Crown showdowns on tap for 3 year olds

November 17, 2007

Always A Virgin and Tell All continued their battle for divisional honors as each won his elimination for the $550,000 Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Colt Pace Saturday night at the Meadowlands.

With Brian Sears at the lines, Always A Virgin hustled to the lead down the backstretch and held off Southwind Lynx by a half-length to take the first of the two elims in 1:51.1. Ohio invader Won The West rallied for third. Golden Seven and Running Book also moved on to the final from the first elim.

Always A Virgin, trained by Joe Holloway, counts the Messenger, Cane Pace, New Jersey Classic and Oliver Wendell Holmes among his accomplishments this season. He has now won 13 of 19 races this season.

In the second elim, Tell All dug in gamely to hold off Watta Hotshot by a head in 1:50.4. Driven by Jody Jamieson and trained by Blair Burgess, Tell All has now won 18 of 21 starts, including the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug.

Southwind Tempo and Hana Hanover continued their reign as the top two of the sophomore class in the first of two elims for the $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace. Southwind Tempo drafted behind Hana Hanover well into the stretch before popping out of the pocket and blowing by in 1:51.3. Driver and co-owner Toby Lynch steered Southwind Tempo to her 16th win in 20 starts this season.

Me And My Baby, Little Miss Dragon and Art�s Fantasy also advanced to next week�s final.

In the second elim for filly pacers, Artcotic and Sears nailed the pacesetter Real Velocity at the wire in 1:51.4. The George Teague Jr. trainee has hit the board in eight of 18 starts this season. Mind Boggling and Elusive Prey also advanced as the respective third and fourth-place finishers.

Captiva Island and Lady Mattgalane finished in a dead heat for fifth; a ruling on which filly will advance to next week�s final will be made prior to Tuesday�s draw.

Falls For You and Michelle�s Angel were victorious in their elims for the $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Trot.

Driven by Sears and trained by Trond Smedshammer, Falls For You upset the favored Pampered Princess by a half-length in 1:54.3. Southwind Serena nailed the show spot. The ultra-consistent Falls For You has hit the board in 11 of 15 starts this season and counts the Kentucky Futurity for fillies among her eight victories.

Michelle�s Angel was an impressive wire-to-wire winner in the second elim for Sears and trainer Richard Norman. She rolled to a length victory over Apecs in 1:54.2. Vulcanize held third after being caught first-over.

Sing Me To Sleep, Wishful Me, Danae and Loch Katrine also moved on to the 3YO Filly Trot.

Post positions for all four Breeders Crown 3YO Championships will be drawn on Tuesday afternoon.

All eight championship finals � worth a combined $4.7 million � will be contested next Saturday, Nov. 24, at the Meadowlands. (Meadowlands)

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