With her star stablemate Venerable breaking stride in the final turn, Lilbitalexis stole the show in the first of two $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for two-year-old trotting fillies on Friday night (Oct. 22) at Meadowlands Racetrack.

The top five finishers will move on to next Friday's final. Elimination winners are rewarded with the opportunity to draw for posts one through five.

Driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Richard 'Nifty' Norman, Lilbitalexis was flushed from the pocket approaching the third quarter mark by the 1-5 favourite and eventual breaker Venerable (David Miller) then overtook the front-striding Selfie Queen (Scott Zeron) down the stretch to score in 1:53.3 by 1-3/4 lengths. The 9-5 second choice returned $5.60 to win.

Selfie Queen followed in second after leading through panels of :27.4, :56.2 and 1:25.1. Jaya Bae (Brian Sears), Brickhouse Babe (Mark MacDonald) and Ebbies Lady (Ake Svanstedt) rounded out the top five finish order.

Lilbitalexis, a Bluegrass Stakes winner earlier this month, is now seven-for-nine with earnings totalling $146,362.

"She's come along good," said Dunn. "She was a little tricky early -- she was a little feisty -- but she's learning to be a racehorse and she's just got really high speed."

The daughter of 2016 Breeders Crown champion Walner out of Jolie De Vie was a $105,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase for Pinske Stables and David Hoese. She was bred by Keith Clark of Foothills, Alta., Jeffery Ruch of Innisfil, Ont., and Daniel Phillips of Batavia, New York.

Another Walner filly, Raised By Lindy delivered as the even-money favourite in the second elimination, leading all the way to score in 1:54.4 with Yannick Gingras aboard for trainer Domenico Cecere.

After tracking the winner through panels of :29, :58.3 and 1:27.4, 6-5 second choice Joviality S (Brian Sears) popped the pocket turning for home with the advancing Delilah Hanover (Todd McCarthy) prompted to go three-wide. Joviality S finished 1-1/4 lengths behind Raised By Lindy, getting the nod in a photo finish with Jiggy Jog S (Ake Svansdtedt), who closed inside. Delilah Hanover finished back in fourth and Valentina Blu (Andy MCCarthy) secured the final spot in fifth.

Fresh off back-to-back Grand Circuit wins at The Red Mile, Raised By Lindy returned $4.20 to win as the bettors' choice.

The homebred Walner-Birthright filly has earned five wins from nine starts and more than $160,000 in purses so far in her young career for Lindy Farms Of Connecticut.

Here is a look at the field in post position order for next Friday's $600,000 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Trot:

$600,000 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Trot
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Valentina Blu - Andrew McCarthy - Tony Alagna
2. Selfie Queen - Scott Zeron - Nancy Takter)
3. Lilbitalexis - Dexter Dunn - Nifty Norman)
4. Delilah Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Nifty Norman
5. Raised By Lindy - Yannick Gingras - Domenico Cecere
6. Jiggy Jog S - Åke Svanstedt - Åke Svanstedt
7. Ebbies Lady - Åke Svanstedt - Åke Svanstedt
8. Brickhouse Babe - Mark MacDonald, Ray Schnittker
9. Jaya Bae - Brian Sears, Marcus Melander
10. Joviality S - Brian Sears - Marcus Melander
AE1. Palermo Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Noel Daley
AE2. Shestheluckyone - Simon Allard - Ron Burke

In the event any horse who earned a berth into a Breeders Crown final is forced to scratch, an also-eligible entrant may take their place.

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