Tell All, Southwind Lynx to square off

September 15, 2007

Two eight-horse eliminations will contest the $480,000 Little Brown Jug this coming Thursday at the Delaware, Ohio, County Fairgrounds. All of the major contenders were entered, including North America Cup Tell All, Meadowlands Pace champ Southwind Lynx, and Cane Pace victor Always A Virgin.

The field will be split into a pair of $76,800 eliminations, with the top four in each elim advancing to the $230,400 second heat final. If no horse has won two heats after the final, the three heat winners will return for a $96,000 race-off. The winner of the race-off receives the entire $96,000 purse. If a third heat is not needed, the winner of the second heat gets the $96,000.

The 16-horse field is the smallest in the Jug since only 14 entered the 1993 event, which was won in a memorable finish by Life Sign over Riyadh and Presidential Ball.

Heading up the first elimination will be My Desire Stable's Tell All. The Real Desire sophomore was a winner in the $1,410,000 North America Cup final and finished second in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace final. His 2007 slate shows eight wins in 16 trips to the post, with earnings of $1,152,507. Trained by Blair Burgess, Tell All has drawn post position three for driver Jody Jamieson and has been made the 2-1 morning line favorite.

Meadowlands Pace and Art Rooney Pace champion Southwind Lynx will be among the challengers in the first elimination, but he will have to overcome post position six.

"I was hoping for the rail," said trainer George Teague, Jr., "but my colt is pretty versatile. I think he's good enough to overcome the six hole. I trained him a few days ago and he is 100 percent. He's on his gait, but we need a little bit of racing luck."

The winner of $1,161,210 this year will have the driving services of Tim Tetrick, North America's leading driver in wins (861) and purse earnings ($12.7 million).

The second elimination is led by Always A Virgin. Owned by Bluewood Stable, Roll The Dice Stable, and Val D'Or Farms, the son of Western Ideal has won eight of his 12 starts this year with earnings of $511,843.

Always A Virgin won the first leg of the Triple Crown, the Cane Pace, on Labor Day at Freehold Raceway with a dominating 1:51.1 score. Trained by Joe Holloway, he will start from post position three with driver Brian Sears and has been made the 8-5 morning line favorite.

"The draw has evened out," said Holloway of his inside posts with both Fresh Deck (who got the rail in the first elimination) and Always A Virgin. Holloway said earlier this year that he had never drawn well in Delaware.

"I couldn't be more happy. Both of them trained very well this week," Holloway added. "They are in top form. Fresh Deck is good on a half-mile track, but he is a front-end horse. Always A Virgin is especially good on a half-mile track. He is perfect going into the Jug."

Leading the challengers in the second elim will be a pair of Mickey Burke trained colts, May June Character and Won The West. May June Character has won six of his 17 starts, with earnings of $243,222. He will score from post two with George Brennan in the sulky. Won The West, winner of the $165,000 Little Brown Jug Preview at Scioto Downs on September 8. will have the services of Greg Grismore and will leave from post six.

"These eliminations are really evenly divided," noted trainer Burke. "May June Character and Won The West are very competitive, but Always A Virgin is definitely the best in this elimination. This is the Jug, the draw and the trip means so much."

The complete 62nd Little Brown Jug field:

First elimination - Purse $76,800
Post - Horse - Driver - Morning Line
1. Fresh Deck - George Brennan - 4-1
2. Charley Barley - Mike Lachance - 10-1
3. Tell All - Jody Jamieson - 2-1
4. Artist's View - Yannick Gingras - 8-1
5. Watta Hotshot - Dave Palone - 6-1
6. Southwind Lynx - Tim Tetrick - 7/2
7. Ruff Me Up - Tim Tetrick - 15-1
8. Reserve Forces - Jody Jamieson - 20-1

Second elimination - $76,800
Post--Horse--Driver--Morning Line
1. Honky Tonk Hanover - Ron Pierce - 10-1
2. May June Character - George Brennan - 5/2
3. Always A Virgin - Brian Sears - 8/5
4. Kinetic Yankee - Andy Miller - 6-1
5. Casino King - Ron Pierce - 20-1
6. Won The West - Greg Grismore - 7-2
7. Hot Rod Mindale - George Brennan - 15-1
8. Tivoli Hanover - Ron Pierce - 8-1

(Little Brown Jug)

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