Mohawk: Three eliminations set for North America Cup
The finest 3-year-old pacers in harness racing will go postward Saturday night (June 13) at Mohawk Racetrack in three eliminations for the 32nd edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup.
A total of 24 three-year-old colts and geldings have been split into three $50,000 eliminations. The top three finishers from each eight-horse elimination, plus a fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will advance to the rich final on Saturday, June 20.
Each elimination winner will earn the right to select their post position for the final.
The Pepsi North America Cup is the richest harness race in Canada and the richest event for 3-year-old pacers in North America.
The first elimination (Race 2) features the undefeated world champion Wiggle It Jiggleit (PP5, Montrell Teague).
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The George Teague stable star is a perfect 10-for-10 heading into the Cup eliminations. Wiggle It Jiggleit made headlines earlier this season when he became the fastest 3-year-old ever on a half-mile track with a 1:49 performance at Harrington Raceway in Delaware.
The undefeated sophomore has banked over $135,000 this season and races for trainer Clyde Francis.
The second elimination (Race 6) features the Canadian debut of In The Arsenal (PP7, Brian Sears).
The Kelvin Harrison trainee most recently won the $300,000 Art Rooney at Yonkers Raceway on May 30. In The Arsenal is undefeated in three starts this season after winning six of 11 starts as a rookie. His career earnings sit at just over $581,000.
Bob McIntosh trainee Go Daddy Go (PP1, John Campbell), a winner of over $452,000, and the Howard Okusko trainee Dudes The Man (PP8, Corey Callahan), a division winner in last week’s Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, will also line up in the second elimination.
The third and final elimination (Race 8) will feature the return of last year’s Metro Pace winner Artspeak (PP7, Scott Zeron) to Mohawk Racetrack.
Last year’s 2-year-old pacing colt champion, Artspeak is 2-for-2 to start his sophomore season and is coming off an impressive 1:48 4/5 victory in the New Jersey Sires Stakes final on May 30.
The Tony Alagna charge was perfect in three starts last season at Mohawk and also captured the $565,000 Governors Cup at Woodbine in October.
Artspeak is the richest starter in the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations with over $865,000 in earnings.
A pair of local hopefuls will look to upset Artspeak in the final elimination.
The James “Friday” Dean trainee Split The House (PP5, Randy Waples) has yet to lose in three career starts entering the Cup eliminations, while the Ken and Ralph Sucee stable star Pierce Hanover (PP8, Jody Jamieson) is undefeated in two starts this season.
Since the inaugural Pepsi North America Cup in 1984, 16 Cup winners were victorious in their elimination. Only two of the last five Cup winners (Up The Credit and Captaintreacherous) won their elimination.
Saturday’s Pepsi North America Cup eliminations card will also feature eliminations for the Fan Hanover Stakes and the Roses Are Red Stakes.
Post time Saturday night is 7:25 p.m.
Elimination #1 – Race 2
1. Maxdaddy Blue Chip – David Miller
2. Trading Up – Doug McNair
3. Arque Hanover – Tim Tetrick
4. Hurrikane Ali – Yannick Gingras
5. Wiggle It Jiggleit – Montrell Teague
6. Yankee Bounty – Yannick Gingras
7. Drachan Hanover – Rick Zeron
8. Physicallyinclined – Paul MacDonell
Elimination #2 – Race 6
1. Go Daddy Go – John Campbell
2. Penji Hanover – Chris Christoforou
3. Good Friday Three – Chris Christoforou
4. Allbeef N Nobull – David Miller
5. The Wayfaring Man – Jack Moiseyev
6. Revenge Shark – Scott Zeron
7. In The Arsenal – Brian Sears
8. Dudes The Man – Corey Callahan
Elimination #3 – Race 8
1. Wakizashi Hanover – Tim Tetrick
2. Betting Exchange – David Miller
3. Sicily – Yannick Gingras
4. Rock N Roll World – Sylvain Filion
5. Split The House – Randy Waples
6. Traceur Hanover – Randy Waples
7. Artspeak – Scott Zeron
8. Pierce Hanover – Jody Jamieson
-edited release (WEG)