While it is way too early to put any thought into the Road to the Hambletonian since some of the top 3-year-old trotters won't even qualify for weeks, we've seen enough horses return to at least consider the sophomore pacing crop. Exactly seven weeks from Saturday on June 13, a field of 10 will line up for the C$1,000,000 North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Many of those combatants will then race four weeks later in the $800,000 (Est.) Meadowlands Pace on July 11 and two weeks after that in the $350,000 (Est.) Adios at The Meadows. Those three Grade 1 events will serve as the proving ground for the contenders and the pretenders among the best 3-year-old pacers in North America. Divisional honors may be decided down the road in further Grade 1s like the Little Brown Jug and Breeders Crown, but at this point we can only focus on the immediate future just seven weeks away. Many of the top dogs in the division have already stepped on the track for qualifiers and will be making their initial pari-mutuel starts of 2026 in the coming weeks. Although for some reason you can't bet it anywhere – not an ADW, DraftKings or even Kalshi – it seems worthwhile to take an advance look at my early leading contenders to win the North America Cup. Keep in mind that this hypothetical ranking takes into account not only 2025 performance but what I've seen from them in qualifying action thus far. There were 49 horses eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup as of March 15. Another C$1,000 payment was due on April 15 and that list has yet to be released. Most of the names will likely remain the same, and it will be interesting to see how many horses take a shot against the reigning Dan Patch Award winner for Horse of the Year. 1-BEAU JANGLES Every conversation begins with the still undefeated (12-for-12) Horse of the Year. Early reports have been stellar as Beau Jangles won his first qualifier at Florida's Southern Oaks Training Center in 1:51 4/5 and followed it up with a sizzling 1:50 4/5 victory over the same surface on April 17. Video was available from the start to the three-quarters and for the final eighth of the second effort. Beau Jangles seemed very comfortable the entire way despite a 26 3/5 opening quarter. Putting the two qualifying miles into perspective, he beat 4-year-old millionaire stablemate Prince Hal Hanover both times and missed the Southern Oaks track record by just one second in the April 17 effort. Providing more context, the 1:50 4/5 qualifying mile is already tied for the second fastest of the year behind Twin B Thriller's 1:49 4/5 mark at Pocono Downs. "I was looking for the 1:50 range. I told [driver Bob McClure] not to beat 1:50 because it would beat my track record there," said trainer Dr. Ian Moore with a chuckle. We already know that Beau Jangles is capable of pacing and winning in 1:48 3/5 because he accomplished that last year. The big question is whether the son of Cattlewash can drop another one to two seconds and get down to the 1:47 range that will be required to win a race like the North America Cup. "We are optimistic and hope he will be highly-competitive like he was last year. It will be a whole lot tougher but hopefully he'll excel. I've had good 2-year-olds before that were really good and staggered a little bit as 3-year-olds, so hopefully that doesn't happen here. So far everything looks good but we haven't tested the waters yet." Already a sizable specimen at age 2, Moore reports that Beau Jangles didn't grow any over the winter but did fill out some. He'll aim for the SBOA eliminations at Woodbine Mohawk Park on May 9 but if they don't fill the trainer admitted he'll probably look for a qualifier to keep him tight. After that the choice will be the Somebeachsomewhere or a leg of the Ontario Sire Stakes Gold division ahead of the North America Cup. 2-BRANDON BLVD There was plenty to like here as this colt won seven times in 10 starts and posted a 1:48 4/5 mark at Woodbine Mohawk Park in an elimination for the Breeders Crown. He was used early in the final and had to settle for fourth but showed more than enough during the year to make him a top contender for 2026. Brandon Blvd's first qualifier came at the Meadowlands on April 18 versus fellow contender Ubrute, and that provided a good early barometer on how these colts are doing. While Ubrute won by a nose in 1:52 after setting all the fractions, I felt Brandon Blvd's effort was more visually impressive as he was driven patiently and kept inching in with a 25 4/5 final quarter. "I thought he qualified great. [Driver] Dex [Dunn] said he wasn't planning on pulling him but got to the head of the lane and couldn't help himself," said Brandon Blvd's trainer Andrew Harris. "He's a very talented colt and I'm expecting good things out of him this year. He'll qualify again this Friday [race 11 at the Meadowlands]." While some are focusing on Sire Stakes, Harris is planning to bring his colt to Plainridge Park for the $100,000 Paul Revere on May 2 to start the horse's pari-mutuel campaign in 2026. "He's Kentucky and Ohio eligible and I don't want to ship that far before we go to the North America Cup. I want to keep the shipping to a minimum as much as possible," said Harris. 3-ODDS ON MR MAMBA An Indiana-bred by Odds On Equuleus, Odds On Mr Mamba owns the fastest mile (1:47 4/5) by a freshman pacer in 2025. Incidentally it is also the fastest mile by a 2-year-old pacer in history, though it is worth noting that the second and third slots are filled by horses - Loua Dipa (1:48) and Al Papi (1:48 1/5) - who accomplished the feat in 2025, so the breed is getting faster. The gelding has never left Hoosier Park foes, so there is some uncertainty. We also haven't seen him qualify yet, so we don't have any indication on how he may be progressing. Still, even without additional development, he's already fast enough to make tons of money. If I was able to see a race, he might be ranked second. "He wintered well and filled out some. While good-looking, he's a rather plain and average horse that is hard to show off and say he's the world's fastest 2-year-old, but he is. I guess you can compare him to Foiled Again in that way," said Peter Wrenn, who works with the 3-year-old along with his wife Melanie. According to Wrenn, Odds On Mr Mamba will have his first of two qualifiers at Hoosier Park on April 29. Then he will look for an overnight race ahead of the first leg of the Indiana Sire Stakes on May 25 at Hoosier before heading to Woodbine Mohawk Park for the North America Cup eliminations 11 days later. While Wrenn knows he has an excellent horse with plenty of speed, he is very cognizant that the competition isn't going to roll over and concede when Odds On Mr Mamba shows up. Especially the undefeated Beau Jangles. "They are both phenomenal," said Wrenn in regard to his horse and Beau Jangles. "And don't think there aren't others out there who could pop up as well. It is just rewarding to hear [Odds On Mr Mamba] in the same circles as the best in the division." 4-AL PAPI Papi Rob Hanover colt only missed the board once as a freshman with an 11-4-4-2 record. His ability to put up a 1:48 2/5 win on the engine at The Red Mile is intriguing if he can build on that performance in 2026. From two qualifiers I'd call the results mixed. Start one saw him brush to the lead under a hold before dropping a pair of quarters in 27 3/5 and 27 to finish out a powerful 1:52 4/5 win well under his own power. A week later on April 21 he was back at Harrah's Philadelphia for another morning effort and set similar fractions on the front but was easily passed by Gentleman's Club in the stretch despite a 55-second back-half. Gentleman's Club is a very nice horse who won the Governor's Cup last year, so there is no shame there, but Al Papi didn't have the same life late in the stretch in his second qualifier. "The first [qualifier] we were thrilled and the second was a little bit of a step backward," said trainer Ron Burke, who confirmed whispers that there has been some sickness and viruses going around Gaitway Farms were his New Jersey horses are stabled. "I'm sure we'll get his bloodwork back [Thursday] and that will tell me if there was anything there. "[Lexus] Kody, I wasn't happy with his second qualifier and we took his blood and he had a virus." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter 5-UBRUTE Tall Dark Stranger-sired colt only won twice in 10 starts as a 2-year-old but did show signs of being a talented horse. Luck may've been a factor as he drew post 10 in the Governor's Cup and post nine in the Breeders Crown to close out his stakes year. As mentioned earlier, Ubrute won his initial qualifier in 1:52. While there was nothing "wrong" with it, I wouldn't say I came away impressed. Still, it was just start one and more can be expected. "With him I was happy [with the qualifier]. We are trying to keep him quiet. When we want him to go fast I can turn him on when I want to. Right now we are just trying to keep him calm and chill. [Brandon Blvd] was getting to him, but I don't think he would've gotten around him. I think he would've kept on fighting," said trainer Ron Burke, who added Ubrute's next race is up in the air between Sire Stakes and Stallion Stakes. "I'm trying to point for big-track races only, so there is even a chance I won't take Ubrute [to either PA-bred series]." 6-GENTLEMAN'S CLUB Opened some eyes when he pulled off a 13-1 upset in the Governor's Cup at the Meadowlands in November with a 1:50 2/5 win. Downbytheseaside colt also made some noise in Ohio Sire Stakes action. The above accomplishments alone weren't enough to make the top 10 but watching him roll by Al Papi with ease in a 1:53 1/5 qualifier on April 21 pushed him over the top. He was clearly the fresher horse on that day and perhaps a 3-year-old to reckon with all year. "I was extremely happy with the qualifier and so was [driver] Andy [McCarthy]. We are going to qualify again next Saturday [May 2] at the Meadowlands and then look for a race for him," said trainer Aaron Lambert. 7-MELILLO Won $380K, paced in 1:48 4/5 and in my eyes he overachieved as a 2-year-old. There is no doubt he has speed, and the question for me is whether he has improved over the winter. On April 14 he sat the pocket through soft fractions until pulling on the final turn in his lone qualifier at Harrah's Philadelphia. Colt had dead aim on the leader and was turned aside while all-out. It wasn't a particularly inspiring mile. Fast forward to April 22 where the results were much better in a pari-mutuel event at The Meadows. Here, he sat the pocket through very fast fractions of 26 4/5, 54 4/5 and 1:21 4/5 before coming up the inside and winning in-hand with a 1:51 1/5 clocking. That's more like it! "[Driver] Ronnie [Wrenn] takes care of them. He gets it. It is a long year. There is no need to win by four [lengths] when you can win by two," said trainer Ron Burke, who was thrilled with the winning mile at The Meadows. 8-FRANTIC HANOVER He was also an undefeated 2-year-old riding a seven-race winning streak until he met Beau Jangles in the Metro and had to settle for second. He never won another race in 2025 in four more starts and now enters this year with some questions to answer. Stay Hungry colt accelerated well when asked for speed in his first qualifier at Harrah's Philadelphia but was all-out in the stretch to defeat a Ray Baynes-trained 4-year-old with little on his résumé. On April 21, he set reasonable fractions and was asked for speed on the final turn as well as the stretch and never found a second gear as nine-start maiden Caviart Anders closed in intently. "The first [qualifier] I wasn't worried about because [driver] Timmy [Tetrick] was taking him back. The other day he was great all the way up to the last 100 yards, but he scoped sick," said trainer Ron Burke, who confirmed that Melillo, Al Papi and Frantic Hanover will all head to the PA Sire Stakes next and are aiming for the North America Cup. 9-SIGNAL CALLER Captaintreacherous colt had enough pure speed to put up a 1:48 4/5 win at The Red Mile in 2025. While he lacked consistency and is certainly not the smartest horse in the barn, at least we know he can go with them. With no qualifying miles yet this year it is impossible to know if he's more mature now or not. Some of that could be answered when he qualifies Friday morning in race 10 at the Meadowlands. "I'm very happy with him," said trainer Noel Daley when asked about Signal Caller. 10-SUPERCHAMP HANOVER Sweet Lou-sired gelding didn't do much as a 2-year-old despite winning just over $100,000. That said, he returned with an impressive 1:52 2/5 qualifying victory at Pocono Downs on April 15 and closed it out with back to back 27-second quarters. In his 2026 pari-mutuel debut Thursday (April 23) at Harrah's Philadelphia, he was bothered by a breaker early and had to settle for a gaining second-place result with a 27 3/5 final quarter. "He had a fantastic winter in Florida. We knew he was feeling good but didn't expect the 53 4/5 last-half. [Driver] Matt [Kakaley] said he felt like he was pacing 29-second quarters. He growled at him down by the wire just to keep his attention and he hit another gear," said trainer Travis Alexander on the qualifying effort. "We are cautiously optimistic." Superchamp Hanover is bound for Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action. OTHERS TO WATCH Many of the rest either haven't qualified yet or just didn't do enough between 2025 and 2026 to deserve a spot in the top 10. Some horses I'm watching include Sonofanutcracker, who scratched out of the Ubrute/Brandon Blvd qualifier on April 18, Crocodile Station, who won his 2026 debut at Miami Valley in 1:52 and his Hackett final in 1:50 2/5 on Thursday, and Be Sting, a 1:52 1/5 qualifying winner at The Meadowlands.