The starting line up is set for the 41st edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, which will headline a star-studded stakes card of harness racing this Saturday, June 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Post positions were drawn for the North America Cup on Tuesday, June 11 at a press conference at Mohawk Park. Three-year-old pacers Captains Quarters, Funtime Bayama and Nijinsky won their respective North America Cup eliminations last Saturday and earned the opportunity to draw for posts two through six in the 10-horse field. After the elimination winners received their posts, the remaining horses and post positions were drawn.
The complete field is listed below in post position order.
$1 million Pepsi North America Cup
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Storm Shadow - Bob McClure - Dr. Ian Moore
2. Captain Albano - Todd McCarthy - Noel Daley
3. Captain Luke - Scott Zeron - Tony Alagna
4. Nijinsky - Louis-Philippe Roy - Tony Beaton
5. Captains Quarters - Jody Jamieson - Herb Holland
6. Funtime Bayama - Sylvain Filion - Richard Moreau
7. Ivy Park - Yannick Gingras - Nancy Takter
8. Legendary Hanover - James MacDonald - Tony Beaton
9. Total Stranger - Tim Tetrick - Nancy Takter
10. Janelle Granny - Brett MacDonald - Ron MacDonald
AE. Mirage Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Jake Leamon
The post draw, originally scheduled for noon, was delayed until early evening due to an appeal launched by the connections of Its Saturday Night, who was edged out for third-place and a spot in the final by Total Stranger in their elimination.
During an inquiry after that race on Saturday, the judges reviewed racing in the stretch when Its Saturday Night (Dexter Dunn) and Total Stranger (Yannick Gingras) were in tight quarters and ruled that neither horse was at fault to result in a placing. Both horses were charted with interference. The Horse Racing Appeal Panel upheld the judges' ruling in a decision rendered just before noon on Tuesday, June 11.
Post time for Saturday's card at Mohawk is 6:30 p.m. ET. The North America Cup will go as Race 11, with an approximate post time of 10:40 p.m.
The lucrative undercard will include the $425,000 Fan Hanover Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, the $305,000 Roses Are Red Stakes for older pacing mares, the $225,000 Goodtimes Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts and the $233,000 Armbro Flight Stakes for older trotting mares. Saturday's complete entries will be available here.
A replay of the post position draw is available below.
(Standardbred Canada)