Fields Set For North America Cup Elims

The fields are set for this Saturday's eliminations of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, which will take place at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Fifteen three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will be split into a pair of $50,000 eliminations, with the top five finishers from each race advancing to the 38th edition of the Pepsi North America Cup on Saturday, Sept. 11. Elimination winners will earn the right to select their post for the final.

Fresh off a Canadian season's record 1:48.2 victory in last weekend's Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, Bulldog Hanover will be a tough contender in the first elimination for trainer Jack Darling. Jody Jamieson drives the Shadow Play-BJs Squall colt for local connections, including Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge, Ont. and Brad Grant of Milton, Ont. The Ontario Sires Stakes standout has nine wins along with a pair of top three finishes and $552,811 earned from 13 career starts. He has drawn post three, with Meadowlands Pace and Hempt winner Lawless Shadow leaving just to his outside from post four. Mark MacDonald will drive that Shadow Play-Ladycino colt for trainer Dr. Ian Moore, who shares ownership with R G McGroup Ltd. of Bathurst, N.B., Serge Savard of St-Bruno, Que., and Frank Cannon of Sanford, Florida. The seven-horse field also includes Cane Pace champion Rockyroad Hanover, who has drawn post six with Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Tony Alagna.

Perfect Sting, the 3-1 TROT Magazine Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book favourite, will take on seven other rivals in the second elimination with David Miller listed to drive for trainer Joe Holloway. After capping off a perfect 10-for-10 freshman campaign with a dead-heat victory in the Breeders Crown, the homebred Always B Miki-Shebestingin colt has compiled a record reading 3-4-1 from eight starts this year to push his career bankroll to nearly $985,000. Perfect Sting, whose victories this season have come in the Tompkins-Geers and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, was a runner-up in the Meadowlands Pace, Cane Pace and Hempt for Brittany Farms LLC and Val Dor Farms. Co-Breeders Crown champion Summa Cum Laude and Somebeachsomewhere division winner Whichwaytothebeach will leave to his outside from posts seven and eight, respectively.

Elimination #1 (Race 6)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Southwind Gendry - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. Highlandsbeachbest - Louis-Philippe Roy - Amanda Fine
3. Bulldog Hanover - Jody Jamieson - Jack Darling
4. Lawless Shadow - Mark MacDonald - Ian Moore
5. Bettor Sun - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair
6. Rockyroad Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Tony Alagna
7. Desperate Man - Trevor Henry - Kathy Cecchin

Elimination #2 (Race 7)
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1. Jimmy Connor B - Doug McNair - Gregg McNair
2. Pirate Hanover - Jody Jamieson - Richard Moreau
3. Abuckabett Hanover - Andrew McCarthy - Tony Alagna
4. P L Ozzy - Louis-Philippe Roy - Amanda Fine
5. Simon Says Hanover - Scott Zeron - Tony Alagna
6. Perfect Sting - David Miller - Joe Holloway
7. Summa Cum Laude - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
8. Whichwaytothebeach - Sylvain Filion - Brett Pelling

The North America Cup eliminations are part of an acton-packed Grand Circuit stakes program on Saturday, featuring the $590,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, $536,000 Maple Leaf Trot and $316,000 Roses Are Red Stakes. Eliminations will also be held for the Goodtimes and Fan Hanover. A pair of $100,000+ divisions of the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series will open the action.

To view Saturday's complete harness racing entries, click on the following links: Saturday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park -- Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).