FIRST RACE – Changeable weather: “good +1” for the first four races; “fast” for races 5-11; then with more rain “sloppy +1” the remainder of the card … KEYSTONE STEAM moved raw on the second turn, got into the pocket past the 5/8, continued to gain and outside to headstretch, paced on to the lead. LUZIANA came out at the half, followed the winner and retucked third before the ¾, stuck to the inside and took second. BEVANS CULLEN N went right to the lead, parked a looped foe, yielded but retook in very fast fractions and continued at a quick pace, tired. BLOW A CLOUD N sat in then backed out but didn’t gain. GIVEN UP TERROR was looped early and parked past the 26.2 opener, yielded for the pocket, unplugged down the backstretch. JUST N ACE gapped at the back.
SECOND RACE –BEER CHEESE left between horses to the lead, set a hot pace, drew clear down the backstretch, maintained a safe margin though tiring late. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT protected the pocket early, couldn’t go enough to be tight on the winner, but way ahead of the rest. U BAKE THE CAKE followed at a distance, got by FRANKIE HILL for third. The latter gapped 3/8 then left a bigger gap after the 3-holer broke at the half, never showed much. FIGHT SONG circled weary foes for a check; EDITORIAL LICENSE and LEVANTE were those foes. EMBRACE THE STONE was three-wide early, tucked third past the 1/8, broke at the half.
THIRD RACE – YOUCOMEHEREOFTEN was out behind cover, briefly three-wide around a breaker 5/8 then hit a better gear and grinded up, took over early stretch and won for The Trot Man at 58-1. ACTION SHOT left nicely for command, yielded to an early mover and sat the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, not quite the steps of the winner late but good for second. KINGPIN HANOVER broke early, recovered a tremendous amount of ground to be along for third. LIKE A WARRIOR moved out ¾, looked to be lugging in early stretch, evenly. NIGHT STAR sat in third, wasn’t clear nearing the line with trot. JOLLY RANCHER moved from the pocket before the ¼ to control the tempo and got a 1:01 middle half, still folded. SNOWMAN HANOVER broke as the field straightened out down the back before the start. WHATA TRIXTER was uncovered into turn two, hadn’t gained too much before going offstride 5/8.
FOURTH RACE – A stretch tailwind which had been very mild earlier intensified … REYS N A RUCKUS was on top by the 1/8, never an anxious moment. AN THE THUNDEROLLS sat the pocket, under a hold in front of the stands, stayed close to the winner and far ahead of the others. VEGAS ROCKS sat third all the way around, saw the gap between him and the top two go wider through the last half. HOT ROD DYLAN moved out on the far turn but lost ground. SAMMY THE BULL N was gapping before the half. ARI ALLSTAR had little to offer. MR MCDREAMY moved outside but couldn’t make up ground.
FIFTH RACE – CHAMPAGNE HANOVER went to the top at the 1/8, drew away from these the last 5/16. ALDEBARAN ACRUX went up to tuck fourth at the 1/8, uncovered before the 5/8, grinded, best of the rest. ZIADEEDEE backed out to second-over but gapped. QUINNPATRICKSHEA didn’t have great cover, wide in the lane and a little on the end. SOUTHERN AUTUMN left and sat in the pocket, started unplugging late backstretch. CANTERAWISHING never factored; nor did A MILLION CHUCKLES. WILD KAT G took back early, broke 3/16.
SIXTH RACE – GRETZKY THE GREAT moved from third approaching the ¼ and took over the lead, had no pressure until late when GALLIE GETAWAY advanced, but held that one safe. The latter left well, forced a tuck, then yielded to the winner for the pocket, a little loose on the far turn, then found good strides in the Pocono Pike and was narrowing in some. JERSEY JUSTICE sat fourth, came out far turn and may have gone a bit wide to stay clear of a breaker, good. BRYCE gapped. DANCE MONKEY won a photo for the last check over BACK IN MY DAY, who had to go three-wide far turn when his cover stopped. KATANA was uncovered 3/8, very gradually made up some ground, then tired quickly at the ¾. MY FIRST TIME left, settled into the early pocket at the 1/8, sat third, looked to be in contention when making a break approaching headstretch.
SEVENTH RACE – NETWORK EXTENDER was content to sit fourth until past the 5/8, when she moved up quickly raw, battled the leader through the last 1/8 and slowly worked by that one. ULURU left some, moved off the first turn to control the throttle, held gamely but just outstepped late. FAWN DE DON’T left for the early lead, yielded to sit the two-hole, not quite enough late. ANDOVER JESS left, took the early pocket 3/16, inside, didn’t keep tight much of the second half. EVER HOPEFUL G lost a bit of ground on the rest gradually the last half. SHE’S FANCY LIKE was off the gate and was never close.
EIGHTH RACE – BLUEBERRY SHAKE raced out between horses, yielded past the ¼ only to retake, drew away from these at will. TRULY left and pushed then yielded, came out of third 11/16 and passed the tired pocketsitter, closest at the finish while well ahead of the others. PJS FANCY DANCER moved outside ¾ then ducked back in, gained along the inside. ALEXA’S SUNSHINE didn’t have much to offer here. ICARUS FALLS N was three-wide towards the 3/16 then to the lead 5/16, yielded, gapped out late backstretch. THE OTHERS never made their presence felt.
NINTH RACE – Dark clouds moving in … SILVERMASS VOLO went up on a prolonged grind from into the second turn, went past the leader mid-far turn, drew clear. MUSCLES JARED got a great second-over trip from seventh, good to be a clear second. MISS MUSCLE left, put a rival in behind, then stretched the brusher to the 3/8 before yielding, shuffled a bit late turn, then to the Pocono Pike and came back on for third. UPFRONT STONE stayed in then backed outside, wide, fair through the lane. J-S JASPER got to third-over, not enough late speed. HOT SUMMER KNIGHT sat in and was shuffled to last, gained once free late. ARCHIBALD pulled out 3/16, needed until the 3/8 to get the top, tired far turn. KASEVILLE tucked, sat in and was caught in on the far turn, but had little once clear.
TENTH RACE – JOYGO tucked third, contemplated a quarter-move but went back in, rode behind a fast pace until the 5/8 then moved to challenge, gained the lead with an 1/8 to go and was much the best. TRANQUILITY K wanted to bypass an early pocket tuck to get the lead but changed his minds on that option, sat second, out behind the winner far turn, did well to be second. PADRE got around a bad gapper and finished OK midtrack. AWSOME PAUL was away sharply to get the lead early, went on at a fast pace, was met by the winner before the ¾, had nothing left for the stretch. MUSCLE HALL stayed out of trouble and got a check. STUNNED BY LINDY spotted, in, then was gapping before the 5/8. PINEWOOD HANOVER made a break just past the half. ARGENTO was last when making a break late backstretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – CAPTAIN COOK sat in third, able to angle out late turn then went further wide, up in the last 100 feet. MISTER DAVID C insisted on setting the pace and went along quickly, held well. MY BOY JACK had a short lead leaving but couldn’t clear and took back to the pocket at the ¼, to the inside of the winner in the stretch, came up just shy. WARRAWEE XTREME was uncovered on the second turn, put in a big challenge and held on very well. BARRYWHITE HANOVER saved ground, went to the deep Pike, gained some. R CAPTAIN HANOVER was second-over but gapped. ALVIN BRICKROCK was far back, wide and had some pace. JET ACE gapped early and never regained any positioning.
TWELFTH RACE – Then came the hard rain, and the switch to sloppy … MEADOWBRANCH RICKY moved uncovered from well back 5/8, grinded up, got by the big leader late. SYLVESTERAMERICAIT was sent at 90-1 by The Trot Man, had a big lead 3/16 as the pocket horse briefly ran, sailed along on a huge lead well past the fast half, maintained the lead though slowing down until midstretch, passed, still a gallant try. AMADOR tucked third 3/16 once the pocket horse was settled, then gapped that one, backed out on the far turn, photoed out SMART AS HILL. The latter gapped the winner, then came out and passed the tired pocketsitter. TRUEMASS VOLO had the rail inside two leavers, broke nearing the 3/16 but resettled, gapped in a big way throughout, faded. MUSCLE DYNASTY was far behind when he broke late backstretch. SAY YOU DO jumped 3/16, broke again ¾. KEEGAN HO left between horses, made a break just before TRUEMASS VOLO broke, never recovered.
THIRTEENTH RACE – BET EIGHTTHIRTYONE made the top to the 1/8, yielded at the ¼ for the pocket, roused far turn to stay close, outside early stretch and flashed right on by. DOCTOR BB was three-wide to the first turn, got to the front at the ¼ and sailed along, could offer no resistance against the winner. ALWAYS A LOOK stayed in, outside stretch and just third over BOLTMAN. The latter left some, sat third, little left at crunch time. LATEST ATTRACTION gapped at the half, then was along for the last check. GREYSTONE WATCHMAN moved at the ¼, never got cover and never got close. BETTOR WAY TO ROCK moved with cover but took a bad step 11/16 and never recovered. ALWAYS BETTER looked to be contemplating an early move but made a break nearing the end of the first turn.
FOURTEENTH RACE – AFTER ALL PAUL moved uncovered 3/8 from last of the main pack, grinded up and went right by before the ¾, enough to hold to the wire. SPIT AND VINEGAR sat in and gapped into the backstretch, then backed out to third-over 5/8, moving well late. SWIZZLE HANOVER was wide to the 1/8 then tucked fourth, backed out to second-over, left uncovered to the ¾, held well after hard usage. ARCH CREDIT sat in and was shuffled, outside far turn, evenly. CELEBRITY ROLEX left and yielded at the ¼ for the two-hole, then was shuffled badly after the winner went by, not that much once free. TEDDY BROSEVELT was two-wide between horses early, went on to get the lead at the quick quarter, rated quarter two, but then had no answer for the winner’s charge and backed up. DEWTIFUL’S GRACE ran shortly after the start.