Woodbine Mohawk Park: Allywag Hanover looks to make his mark in North America Cup

Allywag Hanover will be heading to Woodbine Mohawk Park for one of two $50,000 divisions of the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations on Saturday. His trainer Brett Pelling will make final preparations for the trip on Wednesday before sending the Captaintreacherous-sired colt north of the border for competition.

"I think he'll love the track up there," said Pelling of the sophomore that enters Saturday's contest with four wins this year in six starts and will likely be the favorite, at least this week, as he looks to be among the 10 who qualify for the C$1 million final slated for August 29.

Allywag Hanover drew post seven in the second division scheduled as race eight on the Woodbine Mohawk program and will have the services of Louis Philippe Roy for the first time.

"I was very happy with the way he raced at Pocono in his last start," said Pelling of the easy 1:49 1/5 score in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action on August 11. Allywag Hanover started the year with a pair of impressive victories coming from far off the pace, but in his most recent starts he’s been involved in the early action. In the short field on Saturday, Pelling believes his colt will likely be in good striking position. "I'm not giving any driving instructions," said Pelling, who is more than confident in Roy's ability to read the program as well as the competition.

Joining Allywag Hanover on the road from New Jersey is Captain Kirk, who upset division leader Tall Dark Stranger in a Geers stake at The Meadowlands on August 1 but then proved no match for that rival finishing third in the Cane Pace. Bob McClure is listed to drive Captain Kirk from the pole position in this division for trainer Tony Alagna.

The remaining five horses in the second elimination are notable in that they all earned more money as 2-year-olds than they have this season. Still, Moneyman Hill (post 3) showed some spark with a 1:51 tune-up last Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park for trainer Carmen Auciello. Jonathan Drury will guide the Somebeachsomewhere-sired gelding from post three.

Pelling recognized he likely drew into the easier division given not just Tall Dark Stranger’s placement in the sixth race, but a pair of Ontario's best sophomore colts in Sire Stakes winners Beaumond Hanover (post 1) and Tattoo Artist (post 7). "Those two have gone some incredible miles," said Pelling, alluding to the 1:49 1/5 Ontario Gold tally on July 4 by Beaumond Hanover and the 1:48 2/5 mile the same night in a separate division for Tattoo Artist.

The first division will be led by Tall Dark Stranger, who landed post three with Yannick Gingras getting the approval to race in Ontario. A son of Bettor's Delight, Tall Dark Stranger has captured the Meadowlands Pace this year and in his last start put in a vicious performance, scoring in 1:47 1/5 in the Cane Pace at The Meadowlands on August 8.

Beaumond Hanover (post 1) has won five of his seven starts this year for trainer Jack Darling, including three Ontario Sire Stakes Gold divisions in his last four trips to post. Jody Jamieson remains the regular driver behind this son of Sportswriter.

Trainer Dr. Ian Moore has a history of getting his horses ready for major races and he appears to have Tattoo Artist ready with designs on a North America Cup title. A colt from the first crop of He's Watching, Tattoo Artist has followed up a solid juvenile campaign with an outstanding sophomore season thus far. Tattoo Artist has won his last five starts after a fourth-place finish in his 3-year-old debut. Bob McClure will drive Tattoo Artist from post seven.

Milstein Memorial champion Odds On Osiris (post 5) hopes to continue his winning form for trainer Melanie Wrenn on Saturday. A gelded son of Rockin Image, Odds On Osiris won in 1:50 1/5 over the half-mile track at Northfield last Saturday night.

Trainer Tony Alagna has a pair in this division. Capt Midnight won five straight stakes races upon his arrival in Ontario at Woodbine Mohawk last year before finishing a solid third in the Metro Stakes behind Tall Dark Stranger and Papi Rob Hanover. Capt Midnight was a solid second after an overland trip in the Cane Pace. Captain Barbossa (post 8) has gone winless this year and enters the Cup trials off a third-place finish behind Allywag Hanover at Pocono on August 11.

The top five from each elimination will qualify for the North America Cup final.

NA Cup Elimination 1 (Race 6)
(Post - Horse - Driver - M/L Odds)
1 - Beaumond Hanover - Jody Jamieson - 7-2
2 - Warrawee Vital - Trevor Henry - 10-1
3 - Tall Dark Stranger - Yannick Gingras - 6-5
4 - Capt Midnight - Doug McNair - 5-1
5 - Odds On Osiris – Sylvain Filion 6-1
6 - Beach Blanket Book – James Macdonald - 15-1
7 - Tattoo Artist - Bob McClure - 9-2
8 - Captain Barbossa - Louis Philippe Roy - 15-1

NA Cup Elimination 2 (Race 8)
(Post - Horse - Driver - M/L Odds)
1 - Captain Kirk – Bob McClure - 9-5
2 - Velocity Rukkus - Randy Waples - 10-1
3 - Moneyman Hill - Jonathan Drury - 8-1
4 - Aneto - Chris Christoforou - 12-1
5 - Denali Seelster - Trevor Henry - 6-1
6 - Mayhem Hanover - Doug McNair - 10-1
7 - Allywag Hanover - Louis Philippe Roy - 7-5