The countdown to the 2013 North America Cup is on, with Trot Magazine profiling the horses predicted to be the top contenders for Canadian harness racing's richest prize.
Blair Burgess won this race in 2007 with Tell All, and he looks to have another contender this year with early season standout Resistance Futile. The son of Real Desire swept the Junior Trendsetter earlier this year at The Meadowlands and is North America's fastest three-year-old pacing colt thus far this year by virtue of his 1:51.1 win in the opening leg.
Resistance Futile comes in at #10, assessed odds of 21-1 in Trot's 2013 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book. Trot Insider caught up with trainer Blair Burgess for an update.
Have you noticed any changes from last year to this year?
"He's a lot bigger of a horse than he was last year. I've noticed it since he won the Jr. Trendsetter, he's a bigger, rangier horse. My daughter Linnea looked after him over Christmas and then she just saw him again in the Spring and she said he's changed a lot."
Were you surprised by the sweep of the Jr. Trendsetter?
"No, I wasn't surprised. His [January 10] qualifier at Woodbine was tremendous. It was a horrible night and that was a big mile. He pulled away from four-year-olds in his qualifier, and then in his first start he was also tremendous. The track was very deep that night and he raced from behind because of his post. I think he paced his back half in :54 or maybe a little better."
Where did he go after the Jr. Trendsetter?
"He got turned out for a couple of weeks and then he came down to Florida. I wouldn't have normally done something like that but my wife [co-owner Karin Olsson Burgess] was down here so that way she could keep an eye on him. Normally that wouldn't have been my course of action."
He qualified on April 19. Will he qualify again or is he going into a race off that qualifier?
"I'm going to look for a race for him, I'm not sure where it is. He got a little bit sick about two or three weeks ago and he's still not all the way back to where I'd like to see him."
What will his early schedule look like leading up to the Pepsi NA Cup?
"It could be a Pennsylvania Sire Stake, it could be an overnight up at Woodbine. I'm playing it by ear as of right now. He's also eligible to the Somebeachsomewhere."
What does his tentative schedule look like after the NA Cup?
"There's a few early closers he's not eligible to but he's staked well enough."