Well Said, the Western Hanover colt which concluded his freshman campaign by capturing the Breeders Crown, has been installed as the 6-1 favourite in Trot Magazine's 2009 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book

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The $240,000 yearling purchase made 12 starts at two for trainer Steve Elliott, compiling a slate of 4-4-1, $601,127 in purses and a mark of 1:51, taken in the $700,000 Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

"There are no ifs, ands or buts about him -- he's the real deal," the colt's regular pilot, Ron Pierce, told Trot Insider. "He's an extremely sharp horse that's wicked fast. You look at him and just say 'wow.'"

Well Said finished a close fourth in Mohawk Racetrack's $1 million Metro Pace and recorded a dominant off-the-pace effort a week later in a division of the Champlain Stakes, stopping the teletimer in 1:52.2.

According to Pierce, an early season race at Pocono threw Well Said behind the eight ball for the rest of the campaign.

"We were racing at Pocono in the Reynolds and I didn't realize it, but the colt threw a shoe really early," Pierce explained to Trot Insider. "He made a break early and I couldn't figure out why. He made breaks later in the mile also. I was baffled because I knew that the colt was going into the race in great shape. If I knew he had thrown a shoe, I would've pulled him up.

"The colt's foot was in bad shape after that, and it was an issue that he dealt with for quite some time the rest of his season. By the time the end of the year rolled around he was sharp. He just jogged in the Breeders Crown."

Pierce told Trot Insider that he has been in touch with Elliott and co-owner Jeff Snyder this spring regarding the colt and all reports are good.

"I've been told that he's come back and has been training down super," Pierce said.

The 2009 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book is featured in Trot Magazine's April 2009 edition, the Horseplayer's Issue, which should be arriving in mailboxes.

The top 10 horses in the '09 NA Cup Spring Book are listed below.

Rank - Horse - Odds

1 - Well Said - 6-1
2 - Art Colony - 7-1
3 - Major In Art - 10-1
4 - Dial Or Nodial - 11-1
5 - Sheer Desire - 12-1
6 - Nebupanezzar - 18-1
7 - Captain Sir - 20-1
8 - Carnivore - 22-1
9 - Annieswesterncard - 24-1
10 - Schoolkids - 25-1