A substantial number of the horses eligible for the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup will be in action this weekend at racetracks across the continent.
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 appeared in the April issue of Trot.
Here are the horses that have made the April 15 N.A. Cup nomination payment and have raced or are in-to-go as of May 5, 2017. Horses making debuts on this list appear in bold.
Air Strike -- last qualified on April 15 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:52.1
American Sportsman -- last qualified on April 22 at Pompano Park, finished first in 1:54.2; entered to race on May 8 on Mohawk
Arsenal Seelster -- last qualified on April 28 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:53.4; entered to race on May 8 at Mohawk
Art Scene -- entered to qualify on May 6 at The Meadowlands
Beach House -- last raced on April 22 at The Meadows, finished second, individually timed in in 1:52.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Beckhams Z Tam -- last raced on April 20 at Hoosier Park, finished first in 1:52.1 (two-for-two in 2017); entered to race on May 5 at Hoosier Park
Bettors Dream -- entered to qualify on May 5 at Mohawk Racetrack (qualifiers cancelled)
Bettors Western -- last qualified on April 26 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished second, individually timed in 1:53.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Beyond Delight -- entered to qualify on May 5 at Mohawk Racetrack (qualifiers cancelled)
Blood Line -- last qualified on April 22 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:53.1; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Calvin K -- entered to qualify on May 5 at Mohawk Racetrack (qualifiers cancelled)
Classic Pro -- last raced on May 4 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:57.3
Darlings Dragon -- last qualified on April 22 at Pompano Park, finished first in 1:54.2; entered to race on May 7 at Harrah's Philadelphia
Dial The Bossman -- last raced on May 4 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished second, individually timed in 1:57.4
Downbytheseaside -- last qualified on April 26 at Miami Valley Raceway, finished first in 1:51.2; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Dragnet Alert -- last qualified on April 26 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fifth after making a break
Eddard Hanover -- last raced on April 30 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished fifth, individually timed in 1:52.2; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Fear The Dragon -- last raced on April 21 at Hoosier Park, finished first in 1:51; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Filibuster Hanover -- last qualified on April 29 at The Meadowlands, finished second, individually timed in 1:52; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Henry The Dragon -- last raced on April 13 at Dover Downs, finished sixth after making a break
Huntsville -- last qualified on April 29 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:51.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Hurricane Beach -- last qualified on May 1 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:54.2; entered to race on May 8 at Mohawk
Lawrencetown Beach -- last raced on April 27 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:55.2; entered to race on May 8 at Mohawk
Lindythefourteenth -- last qualified on April 22 at Pompano Park, finished third, individually timed in 1:55; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadowlands
Mac Attack -- last qualified on April 29 at The Meadowlands, finished fifth, individually timed in 1:53.4
Macs Jackpot -- last raced on April 26 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished first in 1:52.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Major Moe -- last raced on April 21 at Hoosier Park, finished third, individually timed in 1:53.3
Miso Fast -- last raced on April 30 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished second, individually timed in 1:51
Normandy Beach -- last raced on April 25 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished first in 1:51.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Ocean Colony -- last qualified on April 29 at The Meadowlands, finished first in 1:52.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Odds On Delray -- entered to qualify on May 6 at The Meadowlands
Ozone Blue Chip -- last raced on April 23 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished in 1:54; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Perfectly Close -- last qualified on April 26 at Harrah's Philadelphia, finished first in 1:53.3; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Photobomber Hanover -- last qualified on April 29 at The Meadowlands, finished third, individually timed in 1:52.1; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Richard Hill -- last qualified on April 28 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished sixth, individually timed in 1:58.2; entered to qualify on May 5 at Mohawk Racetrack (qualifiers cancelled)
Rock It Scott -- last raced on April 23 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished eighth, individually timed in 1:54.1
Rock This Way -- last raced on May 4 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:54.3
Santafes Coach -- last raced on May 1 at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finished first in 1:53
Sports Column -- last qualified on April 21 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:54.3; entered to qualify on May 5 at Mohawk Racetrack (qualifiers cancelled)
Stealth Bomber -- last qualified on April 28 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished first in 1:54; entered to race on May 6 at The Meadows
Streakavana -- last qualified on May 1 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:55.4
Talbot Romeo -- last raced on February 23 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished first in 1:52.3
Twin B Cowboy -- last raced on May 4 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:55.2
Western Hill -- last qualified on April 28 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:56.4; entered to qualify on May 5 at Mohawk Racetrack (qualifiers cancelled)
Windsong Napoleon -- last qualified on April 28 at Mohawk Racetrack, finished second, individually timed in 1:54.3; entered to race on May 8 at Mohawk Racetrack
Young Drunk Punk -- last qualified on April 19 at Miami Valley Raceway, finished fourth after making a break
Below is the list of current eligible three-year-old pacers to the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup as of the April 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
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
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
(Photo, clockwise from top left: Arsenal Seelster (New Image Media); Huntsville (Chris Gooden); Streakavana (New Image Media))