All eyes will be on racing action from Woodbine Mohawk Park this weekend as the eliminations for the Pepsi North America Cup, Fan Hanover, Roses Are Red and Goodtimes set the stage for next Saturday’s blockbuster card.

As reported on Tuesday, the 43rd edition of the Pepsi North America Cup (Grade 1) for three-year-old pacers has attracted 16 entrants, split into eight-horse elims, including undefeated superstar Beau Jangles.

The pair of $50,000 eliminations are set for this Saturday (June 6) at Woodbine Mohawk Park to determine the field for the G1 Pepsi North America Cup. The top five finishers will advance to the $1 million final on Saturday, June 13.

On Wednesday morning, updated driving assignments were finalized for the N.A. Cup elims. Of note, Dexter Dunn selected Brandon Blvd over Odds On Mr Mamba in the contentious second elim, with James MacDonald getting the call on the Indiana-bred world record holder.

The fields for this year’s Cup eliminations with odds and updated drivers are listed below in post position order.

$50,000 Pepsi North America Cup Elimination #1 — Race 7; 9:12 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Superchamp Hanover - Jason Bartlett - Travis Alexander - 10-1
2. Windor - Dexter Dunn - Michiel Vanderkemp - 10-1
3. Azrael Blue Chip - Andrew McCarthy - Besim Odza - 8-1
4. Lindy Dragonwater - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 6-1
5. Al Papi - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 7-2
6. Sweet Lovin Lou - James MacDonald - Dan Lagace - 9-5
7. No Waitlist - Doug McNair - Blake MacIntosh - 5-1
8. Wholetthedogsout - Mark MacDonald - John Pentland - 10-1

$50,000 Pepsi North America Cup Elimination #2 — Race 9; 10 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Gentlemans Club - Andrew McCarthy - Aaron Lambert - 15-1
2. Redland Rocket Man - Louis-Philippe Roy - John Pentland - 20-1
3. Melillo - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. -  Ron Burke - 10-1
4. Odds On Mr Mamba - James MacDonald - Melanie Wrenn - 7-2
5. Ubrute - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 20-1
6. Talbot Andretti - Jason Bartlett - Jake Leamon - 20-1
7. Beau Jangles - Bob McClure - Dr. Ian Moore - 4-5
8. Brandon Blvd - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris - 3-1

Three-year-old trotters will kick off the stakes elim smorgasbord on Friday, June 5 with nine-horse fields in two $30,000 eliminations of the Goodtimes. The first division is shaping up as a clash between O'Brien Award recipient Strobe Lite and Dexter Cup winner Magic Punk. Strobe Lite, an Alarm Detector-Shine Bright gelding, was an Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Super Final champion at two and finished third in the William Wellwood Memorial. He is one-for-three this campaign for trainer Ben Baillargeon and comes in off a place effort in the first OSS Gold leg, timed in 1:53.1. He has post two with driver James MacDonald at the lines. His main threat looks to be Magic Punk, runner up in last year’s Wellwood and winner of the Dexter Cup on May 2 at The Meadowlands. The Ake Svanstedt trainee kicked home to a 1:53.1 victory in that Grade 3 event to kick off his three-year-old year. The Wishing Stone-I D Entity No colt will start from post seven with Yannick Gingras in the bike on Friday.

The second elimination features a varied group, with established stakes horses mixing it up with up-and-comers. A member of the former group is Touchedbyanangel, who downed Strobe Lite in the first Gold leg on May 24. The gelded son of Archangel-Rubys Are Nice took a mark of 1:53 and will aim to reach the final and add a second Grand Circuit win to his Champlain Stakes score from last season. He has post seven with Doug McNair at the controls for trainer Duane Marfisi. Exactly leads the rising stars after delivering a 1:52.2 victory against a group that included older foes on May 25 at Mohawk. The clocking gives the son of Bar Hopping-Gracefilly Hanover the fastest mark of the field, and the gelding will aim to parlay that into a third consecutive victory on Friday. James MacDonald gets the call once again from trainer Steve Bossence.

The fields for the Goodtimes elims are below.

$30,000 Goodtimes Elimination #1 — Race 4 Friday; 7:52 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Midwind Chimp - Doug McNair - Marcus Melander - 8-1
2. Strobe Lite - James MacDonald - Ben Baillargeon - 5-2
3. Mass Deployment - Tyler Borth - Rene Dion - 15-1
4. I Am - Trevor Henry - Herb Holland - 10-1
5. Wolfpack Crown - Louis-Philippe Roy - Tyler Moore - 10-1
6. Greenarrow Hanover - Bob McClure - Shawn Steacy - 15-1
7. Magic Punk - Yannick Gingras - Ake Svanstedt - 9-5
8. Land The Plane - Jody Jamieson - Carl Jamieson - 6-1
9. Mike Me Up - Travis Henry - Duane Marfisi - 15-1

$30,000 Goodtimes Elimination #2 — Race 6 Friday; 8:38 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Classified - Louis-Philippe Roy - Matt Bax - 15-1
2. Exactly - James MacDonald - Steve Bossence - 8-5
3. Neighver Punt - Yannick Gingras - Marcus Melander - 5-1
4. Another Great Mass - Trevor Henry - Ed Peconi - 10-1
5. Felix Hanover - Tyler Borth - Ben Baillargeon - 15-1
6. Royal Captain - Tyler Jones - Dustin Jones - 6-1
7. Touchedbyanangel - Doug McNair - Duane Marfisi - 3-1
8. Dream For Peace - Mark MacDonald - Shawn Steacy - 8-1
9. Captain Nathan - Scott Young - Jessica Hayter - 15-1

With 21 three-year-old pacing fillies entered, the Fan Hanover required three $35,000 splits, with the first kicking off Saturday's stakes eliminations and the third featuring last year's divisional champions.

O’Brien Award winner A Clean Deal will face off with Loua Dipa, the fastest two-year-old filly of all time, in the third split. A Clean Deal, who went six-for-seven as a rookie and won her OSS Super Final, is perfect in three starts this year, including the SBOA Stakes. The daughter of Cattlewash-Ideal Talker, coming off a 1:52.1 win in an OSS Gold leg, will start from post four with Doug McNair aboard for trainer Marfisi. Loua Dipa was a narrow second in her sophomore debut on May 1, but the Ron Burke-trained filly then uncorked a sharp 1:54 qualifying mile over a sloppy Meadows track on May 20 in a tightener for this elimination. The daughter of Sweet Lou-Looksgoodinaromper won the Breeders Crown and Shes A Great Lady at Mohawk at two and set a world record for a rookie pacing filly as she scorched The Red Mile in 1:48, all of which contributed to her receiving divisional Dan Patch honours. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. will see the champion away from post five. The field also includes Shes A Bulldog, winner of the Grade 1 Three Diamonds in 1:51.1 at The Meadowlands last year, and Daya, fresh off a first-leg OSS Gold win in 1:52.4.

The second Fan Hanover elimination features the undefeated Be Perfect Bg. The Tony Beaton-trained filly is now a double New Jersey Sire Stakes champion after completing a sweep of the Platinum Series at The Meadowlands on May 23; she took a mark of 1:50 in the first preliminary round. The daughter of Perfect Sting-Jk Mardi Says brings an eight-for-eight career record into the elimination, in which she will have Dexter Dunn for company from post six. Easy Station is also three-for-three as a sophomore and will aim for her fifth straight win with Doug McNair aboard for trainer Marfisi from the inside draw. Gala, a Kentucky Sire Stakes series winner last season, departs from post two for Todd McCarthy following a win and a second against older mares in Pennsylvania to start her season for trainer Andrew Harris.

Topville Lucky was off the mark in her seasonal debut for trainer Harris, but the Sweet Lou-Warrawee Winx filly looked as sharp as ever when winning a qualifier in 1:51 at The Meadowlands on May 22 in preparation for Saturday’s first elimination. She won the Kentucky Championship Series, Bluegrass Stakes and International Stallion Stakes as a two-year-old, the latter in 1:49.1, and takes the first step to adding the Fan Hanover to her resume as she starts from post two for Dunn. Her company includes last year’s Eternal Camnation winner Jen Tilly, who was second to Daya in an OSS Gold on May 23 for trainer Scott McEneny, and Lavender Seelster, who took a mark of 1:51.2 at Mohawk on May 15 and finished third to A Clean Deal last out. Louis-Philippe Roy will drive for trainer Dr. Ian Moore.

The fields for the Fan Hanover eliminations are below.

$35,000 Fan Hanover Elimination #1 — Race 2 Saturday; 7:13 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. My Girl Friday - Jason Bartlett - Tony Beaton - 10-1
2. Topville Lucky - Dexter Dunn - Andrew Harris - 3-5
3. Perfect Thought - James MacDonald - Harry Poulton - 9-2
4. Seaside Charm - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 10-1
5. Pownal Bay Bobbi - Doug McNair - Duane Marfisi - 15-1
6. Lavender Seelster - Louis-Philippe Roy - Dr. Ian Moore - 8-1
7. Jen Tilly - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Scott McEneny - 15-1

$35,000 Fan Hanover Elimination #2 — Race 4 Saturday; 8 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Easy Station - Doug McNair - Duane Marfisi - 4-1
2. Gala - Jason Bartlett - Andrew Harris - 9-2
3. P N G Shadow - Mark MacDonald - Dr. Ian Moore - 10-1
4. Sangria Summer - Louis-Philippe Roy - Luc Blais - 8-1
5. Twin B Fierce - James MacDonald - Gregg McNair - 15-1
6. Be Perfect Bg - Dexter Dunn - Tony Beaton - 4-5
7. Shacarri - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 15-1

$35,000 Fan Hanover Elimination #3 — Race 6 Saturday; 8:48 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Daya - Jody Jamieson - Jack Darling - 8-1
2. Shes A Bulldog - Dexter Dunn - Scott McEneny - 5-2
3. Naughty Beauty - Jason Bartlett - Andrew Harris - 20-1
4. A Clean Deal - Doug McNair - Duane Marfisi - 9-5
5. Loua Dipa - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 6-5
6. Hunting Memories - Tyler Borth - Jason Libby - 20-1
7. Fabulous Hanover - Louis-Philippe Roy - Nancy Takter - 15-1

Miki And Minnie and Twin B Joe Fresh, two of the sport’s biggest distaff pacing stars of the past two seasons, have drawn into separate $35,000 eliminations for the Roses Are Red.

Back-to-back divisional Dan Patch Award recipient Miki And Minnie will aim to rebound in the second split after starting her four-year-old season with a show finish in the Betsy Ross at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The daughter of Always B Miki-Thats The Ticket won the Fan Hanover on North America Cup night last year as part of a dominant Grand Circuit campaign. She also won the Breeders Crown (in a dead heat), FanDuel Championship, Shady Daisy, Lynch Memorial and Silverman Memorial and earned north of $1.5 million. James MacDonald will take the place of regular reinsman Dexter Dunn and pilot the Chris Ryder pupil out of post five. She will reacquaint herself with The Last Martini for the first time since sharing the winner’s circle with her following last year’s Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace. The Last Martini is yet to hit the board in three 2025 starts, all in the Kentucky Sire Stakes at Oak Grove, finishing fourth twice and breaking stride last out. Also in the group are local Open competitors Talk Curdy To Me and Absolution, as well as Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series leg winner Aardie B Miki N.

Twin B Joe Fresh takes on a talented group of open pacing mares as the 2024 U.S. Horse of the Year makes her first start at six in the first elimination. The daughter of Roll With Joe-Fresh Breeze rides a three-race winning streak — she won the Milton Stakes, Dayton Distaff Derby and Allerage last year before being scratched out of the Breeders Crown. Another barn star for Chris Ryder, Twin B Joe Fresh sharpened with a winning 1:51.2 qualifier at The Meadowlands on May 22. Dunn will line the mare up in slot four. Two spots to her inside is reigning Breeders Crown champion Always B Naughty, who has won Opens at Oak Grove and Scioto in her past two starts, the latter in 1:49. The six-year-old Todd Luther-trained daughter of Always B Miki-Ooh Shesa Badlands has Austin Hanners in the sulky. Louies Girl N, a newcomer onto the scene, starts from the inside with Jason Bartlett aboard for trainer Per Engblom. She won four preliminary legs of the Ursula McIntyre and slayed Miki And Minnie in the Betsy Ross, clocking a career-best 1:48.4 mile. Joining them are 2025 Jugette winner Rodeo Drive Deo and last week's Forest City Pace winner Grit N Grace.

The fields for the Roses Are Red eliminations are below.

$35,000 Roses Are Red Elimination #1 — Race 8 Saturday; 9:36 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Louies Girl N - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom - 6-5
2. Always B Naughty - Austin Hanners - Todd Luther - 5-1
3. Simply The Best - Louis-Philippe Roy - Dave Menary - 20-1
4. Twin B Joe Fresh - Dexter Dunn - Chris Ryder - 4-5
5. Rodeo Drive Deo - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 15-1
6. Grit N Grace - Jody Jamieson - Mike Kwietniowski - 20-1
7. Always Dawn - Tyler Borth - Kevin Benn - 20-1

$35,000 Roses Are Red Elimination #2 — Race 10 Saturday; 10:24 p.m.
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer - Odds
1. Skywalker Sea - Austin Hanners - Todd Luther - 7-2
2. The Last Martini - Doug McNair - Jared Bako - 3-1
3. Ballast - Yannick Gingras - Travis Alexander - 15-1
4. Talk Curdy To Me - Louis-Philippe Roy - Dave Menary - 10-1
5. Miki And Minnie - James MacDonald - Chris Ryder - 7-5
6. Absolution - Trevor Henry - Jack Moiseyev- 15-1
7. Aardie B Miki N - Jason Bartlett - Per Engblom - 5-1

The $215,000 Armbro Flight received 11 entrants and will proceed right to the final on North America Cup night. The field of trotting mares includes Dan Patch Award winner Yo Tillie, O’Brien Award winner Stormont Beautiful and defending Breeders Crown champion Warrawee Michelle, making her seasonal bow. The full field (in alphabetical order) is below.

• Bourbonista S
• Bravo Angel S
• Champagne Problems
• Dial Square S
• Kadiddle
• Miracle Maven
• Monalishi
• Nelsonbriteagle No
• Stormont Beautiful
• Warrawee Michelle
• Yo Tillie

To view Friday’s harness racing entries, click one of the following links: Friday Entries || Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).

To view Saturday’s harness racing entries, click one of the following links: Saturday Entries || Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).

(Standardbred Canada)