A substantial number of the horses eligible for the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup were or will be in action this week at racetracks across the continent.
As stakes season picks up and three-year-old pacers start to target Canadian harness racing's biggest prize, Trot Insider will track the contenders and eligibles as they prepare for the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup.
This year's edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup will take place on Saturday, June 17 at Mohawk Racetrack. The eliminations will be held a week prior.
For the past several years, Trot Magazine's Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book has served as an initial barometer for the colts and geldings that may be in the running for the sophomore pacing set's single biggest payday. As in past years, the Spring Book appeared in the April issue of Trot.
Here are the horses that have made the April 15 N.A. Cup nomination payment and have raced or are in-to-go as of May 22, 2017. Horses making debuts on this list appear in bold.
Air Strike -- last qualified on April 15 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:52.1
American Sportsman -- last raced on May 18 at Mohawk, finished second, individually timed in 1:52.3
Arsenal Seelster – last raced on May 15 at Mohawk, finished second, individually timed in 1:52
Art Scene – last raced on May 20 at The Meadowlands, finished seventh, individually timed in 1:52.4
Beach House -- last raced on May 6 at The Meadows, finished sixth in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:54.2; entered to race on May 22 at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Beckhams Z Tam – last raced on May 5 at Hoosier Park, won in 1:52.2 (undefeated in three starts this year); scratched from May 19 race at Hoosier Park
Bettors Dream – last qualified on May 8 at Mohawk, finished seventh, individually timed in 1:59
Bettors Western – last raced on May 6 at The Meadows, finished third and elevated to second, individually timed in 1:53.1; entered to race on May 22 at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Beyond Delight – last qualified on May 15 at Mohawk, finished first in 1:54.4; entered to race on May 22 at Mohawk
Blood Line – last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, won a PA Sire Stakes event in 1:50.3
Calvin K – last qualified on May 15 at Mohawk, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:56.1
Classic Pro -- last raced on May 11 at Mohawk, won in 1:52.1; entered to race on May 22 at Mohawk
Darlings Dragon – last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fourth in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:50.2
Dial The Bossman -- last raced on May 21 at Flamboro, finished third in an OSS Grassroots event, individually timed in 1:55.3
Downbytheseaside -- last raced on May 20 at Yonkers, won the Art Rooney elimination in 1:52.2
Dragnet Alert – last raced on May 17 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, finished fifth, individually timed in 1:54.2; entered to race on May 22 at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Eddard Hanover -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished second in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:50.4
Fear The Dragon – last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, won a PA Sire Stakes event in 1:49.1
Filibuster Hanover -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished second in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:50.3
Henry The Dragon – last raced on May 20 at Yonkers, finished seventh in the Art Rooney elimination, individually timed in 1:55
Huntsville – last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished second in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:49.3
Hurricane Beach -- last raced on May 18 at Mohawk, won in 1:51.4
Ideal Wheel – last qualified on May 15 at Mohawk, finished second, individually timed in 1:54.4; entered to race on May 22 at Mohawk
Lawrencetown Beach -- last raced on May 18 at Mohawk, won in 1:52.2
Lindythefourteenth -- last raced on May 13 at The Meadowlands, finished sixth, individually timed in 1:53.4; entered to race on May 23 at Plainridge Park
Mac Attack -- last raced on May 20 at The Meadowlands, finished third, individually timed in 1:51.4
Macs Jackpot -- last raced on May 20 at Yonkers, finished fifth in the Art Rooney elimination, individually timed in 1:54
Major Moe -- last raced on April 21 at Hoosier Park, finished third, individually timed in 1:53.3
Mc Mach -- last qualified on May 15 at Mohawk, finished first in 1:54.3
Miso Fast -- last raced on May 20 at Yonkers, finished second in the Art Rooney elimination, individually timed in 1:52.3
Normandy Beach -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished third in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:50
Ocean Colony -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, won a PA Sire Stakes event in 1:50.3
Odds On Delray – last qualified on May 12 at The Meadowlands, finished second, individually timed in 1:52; entered to race on May 22 at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Ozone Blue Chip -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fourth in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:51
Perfectly Close -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished seventh in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:52
Photobombr Hanover -- last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fifth in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:51.1
R J P – last raced on May 21 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished sixth in a PA Sire Stakes event, individually timed in 1:50.3
Richard Hill -- last qualified on May 8 at Mohawk, finished sixth, individually timed in 1:57.1
Rock It Scott -- last raced on April 23 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished eighth, individually timed in 1:54.1; entered to race on May 22 at Yonkers
Rock This Way -- last raced on May 15 at Mohawk, finished eighth, individually timed in 1:54.4
Santafes Coach -- last raced on May 16 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished third, individually timed in 1:53.1; entered to race on May 22 at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Some Attitude – last raced on May 18 at Mohawk, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:54.2
Sports Column -- last raced on May 13 at Mohawk, finished third, individually timed in 1:52.4
Stealth Bomber -- last raced on May 20 at Yonkers, finished third in the Art Rooney elimination, individually timed in 1:52.3
Streakavana -- last raced on May 13 at Mohawk, finished fifth, individually timed in 1:53.1
Talbot Romeo -- last qualified on May 12 at Mohawk, finished first in 1:54.1
Three More Smiles – last raced on May 15 at Mohawk, finished third, individually timed in 1:54.4; entered to race on May 22 at Mohawk
Twin B Cowboy -- last raced on May 18 at Mohawk, finished third, individually timed in 1:54.1
Western Hill -- last qualified on May 8 at Mohawk, finished third, individually timed in 1:57.3
Who Said Not To – last qualified on May 19 at Mohawk, finished first in 1:55.2
Windsong Napoleon -- last raced on May 8 at Mohawk, finished tenth, individually timed in 1:57.1; entered to race on May 22 at Mohawk
Young Drunk Punk -- last qualified on April 19 at Miami Valley Raceway, finished fourth after making a break
Below is the list of current eligible three-year-old pacers to the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup as of the April 15 payment.
AIR STRIKE
AMERICAN SPORTSMAN
ARSENAL SEELSTER
ART SCENE
BEACH HOUSE
BECKHAMS Z TAM
BETTORS DREAM
BETTORS WESTERN
BEYOND DELIGHT
BLOOD LINE
CALVIN K
CLASSIC PRO
DARLINGS DRAGON
DIAL THE BOSSMAN
DOWNBYTHESEASIDE
DRAGNET ALERT
EDDARD HANOVER
FEAR THE DRAGON
FILIBUSTER HANOVER
HENRY THE DRAGON
HUNTSVILLE
HURRICANE BEACH
IDEAL WHEEL
LAWRENCETOWN BEACH
LINDYTHEFOURTEENTH
MAC ATTACK
MACS JACKPOT
MAJOR MOE
MC MACH
MISO FAST
MR VARSITY
NORMANDY BEACH
OCEAN COLONY
ODDS ON DELRAY
OZONE BLUE CHIP
PERFECTLY CLOSE
PHOTOBOMBR HANOVER
R J P
RICHARD HILL
ROCK IT SCOTT
ROCK THIS WAY
SANTAFES COACH
SOME ATTITUDE
SPORTS COLUMN
STEALTH BOMBER
STREAKAVANA
TALBOT ROMEO
THREE MORE SMILES
TWIN B COWBOY
WESTERN HILL
WHO SAID NOT TO
WINDSONG NAPOLEON
YOUNG DRUNK PUNK
(Photo, clockwise from top left: Downbytheseaside [Mike Lizzi], Hurricane Beach [New Image Media], Fear The Dragon [Curtis Salonick])