N gapped all the way around in the pocket. FREE FLYIN TICKET was two-wide but had little to offer. STELLENBOSCH was not prominent.
SEVENTH RACE – HEARTBREAK HOTEL started walking the lonely street of first-over at the 9/16, grinded into contention, had sharp late pace to get this decision. PATSVILLE was in charge early, yielded to the brushing favorite for the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, didn’t miss by much and edged FREE TO BE ME for second. The latter spotted fourth, then moved out past the ¼ and had the racetrack going into turn two, held well but couldn’t hold the lead to the wire. SHEZAFREAKLIKEME got towed up in fine fashion by the winner, but didn’t have the stretch steps. WHO’S SMOKIN N left well and yielded, inside, gapped from the 3/8 on. SOME KINDA ANGEL was never close. FAST MACHINE was inside behind a gapper from the 3/8 but showed little once clear.
EIGHTH RACE – TECHYS ANGEL A was away second, well off the leader early then reeled her in to the 3/8, half-and-half from the pocket on the turn to see which stretch path would be better, swung wide and finished strongly. ANDRA DAY moved out raw past the 5/8 and challenged the leader, couldn’t stall the winner. GOLDEN QUEST N moved outside, gapped cover, then was doing better late. SLY ELEANOR N blasted out to a large early lead, rated the half, had pressure come to her on the turn, couldn’t sustain the advantage. SARAH’S LILLY gapped inside; THE OTHER TWO were also near the back and could offer little.
NINTH RACE – LIGHTNING LEIA came uncovered at the half and grinded relentlessly, came her own last ¼ in 27.2 to catch CAPTAIN’S STAR. The latter tucked, moved from third at the quarter, really slowed the half then took off again, couldn’t ward off the tough winner. KAY SAGE was second-over, was abreast of the inside horse when she broke so not affected, gapped a bit into the lane and ducked inside, OK in the Pocono Pike. REENACTMENT was third-over, had just started to tip three-wide midturn when perhaps pushed a bit wider by the inside confusion, next in line. BETTE TINA was three-wide leaving, made the pocket at the 1/8, inside, bothered some by the breaker but bounced back to get the last payday. CAVIART CARMEL was far back, shoved very wide by the far turn confusion. SUGAR BOWL was inside in the back, bothered. ODDS ON GAMMA was four-wide to the first turn to be on top at the 1/8, yielded for the pocket, was still very much in contention when failed equipment caused her to make a break and go inside the pylons.
TENTH RACE – FIRE START HANOVER left, moved from third 5/16 and cleared the new leader into the second turn, strong through the lane. MAJORCA N was three-wide early, got the front, yielded at the ¼ then made a “hidden” early move to retake after which she relinquished to the winner for the pocket, Pocono Pike, good but second-best. EASY TO PLEASE was uncovered from off the second turn and grinded up, did well. DRAMA ACT was three-wide past the 1/8, went on to the lead at the ¼ only to see two brush past her in quarter two, stayed in, angled wide early stretch but couldn’t gain much though giving a good effort. WESTBEACH left but took back, not heard from thereafter. NUTTINBUTHEBEST moved second-over but was gapping at the ¾.
ELEVENTH RACE – MAXIMUS RED A got the early pocket, quarter-moved and backed off the half, then added a pair of 27.4 quarters to win handily. SHOREVIEW made the lead with relative ease, yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, neither gained nor lost ground. GONNAHAVESOMEMORE moved behind stale cover, three-wide 5/8 to two-wide raw while pacing a 27 third quarter, tried hard to the wire. BABES DIG ME offered little inside; same story for EFFRONTE A. DO WORK SON tried to travel the same path as the show horse but couldn’t go enough. DOCTOR BUTCH stepped out first-over but then backed up badly.