Moore hopes Eighteen is lucky number in NA Cup
June 8, 2011,by Ellen Harvey, Harness Racing Communications
Freehold, NJ — The colt Eighteen starts from post No. 5 with Paul MacDonell driving for trainer Dr. Ian Moore in the second of Saturday’s (June 11) three eliminations for the Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack. Moore owns the horse with hockey Hall of Famer Serge Savard and the R G McGroup. The same group was behind 2008 Little Brown Jug winner Shadow Play.
Eighteen had no wins as a 2-year-old in nine starts, but appears to be on an upswing this year, with two wins and a second from five starts. Asked if his colt was on the way up, Moore laughed and said, “Hope so.”
New Image Media photo
Eighteen will be making career appearance No. 18 in Saturday’s North America Cup eliminations.
“He was a big-bodied colt and he was still a nice 2-year-old; nice enough to go in (1):52, (1):53 and most all his last quarters were :27 and a bit.
“He grew into his body this winter and developed into a nice colt and is getting better every time he races. I still don’t think we’ve quite found the right equipment for him. He was on the last turn (in last week’s Somebeachsomewhere, where he finished fourth in 1:50.2) and he threw in a couple steps and lost a couple lengths, lost momentum.
“That’s sort of been the pattern with him, even as a 2-year-old. I tighten up the hopples one week and he’s good the next week and you begin the week after and so on and so on. First win he had, first start, he got a little rough in the stretch, too. So I took up the hopples and he was OK.
“So I don’t know; it seems to sometimes be around shoeing time and sometimes not. I did find that one of his hopples was a half inch longer than the other. I don’t know how that happened. I’m going to try a couple new pieces of equipment on him Saturday. He’s always carried his head to the left, but not really on one line (which might suggest he is trying to get away from something on his right). He’s always turned his head to the left ever since I’ve had him and I’ve had a line pole on him all along.
“He just touched one ankle, the right-front ankle, just a little bit on Saturday when he got rocky. Prior to it, he never touched anywhere or wore a boot. I’ll try a headpole on him and see if that makes any difference.”
Moore says the colt has a great outlook on racing.
“He’s got a great attitude,” he said. “The thing about him, he can leave real good, he’s right on the gate, no problem. In the stretch, in that quarter, he’s not tired. He’s used to training a mile and a half all the time.”
The colt’s name is derived from co-owner Savard’s number from when he was a multiple Stanley Cup winning Montreal Canadien, and another related angle.
“Also, the day we won the Jug with Shadow Play, he (Savard) came up to me and said, ‘You know we couldn’t lose, Doc. It’s the 18th of September, the 18th race and that was my number when I played hockey — 18. I thought that would be a good name for a horse, so that’s why we named him that.”
Oh, by the way, the North America Cup elimination race will be Eighteen’s eighteenth career start (counting qualifiers) and the C$1.5 million North America Cup final is June 18.
Here is how the eliminations will line up, with listed drivers and trainers.
Elim One: 1. Mach Of Ballykeel, Ra. Waples, C. McKnight; 2. Rock To Glory, D. Miller, C. Coleman; 3. Big Jim, P. Hudon, J. Dean; 4. Powerful Mist, T. Tetrick, M. Givens; 5. Bestofbest Hanover, J. Moiseyev, D. Martin; 6. Rockabillie, S. Filion, I. Moore; 7. Custard The Dragon, M. Teague, G. Teague, Jr.
Elim Two: 1. Feel Like A Fool, B. Sears, G. Teague, Jr.; 2. Betterthancheddar, B. Miller, C. Coleman; 3. Up The Credit, J. Jamieson, C. Jamieson; 4. Grams Legacy, D. Miller, J. Takter; 5. Eighteen, P. MacDonell, I. Moore; 6. Lookinforadventure, B. Miller, B. Saunders; 7. Townslight Hanover, S. Zeron, A. Lambert; 8. Shadyshark Hanover, T. Tetrick, E. Miller.
Elim Three: 1. Mystician, J. Jamieson, J. Gillis; 2. Roll With Joe, Ra. Waples, E. Hart; 3. Keystone Velocity, TBA, F. Kamine; 4. Western Alumni, D. Miller, B. Goit; 5. Dutch Richman, T. Tetrick, E. Miller; 6. Wink N Atcha, B. Sears, G. Teague, Jr.; 7. Big Bad John, B. Miller, R. Potter; 8. Foreclosure N, S. Filion, M. Steacy.
- Big Jim looks to bounce back in North America Cup elims (Tuesday, June 07, 2011)
- North America Cup elims drawn (Tuesday, June 07, 2011)
The continent’s finest 3-year-old pacers will go postward Saturday (June 11) at Mohawk Racetrack in three eliminations for the C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, the world’s richest pacing event, on June 18.
- Big Bad John heads to Canada (Tuesday, June 07, 2011)
Little Brown Jug contender Big Bad John will leave his hometown of Delaware, Ohio, on Friday morning to travel to Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ontario, to compete in Saturday’s eliminations for next week’s C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup.
- No NA Cup for Fashion Delight (Tuesday, June 07, 2011)
According to trainer Jim Campbell, he decided not to enter the six-time winner due to a minor injury.
- Coleman seeks North America Cup repeat (Wednesday, June 08, 2011)
Casie Coleman won last year’s Pepsi North America Cup with Sportswriter. This year, she sends two pacers — Betterthancheddar and Rock To Glory — into Saturday’s Cup eliminations at Mohawk Racetrack as she attempts to become the first trainer since Bill Robinson in 1993-94 to win the race in consecutive years.
- Mystician keeps making a believer of Gillis (Wednesday, June 08, 2011)
Jeff Gillis thought Mystician would be a nice horse on the Ontario Sire Stakes circuit. Beyond that, he had few expectations. But after Mystician won last year’s Metro Pace and this season’s Upper Canada Cup at Georgian Downs, the trainer is a believer.
- Roll With Joe ready to rock in Pepsi NA Cup (Thursday, June 09, 2011)
Conditioner Ed Hart will be looking to walk back into the limelight as Roll With Joe looks to be crowned this year’s C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup champion.