The Woodbine Entertainment Group has announced the date for the 2015 Pepsi North America Cup and the rest of its $18 million-plus Standardbred stakes schedule.
The 32nd edition of the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup for the finest three-year-old pacers in North America will take place on Saturday, June 20 at Mohawk Racetrack.
The eliminations for Canada’s richest harness race will be contested a week prior on June 13.
The Pepsi North America Cup, WEG’s signature Standardbred stakes event, was first staged in 1984 and throughout its more than 30-year history has been captured by the likes of Precious Bunny, Gallo Blue Chip, Rocknroll Hanover and Somebeachsomewhere.
The race will once again feature a stellar undercard of several top stakes events.
The $455,000 Fan Hanover Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, the $330,000 Roses Are Red Stakes for older pacing mares, the $270,000 Goodtimes Stakes for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters, the $265,000 Armbro Flight Stakes for older trotting mares and the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup for older pacers round out an impressive stakes card on Pepsi North America Cup night.
Returning by popular demand, WEG will once again be offering purse money to all finishers in the Pepsi North America Cup and other major stakes finals.
The winner of the finals will receive the traditional 50 per cent of the total purse, while those finishing sixth through last will take home 1 per cent of the purse. The horses finishing second through fifth will receive 50 per cent - 24 per cent - 16 per cent - 10 per cent, respectively, of the remaining purse.
The 2015 stakes calendar is also highlighted by the return of the Breeders Crown to Woodbine.
The 12 championship events for each division in harness racing will take place on Saturday, October 24 and will be returning to the suburban Toronto oval for the first time since 2012.
Breeders Crown night will be the richest card of harness racing contested anywhere in 2015 with close to $6 million in purse money on the line.
WEG has hosted 155 Breeders Crown races since the championships were established in 1984, more than any other host.
Mohawk will once again be the battle ground for several of harness racing’s most notable Grand Circuit events.
The annual Labour Day weekend extravaganza featuring the $665,000 Metro Pace for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings and the $635,000 Canadian Pacing Derby for older pacers and will take place on Saturday, September 5.
The ‘Pacing Derby’ and 'Metro' card will also feature the $480,000 Shes A Great Lady Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies.
The Labour Day weekend card will offer purses of over $2 million.
The $685,000 Canadian Trotting Classic for three-year-old trotters will take its usual spot in mid-September on Saturday, September 19.
Over the last several years, the Maple Leaf Trot had been staged in July, but will now be paired with the ‘Trotting Classic’ in September for an ‘all-star’ trotting card. The 63rd edition of the race carries a purse of $600,000.
The Canadian Trotting Classic and Maple Leaf Trot card will also feature the $390,000 William Wellwood Memorial for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings and the $385,000 Peaceful Way Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies.
Once again in 2015, WEG will continue to handle administrative duties for all Standardbred Alliance track stakes events.
Payments to all WEG and Alliance stakes are payable and should be mailed to the Woodbine Entertainment Group or can be made online here.
The full 2015 Standardbred stakes events booklet is available here.
Stakes payments to these stakes can also be made through SC Stakes Online. Click here for more info on how to get started.
(With files from WEG)