The local harness racing community is heralding the return of the sport to Mohawk Racetrack after nearly seven months at Woodbine Racetrack

.

It's easy to see why, as much of the horse population is based at the Campbellville, Ont. facility.

But, Mohawk's 115-day meet, which kicks off Thursday night, is also host to some of the continent's biggest races and big money is on the line.

The most anticipated event on the stakes calendar is the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, featuring the finest three-year-old pacers, set for June 27.

"That's the one," says Scott McKelvie, the Woodbine Entertainment Group's standardbred racing secretary. "Everybody guns and aspires to have a (Pepsi North America) Cup horse. This year is different. There are 94 still eligible to the race and nobody is front and centre."

Many will recall a different scenario in 2008 when the Pepsi North America Cup was a one-horse affair, before, during and after the race. Somebeachsomewhere produced what many consider one of the finest seasons ever by a pacer (15 starts, 14 wins, 1 second, $2,516,163 in purses).

Jody Jamieson, the recent Woodbine meet's leading reinsman, is ready for the five-plus month Mohawk season.

"Any driver will tell you going to Mohawk is like a vacation," Jamieson says. "It's not even work. The spring turns into summer, the better weather, the big races, the great horses. Everything is just ramped up at Mohawk. I'm looking forward to it."

Jamieson concurs with many in the racing community about the NA Cup, and with the race still some two months away, is still unsure about who will be peaking for the race. "It's wide open right now."

The lone division in the second leg of the Princess Pacing Series for three-year-old fillies is the highlight event on Thursday's opening night card. Topaz Seelster scored in the first leg last week at Woodbine and is the 6-5 morning line favourite. First race post time is 7:30 p.m.

(WEG)