Woodbine Mohawk Park: Stage set for Pepsi North America Cup after four elims

Christchurch, Fulton, It's My Show, and Confederate garnered top billing from Saturday night's four-pack of C$50,000 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations for sophomore pacing colts and geldings at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton), coming off a victory in the New Jersey Sire Stakes final, was the 1-2 favorite in the first elimination. He floated out from post four but nearing the first turn he got rough-gaited and then went on a brief break before settling and landing in fifth. Meanwhile, Ervin Hanover (Yannick Gingras) brushed from third to first past the 27 1/5 opening quarter. He would continue in front through a 55 second half and and 1:21 4/5 three-quarters, with Christchurch (Dexter Dunn) committing first-up from third on the final bend and giving cover to the re-engaged Voukefalas.

Christchurch wore down Ervin Hanover in mid-stretch and took command, and from there, he withstood Voukefalas's thrust to the wire to tally by a head in 1:48 4/5. Moment Is Here (James MacDonald), who led early and then yielded to sit in the pocket, came in third.

"He was feeling good. The track's pretty tight and fast tonight. It was just really good that he relaxed on a helmet because he hasn't been doing that this time around," Dunn said. "Nancy [trainer Nancy Takter] changed some gear and he was really relaxed, which was good. We moved him and he moved up good. He can run quick time pretty easily, so he didn't worry about it too much."

An Always B Miki colt bred by White Birch Farm, Christchurch is trained by Takter for owners Diamond Creek Racing, Farhi Standardbreds Corp., and Spreydon Racing. He has four wins from nine lifetime starts, pushed his earnings to C$52,275, and paid $9.50 to win as the 7-2 second choice.

"It's a little stressful for sure. You saw what happened in the first turn; you can just be taken out through no fault or your own or you can race a huge mile and just not make it," Takter remarked about having to finish in the exacta to be assured of a spot in next week's C$1 million final. "That was a little bit of a concern. I like being top two better than being the third that gets lotted in, but winning is definitely because now we have a chance for a better post, too."

Dunn struck again in the second elimination after Linda Toscano-trained Fulton put up fractions of 25 4/5, 53 4/5, and 1:21 on his way to a 1 1/4 length trimph over pocket-sitter Ammo (David Miller) in 1:48 2/5. Redwood Hanover (J. MacDonald) did the uncovered work from first-up in the back-half of the mile and checked in third.

"He hasn't been racing bad his last couple of starts, but just probably hasn't been 100 percent. Tonight he was very good," Dunn said. "Linda changed his bridle and he was sharp. He ran right through the line, and I was happy with him."

Bred by Best Bet Stables and owned by Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC., Fulton is a Heston Blue Chip colt. He made his ninth trip to the winner's circle, sent his bankroll to C$351,178, and returned $5.30 to win as the 8-5 favorite.

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Toscano was back with another one of her colts, It's My Show, in the third elimination following a 1:48 triumph for driver Scott Zeron. It's My Show set up shop on the front-end from the pole position, had control of the proceedings through stations of 26 4/5, 55 and 1:21 3/5, and used a 26 2/5 last quarter to seal his 2 1/4 length decision. It was a scramble for second with Save America (Gingras) getting up from the three-hole over pocket-sitter Stockade Seelster (Jody Jamieson).

"I thought somebody would take a flyer out of there on the outside, just try to go for position, but the good thing about my horse is he's probably the easiest horse I've ever had to drive," noted Zeron. "He's very robotic - anything I want him to do, slow down, speed up. He's super quick and he's got some big lungs."

A Sweet Lou homebred for Richard and Joanne Young, It's My Show is five-for-five in 2023 after going winless as a freshman and has put away C$149,965 lifetime. He was the 6-5 favorite and paid $4.70 to win.

Confederate was sent off at 1-9 in the last elimination and didn't disappoint, tallying in 1:48 4/5. Known more for his closing ability, Confederate (Tim Tetrick) gunned to the engine from post five, showed his heels to his rivals at the 26 4/5 quarter, 54 4/5 half, and 1:22 1/5 three-quarters, and paced a 26 3/5 final kicker to defeat a first-over Lyons Surfing (Andy McCarthy) by 2 1/4 lengths. Hungry Angel Boy (Todd McCarthy) got third.

"He was very, very good. Nobody was really leaving, so I thought I'd go ahead and take control," Tetrick said. "I went on the front with him a couple times last year. I don't like doing it, but I didn't want him to have to work too hard the second half chasing somebody. It worked out good."

The winner is another Sweet Lou colt and a homebred for Diamond Creek Farm and their racing operation. The Brett Pelling trainee has a record of 7-1-1 from nine efforts, has now pocketed C$527,825, and returned $2.10 across the board.

Coming up on Tuesday will be the press conference and draw for the final, but it was announced by Woodbine Mohawk Park that Redwood Hanover and Moment Is Here were the fortunate pair to draw into the final from the group of third-place finishers in the eliminations.