Tell All, Always A Virgin take LBJ eliminations

September 20, 2007

Favorites Tell All and Always A Virgin won their respective $76,600 Little Brown Jug eliminations Thursday afternoon at the Delaware, Ohio fairgrounds, setting the stage for a final showdown in the second heat.

Tell All came up first-over at the half but was steadied a bit in the turn by driver Jody Jamieson as he moved forward toward the leading Southwind Lynx, who had been fired out of the gate from post six by driver Tim Tetrick. Tell All raced first-over the rest of the route, and Jamieson said he pulled his charge's ear plugs in the last turn to keep his charge's mind on business.

Down the stretch Tell All was able to draw away to a 1 1/4-length win in 1:50.3, with Southwind Lynx holding for second. Artist's View, who had followed he cover of Tell All for driver Yannick Gingras took third. Charley Barley, who won last year's Breeders Crown, was fourth to earn the final spot to advance to the final.

"Huge effort. I would have liked to be second-over, but first-over wasn't that bad," said Jamieson. "He is tired, pretty well spent, but he will come back."

Blair Burgess trains the winning son of Real Desire for owners My Desire Stable. The win was his ninth in 17 starts this year.

Brian Sears let things settle down heading into the first turn in the second elim before moving Always A Virgin to the lead, taking the front-end spot from the Andy Miller-driven Kinetic Yankee. Always A Virgin set fractions of :26.3, :54.4 and 1:23.2 as he then kept May June Character, directed by George Brennan, parked first-over.

Around the final turn May June Character began to tire a bit, and it was there that Greg Grismore swung three wide with the second-over Won The West. But Always A Virgin kicked in a final quarter of :27.4 to win by two lengths in 1:51.1 over Hot Rod Mindale, who was third-over. Won The West was third with May June Character holding on for fourth.

Joe Holloway trains the winner for owners Bluewood Stable, Roll The Dice Stable and Val D'Or Farms. The win was the son of Western Ideal's sixth in a row after making a break in the Meadowlands Pace.

Here are the post positions for the second heat, which is scheduled for approximately 5:50 p.m. as the 20th race of the afternoon (14th race on the late card):

1 Tell All

2 Always A Virgin

3 Hot Rod Mindale

4 Southwind Lynx

5 Artist's View

6 Won The West

7 May June Character

8 Charley Barley

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