Connors’ Comments for Saturday, November 12, 2022

Nov 18, 2022 | Connors’ Comments

FIRST RACE – 60 degrees; a mild stretch headwind that would increase a little as the card progressed… A BETTOR BEACH came out second-over 5/8, three-wide ¾ to two-wide midturn to the lead headstretch, a safe winner. SILENT SPLENDOR went to the front at the 1/8, yielded 3/8 for the pocket, came out behind the winner late turn, held second over ROLLINWITHAMBITION. The latter sat in, took awhile in the stretch to find room, then through a narrow space with pace late. THE THUNDER ROLLS yielded, came at the quarter to the lead past the 3/8, fought off a challenge, tired in the lane. INDIGO ART was fourth-over, four-wide headstretch, had late pace. TONY TOO TALL was fourth-in, evenly. ARTIFACT HANOVER was right behind the winner but couldn’t keep with his wide move. IDEAL WHEEL sat third until the 5/8 then challenged, faded most of the last quarter.

SECOND RACE – SHORE OF HIMSELF made two speed moves to control the lead, got pressure on both sides through the stretch but held on in gutty fashion. COXCOMB came up on the grind 3/8, went 27.1 down the back to gain contention far turn, stayed steady to the line to just miss. BOILER MAKER was three-wide towards the 1/8 then two-wide to the top 3/16, yielded for the pocket, used the Pocono Pike, just shy. THIRD POWER was stuck in far back, angled out late turn and was next in line. MIDNIGHT DAY gapped in front of the stands the first time, then was stuck behind a tired one, to the Pike, evenly. NORTHERN NETWORK had some speed and sat in third, empty at crunch time. CHUCK THE CHEESE gapped cover most of the last half mile. BORN A REBEL was also outside, also was no factor.

THIRD RACE – ANCHORS AWEIGH, up on the bit the whole way, came grinding 5/8 and went in 27.4 down the back, kept right on going to the lead past headstretch and resisted SAY YOU DO late. The latter backed out to second-over ¾, wide in the lane, closing but couldn’t quite make it. GRAPPLE HANOVER showed on top early then yielded, got a clear path from the pocket as the pacesetter bore out headstretch, a step shy. CREWS HILLTOPPER was out down the back but gapped, in on the turn, out again in the lane, OK. CHUCKY DE VIE took the lead just past the 1/8 and set the pace, rated the half, was tiring under pressure near headstretch and bore out a little. BLOGMASTER never entered the picture.

FOURTH RACE – CANDY TRADER went up behind flowing cover, made the lead midstretch, had enough to hold off IDEAL STAR N. The latter was outside towards the second turn, wound up third-over, wide, got in gear a little too late. UNDERTAKER looked to want to come outside early backstretch then stayed in, shuffled far turn then got access to the Pocono Pike, just third. KASEY JOHN A passed tired horses from last. EFFRONTE A went up uncovered to the 5/8, challenged hard and got the lead late on the bend, didn’t have much left late. WON LAST FEELING made two moves to set the tempo, tired from mid-far turn. REYS N A RUCKUS was out to the ¼ to make the front, yielded for the pocket, came out into a blindswitch late turn as the leader gave way, didn’t gain any late.

FIFTH RACE – VIC’S WINNER took the early pocket, was third-in, got directly to the deep Pocono Pike and had the most trot in a slowing last ¼. WORLD AT WAR DEO was underway from midpack 3/16 to the lead 3/8, couldn’t hold off the winner. KINDA LUCKY LINDY was uncovered at the half, went on one-geared despite being asked for more, steadily. LIGHTFOOTEDLEGEND used the rail to control things early, yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike but had little response. AP HALL OF TRIX was three-wide early, tucked third, stayed in, not clear in the stretch. DAGON HANOVER moved second-over 11/16, couldn’t get into the action. P L KETCHUP couldn’t catch up after early misbehavior.

SIXTH RACE – KINGSTONS BAD BOY joined the outside tier from last as all but the front two moved outside, three-wide from the 11/16, had the most late as the tempo slowed. BABES DIG ME was three-wide early, tucked 3/16, back out second-over then left uncovered past the 5/8, fought with great gameness to take second over PARK OFFICIAL. The latter pushed away hard from the rail, yielded to the 26.3 quarter, came out raw before the half, went to the lead 11/16, was passed by the winner then lost second on the wire. MANNY was in the outer flow then went back inside after circling the pacesetter, not enough late. CLOUSEAU HANOVER was between horses to the ¼, yielded 3/8, shuffled very badly, got into a blindswitch ¾, couldn’t summon much late. AIN’T IT FUN was outside, stayed in a blindswitch, not prominent. DAAMERICANSKY was three-wide almost all of a 26.3 opener and took the lead 3/8, was passed past the 5/8 and faded.

SEVENTH RACE – Wind getting stronger … SPINOUT was three-wide to the first turn and two-wide to the lead 3/16, set the pace, got pressure down the back, handled that, stayed clear near the end. MCNULTY Z TAM left and was looped, settled in third near the ¼, stayed in, came up the Pocono Pike gaining late. TRY LINE sat in then backed out to third-over, four-wide headstretch, closed well but with too far to come. GREYSTONE WATCHMAN was the innermost leaver, yielded 3/16, pocket, no forward motion late. SHANGHAI BOBBY hustled from last to get a good trip second-over, three-wide far turn, couldn’t get all that close. SPORTSMANSHIP was uncovered into the second turn, moved up sharply to challenge while going his third quarter in 27.2, but had little left late. STONEBRIDGE ROCKS gapped at the back.

EIGHTH RACE – STORM IS RAGING needed until the 3/16 to clear, saw two go by in the next 3/16, came out raw 5/8 and grinded, didn’t go by on the turn but drew away in the stretch. MARION GONDOLIER was second-over but couldn’t stay tight on cover, came on to grab second in the last steps from MYSTICAL WYNN. The latter was four-wide fully to the 1/8, then took back to follow cover before going on at the ¼ to the top 3/8, had to fight the winner, did well and lost second only in the shadow of the wire. ONE AFTER NINE was not prominent; nor was MISTER BOINGA. DEE’S RED DELICIOUS was three-wide to the 3/16 then went on to the front just past the ¼, yielded for the pocket, went loose 11/16. HOLTON broke past the start.

NINTH RACE – MINDTRIP started on the grind 3/8, attacked the leader between horses from the 5/8, got to the lead midstretch then held on. THE MOONSHADOW N was third-over, went up in a blindswitch then could go wide out of it early stretch, moving very well late. PLAY THE FIELD was in control early, rated the half, then came under pressure first from two- then from two- and three-wide, held on very gamely. GONNAHAVESOMEMORE was caught in from before the 5/8 the rest of the way without a clear path. BELLOWS BINGE left well and made the pocket before the 3/16, went to the Pocono Pike but didn’t gain in the latter stages. BRAVO TEX N stayed in, also was not clear but was not running over horses (as GONNAHAVESOMEMORE was). IN ROCK WE TRUST was outleft, decided to not look for a hole but went on to challenge, broke at the ¼, caught the field, faded. ROCKIN THE BLAZE was second-over, quickly three-wide 5/8 and was in the heat of the battle until headstretch, then faltered.

TENTH RACE – DA DELIGHTFUL was three-high to the first bend, made the lead 3/16, backed off the half, and then had an easy time of it. CRUNCH HANOVER was second-over in a flow that never got to the winner, wide stretch and did well for second. THE WALL was uncovered from 5/8, not a bad mile at all. BRONX SEELSTER was urged between horses early, got the pocket, urged again ¾ but had no response. FATHER NUNO was last, had some late pace from an impossible spot. HORSE pushed the early pace, stayed in, Pocono Pike, couldn’t gain. PARMESAN N didn’t achieve prominence.

ELEVENTH RACE – TOWN GOSSIP moved coming off the second turn and with a big rush cleared to the lead easily, then saw no one able to come on and make up enough ground. MARK WITHA K followed the winner, left raw late backstretch, to the pocket midturn, out again in the stretch and gained some but was not threatening. CAPTIVATE HANOVER joined a lively flow, was left raw on the far turn, distant third. MACH WEST was first to the outside, wound up third-over, tucked third midturn, couldn’t sustain. MAJOR SHOW gapped most of the first half, did get the last check. RIFLEMAN showed no firepower. IM A GIGOLO N left well to sit the pocket, was empty independently of the fading pacesetter. LYONS PEGASUS zoomed away to immediate command and was loose on the lead to the half, but his early exertions caught up to him when challenged 5/8.

TWELFTH RACE – CERTIFIABLE got carried up beautifully second-over, wide and strong to the wire for a nice triumph. YS DO IT RIGHT came up first-over 5/8 and gradually got closer and closer, briefly had the lead before being passed by the horse on his back. STONEBRIDGE KARIS rode a pocket trip while at times not totally tight on the pacesetter, to the Pocono Pike, evenly. JIM BLUE raced up to be third before the 1/8, stayed in, angled out in a blindswitch headstretch and followed the winner’s path, didn’t quite have that one’s steps but OK. BOARDWALK BET had little chance from last. PHOENIX OF FLUZZY stayed in, fled the rail for a blindswitch but never got close. DALBY HANOVER left intent on having the lead and rolled along, but got tired.

THIRTEENTH RACE – HOT DEUCE left, yielded 3/16, then quarter-moved, sped up in panel three as outside challengers moved up, ding-donged with GET LIT much of the stretch and just kept a desperate nose ahead. The latter was out to near the 3/16 to take the top then yielded for the two-hole, to the Pocono Pike, unlucky to be on the short end of the photo after a good race. BULLVILLE TERROR was underway uncovered on the second turn, went 26.3 down the back as growing ever-closer, held his ground staunchly. REDBANK BLAZE A was third-over, then second-over when his cover ducked in down the back and gapped from that point. BIG BOSS HILL did not have a great flow in front of him. CAVIART ROCKLAND left between horses and tucked third, backed out late backstretch but had little. CAVIART SAGE was behind good cover, tucked back in down the back and faded. A STUD NAMED SAM was always far back.

FOURTEENTH RACE – PATERNITY SUIT A was looped while three-wide leaving, to two-wide to command 3/16, yielded 3/8 to sit in the two-hole, outside headstretch and strode clear. DO WORK SON sat inside and advanced, followed the winner before midstretch and just was along for second over BLACK CHEVRON N. The latter left, yielded, on the move near the 1/4 to take over 3/8, held out the backstretch challenger but then couldn’t deal with the two behind him. VIRGIN STORM had poor over, three-wide ¾ and four-wide late turn, made up ground well. MONTY MONO was last, stayed inside, not much to offer late. BET ON BLAKE left strongly to clear to the first turn, yielded, backed out to second-over late backstretch, had to go three-wide when cover failed but himself had no more gain. OUR MAJORDAN A moved first-over 3/8, put in a big challenge, then made just as big a retreat. BROTHER JAMES, a bit slow to the gate, was the initial second-over but immediately started gapping.