Three elims for North America Cup

Thirty sophomore colt pacers have been divided into three eliminations this Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack for the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup on June 26. The connections of each elim winner will have the chance to select their horse’s post position for the final, with all the second– and-third-place finishers as well as one four-place finisher drawn by lot advancing to the final

Mark MacDonald has once again received the driving assignment behind reigning divisional champion Sportswriter, who drew post seven in the first of the three eliminations. Trained by Casie Coleman, the son of Artsplace is coming off a fourth-place finish in his Burlington division last Saturday night in what his second start of the year.

It won’t be easy for Sportswriter as he drew in arguably the toughest of the trio of elims. Burlington division winners Kyle Major and Ideal Matters drew post eight and three, respectively, while New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Rock N Roll Heaven, who had gait issues in his Burlington split and had to qualify Tuesday morning at Mohawk in order to even be eligible to enter the NA Cup, drew post nine.

The second NA Cup elim has Fred And Ginger, fresh off an all-age 1:48.4 track-record win in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at The Meadows last Saturday, drawing post nine. Dave Palone has been named to drive the Real Artist colt by trainer Ron Burke. Also in the second elim is 2009 Breeders Crown champion All Speed Hanover, who is coming off a nose loss in the Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic last Saturday at the Meadowlands.

One More Laugh, who won last Saturday night’s four-horse Art Rooney at Yonkers Raceway, will start from post eight in the third elim for trainer Ray Schnittker and driver Tim Tetrick. Keystone Raptor, who scored a 39-1 upset in one of the three Burlington divisions, drew post five for trainer John Kopas and driver Jack Moiseyev, while Malicious, coming off an uncharacteristic last-place finish in his Burlington elim—the first check that 3 year old had missed in 15 career starts—drawing post 10 for trainer Ian Moore and driver David Miller.

North America Cup elims (with named driver):

1st elim-5th race (8:54 p.m.)

2nd elim-7th race (9:36 p.m.)

1  Mach Dreamer (Luc Ouellette)
2  Delmarvalous (Brian Sears)
3  Twin B Warrior (Randy Waples)
4  Art N Charm (Mike Saftic)
5  All Speed Hanover (Ron Pierce)
6  Four Starz Trace (Jody Jamieson)
7  Stonebridge Tonic (Doug McNair)
8  Haul Away (Tim Tetrick)
9  Fred And Ginger (Dave Palone)
10 Triple Major (Sylvain Filion)

3rd elim—8th race (9:57 p.m.)

1 We Will See (Brett Miller)
2 Woodstock (Yannick Gingras)
3 IAM Bonasera (Dave Magee)
4 BP Chimo (Sylvain Filion)
5 Keystone Raptor (Jack Moiseyev)
6 Piece Of The Rock (Tim Tetrick)
7 Warrawee Legend (Rick Zeron)
8 One More Laugh (Tim Tetrick)
9 Art Professor (Tim Tetrick)
10 Malicious (David Miller)

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