Trainer Blair Burgess and driver Jody Jamieson know a little something about winning
the Pepsi North America Cup. The duo hooked up this morning during the qualifying session at Mohawk Racetrack and clicked with a lightly-raced colt eligible to the $1.5 million classic.
After leaving from Post 6 in Race 1, Jamieson and Passmaster Hanover got away fourth and made a first-over move in the second quarter. Jamieson tucked the Cams Card Shark colt into the garden spot along the final turn and called on his mount in the lane.
When Jamieson asked, Passmaster Hanover responded by pacing home in :28.1, stopping the clock in 1:56.2, two and a half lengths the best. Passmaster Hanover's mile this morning was the first charted performance he had put in since December 18, 2008. The colt has been assessed at odds of 70-1 in Trot Magazine's 2009 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book.
There was another Cup-eligible colt in Race 1, as the Real Desire bay Carnivore also put in his first charted mile of the year. With Paul MacDonell at the controls, the student of trainer Jack Darling finished third, pacing his mile in 1:57.1. Carnivore has been installed as the 22-1 eighth choice in Trot's spring book.
Race 5 saw Im Just Special put in her third qualifying mile of the year. Jody Jamieson was in the bike for trainer Tom Artandi. The four-year-old bay mare put in a gate-to-wire mile, winning by over 10 lengths in 1:54 flat.
Coming off a brilliant three-year-old campaign in which he banked in excess of $750,000, Define The World put in his second qualifying mile of the year for trainer John Bax. With Paul MacDonell in the bike, the Duke Of York gelding fired from Post 7 in Race 6 and went wire to wire, winning by more than 10 lengths in 1:56.3.
Click here to view the charted lines from the Mohawk qualifiers.