FIRST RACE – Low 50s … Shifting winds – calm to start … Front end did not hold up well … BLAKEMORE left and maintained the pocket, moved out in the stretch and went by FRIDAY NIGHT BLUES easily. The latter took control from the pole, opened up a bit of backstretch distance with increased speed, couldn’t last to the wire but far ahead of the rest. TOPVILLE OLYMPIAN was uncovered at the half, never reached the leader, but one-geared it to win third from PANTHEON HANOVER in a photo. The latter sat in, blocked on the far turn, to the inside, evenly late. ROYHILL was three-wide to the first turn then tucked third, struggled from the 5/8. STELLAR BB was too far back. IT’SGOODTOBETHEKING was second-over but gapped ¾. ER VEGAS was never in the hunt.
SECOND RACE – SQUARE DEAL was briefly three-high en route to 1/8 command, yielded for the pocket, moved back out nearing the ¾ and went right on by, a clear winner today with a good last half. LAZ-A-FAIRE raced in close attendance of the pace, shuffled briefly then backed out to follow cover last turn, was doing well late. LULU ROCKS gapped in quarter two, got going 11/16, briefly had the winner’s cover then was again left raw, not quite second but well ahead of the others. CARIS moved outside but never entered the main picture. BAMA BREEZE was at or near the back throughout. TEAM COLORS left, yielded, quarter-moved, tired through the last ¼. HAILEY’S SISTER broke well before the start, had recovered enough to be with the field at the start, squeezed a tuck 3/16, not too much thereafter.
THIRD RACE – PADRE was looped, followed cover early then refused a three-tuck and went on to 5/16 command, immediately had a challenger pestering him the rest of the way in a decent clip for this type, but remained fighting to the wire. DAGON HANOVER was the first to clear, yielded, backed out to follow cover before the ¾, wide, couldn’t quite get there. FAMOUS DAN moved at the ¼ and was soon left raw, did not have the speed to clear to the top but grinded along very grittily for 5/8 of a mile and missed only a length. GREAT MAGIC was away well to the front into turn one, yielded for the pocket, couldn’t stay tight the last quarter but well ahead of the others. TRICKY DICK left a gap in front of the stands onward; TRUEMASS VOLO moved outside to try to get around him but could not. THE OTHER TWO were never on the main radar.
FOURTH RACE – MAKE SOME WAVES was in third at the 1/8, uncovered 5/8, ducked in the pocket for brief cover midturn then outside again into the stretch, caught AMERICAN BOY N late. The latter took over at the 1/8 and headed down the road leaving all but one to struggle to keep up, caught by the only one close to him. DAVIDS COMING HOME gapped midrace, outside late turn, did better late. MY WISH CAME TRUE was fair along the inside. TERRITORY was wide leaving but took back, moved outside to get around stragglers, perhaps a bit better mile than the line may suggest. BLOW A CLOUD N raced in the pocket, went loose 5/8. THE OTHERS never had any say in this one.
FIFTH RACE – MANDRILL, the $750,000 sister to GIMPANZEE, was unhurried early, moved uncovered 5/8 and was all business, trotting away without looking to extend herself. NINA HANOVER was between horses to the lead at the 1/8, yielded at the ¼, inside, eased outside past midturn, came on to get second. PERFECT PASSION gapped in quarter two, moved out but couldn’t quite go with the cover, three-wide late turn, finished with trot. QUEEN OF THORNTON was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-deep to the ¼ for the lead, yielded in front of the stands for the pocket, Pocono Pike but couldn’t regain ground. CUTIECUMBER left and had cover to the ¼, onward to the lead around the 5/16, set the pace, not enough in the stretch. MISCHIEVOUS G was far back. JULIETTE was in the early mix, inside, struggled from before the ¾. WAVERLY HANOVER was tucking midpack when breaking 3/16.
SIXTH RACE – Stretch tailwind starting up … LONESTAR was in front immediately, yielded at the ¼, shuffled ¾ as the lead changed hands, found a small seam past early stretch and was able to kick home well for the decision. RELENTLESS JULIE was third-over, gapped early backstretch then tighter deep down the back, three-wide headstretch, looked in good position but was outkicked to her inside. EXTREME Z TAM tucked fifth at the ¼, then moved second-over, left uncovered ¾, kept trying to the wire. PARTY LOUNGE decided to go on to the top at the 1/8 and reached it at the ¼, under pressure down the backstretch and yielded ¾, not a factor thereafter. DANCE NUMBER slid in fourth, went uncovered into turn two, trotted a third split of 27.1 against the wind to clear ¾, but that effort got to her late. NAKED TRUTH gapped. EA AUDIT was forwardly-placed early, faded.
SEVENTH RACE – TUIS SHADOW was three-wide early and cleared past the1/8, kept the field fairly strung out until the 5/8 setting a fast pace, got pressure on the far turn, held off that one and the potential pocket rocket. TEDDY BROSEVELT used the rail to advantage to secure the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike, didn’t miss by much. GREEK LEGEND moved uncovered 5/8, challenged on the far turn, held well to the line. KEYSTONE SERGEANT was moving very well at the finish. PRAIRIE VIRTUE rode inside, not that much in the stretch. FRAC was between horses early, tucked third, backed outside on the turn, evenly. CUPID HANOVER never factored.
EIGHTH RACE – SPORTS BOX gapped early in the mile, then got going uncovered into turn two, grinded up to challenge, bore way wide in the stretch but still was able to decision BIG BOSS HILL. The latter set the pace with two moves, came up a bit shy. GOOD DEAL made the front early, yielded for the two-hole journey, evenly in the stretch. LUZIANA gapped at several points of the mile, inside stretch, evenly. ROCK THREE TIMES moved second-over but couldn’t keep with his cover. STARK HANOVER gapped at the back. BUTTER UP jumped just before the start, caught the field, moved outside but couldn’t regain the necessary ground. HIGHRTHANANEAGLE A was involved in a battle for the lead when making a nasty break just past the 1/8.
NINTH RACE – Now the wind is against them in the stretch … DINKY WINKY yielded 3/16, came out 5/16 but needed the rest of the frontstretch to clear, set a slow half and got no pressure until late, held off the inside thrust of CS EXPLOSIVE CHIP. The latter was briefly three-wide early then proceeded up to take over 3/16, yielded nearing turn two for the pocket, tried up the inside, just missed. DANCEHALL KING was second-over, gapped late backstretch into the turn then got rolling and moved three-wide, in top gear too late. MAD MONI was uncovered at the half, grinded, never closer to the winner than at the finish. PRAIRIE NUGGET left a bit, sat in, may not have been clear along the inside late. F SCOTT’S MUSE was third-over, four-wide headstretch, showed some late kick. TO MY CREDIT gapped much of the way. STAR HOPPING was a bit off the gate and trailed.
TENTH RACE – SOUTHWIND DREDGE had thoughts of getting forward early position butt took back to last, joined the flow fourth-over, had cover until swinging five-wide headstretch, still last at the stretch call, but exploded in the last 1/16 to go past everybody. RIOT was third-over, followed wide cover past the ¾ then went four-wide before the top of the stretch, finished with a kick that would have won many races but not this one. GLOBALDOMINATION N was in front 3/16, saw off both the first-over and the potential pocket rocket, but then was engulfed by the two closers way to his outside very late. HUDSEN A stayed third-in, found room towards midstretch, OK. APPLE VALLEY ART left and yielded for the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have enough. ADRENALINE RUSH moved into turn two and got cover at the ½, three-wide just past the ¾ but not enough late foot. PAPIAMENTO sat in, outside in a blindswitch near headstretch, not enough. VINOVIO came first-up at the half, never got closer than the leader’s wheel, fell back in the lane.
ELEVENTH RACE – Wind back to calm … BENICIO was wide leaving and tucked fourth at the 1/8, started first-up into turn two, had reached the leader by the 9/16, grinded, got to the lead midstretch, held off MIKI B MOUSE. The latter sat third-in, cleared early stretch and moved out, slow to get in high gear but closed well once doing so. EAZY HUNTING headed down the road, strung the field out despite a slow half, then got pressure from the winner, held pretty well in a quick last quarter. LADY’S CHOICE A sat the pocket, evenly late. P L PRINCESS C gapped third-over, then had good pace approaching the finish. BIRDIE THREE sat in, couldn’t gain along the inside late. HUNGRY FOR MONEY had good cover but couldn’t stay with it. SWEET GADGETS was at the back, gapped out 11/16.
TWELFTH RACE – C IS FOR COOKIE checked behind the 5/16 breaker, moved uncovered 5/8, got to tuck in the pocket all the way around the turn, outside stretch and with the mildest of urging went right on by. AMERICAN CRISPIN was looped early, between horses to the lead at the 3/16, headed down the road at a good clip for these, good to be as close to the winner as she was and far ahead of the rest. HUNGRY FOR KISSES checked 5/16, sat in and was shuffled very badly when the pocketsitter gave way, had to wait for the Pocono Pike and had some response in recovery. BLANK CHEEK also was bothered, wide into the stretch and doing OK at the finish. SWEET HOME went to the front, yielded 3/16, gave the pocket then broke 5/16, recovered and was outside but could not reenter contention. BEAUTIFUL AMERICA was three-deep past the 1/8, got into the two-hole at the ¼, all done 5/8. BULLVILLE HILDA was soon last and lost contact early.
THIRTEENTH RACE – ARTACHE HANOVER sat in third, got room deep in the Pocono Pike and took these fairly easily. CAVIART SKIPPER was out to the 3/16 between horses, cleared then yielded for the pocket, inside the pacesetter and just beat out that one for second. HOWTOTRAINURDRAGON was three-wide to the 3/16 then went up to take over off the first turn, got a moderate half, had the first-over never get closer than his hindquarters, couldn’t make the lead stand up late. CAPOZZO was last, out-then-in on the far turn, had some pace in the path behind the winner. KIMANI N pushed the early proceedings, came out raw off turn two, never much closer than a length off the pacesetter, faded. SETONCRUISECONTROL was third-over, three-wide late turn, didn’t reach. BLUEBERRY HEAVEN was second-over, gapped, blindswitched far turn, in tight quarters early stretch, evenly late.
FOURTEENTH RACE – SPORTSMANSHIP had command at the 1/8, yielded, moved from third 11/16 and swept to the lead nearing headstretch, ran away from these. SAULSBROOK RAPTOR was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the ¼ in pursuit of command, yielded to the brushing favorite for the pocket, came clear after the winner took off, looked all-out to be second-over TODDLER TANTRUM. The latter pulled from fourth at the ¼ to get in front past the 3/8, offered little resistance to the winenr and couldn’t hold second late. SCRAPPIN GOLD stayed flat; THE OTHER TWO did not.