FIRST RACE – As usual on Sunday evening cards at Pocono, the temperature dropped from the mid-70s to the mid-60s … BULLVILLE FRANK moved in a lively outer flow, urged to keep up 11/16 and drew closer to cover, then got to the pocket mid-far turn, Pocono Pike and up nearing the wire. TERRY A HANOVER was two-wide to the lead at the ¼, where two horses went past him, moved again just past the half and went by to the 11/16, kept up the hot numbers with a rival coming at him, just failed to last in a big outing. SHVAIKO was second-over then left uncovered late backstretch, challenged the rest of the way home. DRUNKONAPLANE was innermost of a fierce four-way early battle, sat in and was shuffled back, cleared in tight quarters between horses midstretch and made a good recovery. NIGHT OUT was in the outer flow but gapped. EDDARD HANOVER had excess cover. SOMBODYITREASURE was three-wide to a fast ¼ to get the lead, yielded in front of the stands, stuck behind a tiring pacesetter from late backstretch but had little once clear. MARINER SEELSTER was left out four-wide fully to the ¼, then worked by to the lead, but had no resistance to the first-over and understandably faded far back.
SECOND RACE – PAPI HANOVER came on the raw grind at the half, battled on and wore down BRIDGE TO VICTORY late. The latter took the top 3/16, yielded in front of the stands but was quick to retake, had pressure from the winner from the 5/8, held well. NANCY BAR was wide leaving, fell in behind cover, lost it 3/16 and went on to the lead before the 3/8, yielded to the retaker, not tight on the leader far turn, lost a little ground in the stretch but held third over KEEGAN HO. The latter was first to show, yielded, stayed in third, couldn’t get free until midstretch, closed well. CHUCKY DE VIE had great cover but gapped out on the turn. CREEMORE never made the main scene from third-over. TEDDY BROSEVELT never featured. SPREE was too far back, couldn’t gain wide late.
THIRD RACE – SOME KINDA ANGEL moved from third 3/16 to the lead before the 3/8, set the pace, pressed on the turn but then drew away in a big outing. TRAFFIC JAM made a big uncovered move to battle the leader through the final turn, couldn’t sustain the charge but won second in a three-horse photo. GEORGIE MARTIN N gapped second-over, found better pace inside a drifting horse very late. BULLVILLEKARLA left and took the early pocket, stayed in, not quite enough late. SHIPNSTROL HANOVER was first on the lead, yielded to the early mover and stayed close, outside late turn and loomed, but then drifted wide through the stretch. BE BEST couldn’t rally enough; nor could SURE R LOOKING GOOD. BELLATRICKS stayed in, not enough in the last ¼.
FOURTH RACE – LIE IN WAIT lived up to her name until moving out ¾, just took the measure of PIANO BAR in the last steps. The latter made two speed moves and had a fairly soft middle half, just failed to resist the oncharging winner. GINA’S ON FIRE was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide to the lead off the first curve, yielded to the retaker, outtrotted late but a clear third. FLARES ZIVA stayed close until the stretch, remained flat. AVA MARIE started to gap near the 3/8, broke early backstretch. JAMESON N LIME broke at the start; SMOOTH AS SILK broke going to the first turn.
FIFTH RACE – SALDANA HANOVER was loose in the pocket much of the way, was a little wide on turn two, kicked into gear in early stretch and had a big last 1/16 to catch BIRDIE THREE. The latter set the pace on an open lead, just didn’t quite have the late steps to resist the favorite while far ahead of the rest. HONEYMOON TRAIL sat third, lost contact with the top two but did just take third over HERS HUNGRY. The latter was second-over, paused briefly as her cover broke, gained a bit. MIKI B MOUSE was uncovered 5/8, made a break 11/16, recovered and was wide in the stretch to get the last check. MORE PLEASE was outside then went back in, not much. SUNSHINE CHIP never factored.
SIXTH RACE – LADY LIRA headed down the road, elected to park a challenger and still could get a second-quarter breather, got new pressure approaching the far turn but then outtrotted this crew late. CHEROKEE JOY moved behind the parked horse off turn two and soon was three-deep, got to two-over past the 11/16, not enough for the winner but kept digging and got second. WIND CHIME was three-wide to the 1/8, ducked behind cover and slid into what would become the pocket, so-so in the Pocono Pike. OVER BOARD followed the backstretch sweeper, three-wide late far turn, not enough. SHOW ME DA MONI was wide early and took far back to tuck, four-wide headstretch and raced better than the line may look. FORTUNE FORECAST left but had the bad fortune not to be able to clear, eventually faded. QUARANTINA ran up on a foe at the back 5/16 and ran. OLD MAGIC was trying her best to keep up when going offstride midturn.
SEVENTH RACE – HEAVEN HANOVER briefly had cover then was left raw 9/16, grinded at new leader ANGELPEDIA and worked past that one at midstretch, drew clear. The latter left, yielded to a parked challenger 3/8 but regained the lead past the ½, under pressure from the winner, second-best tonight. HEART ON FIRE was three-wide past the 1/8, gradually advanced until taking over 3/8, yielded into the backstretch, a clear third. CANDO VOLO had good cover but didn’t stay with it. PEMBROKE MONI was not heard from. WILD JIGGY S was third-over, a touch of trot at the very end. PORTULACA never was in the picture. SHEER FAITH jumped approaching the start.
EIGHTH RACE – KB MAC was outleft and took the early pocket, was quarter-mover and then kept QM#2 outside a long long way in a quick pace, with the 1-10 favorite proving to have too much in reserve from midstretch. LAST MACH tucked third before the 3/16, on the move again but saw the winner come out, then was left raw 3/8 and was in the face of the winner from that point until before midstretch, amazingly brave to hold for second after that trip. CALYPSO ROCK N had the most early foot, yielded to the winner and stayed tight in the pocket until the stretch, not quite enough for place. CENTURY IGLESIAS stayed semiconnected to the top ones early, outside 11/16 but gapped. OHARE HANOVER got around stragglers for the last check. ROCK THREE TIMES was not a factor. LUZIANA fell far back. LUC ROCKS gapped badly from before the 3/8 onward.
NINTH RACE – SOUTHWIND TYRION pushed his main rival to the 3/16 before yielding, content to sit the pocket until headstretch, then moved out and came home with a wicked blast to overhaul HILLEXOTIC while posting the fastest trotting mile of the season at Pocono, 1:51. The latter as noted worked to the lead early, got even fractions, outsprinted at the end. ON HIGHER GROUND came on late to pass JUJUBEE for third. The latter stayed connected with the top two, then weakened a little late (if coming home in 27.4 is “weakening”). HAVEK went around a laboring RICH AND MISERABLE for the last check.
TENTH RACE – BOND went by at the 1/8, got no pressure and slowed the half bigtime, speeded up 5/8, held off her main foe and won in 1:51.4, a fifth off her divisional track record, with the earplugs still in. RAILEE SOMETHING was away swiftly and yielded for the pocket, edged out headstretch then decided to try the winner along the inside in the lane, again very good though in defeat. BELLA MACCHIATO stayed connected until late backstretch, well ahead of the rest. FASHION ANNIE settled in fourth at the 1/8, lost stretch ground. UNO MAS BLUE CHIP was gapping 11/16. THE NEXT PAIR were not on the main radar. PERFECT PASSION pulled outside from way back early backstretch, never made the front half of the field, faded ¾, broke stretch.
ELEVENTH RACE – TWO PROUD spotted, was on the move from third at the ¼ to the lead 3/8, drew clear save the pocket horse in a quick third quarter, then pulled away from her only rival in the stretch. THINK OF GALAXIES was out past a 26.2 opener, yielded for the pocket, stayed close to the leader to nearing headstretch, far ahead of the others. FRANTASY HANOVER came out late backstretch and circled AMERICAN DELIGHT N for third. The latter left hard and pushed the fast opener, yielded, couldn’t stay with the top two from off the second turn. STELLENBOSCH couldn’t keep up but at least avoided trouble and got a check. SPITTING IMAGE became entangled with a foe (apparently locking wheels) just past the start, no factor, placed. RIGHTFULLY MINE was bothered early and was way behind, outside down the back and gained a little, then suffered further indignity when shoved wide by a breaker far turn. TSM WESTERN SOUL got into the five-hole, eased out towards midturn but made a break.
TWELFTH RACE – LILLEHAMMER HALL came out 5/8 and steadily advanced grinding, went to the lead then was able to hold off ROSITA. The latter was third-over, four-wide headstretch and flying in the last 1/16. FOOLISH MONI was third-in, had room in the Pocono Pike and gained. BABY TAKE A VOW was between horses early and looped, worked up to command 5/16, tired in the stretch. WISTERIA HANOVER was second-over, three-wide headstretch, evenly. FRESHGROUNDPEPPER took all the way back to last, then responded late in tight quarters to make up some ground. JET ZETTE never featured. KEYSTONE SWEETPEA was three-wide to the 1/8 to the lead 3/16, yielded 5/16 for the pocket, had nothing left to offer in the stretch.