Millies Possesion remained undefeated from five starts while The Ice Dutchess set a North American season’s record when winning their respective $30,000 divisions of Pennsylvania All-Stars for three-year-old trotting fillies Sunday night (June 9) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The Possess The Will–Fashion Athena filly Millies Possesion let the field settle past the :28.1 quarter, then moved to the lead for driver Dexter Dunn approaching the :57.2 half. Nearing a 1:26.1 third quarter, Millies Possesion let out a notch and cruised through a :28 last quarter to stop the clock 1:54.1 mile. She was one-and-a-half lengths ahead of Jezzys Legacy, with Navarone Hanover another length back while winning a photo for third from Beautiful Sin, the $480,000 yearling who had to go uncovered from beyond midpack.
Jim Campbell is the trainer of the developing filly, a three-time Sire Stakes winner this year for owner/breeder Fashion Farms LLC.
Earlier, the Muscle Hill–The Ice Queen filly The Ice Dutchess, a $320,000 yearling and a full sister to Ice Attraction, raised her 2019 scorecard to two wins in three starts by overcoming post eight with a 1:53.2 win for the divisional season’s mark.
Yannick Gingras moved steadily with the winner of $454,910 past a :28.2 quarter to gain the lead before the :57 half-mile marker. He then guided her home in successive :28.1 panels to a six-and-three-quarter length win over Swizzle Sticks. Trainer Nancy Johansson’s filly, one of the best in 2018, showed she’s ready for 2019’s best as well for owners Coyote Wynd Farms.
The season’s record broken by The Ice Dutchess had been set 36 minutes earlier when Personal Paradise lowered her lifetime mark over five seconds with a victory in 1:53.3. The Muscle Hill-Armbro Déjà Vu filly, a half-sister to Dejarmbro and a $265,000 yearling purchase, was sent as far as she could and as fast as she could by trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt. She posted scorching numbers of :27.1, :55, and 1:23.1 with an eight length lead at the stretch call. That lead, though, quickly shrank as Magical Beliefs led the late charge, but Personal Paradise kept trying after the exhausting tempo, retaining a half-length advantage over Magical Beliefs at the wire for the ownership of Melby Gard Inc.
Yannick Gingras picked up a second stakes sulky success behind the Muscle Hill-Platinum T filly Asiago, who won her division with a 1:55.3 mile. Gingras waited outside early with the double Sire Stakes winner, pressed on past the :28.2 first quarter to the lead and got a breather to a :58.3 midpoint. From there quarters of :28.3 and :28.2 were well within the capability of the $200,000 yearling, as Keystone Abbey tried to run her win streak to five but came up two-and-a-half lengths short of the in-hand winner, who is trained by Per Engblom for Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld, and Black Horse Racing.
The big claimers were all shifted to the Sunday card, and 18 horses changed hands for $366,500, bringing the local seasonal total over $4.5 million.
(with files from PHHA/Pocono)