Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) today announced that 44 three-year-old pacers will be eligible to enter this year’s Pepsi North America Cup.

The final sustaining payment for Canada’s richest harness race was due May 15 and the connections of 44 three-year-old pacing colts and geldings selected to make the final payment.

The $1 million Pepsi North America Cup will take place on Saturday, June 17 at Mohawk Racetrack. The eliminations will take place a week prior on Saturday, June 10.

A total of 53 three-year-olds were eligible heading into the May 15 payment. Originally, 60 horses were nominated in February to this year’s Pepsi North America Cup.

The list of 44 eligible three-year-olds is headlined by Downbytheseaside and Huntsville.

The top two pacing colts heading into the season have both made noise early on in their three-year-old campaigns.

Brian Brown’s Downbytheseaside is two for two to start the season with comfortable victories in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) division and the elimination of the Art Rooney.

Huntsville, who won last year’s Dan Patch Award for his division, has also made two starts this season. The Ray Schnittker trainee won his three-year-old debut by a stunning ten lengths in a PASS division on May 6, before finishing second to Brown trainee and Cup eligible Fear The Dragon on May 21.

The list of eligible three-year-olds also includes Metro Pace winner Beyond Delight, Champlain division winner Ideal Wheel, New York Sires Stakes standout Miso Fast and Battle of Waterloo winner Sports Column.

This year’s Pepsi North America Cup will be the 34th edition and it promises to be the biggest. Admission to the Pepsi North America Cup, including concert featuring country star Kira Isabella, is $10 with tickets now available for purchase.

Below is the full list of eligible three-year-olds to this year’s Pepsi North America Cup.

AIR STRIKE
AMERICAN SPORTSMAN
ARSENAL SEELSTER

BEACH HOUSE
BECKHAMS Z TAM
BETTORS WESTERN
BEYOND DELIGHT
BLOOD LINE

CALVIN K
CLASSIC PRO

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

MAC ATTACK
MACS JACKPOT
MAJOR MOE
MC MACH
MISO FAST

NORMANDY BEACH

OCEAN COLONY
ODDS ON DELRAY
OZONE BLUE CHIP

PERFECTLY CLOSE
PHOTOBOMBR HANOVER

R J P
RICHARD HILL

SANTAFES COACH
SOME ATTITUDE
SPORTS COLUMN
STEALTH BOMBER
STREAKAVANA

THREE MORE SMILES
TWIN B COWBOY

WESTERN HILL
WHO SAID NOT TO

Sustaining Payment #3 - 44 horses
Sustaining Payment #2 – 53 horses
Sustaining Payment #1 – 56 horses
Nominated – 60 horses

(with files from WEG)