FIRST RACE – Starting at 46o and rising five degrees through the card … Stretch headwind … Another tough (but not impossible) day for the front-end or for those two-wide and far back in the backstretch (to win; many got minor placings) … MISS PRINCIPLE made the lead, yielded and sat the pocket, started to edge out near headstretch and could go wide when a rival broke, just along. UFTON ABBY HANOVER came uncovered from well back 5/8, trotted right up to challenge, to the lead early stretch, good race. DEVIOUS PROMISE was forwardly-placed, to the Pocono Pike, fair. GUCCI GIRL left between horses and tucked fourth, sat in and was blocked far turn, looked to be in tight quarters late with some trot. DOUBLE A SAMANTHA was three-wide to the 1/8 and two-wide most of the ¼ for the lead, slowed the half, but had no late answer. SHEZABARHOPPINCHIC was well back, moved wide, then had to duck inside the breaker early stretch. WEATHER VANES was outside and following cover, was in a contending position when breaking approaching the top of the stretch. BAR COINS was very wide early, broke searching for a spot first turn.
SECOND RACE – ADULT SWIM moved with cover 5/8, gapped it until late on the turn, then better and wide, and along late. P L PRINCESS C let, yielded, came out from third 5/8 and challenged, went to the lead in the lane but couldn’t quite last to the line. PEMBROKE SOUTHIE made the lead at the 1/8 and surrendered it for the pocket 3/16, gapped on the turn, then outside behind the top two and third. WILD BLUE WONDER was three-wide early, on top 3/16, came under challenge 11/16, tired through the stretch. ODDS ON RED ZONE sat in, gained a little down the back, outside far turn but with little. THE NEXT TWO lost contact down the back. SELINA HANOVER was inside, faded.
THIRD RACE – ESTEEM set a pretty good pace, drew clear before the ¾, then held together over HESTONATOR. The latter went in third at the 1/8, came back out raw to the 5/8, finished steadily but couldn’t entirely reduce the winner’s margin. P L PHOENIX slotted fourth 3/16, then second-over but gapped cover, fair late. VORACIOUS stayed in, came on some late. BULLVILLESPANDEMIC was third-over, three-wide ¾ but couldn’t get close. DEL MAR DOUG left and defended the pocket, but then tired 11/16. FATEFUL DUEL was already gapping by the half, faded further.
FOURTH RACE — LEXUS HANOVER settled in the pocket before the 3/16, moved outside after a foe brushed by past the 5/8, went up to challenge as those two drew away from the field, just up in the last step. EMMA TOWN BUD tucked third at the 1/8, moved early on the backstretch and went 27.4 in clearing to the lead, tried very hard but was just caught on the money. JUSTIFY was far behind sluggish horses until late backstretch, then outside and three-wide headstretch, along for the distant third. PRAIRIE VIRTUE came out to go around a tiring horse after struggling to keep up, two-wide turn, couldn’t hold third. GREEK LEGEND gapped but got a payday. WILLIE B WORTHY went down the rod from the rail, all done 5/8. PAYMAQ broke near the 5/16. QUINCY MARKET went offstride before the first bend.
FIFTH RACE – SINATRA DE VIE was outside down the back off the two leaders, then got in gear towards the 11/16 and advanced raw, took over midstretch. FASHION KEN was away second, moved early backstretch and cleared 11/16, no match for the winner late though retaining second. WALLANDAR was three-wide early, made the lead into the initial curve, fought back against a backstretch challenge but then yielded, stayed close and tried to the end. YOUCOMEHEREOFTEN started to gap in the sped-up third quarter. MONI’S HEAVEN CENT never factored. DONATELLO HANOVER was gapping outside when breaking ¾. BATTLESHIP LANDING was looking to tuck into third to the 3/16 when losing his bearings.
SIXTH RACE – TIPSY MONI was far back, moved with cover down the back and three-wide on the turn, circled up to second and then tucked inside for the stretch, went on the very tired leader as an anti-bias winner. MISSILE was looped early, went on to 3/16 command, opened a huge lead down the back and still looked gone nearing headstretch, but got very tired. MUSCLE HALL came out behind the winner and followed that’s one path, stayed wide, third. LOUS LANCELOT was not in the picture. U BAKE THE CAKE briefly had cover then was left uncovered well off the leader, didn’t gain. CURADH had just moved out when the pocket horse broke, quickly retucked but never made up ground. WAVELIKEAQUEEN had the lead right away, yielded, began unplugging in the pocket into the backstretch then broke 5/8.
SEVENTH RACE – SAINT LOUIE pulled the pocket on a quarter-move, buried these with a 28 third quarter, tons the best. P CHICO was away third, got tighter late backstretch and moved out, to a clear second by early stretch. FLARES ZIVA was outside behind the place horse on the turn, third with no one close behind him. MISS HALL took back to tuck fifth 3/16, not on the radar again. THE NEXT TWO struggled. A GREAT CHAPTER broke when last on the backstretch.
EIGHTH RACE – I’M AMUSED was a bit loose in the pocket from the 1/8 until the ½, moved out 5/8 and went right by, soon opening a huge lead, well-clear the rest of the way. LADY LIRA followed cover, wide stretch and closed well. DEFACEMENT sat third, followed the winner out but could only one-gear, tried to the end. RHIANNON HANOVER stayed in, was blocked on the turn, didn’t enter in the main fight. EVER HOPEFUL G trailed the main pack most of the way. KEYSTONE SWEETPEA quickly made the lead in a fast quarter while opening a big lead, had the field get closer early down the back, yielded late backstretch, fell back. CHEROKEE JOY had just moved two-wide at the half when breaking.
NINTH RACE – MUSHANA sat in, came out in a blindswitch late turn, able to find room between horses midstretch and finished with the most trot. SMART AS HILL was uncovered 5/8, kept his momentum going by moving three-wide ¾ as a horse pulled out, drifted wide late but still got the deuce. HS JUDY JETSON kept close in the pocket, moved outside ¾, took the lead early stretch but couldn’t sustain the advantage. ITS A HORSE was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead 3/16 in a fast quarter, set a moderate middle half, was challenged on the turn, gave way. SPREE left between horses to tuck third, had the Pocono Pike but couldn’t produce much late. NASEY was leaving but broke at the start, went behind the starting gate to settle down, but couldn’t recover nearly enough.
TENTH RACE – KADDARI left well then quarter-moved before the parked horse came up closer, set the pace, drew clear early stretch and won handily. OVER BOARD was last much of the way, swung four-wide before the stretch and made up a lot of ground to be second. A GOOD CHARDONNAY left well, yielded for the two-hole, outside stretch but couldn’t gain. I CANT REFUSE was looped early and tucked third past the 1/8, inside, Pocono Pike, evenly. BABY OIL moved second-over 5/8, three-wide midturn, evenly. QUITE FAST left but was left parked, rode unhurried two-wide to the backstretch, then accelerated, missed third by less than two lengths after a luckless trip. EEE Z WOW sat in, looked to be in tight quarters to the line. QUARANTINA sat in, not a major factor today.
ELEVENTH RACE – ZETTE FLAME was briefly wide, moved into the pocket to the 3/16 after a breaker, waited until early backstretch then moved and went by easily late backstretch, stayed clear. DROP THE MIC gapped down the back then hit a better gear towards the far turn, outside then retucked, far ahead of the rest. ROSALINE set sail early, couldn’t handle the winner’s move but had the virtue of staying flat. ULI BLUE CHIP left a giant gap from the frontstretch, made a break early stretch but regathered and came back for fourth; an inquiry into that break showed no reason for placing. THE BLACK ACE got away second but broke at the 1/8. STREET SMARTS was third when breaking at the half, finally regained stride but then broke early on the far turn and ran home, placed. FOOLISH MONI left a gap early then tightened up, only to lose gait at the half.
TWELFTH RACE – LADY’S IMAGE rode along nicely in the pocket, to the Pocono Pike and got the decision here. TRUMAN JR HANOVER left to quickly get the lead, slowed Q2 then was asked to accelerate, was challenged until the far turn, saw the right-hand opponent beak but was caught by the left-hand foe. DAZZLNDASH HANOVER went along evenly, not a great response late. SIMON GOT LUCKY waited in third then challenged on the far turn, was definitely in contention when breaking midstretch, regained composure after major damage had been done; an inquiry showed no reason for placing because of the break. CREEMORE was outside down the back but didn’t get close. LUCKY MATTER trailed throughout.
THIRTEENTH RACE – CRUNCH HANOVER kept outside leavers outside much of the ¼, then quarter-moved, went clear 5/8 and was a runaway winner. HEARTBEAT HILL was three-wide to the 3/16 before finally clearing, relinquished for the pocket, went loose 5/8, fought on to win a photo for the distant second. FRISKIE ALL NITE was able to go out in a blindswitch past the 5/8, went up behind cover then ducked in midturn, Pocono Pike, may’ve gotten a nose up for second deep stretch but was decisioned on the line. ALADDIN HANOVER moved out 11/16, flattened out some. VARNEY gained ground outside from last, nudged out three-deep 5/8, gained to the far turn then could progress no more. STENDAHL HANOVER never featured. MOVE THE LINE was between horses 3/16 before securing the early pocket, couldn’t stay close to the gapping pocket horse 11/16. LUCKISONTHEWAY was three-wide to the 1/8, tucked at the ¼, came two-wide to the 5/8 but had very little.
FOURTEENTH RACE – IN A TINY WAY was underway with a rush going to the 3/8, made the lead 5/8, stayed safely clear for The Trot Man. HALL IT OFF moved out down the back and made a big three-wide move to two-wide before the ¾, went on very gamely. SWIZZLE HANOVER left, pushed the early pace then yielded for the pocket, wasn’t keeping tight far turn, then outside and grabbed third on the money. CHARLIE BAR was on to the lead 5/16 after a good quarter, rated the next panel, yielded without a fight 5/8 and gradually fell back bit by bit. DIVINE SPIRIT was locked inside far turn, got to the Pocono Pike but didn’t have too much of a kick. MISS MUSCLE was wide early, then out with cover before getting in midpack at the ¼, not heard from afterwards. JIVE NINETY FIVE followed the winner’s cover although not able to stay with it, left raw, was looped to the ¾, fell back. ILBENEEDINSTITCHES moved third-over from last in the early flow, broke off turn two.