by Greg Blanchard, media/communications, Woodbine Entertainment Group

Campbellville, ON — Tuesday’s post position draw for the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations was bittersweet for WEG’s leading driver Jody Jamieson.

When the sheet came out, he was listed on a pair of talented colts who unfortunately both drew into the same split. Reserve Forces, trained by his father Carl, and Tell All, handled by Blair Burgess, will start side by side from posts five and six, respectively, in the second C$50,000 elimination in race seven.

Jamieson opted to go with the Diplomat champion Tell All, but explains that the decision was a difficult one.

“It was absolutely the most disappointing thing I’ve had to do in a long time,” he says. “I didn’t like picking against Dad’s horse and it actually hurts to do it, but I think he understands why I did. I just think Tell All is a bit better at this point, but Reserve Forces is a top quality colt, too. It was a very, very difficult decision.”

Tell All, a son of Real Desire-Have No Secrets, is coming off a third place finish in his division of the Burlington Stakes last Saturday at Mohawk and Jamieson says he couldn’t have been happier with how the colt performed.

“Considering he hadn’t raced in three weeks and had the nine hole, I was really pleased with his effort,” says Jamieson. “He was coming a hundred at the end and I think he’s building up to his best race. He would have been a bit short last week, so I expect him to be even better this weekend and if we’re fortunate enough to make the final, he should be peaking for that.”

Tell All, who was unraced at 2, enters his elimination with a record of four wins and seven on-the-board finishes this season and just shy of $100,000 in earnings to his credit.

Burgess has been close a couple of times, but has never been able to win the North America Cup. He was second with Amity Chef (1986) and Frugal Gourmet (1987) as both colts lost narrowly in heartbreaking fashion. Burgess finished ninth in the 2001 Cup final with Real Desire.

Saturday’s Pepsi North America Cup eliminations will go as races four, seven and 10. First race post time is at 7:20 p.m.

For more information on this year’s Pepsi North America Cup, log on to www.northamericacup.com.