The Meadows: PA Sire Stakes Championships held for sophomores

Three favorites - Southwind Ozzi, Warrawee Ubeaut, and Millies Possesion - were joined by one massive longshot in 94-1 Capt Chaps Hanover as the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champions were crowned in the 3-year-old divisions in four $253,000 finals on Saturday afternoon at The Meadows.

Southwind Ozzi (Brian Sears) improved his career mark at The Meadows to five-for-five with a 1:49 4/5 win in the colt and gelding pace. The Adios winner landed in fourth and watched as Captain Crunch (Scott Zeron) led to a 26 3/5 opening quarter and a 55 second half, then went first-over and began to make up ground on the way to the 1:22 three-quarters.

Around the last turn Southwind Ozzi continued to chip into Captain Crunch's margin, and then he would overtake him in upper stretch. A second-over Captain Victorious (Yannick Gingras) fanned out three-wide in the lane and rallied strongly at Southwind Ozzi to the wire, but Southwind Ozzi held sway, winning by a head. Wild Wild Western sat a pocket trip and out-finished Captain Crunch for third.

“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.”

A Somebeachsomewhere colt, Southwind Ozzi is trained by Bill MacKenzie for owners Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice. Southwind Ozzi scored his eighth career victory, and he has now earned $515,263. The 2-5 favorite, he paid $2.80 to win.

Warrawee Ubeaut (Gingras) scored her third consecutive victory by taking the filly pace in 1:50. She worked her way into the lead past Treacherous Reign (Dexter Dunn) going to the 54 3/5 half, hit three-quarters in 1:22 2/5, and then drew away powerfully through the stretch drive to win by 4 1/4 lengths. Treacherous Reign held second, with Philly Hanover (Sears) third.

“She’s really figured it out now,” said Gingras. “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.”

Ron Burke trains Warrawee Ubeaut, a daughter of Sweet Lou, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Phil Collura, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. She made her 14th appearance in the winner's circle, and she has now pocketed $1,071,553. She was the 1-2 favorite and returned $3.00 to win.

“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.”

Millies Possesion (Dunn), the Hambletonian Oaks runner-up, won all four of her appearances in the preliminary legs of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and added the Championship to her haul from the Keystone State with a 1:53 4/5 mile in the filly trot. She took her time getting to the point, finally clearing Grimmie Hanover (Corey Callahan) on the way to the 57 1/5 half. Millies Possesion never really had an anxious moment after that, cruising through three-quarters in 1:25 and closing in 28 4/5 to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Grimmie Hanover. Fade Into You (Dave Palone) was up for 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.”

The victorious daughter of Possess The Will is trained by Campbell for owner/breeder Fashion Farms LLC. Unraced as a rookie, she has won ten times from 11 starts this year, and she has now banked $475,517. Dispatched at 1-5, Millies Possesion paid $2.40 to win.

Earl Beal Jr. Memorial winner Marseille (Ake Svanstedt) showed the way through panels of 27 2/5, 55 3/5, and 1:23 4/5 in the colt and gelding trot, but had to deal with outside challenges from Goes Down Smooth (Matt Kakaley) and then Osterc (Gingras). Those battles and the testing fractions softened him up, and taking advantage was Capt Chaps Hanover (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) as he stuck to the passing lane and rallied from ninth and last at three-quarters to win by three-parts of a length in 1:54. Marseille had to settle for second, with Ginger Tree Skyr (David Miller) gaining for third at 89-1.

“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.”

The second champion from the Burke barn, Capt Chaps Hanover is an Explosive Matter gelding owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC., Weaver Bruscemi LLC., Frank Baldachino, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby. Capt Chaps Hanover now has six lifetime triumphs, and he pushed his bankroll to $218,816. He returned $190.20 to win.

Consolation events, worth $50,000 each, were won by Aflame Hanover (colt and gelding pace) in 1:49 1/5 for driver Andy McCarthy, co-owner/trainer Linda Schadel, and co-owner Tony Schadel, Cloud Nine Fashion (filly trot) in 1:53 2/5 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and owner Fashion Farms LLC., Mass Fortune K (colt and gelding trot) in 1:54 1/5 for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Norm Parker, and owner/breeder Robert Key, and Trillions Hanover (filly pace) in 1:50 4/5 for driver David Miller, trainer Tom Fanning, and owners VIP Internet Stable LLC., Falcon Racing LLC., and Paul Lang.

--quotes courtesy of The Meadows--