Woodbine Entertainment has announced that 82 three-year-old pacers have been nominated to the 36th edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup.
The Pepsi North America Cup is Canada’s richest harness race. This year’s edition is scheduled for Saturday, June 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The eliminations for the $1 million final will take place a week prior on Saturday, June 8.
This year’s number of nominations to the Pepsi North America Cup is up by three over last year’s total of 79.
The group of eligible sophomores is headlined by O’Brien Award winner Stag Party and Dan Patch Award winner Captain Crunch.
A son of 2001 Cup winner Bettors Delight, Stag Party won six of nine starts as a rookie and earned $669,489 for owners John Fielding, Mac Nichol, McKinlay & Fielding and West Wins Stable. His most notable victory was a dominating score in the $890,000 Metro Pace at Woodbine Mohawk Park, which was last season’s richest two-year-old event in harness racing.
Stag Party is trained by Casie Coleman, who is a two-time Pepsi North America Cup-winning trainer.
A son of 2013 ‘Cup’ winner Captaintreacherous, Captain Crunch won six of 10 starts during his two-year-old campaign. The Nancy Johansson trainee capped off his rookie season with victories in the $600,000 Breeders Crown and $469,300 Governor’s Cup to finish with $628,642 earned for owners 3 Brothers Stables, Christina Takter, Rojan Stables and Caviart Farms.
Stag Party and Captain Crunch never crossed paths on the racetrack during the 2018 season.
The legendary Somebeachsomewhere is again the leading sire of Pepsi North America Cup nominees. The 2008 Cup winner has 14 sons eligible to this year’s edition, one more than Captaintreacherous at 13.
A total of 21 Ontario Sires Stakes-eligible sophomores have been nominated to this year’s event. Bettors Delight leads the way among Ontario stallions with seven eligible.
The number of 82 nominated sophomores is the highest number of nominees for the Pepsi North America Cup since 2011 (83).
A total of three sustaining payments are required to remain eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup. The first sustaining payment ($1,000 CAD/$815 USD) is due March 15. The final two payments are due April 15 and May 15.
Below is the full list of eligible three-year-old pacers to this year’s Pepsi North America Cup.
AFLAME HANOVER
AIR FORCE HANOVER
ARTIES IDEAL
AUTHENTIC HANOVER
BEST IN SHOW
BETTORS WISH
BLACKLIGHT
BLANK CANVAS
BLOOD MONEY
BRONX SEELSTER
BUDDY HILL
CALVERY HILL
CANT BEACH THAT
CAPITANO ITALIANO
CAPTAIN AHAB
CAPTAIN CRUNCH
CAPTAIN NASH
CAPTAIN TREVOR
CAPTAIN VICTORIOUS
CAVIART ROCKLAND
CAVIART STETSON
CENTURY FARROH
CHINATOWN BEACH
COVERED BRIDGE
CRIMSON AND CHROME
CRUISE CAPTAIN
CRUSHER Q
DANCIN LOU
DE LOS CIELOS DEO
DO YA THINK
FABRICE HANOVER
FAST N FIRST
FIXED IDEA
FLAMEPROOF HANOVER
GOLDBERG
HURRIKANE EMPEROR
JACK NATION
JESSICAS BEACH BOY
JOHN MAC
KEYSTONE CONCRETE
LATISSIMUS HANOVER
LETS HAVE ANOTHER
LIVINONTHEBEACH
LOVE ME SOME LOU
LYONS JOHNNYJNR
LYONS NIGHT HAWK
LYONS PEGASUS
MACS POWER
MAJOR DECEPTION
MANGOGH
MELODIES MAJOR
MOHAWK SEELSTER
MONEY NEVER RESTS
MOVIE STAR
NO MAS AMOR
ODE TO GRAY
PERKINS
PLAY TIMES OVER
PROOF
PYRO
QUATRAIN BLUE CHIP
QUICKSTAR BLUECHIP
RADLEY HANOVER
ROCKIE GOT FRAMED
ROGUE CHEDDAR
SEMI TOUGH
SHADOW OF A DAUT
SHAKE THAT HOUSE
SHARP WRITER
SPORTS JACKET
STAG PARTY
STIENAMS BEACH
SUGAR FACTORY
THE REGULATOR
TIME TO DANCE
TWIN B JAYS
TYGA HANOVER
VAN DIESEL
VOLLEY BALL BEACH
WORKIN ONA MYSTERY
WORLD ON EDGE
YACHT WEEK
Total: 82
(Woodbine Entertainment)