A quartet of three-year-olds eligible to the Woodbine Entertainment Group's $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup put in qualifying miles Thursday morning at Mohawk
Racetrack.
The final of the NA Cup will be raced at the Campbellville, Ont. oval on Saturday, June 18. Eliminations for the event will be raced a week earlier on June 11.
The first of the NA Cup eligibles to put in a mile in Mohawk's Thursday morning session was the Scott Young-driven and Bob Young-trained Art Major colt DM Big Dog Daddy, who started from Post 8 in Race 4.
Over a 'fast' track, Young and the Art Major youngster sprinted to the front and proceeded to put in a gate-to-wire mile in 1:58.3. The margin of victory was three lengths and the fractions were cut in :29.2, 1:00.2 and 1:30.1. The colt kicked home with a :28.2 final panel.
The Gary Kingshott-trained and Randy Waples-driven Rocknroll Hanover colt Achilles Blue Chip was the next of the Cup eligibles on display.
After having started from Post 6 in Race 5, Achilles Blue Chip sat fifth through the :29.2 opening quarter and :59.3 opening half. Waples had the colt first up the final turn, and the duo were more than seven lengths of the tempo at the 1:28.3 three-quarters call. Coming home with :28.2 final-quarter speed, Achilles Blue Chip finished three and three-quarter lengths in second to Rockem (driven by Mark MacDonald), who got the job done in 1:57.3.
The final two Cup eligibles performing during the session were Drain Daddy and Insane In Spain, who went forward in Race 9.
Trained by Murray Brethour and driven by Rick Zeron, Mach Three colt Drain Daddy took a pocket ride after having left from Post 6. He went on to record a three and a quarter-length victory in 1:59.1 off a :27.3 final quarter. The fractions were cut in :29.2, 1:01.1 and 1:31.2.
Trained by Gary Kingshott and driven by Roger Mayotte, Real Desire colt Insane In Spain finished sixth in the mile and was individually timed in 2:01.
To view the results from Mohawk's Thursday qualifying session, please click the following link: Thursday Results - Mohawk Racetrack (Qualifiers)