Reigning Dan Patch awardee Warrawee Ubeaut became a millionaire, Adios champion Southwind Ozzi won his fifth consecutive local stakes race, and Millies Possesion completed a sweep as each captured a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) championship Saturday (Sept. 7) at the Meadows.
The Meadows hosted all four PASS finals for three-year-olds, each worth $253,000, as well as $50,000 consolations in each division. The results were a mix of the expected and the surprising. Warrawee Ubeaut, Southwind Ozzie and Millies Possession all scored as heavy favourites, but Capt Chaps Hanover sprang a 94-1 shocker in the Colt & Gelding Trot. Trainer Ron Burke snagged a pair of titles with Warrawee Ubeaut and Capt Chaps Hanover.
A look at each division:
$253,000 Championship – Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Warrawee Ubeaut showed a champion’s moxie as she found a seat briefly from post 8, moved to the point shortly thereafter and toyed with the field the rest of the way, scoring in 1:50. Treacherous Reign was second, beaten four-and-a-quarter lengths, with Philly Hanover third.
“She’s really figured it out now,” said winning driver Yannick Gingras of the daughter of Sweet Lou-Great Memories. “It took a little while, but she’s racing the horses, not herself. Between the three-eighths and the three-quarters, she relaxed on her own. That’s what makes the difference now.”
The win lifted her bankroll to $1,071,553, which Burke, who conditions her for Burke Racing Stable, Phillip Collura, J&T Silva-Purnell&Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, called a significant milestone — for Warrawee Ubeaut and Sweet Lou’s ownership syndicate.
“She’s the first Sweet Lou to go over $1 million; I’m sure there will be others, but she’s the first,” Burke said. “It’s been really tough. The sires stakes are tough in PA this year.”
He said Warrawee Ubeaut would next race in the Jugette at Delaware, Ohio.
$253,000 Championship — Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
Southwind Ozzi took the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids in 1:48, the second-fastest mile in the 53-year history of the event. But Saturday he faced millionaire Captain Crunch, last year’s divisional champ who was making his second start off a layoff of nearly a month.
But the Adios champ powered through as he moved uncovered from fourth for driver Brian Sears, wore down Captain Crunch in the lane and edged the rallying Captain Victorious by a head in 1:49.4. Wild Wild Western earned show in the Lightning Lane while Captain Crunch was fourth.
“He’s won that way before,” Sears said. “He’s a big horse with a big set of lungs. He can go a long way. I knew he was capable of doing it, and he got it done.”
Bill MacKenzie trains Southwind Ozzi, who now boasts career earnings of $515,263, for Vincent Ali, Jr. and Alma Iafelice.
$253,000 Championship — Three-Year-Old Filly Trot
Millies Possesion had not raced on the lead at the quarter in any of her 10 previous starts but lost only one of them. She employed the same methodical style in the championship.
Driver Dexter Dunn allowed the dust to settle before sending her to the lead, which she reached near three-eighths. She steadily lengthened her advantage, prevailing in 1:53.4, two-and-three-quarter lengths better than Grimmie Hanover, with Fade Into You third.
“Dexter knows her and is very patient with her,” said winning trainer Jim Campbell. “He had her in good position again this week. He’s been terrific with her all year. She’ll probably go to Lexington next. We’ll use that to prepare her for the Breeders Crown.”
Fashion Farms bred and owns the daughter of Possess The Will-Fashion Athena, who boosted her lifetime bankroll to $475,517. Millies Possession became the first 3-year-old filly in PASS recorded history to sweep all four preliminary legs and the championship.
$253,000 Championship – Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot
The situation for Capt Chaps Hanover seemed hopeless—trailing by six-and-a-half lengths at three-quarters, a wall of horses in front of him. But when the Lightning Lane magically opened, the Explosive Matter-Choose Happy gelding shot through for Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. to pull an upset in a career-best 1:54. Tempo-setter Marseille was second, three-quarter lengths back, while Ginger Tree Skyr completed the ticket.
“In the last turn, I was just hoping for a check,” Wrenn said. “I had a little trot, the inside just opened up, and there were a bunch of tired horses from the early fast pace. It surprised me that he was able to go by all of them. I couldn’t believe there were that many tired horses.”
Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and J&T Silva-Purnell&Libby campaign the winner, whose career earnings now stand at $218,806.
PASS NOTES: The fastest mile occurred in a consolation when Aflame Hanover took the event for three-year-old pacing colt & geldings in 1:49.1, breaking the stake record 1:49.3 set by Santastics Pan in 2014. Andrew McCarthy drove for trainer Linda Schadel, who owns the Russell Hanover-Applique Hanover with Tony Schadel. The other consolations went to Mass Fortune K, Trillions Hanover and Cloud Nine Fashion, who gave Campbell and Fashion Farms a PASS double.
(The Meadows)