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 will appear in the April issue of Trot.
Here are the horses that have made the March 15 N.A. Cup nomination payment and have raced or are in-to-go as of March 31, 2017.
Air Strike -- last qualified on March 24 at The Meadowlands, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:54.1; entered to qualify on April 1 at The Meadowlands
Beach House -- last raced on March 18 at The Meadows, finished first in 1:56.2; entered to race on April 1 at The Meadows
Clouseau Hanover -- last raced on March 9 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished sixth, individually timed in 1:54.1
Fear The Dragon -- last qualified on March 28 at Spring Garden Ranch, finished first in 1:57.1
Henry The Dragon -- last raced on March 30 at Dover Downs, finished first in 1:52 (now two-for-two in 2017)
Lawrencetown Beach -- last raced on March 27 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished seventh, individually timed in 1:57
Major Moe -- last qualified on March 28 at Spring Garden Ranch, finished second, individually timed in 1:57.1
Rock It Scott -- last qualified on March 17 at The Meadowlands, finished third, individually timed in 1:55.4; entered to race on April 4 at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Stealth Bomber -- last raced on March 27 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished second, individually timed in 1:52.4; entered to race on April 3 at Woodbine
Talbot Romeo -- last raced on February 23 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished first in 1:52.3
The next sustaining payment for the Pepsi North America Cup is due April 15. The fee is $1,000 CAD or $715 USD.
Below is the list of current eligible three-year-old pacers to the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup as of the March 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
CLOUSEAU HANOVER
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
LYONS WELSH PRIDE
LYONS WILLIAM
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