Connors’ Comments for Saturday, February 27, 2021

Mar 2, 2021 | Connors’ Comments, General News

FIRST RACE – 43 degrees and “sloppy +1” throughout, with a stretch headiwnd definitely portrayed by most races’ fractions … RANGERS SURESHOT was third-over past the 3/8 behind the swift numbers, three-wide with cover then four-wide at the ¾ and circled the field to open a clear lead, had gotten away from TRENTE DEO. The latter took the early pocket, was under a fierce hold late far turn awaiting the Pocono Pike, finally got there and closed well but the winner had opened too much distance. WATERWAY was in the widest lane on the turn and closed for third. ALEX TYE maintained early position, also stuck inside, went OK in the stretch. THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN was caught in, shuffled to last and had to back out wide, finished well. SOMWHERENBROOKLN N approached the gate cautiously but accelerated past the start and either forced tucks or hung horses in snappy clockings early, not enough the last 3/16. SEVENS HOPE A was three-wide 3/16 then two-wide raw the duration, faded. DAAMERICANSKY was four-wide 3/16 and three-wide almost to the ¼, then took behind cover, three-wide 5/8 but didn’t gain.

SECOND RACE – TALK SHOW was forwardly-placed early, gapped then gradually made up ground in the fast third quarter, snapped two-wide midturn and three-wide midstretch, a safe winner as the pace declined. BOBBY K HILL yielded to one leaver and then was underway to reclaim the front at the 1/4, yielded to a brusher early backstretch and stayed close, to the Pocono Pike, won a three-horse photo for second. WHITE HAIR ROCKS left well in a 26.4 quarter to be on top at the 1/8, yielded, moved back out raw 5/8 as a new horse took over, went along gamely. OFFICIAL DELIGHT was wide in the lane, last until midstretch then passed even-going and blocked horses. MAJOR BUCKS went three-wide 11/16, got cover midturn, so-so. POLAK A was outleft and settled fourth nearing the ¼, came with a rush into the backstretch to go right by in a quick third split, tired. CHEYENNE JEFFREY was left uncovered when his cover made the lead down the back and gapped badly, then wasn’t clear late as the pace slowed down. GIAS BOY stayed in and also looked in tight quarters to the wire.

THIRD RACE – TUCKER CREEK moved outside 5/8 then swept three-wide 11/16, circled the field to be clear in upper stretch, may have flattened a little late but had enough to prevail. URBAN RENEWAL was looped leaving and took the pocket before the ¼, waited for the Pocono Pike, seemed to have a chance but couldn’t quite make it. FRANKIE ROCKS A stayed in, to the far inside and best of the rest. GRAND PRIORITY was three-wide to the 1/8 to loop the field and then set the pace under pressure most of the way, gave way. CAL was second-over, gapped down the back, blindswitched by the winner, never a contender. HEREITIZ was outside with cover but found no hole, lost cover at the ¼ and fought with the leader, tired after the tiring trip. I GET THAT was second-over, gapped down the back, little today.

FOURTH RACE – CASH IS KING left for the pocket, didn’t take up the chase of the new leader until the 7/8, then easily overhauled that one. UPTOWN FUNK was uncovered past the 3/8, went his own middle half in 56.1 to clear to the lead ¾ and open some daylight, held very well though settling for second. DREAM OF LUCK didn’t keep up inside on the far turn, then found a better gear and was just up for third over JEREMES GENERAL. The latter made the lead at the 1/8 and cut the fractions, could not resist the brusher ¾, gradually gave some ground. THE NEXT THREE never made their presence felt. MR BIG LOAD was second-over but couldn’t keep up 11/16.

FIFTH RACE – APEX SEELSTER moved to second-over 3/8 behind the parked horse, three-wide 9/16 to two-wide raw to the 11/16, fell back on the turn but then did better late and outpaced ELECTRIC WESTERN home. The latter stayed in, had a gapper in front of him on the turn, went to the deep Pocono Pike, made the lead just past midstretch, caught late. PROVEN DESIRE made the lead at the 1/8, yielded and sat the pocket, gapped much of the way, then found room inside of a drifting leader midstretch to salvage third. P L MUNSON did not leave but then gunned up before the first turn to take over nearing the ¼, wouldn’t surrender the lead to the parked horse, had an open margin to the ¾ and around the turn, but then got short-strided and bore out early stretch. JUST N ACE was forwardly-placed, moved two-wide with cover just before the ¾, wide in the stretch but outpaced. VALIDUS DEO moved up three-wide to the 3/16, then was hung raw most of the rest of the way, looped down the back and faded. ROCKIN IN THE HILLS was never a factor.

SIXTH RACE – SWEET SOFIE T got a midpack spot, stayed in until late on the far turn, swung wide in the lane and just worked by MANWILLING late. The latter needed the length of the frontstretch to move to the lead, had a clear lead early stretch, just failed to hold on. CATWALK AS tucked fourth 3/16, came raw and gained nicely down the backstretch through the turn, shortened stride but only a little late. WORTHY OF HONOR was fastest away, strung out the early mover then yielded for the two-hole, well-placed for the last 1/8 but empty. SANCHEZ ROCKS could muster no late thrust. ZOE F was not heard from. TRICKY DICK spotted midpack then moved second-over, gapped out approaching the final turn. SEBASTIAN U, off the gate, was gapping in last when breaking at the half. PRESIDENT was outside early and was trying to gain in the two-wide flow when jumping early backstretch.

SEVENTH RACE – UNION STATION was second-over going to the second turn, gapped some in the fast third quarter, was able to go into the pocket late turn as the former occupant retreated, to the Pocono Pike and got the decision. CINNAMACK was behind dull cover on the far turn, widest in the lane and still seventh just past midstretch, but passed a bunch with good foot as the pace slowed down. FOO FIGHTER N was the only leaver, at times lonely on the lead, couldn’t quite carry that jet to the finish. WAGON MASTER slid out to third-over before the ¾, couldn’t generate too much in the last 1/8. ART SCENE gapped early, moved uncovered and did much better down the back, reaching the leader before the ¾ and engaging him through the turn, couldn’t quite sustain the move. CONSTNTLYSIDEWYS A sat in, then lived up to his name looking for stretch room. WHAT’S GOIN IN was too far back to make a major impact. RAPTORS FLIGHT N defaulted to the pocket, not too much the last half.

EIGHTH RACE – LAZER JET left and got away second after a foe broke, quarter-moved, yielded, then regained the lead at the half, withstood challenges from all sides. BANZAI AS went to the lead and relinquished to the winner, gapped a little down the back then tightened in, to the Pocono Pike and finished well. RECIPROCAL BLUE CHIP bided time outside early then went on to 3/8 command, yielded for the two-hole, a little loose down the back, held OK. PROTOSTAR took back to tuck past the midpoint of turn one, suffered “b.e.”, went uncovered at the half, held on very well. FATHER DUNN was far back and slow to catch up with cover, but trotted pretty well the last 5/16. GALIXTON didn’t get a great start and was no factor. MY BOY CHRISTIAN lost gait a couple of times. I HAVE A DREAM didn’t have much trot here. HALL IT OFF went up wide to try to get the early lead but miscued 3/16.

NINTH RACE – ROYAL HEART was out behind good cover, ducked in to a two-wide blindswitch to the ¾ then deftly went to the open pocket late on the turn, to the Pocono Pike and came on strongly. BARNABAS was last until nearing midstretch, roared past everybody but the winner. JANAID was four-wide to the 1/8 then to two-wide to the lead off turn one, kept one foe parked until midbackstretch and then another from nearing the ¾, held very well. NINE WAYS was in the lively wide tier, good but outpaced by the place horse. JUST PLAIN LOCO was buried inside, finished with some pace once free. NEWBIE was eighth(!) at the START but played track geometry perfectly to push out just enough to keep opponents wide early, yielded past the ¼ for the pocket, vacated same ¾ but didn’t have much left. RAKSMACH N moved behind the parked horse, three-wide to the 5/8 and left three-wide as the pocketsitter pulled, flattened out. BLOW A CLOUD N looked at leaving but took back, stayed in, gapped ¾. SHOREVIEW was three-wide while looped early, drove on past the ¼ but couldn’t clear while on a line, faded 5/8.

TENTH RACE – MELANIE’S TEDY persisted between horses early to 1/8 command and forced a tuck before the ¼, rated the half, looked in control in the lane with mild urging. TULLOW N was off the gate but still got away third, sat in, gapped from the half to the ¾, got to the Pocono Pike directly as the pocketsitter moved out, steady pace but not enough. MY MIND IS MADEUP was three-wide just past the 1/8 and accepted the pocket before the ¼, tight, outside to headstretch, couldn’t gain. REVELRY was underway at the ¼ and got to second-over, three-wide midturn, good mile. TWIN B SPEED DIAL stayed in, shuffled a bit, fair late. DA MAGICIAN was third-over, gapped on the far turn, then did a little bit in the straightaway. WESTERN HILL spotted fifth at the 1/8, flushed out 5/16 and had to go a long way raw, didn’t really threaten before fading. CLASS SIX was never in the hunt.

ELEVENTH RACE – HORSING AROUND left to get the pocket behind the speedy IAMMRBRIGHTSIDE N and sat on that one’s back, went to the Pocono Pike and may have won more easily than the margin may suggest. The latter rocketed frontward as usual, got a breather in quarter two, wasn’t as fresh as the winner late. BARBADOS moved second-over into turn two, three-wide just past midturn, strong finish. ASTON HILL DAVE rode along inside, fair late. GLENGARRY KNIGHT N was outside in the back half of the field, gapped on the turn but came back a little late in a good showing. MY DELIGHT was never prominent. MISSISSIPPI RABBIT left and went in the three-hole before the 1/8, uncovered into turn two, held his ground until the last 1/8. WINDSONG JACK was last at every call.

TWELFTH RACE – BURNING MIDNIGHT was four-wide leaving, three-wide 3/16, then two-wide to the pocket before the ¼, to the Pocono Pike, got to the lead midstretch and went clear. CAPTAIN NASH was another who downshifted from the rail past the start, hung foes, and got the lead in a fast opener, rated the half then dealt with the first-over, no answer for the pocket rocket. BRAVO TEX N took an inner route, angled out before midstretch and finished with pace. GRAND TETON was mired behind excess cover, way wide headstretch, had a very big last 1/16. FIREBALL stayed in and advanced, swung two- and three-wide past midturn, couldn’t contend. AMERICAN REBEL tucked fifth, then was out third-over, gapped, was gaining again late. A REAL MIRACLE took back for a 3-tuck, on the move raw nearing the half, tired. SHANE ADAM didn’t have enough gate speed and had to take back to fourth at the ¼, then went second-over, empty by the ¾.

THIRTEENTH RACE – CLASSY HILL was four-wide leaving but quickly got to two-wide, made the lead not long past the 1/8, set the pace, under assault from several angles in the last quarter but held together gamely. BUSBOY HANOVER just got outside midturn and swung three-wide to headstretch, finished well to just miss. MOUNTAIN HIGH sat fourth-in, then could come all the way up the rail and right to the Pocono Pike, just failed. ITSONLYROCKNROLL A yielded for the two-hole, came outside past midturn, a half-step shy. OH K MAN gapped some, next in line. UNDERTAKER could move outside with cover past the 5/8, went three-wide ¾ and was kept out in the three-path by horses moving outside, flattened. REAL LUCKY N was never in contention. FERNADO was two-wide early, slid a tuck, then came out again raw 3/8 and challenged, tired before the ¾. BARGAIN SHOPPER was three-wide and looped, left outside, came wide off the first turn, got cover 3/8, but was done not long into the backstretch.

FOURTEENTH RACE – SUNSET BRAYDON made the lead then yielded just past the 1/8, looked to consider a quarter-move but stayed put, uncovered 5/8 and right by ¾, powerful drawing clear late. THISJETSABOOKIN made the top just after the 1/8, yielded to a brusher, got out behind the winner and retucked behind him on the turn, barely saved second over BEST TRICK EVER. The latter got underway at the ¾ and made up a lot of ground. BYE BYE JOHN never featured; nor did INTERNET HANOVER. WILSON’S VINNER quarter-moved, strung out the field to the ¾, then gave way.