Heavyweights in NA Cup

Twenty-three of the finest 3-year-old pacers on the continent are set to contest three eliminations Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack, to determine the field for the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup on June 16.

The top three finishers in each $50,000(C) elimination, plus a fourth-place finisher drawn by lot, will qualify for the 24th edition of the "Cup," Canada's richest harness race. Since 1984, 12 of 23 Cup winners also captured their elimination. As has been the case since 2004, the elim winners will get to choose their post position before the rest of the field is drawn next Tuesday.

The first elimination, at 8:01 pm, features Yankee Skyscaper (PP6) and Kenneth J (PP7), two highly-regarded colts expected to reach the final.

Yankee Skyscaper, trained by Chris Ryder, won last year's rich Metro Pace at Woodbine, on his way to banking $597,773 while winning four of nine starts. The son of Artiscape comes into the race off a second-place finish, just a head behind Fresh Deck, in the $500,000 New Jersey Classic, June 2 at the Meadowlands, timed in a blistering 1:49.4. George Brennan, still looking for his first Cup win, will be at the controls.

Kenneth J, a son of 2001 Cup winner Bettor's Delight, is unbeaten in two outings this year while racing at Tioga Downs in upstate New York. Last year, he won seven of 11 starts, banked $443,630 and was second, as a lukewarm post-time favorite, to Charley Barley in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine. Ron Pierce, who won last year's Cup with Total Truth, will drive for trainer Linda Toscano.

A wide-open second elim, slated for 9:04 pm, has drawn likely favorites Tell All (PP6), Reserve Forces (PP5) and The Quiet Mon (PP1).

Tell All, trained by Campbellville's Blair Burgess, finished a closing third as the favorite last Saturday in a Burlington division, getting his final quarter in :26.4 seconds, but wound up two lengths behind Bettor Tuwin. Jody Jamieson will handle the son of champion Real Desire, who has won four of his nine starts this year after being unraced as a 2 year old.

Reserve Forces, another Real Desire colt, also failed as a Burlington favorite, finishing third to Shamardal in his division after setting the pace. He's won three of nine career outings for trainer Carl Jamieson. Jody Jamieson has also been named on Reserve Forces.

The Quiet Mon, with driver Andy Miller, finished second to Wearable Art in the Berrys Creek at the Meadowlands on May 5, his first loss in four starts this season, but hasn't raced since. The gelded son of Richess Hanover won seven of nine starts last year while earning $215,100.

Post time for the third and most contentious elimination is 10:07 pm.

Ironically, all three divisional winners of the Burlington will compete, plus Domitian Hanover, last year's O'Brien Award winner as Canada's top 2-year-old colt pacer.

Sutter Hanover (PP2), trained by Mark Harder, clocked the fastest Burlington division last Saturday, a romping 5 3/4-length winner in 1:50.1. The Dragon Again colt is unbeaten in two starts this year, after a 2-year-old campaign which saw him take five of 12 starts, including the $450,000 Governor's Cup, Dec. 2 at the Meadowlands. Dave Miller, looking for his first Cup win, retains the drive.

Shamardal (PP5), a son of Life Sign, pulled off a surprise last week, scoring an impressive 3 1/4-length win in 1:51.1 in his Burlington division for trainer Scott McEneny, who also conditioned 2001 Cup winner Bettors Delight. Co-owned by John Fielding of Toronto and Frederick Hertrich III of Seaford, Del., Shamardal has won two of five starts this year after being unraced in 2006. He'll be handled by driver Brad Forward.

Bettor Tuwin (PP8), another Bettor's Delight colt, won his Burlington division in 1:50.3, collaring Travis Lou near the wire. Brad Maxwell trains the Cup hopeful for owner Dr. Fred Kruszelnicki of Brooks, Alberta. He'll be driven by Steve Condren, who scored the biggest upset in Cup history when steering Goalie Jeff ($93.60) to the winner's circle in 1989.

The Burlington has also proven to be a good barometer of Cup success, since three of the last seven Cup winners also won Burlington divisions...Gallo Blue Chip (2000), Red River Hanover (2002) and Total Truth (2006).

Domitian Hanover (PP1) won five of 11 starts and $341,538 last year for owners Clay and Scott Horner of Toronto. Trained by James Dean, the son of Camluck scored his biggest win in the Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final on Nov. 14 at Woodbine. This year, he's only raced once, a winning effort at Mohawk on May 19, when he defeated Cup hopefuls Two Twentytwo and Reserve Forces. (WEG)

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