Trained by Blair Burgess and driven by Jody Jamieson, Real Desire colt Tell All won the Little Brown Jug Thursday afternoon in straight heats at the Delaware County Fairgrounds in Ohio courtesy of a wire-to-wire performance in 1:52 flat.
"This horse was just unbelievable today," said an elated Jamieson from the winner's circle, who was celebrating his first Jug victory. "I watched Mark [Mark MacDonald with Mr Feelgood] do it last year and there's no feeling like it. We drove home together last year, and I'm sorry he's not here tonight, I know he wanted to be.
"Last night was one of the hardest nights of my life because I went to the Delaware Inn and I was drinking water all night, I wanted to be sharp for today."
And sharp Jamieson was, as he steered the My Desire Stable-owned colt to the victory in front of a jammed, 51,000-strong crowd at the Delaware half-miler.
After starting with the advantageous rail spot, Tell All left from the inside and recorded the fractions in :27, :56.2 and 1:24.4. Always A Virgin took a two-hole trip throughout the final, but was unable to capitalize. Hot Rod Mindale posed a threat on the outside, but wasn't able to get up on the 2007 North America Cup winner.
Hot Rod Mindale (David Miller) finished second and Always A Virgin (Brian Sears) finished third.Won The West (Greg Grismore) finished fourth and millionaire Southwind Lynx (Tim Tetrick) fifth. Southwind Lynx had made a quick bobble in the opening quarter, but Tetrick quickly got him pacing again.
"I want to thank Blair Burgess and his family for believing in the pedigree, buying the colt, not racing him at two and babying him," said Myron Bell of Brittany Farms, part of the My Desire Stable. "Now, here we are in the Little Brown Jug winner's circle. We're back to back and that's hard to believe."
The My Desire Stable consists of Brittany Farms, Robert Burgess, Leah Cheverie, John Fodera, Martha and Milton Frank, Mac Nichol and Karin Olsson Burgess. Fodera and the connections of Brittany Farms were also in the Jug winner's circle last year after Ontario-bred Mr Feelgood set all types of records in his 2006 win.
The Jug win was without a doubt a thrill for trainer Blair Burgess, who has been denied victory three previous times. He was second in 1986 with Amity Chef, second in 2001 with Real Desire and third last year with Armbro Deuce.