More NA Cup Eligibles Emerge
Seven of the pacing colts that comprise the top 10 listed in the Trot Magazine 2017 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book have now made on-track appearances as sophomores.
As stakes season picks up and three-year-old pacers start to target Canadian harness racing's biggest prize, Trot Insider will track the contenders and eligibles as they prepare for the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup.
This year's edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup will take place on Saturday, June 17 at Mohawk Racetrack. The eliminations will be held a week prior.
For the past several years, Trot Magazine's Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book has served as an initial barometer for the colts and geldings that may be in the running for the sophomore pacing set's single biggest payday. As in past years, the Spring Book will appear in the April issue of Trot.
Here are the horses that have made the March 15 N.A. Cup nomination payment and have raced or are in-to-go as of April 23, 2017. Horses making debuts on this list appear in bold.
Air Strike -- last qualified on April 15 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:52.1
American Sportsman -- last qualified on April 22 at Pompano Park, finished first in 1:54.2
Arsenal Seelster -- last qualified on April 21 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:55.4
Beach House -- last raced on April 22 at The Meadows, finished second, individually timed in in 1:52.3
Beckhams Z Tam -- last raced on April 20 at Hoosier Park, finished first in 1:52.1 (two-for-two in 2017)
Bettors Western -- last qualified on April 19 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:57.1
Blood Line -- last qualified on April 22 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:53.1
Classic Pro -- last qualified on April 21 at Southern Oaks Training Center, finished first in 1:55.2
Clouseau Hanover -- last raced on April 20 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fifth, individually timed in 1:58
Darlings Dragon -- last qualified on April 22 at Pompano Park, finished first in 1:54.2
Dial The Bossman -- last qualified on April 22 at Red Shores Charlottetown, finished first in 1:56.1
Downbytheseaside -- last qualified on April 19 at Miami Valley Raceway, finished first in 1:53.1
Dragnet Alert -- last qualified on April 19 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished eighth after making a break
Eddard Hanover -- last qualified on April 18 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished second, individually timed in 1:55
Fear The Dragon -- last raced on April 21 at Hoosier Park, finished first in 1:51
Filibuster Hanover -- last qualified on April 11 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished first in 1:53.4
Henry The Dragon -- last raced on April 13 at Dover Downs, finished sixth after making a break
Huntsville -- last qualified on April 22 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:53.2
Lawrencetown Beach -- last raced on April 17 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished second, individually timed in 1:53.4
Lindythefourteenth -- last qualified on April 22 at Pompano Park, finished third, individually timed in 1:55
Mac Attack -- last qualified on April 22 at The Meadowlands, finished third, individually timed in 1:54.4
Macs Jackpot -- last raced on April 19 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished third, individually timed in 1:53.1; entered to race on April 26 at Philly
Major Moe -- last raced on April 21 at Hoosier Park, finished third, individually timed in 1:53.3
Miso Fast -- last qualified on April 18 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished first in 1:52.2
Normandy Beach -- last qualified on April 18 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished first in 1:53; entered to race on April 25 at Pocono
Ocean Colony -- last qualified on April 22 at The Meadowlands, finished second, individually timed in 1:52.3
Ozone Blue Chip -- last qualified on April 11 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished second, individually timed in 1:54.2; entered to race on April 23 at Philly
Perfectly Close -- last qualified on April 18 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished third, individually timed in 1:57
Photobomber Hanover -- last qualified on April 19 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished third, individually timed in 1:55.4
Rock It Scott -- last raced on April 15 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:53.3; entered to race on April 23 at Pocono
Rock This Way -- last qualified on April 21 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:59
Santafes Coach -- last qualified on April 12 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished first in 1:55.1; entered to race on April 23 at Pocono
Sports Column -- last qualified on April 21 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:54.3
Stealth Bomber -- last raced on April 20 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:53
Talbot Romeo -- last raced on February 23 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished first in 1:52.3
Twin B Cowboy -- last qualified on April 21 at Southern Oaks Training Center, finished first in 1:56.2
Windsong Napoleon -- last qualified on April 21 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished sixth, individually timed in 1:57.2
Young Drunk Punk -- last qualified on April 19 at Miami Valley Raceway, finished fourth after making a break
The next sustaining payment for the Pepsi North America Cup is due April 15. The fee is $1,000 CAD or $715 USD.
Below is the list of current eligible three-year-old pacers to the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup as of the March 15 payment.
AIR STRIKE
AMERICAN SPORTSMAN
ARSENAL SEELSTER
ART SCENE
BEACH HOUSE
BECKHAMS Z TAM
BETTORS DREAM
BETTORS WESTERN
BEYOND DELIGHT
BLOOD LINE
CALVIN K
CLASSIC PRO
CLOUSEAU HANOVER
DARLINGS DRAGON
DIAL THE BOSSMAN
DOWNBYTHESEASIDE
DRAGNET ALERT
EDDARD HANOVER
FEAR THE DRAGON
FILIBUSTER HANOVER
HENRY THE DRAGON
HUNTSVILLE
HURRICANE BEACH
IDEAL WHEEL
LAWRENCETOWN BEACH
LINDYTHEFOURTEENTH
LYONS WELSH PRIDE
LYONS WILLIAM
MAC ATTACK
MACS JACKPOT
MAJOR MOE
MC MACH
MISO FAST
MR VARSITY
NORMANDY BEACH
OCEAN COLONY
ODDS ON DELRAY
OZONE BLUE CHIP
PERFECTLY CLOSE
PHOTOBOMBR HANOVER
R J P
RICHARD HILL
ROCK IT SCOTT
ROCK THIS WAY
SANTAFES COACH
SOME ATTITUDE
SPORTS COLUMN
STEALTH BOMBER
STREAKAVANA
TALBOT ROMEO
THREE MORE SMILES
TWIN B COWBOY
WESTERN HILL
WHO SAID NOT TO
WINDSONG NAPOLEON
YOUNG DRUNK PUNK
(Photo, clockwise from top left: Beckhams Z Tam (Linscott Photography); Fear The Dragon (Chris Gooden); Ocean Colony (New Image Media))