The Ice Dutchess & Millies Possesion take Crown elims

MILTON, ONT, October 19, 2019 – Sophomore trotting fillies launched the second night of Breeders Crown eliminations on Saturday evening at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

A group of 16 three-year-old trotting fillies were split into a pair of $32,500 (CAD) eliminations to determine the field for next Saturday’s (October 26) $600,000 final.

Yannick Gingras picked up where he left off a night earlier sending The Ice Dutchess to the front shortly past the quarter pole and rolling to an easy 1:53 score in the first elimination.

Grimmie Hanover left alertly to gain control into the opening bend for Corey Callahan with The Ice Dutchess getting looped initially and then driving forward. Grimmie Hanover cut the quarter in :28 1/5 but yielded to The Ice Dutchess in short order and then followed from a distant pocket. Evident Beauty, the 3-2 betting choice sat third and was patient past the half in :57 flat and it wasn't until midway on the final turn as The Ice Dutchess drew clear from Grimmie Hanover that David Miller sent Evident Beauty out on the offensive followed closely by Only Take Cash.

The Ice Dutchess passed three quarters in 1:24 3/5 and had a sizable advantage heading into the homestretch when Evident Beauty appeared to be closing the gap but in midstretch Evident Beauty made a miscue that she wouldn't recover from and Gingras sat idly in the bike and allowed his filly to march home in a :28 2/5 final quarter to complete the mile.

Only Take Cash was a solid closing second as Winndevie with Brian Sears made up a huge amount of ground in the late stretch to finish third. Early leader Grimmie Hanover held on for fourth while Seaside Bliss closed out the qualifiers from this division.

The Ice Dutchess is owned by Coyote Wynd Farms and trained by Nancy Johansson. It as the fifth win in 2019 for The Ice Dutchess who paid $8.80 for the win.

"Nancy (Johansson) has got her figured out. When she's on her game she can do it any way," Gingras said of The Ice Dutchess.

"We've had trouble getting her around this track," said Johansson. "I think we've found the right shoe combination."

Millies Possession and driver Dexter Dunn made a bold move on the backstretch to gain control and then easily held off Hambletonian Oaks champion When Dovescry in the stretch to post a 6-1 upset in the second elimination.

When Dovescry and driver Simon Allard left alertly from post two to gain control and managed to force a host of leavers into holes with Cambridge Kate taking a seat and Kentucky Futurity filly champion Beautiful Sin dropping in fourth before entering the first turn.

Millies Possession got away in fifth and after When Dovescry hit the quarter in :27 flat Dunn wasted little time and sent the homebred Millies Possession and a brisk backstretch bull rush that saw her take command well before the :56 1/5 opening half clocking.

Dunn kept Millies Possession engaged on the front end and had her hit three quarters in 1:24 as Ake Svanstedt and Beautiful Sin languished on the rim unable to make up ground on the leaders.

It was a two-filly race in the homestretch and Dunn kept Millies Possession to her task as When Dovescry angled and drifted out through the stretch but didn't make up ground. Sweet Chapter held her ground inside and finished third ahead of a solid closing Asiago with Miss Trixton gaining the final berth. Millies Possession trotted the mile in 1:53.

Millies Possession was a winner for the 11th time in 14 career starts all in 2019 for trainer Jim Campbell and owner Jules Siegel's Fashion Farm LLC.

"She's a great filly," said Dunn following the race. "She felt good when I warmed her up. That move down the backstretch was the best she's felt all year."

Millies Possession bounced back from her worst performance of the year, a seventh-place finish in the Kentucky Filly Futurity.

"She had a legitimate excuse," said Campbell for The Red Mile disappointment. "She scoped sick after the race. We got her back to New Jersey and on antibiotics and she bounced back."

The post positions for the $600,000 final were drawn following the eliminations. Elimination winners drew for post one through five.

1 The Ice Dutchess

2 Millies Possesion

3 Miss Trixton

4 Asiago

5 Sweet Chapter

6 When Dovescry

7 Winndevie

8 Grimmie Hanover

9 Seaside Bliss

10 Only Take Cash