By Kimberly Rinker for The USTA

Lexington, KY — Jody Jamieson gave Nat A Virgin a near-perfect steer to win the first of two $110,000 Glen Garnsey Memorial divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies in 1:50.3 against six rivals today at The Red Mile.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Nat A Virgin (5) was a 1:50.3 winner in the 1st of two Glen Garnsey Memorial divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday at The Red Mile.

Trained by co-owner Dustin Jones for William Jones, the daughter of Always A Virgin-Nat-A-Tat-Tat-Blissful Hall picked up her third win of the season in her sixth career start.

“This filly came a quarter in :25 here last year and she was very game here today,” Jamieson said. “I had to wrestle her a bit in the beginning as she was pretty aggressive, but she really came on strong in the lane.”

It Was Fascination (Scott Zeron) took the field to a :26.4 first panel and a :55.1 half, before Yannick Gingras pulled Gettingreadtoroll first-over, gaining steadily on the outside. Jamieson moved Nat A Virgin into the outer flow and just before the field hit the homestretch, had his filly three-wide with clear sailing on the outside. It looked like Gettingreadtoroll was going to pick up another victory, but Nat A Virgin had other ideas, as she swept by the hard-trying Uffizi Hanover (David Miller) and bested both fillies at the wire.

Nat A Virgin is the second of five foals out of her dam, and has a full sister in Vestal Virgin p, 3, 1:55.3s ($19,190) and in the 2-year-old colt Newbie p, Q1:57.4s.

Act Now went wire-to-wire in the second division of the $110,000 Glen Garnsey Memorial for 3-year-old pacing fillies, stopping the timer in 1:50.1 with Brian Sears at the lines.

The daughter of Western Idea is owned by Joseph Davino and Patrick O’Brien and is trained by Nick Drennan. It was her third victory of the season in nine starts and her sixth lifetime win.

“He took a shot because nobody was leaving,” trainer Drennan offered. “She really should have won her last six starts when she cleared and led and then just sort of gives it up down by the wire, so I was a bit concerned today, but she held on much better and did what she’s capable of doing.”

Sears sent Act Now right to the lead in the field of six, pacing easily through fractions of :28.1 and :55.1 with Allstar Rating (Yannick Gingras) in the two-hole, followed by Ali Blue (Brett Miller) and Precocious Beauty (Doug McNair). It wasn’t until the middle of the final turn that Precocious Beauty began to move, but the hard-striding filly on the front passed the 1:22.3 three-quarter marker still unchallenged. Act Now appeared game all the way to the wire, holding off Allstar Racing, with Precocious Beauty nailing third.

Act Now has $183,847 in season earnings and $374,106 in career earnings. As the second foal out of the Real Desire mare CPA, Act Now has full siblings in the 4-year-old mare Authorize p,3,1:50.3 ($385,425) and the 2-year-old filly Cashaway p,2,1:53.1f ($67,830).