Pocono: Millies Possesion stays undefeated with another PA Sire Stakes score

In wet weather and over a worsening surface Sunday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Millies Possesion remained undefeated in her career and after three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminaries for 3-year-old trotting fillies, triumphing in one of three $55,168 PaSS divisions.

Millies Possesion showed a great deal of fortitude in her 1:56 3/5 tally. She tucked fourth before the 29 second quarter, then looked to make a quarter move for driver Dexter Dunn but was beaten to the punch by Firedbylindie, who moved from third to take the field to the half in 59 2/5. Dunn had the winning daughter of Possess The Will going again uncovered by the five-eighths and up to challenge by the 1:28 2/5 three-quarters, with $480,000 yearling, seasonal debutante, and race favorite Beautiful Sin on her back.

Through the stretch Millies Possesion showed her talent, closing into a 28 1/5 last quarter in the muck to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Beautiful Sin, who was moving very well late; she in turn was a length ahead of Firedbylindie. Now perfect after four career starts, all this year, Millies Possesion is trained by Jim Campbell and pushed her bankroll to $76,184 for Fashion Farms LLC.

Driver George Napolitano Jr.’s Sire Stakes win was in signature front-end fashion with the Muscle Hill filly Asiago, who now has two wins and a close fourth in the PaSS after this 1:55 2/5 triumph. Fractions of 29 1/5, 58 2/5, and 1:27 were posted by Asiago, with pocket-sitting Fade Into You trying to rally but falling short by 1 1/4 lengths, with The Ice Dutchess, $320,000 yearling, seasonal debutante, tough customer in 2018, and race favorite, coming third-over from last and moving strongly late to be another three-parts of a length back. Per Engblom conditions Asiago, a winner of $163,626, for Marvin Katz, Sam Goldband, Al Libfeld, and Black Horse Racing.

A sweep of second choices in the Sire Stakes was completed by the Explosive Matter miss Nomo Volo, who notched her first seasonal tally in 1:56. Trainer/driver Jeff Gregory had Nomo Volo in front at every pole, with fractions of 27 4/5, 58 3/5, and 1:27 1/5 preceding the neck victory over Navarone Hanover, last year’s Stallion Series champion; favorite Swizzle Sticks had to make two moves and wound up fifth. Nomo Volo now has lifetime earnings of $129,937 for Jesmeral Stable. Morning line favorite Sonnet Grace was scratched sick.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--