Last week, trainer Brian Brown took the time to discuss his charges Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon prior to the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations, which took place this past Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack. The colts did not disappoint their connections or their backers this past weekend, as both of the bays recorded victories in their respective elims.
"It's an accomplishment to have a horse that is genuinely good enough to be able to race competitively in the North America Cup,” said Brown, who later went on to state, “to get two of them at the level these two are is once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing…"
The $1-million Pepsi North America Cup, which will feature the continent’s top three-year-old male pacers in training, will take place this coming weekend (Saturday, June 17) at the Campbellville, Ont. oval. The post position draw for the ‘Cup’ final will take place Tuesday (June 13) at Mohawk. Courtesy of his colts’ victories, Brown and the colts’ driver, David Miller, have earned the ability to select Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon’s post positions for the lucrative final.
Downbytheseaside, by Somebeachsomewhere, was heavily backed in his elimination, as he was sent postward at five cents on the dollar in his elim. After having earned the lead in the vicinity of the half-mile pole, the career winner of 12 of his 17 races and more than $858,000 in purses went on to post a two-length victory in 1:50.4.
Downbytheseaside prepped for the Cup elims in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event and then the Art Rooney Pace, which he swept. Prior to the Cup elims, Brown said, “I guess what I like is that in his three starts he has had no gravy trips getting roughed up early and showed no signs of packing it in. That's a racehorse."
Downbytheseaside extended his seasonal unbeaten streak to four in his Cup elim, but his driver, David Miller, explained in a post-race interview that the colt could’ve been better on Saturday.
"I don't think he was at his best tonight for whatever reason, but I've seen him better," said Miller. "[The wind] could be playing a factor; you're leaving into it and you're finishing into it and it might have something to do with it.”
Miller also added that Downbytheseaside "was a pretty solid horse last year and got better as the year went on, which is unusual. He came back this year and we can't be happier with him. Just tonight, I wouldn't say he was at his best."
In terms of Fear The Dragon, Brown commented on the colt heading into the Cup elims, saying, "He's not a small horse and not rugged which means I probably would not have taken a run at him as a yearling, but price point-wise he might have been in my wheelhouse. Who knows but I am sure glad I have him."
Fear The Dragon, by Dragon Again, has rewarded Brown’s faith in him, as the bay extended his seasonal unbeaten streak to five courtesy of his 1:50 elimination victory on Saturday. Overall, Fear The Dragon has won 10 of his 16 career starts and more than $325,000 in purses.
"I was real happy with him,” Miller said of Fear The Dragon’s elim win. “He was just cruising along there. I asked him a little bit – he's a bit lazy at times – and I was real happy with him. He was real comfortable."
“This is the nicest little horse to race who has had just one bad start in his career so far," Brown said last week.
To read Trot Insider’s complete recap of the Pepsi NA Cup eliminations, click here.
(With files from the Hamilton Spectator)