The inaugural edition of the Upper Canada Cup has attracted 21 Ontario-sired sophomore pacing colts and geldings, and they’ll do battle in a trio of $25,000 eliminations
on Saturday evening in Innisfill, Ontario.
Trail Boss and Fast Pay, who won their respective 2009 debuts at Mohawk Racetrack on May 4, figure to plenty of pari-mutuel support in the opening elimination.
Team McNair watched Trail Boss blaze to a career-best clocking of 1:51.4 in his first start of the season. The son of Apaches Fame enters the tilt with more than $267,000 in career earnings, thanks in large part to his victory in last year’s $300,000 Battle Of Waterloo at Grand River Raceway.
Fast Pay, who finished off his rookie campaign with a win in the $60,000 OSS Grassroots Final, enters Saturday’s assignment fresh off a 1:51.3 score in his first start off the bench for trainer Dave Menary. The son of Western Terror has banked close to $70,000 in his career.
In the second elimination, Oscar Oscar will try to right the ship after suffering his first career loss for the tandem of trainer Tracy Brainard and driver Mark MacDonald. The photogenic son of Western Terror started his career 5-for-5 before making a break and finishing sixth. Georgian Downs has reported that after Oscar Oscar's solid start to the 2009 racing season, his connections coughed up a $30,000 penalty fee to make the pacer eligible to the UCC at the last minute.
Millionaire Cam, who kick started his sophomore campaign with a 1:55.2 victory at Mohawk Racetrack in an Open event for three-year-olds, will line up on the gate with six other rivals in the third elimination for the duo of trainer Tony O’Sullivan and driver Jody Jamieson.
The son of Million Dollar Cam, who went 3-1-0 in six starts last season, will look to add to his $140,840 bankroll for owner/breeder Jeffrey Snyder of New York, NY.
The top three finishers from each of Saturday’s eliminations will return to Georgian Downs on Saturday, May 23 for the $480,000 Upper Canada Cup.
To view Saturday’s entries, click here.