by Woodbine Entertainment Group
The field for next Saturday’s C$1.6 million Pepsi North America Cup, Canada’s richest horse race, has been finalized after four eliminations were contested tonight at Woodbine.
Thirty-five of the continent’s best three-year-old pacers lined up in the four elims, trying to guarantee themselves spots in next week’s final with a first or second place finish. The remaining two spots for the field of 10 were drawn by lot from the four third place finishers.
When the dust had settled, Western Terror, Panspacificflight, Rogue Hall and Georgia Pacific were all victorious and history says it’s good to win your elimination, as 11 of 20 past elim winners have gone on to ‘Cup’ glory.
Local Cup hopes will rest with the third elim winner, Rogue Hall, who surged past odds-on favourite Spirit Of A Shark in deep stretch to post an impressive three-quarter length win in a life best 1:51. Rapid Dialing came on late for second, while the favourite retired to third.
Sent surprisingly to the front from the nine-hole by Paul MacDonell, Rogue Hall took the field to the quarter in 26 seconds before relinquishing the lead to Spirit of a Shark. However, the son of Cambest kept the pacesetter in sight and had him measured when they turned for home.
Owned by Robert Grand of Campbellville and Glenview Livestock Limited of Wallenstein, Ontario, Rogue Hall was winning his fifth in seven starts, after being unraced at two for trainer Rene Laarman of Guelph.
“I was very surprised, I had no idea he had that kind of gate speed,” said Laarman. “But then again, we’d never tried him. We’ve been trying to educate him so he could learn how to be a racehorse. To me, a good horse can do it any way and I think he’s a good horse.”
The fastest elim was recorded by Georgia Pacific in what was readily acknowledged as the toughest of the four. With Brian Sears at the controls, Georgia Pacific took over from Skydancer Hanover heading to the half in 55, then withstood an assault from favoured Metropolitan and John Campbell, along with Modern Art and David Miller three wide on the outside as the trio headed into the far turn.
However, down the stretch, Georgia Pacific, co-owned and trained by Randall Bendis, held firm, motoring to a three-quarter length victory in a blazing 1:49.4, equalling his career best set only last week in a division of the Burlington Stakes at Mohawk. Metropolitan was a resolute second while The Preacher Pan closed for third.
“The fractions came up :55 (for the half). It’s a pretty soft number, so I had to take my chances from there,” said Sears. “We’ve had some positions (in earlier races) where we had to go forward. We’ve just kind of eased him along in some of those bigger races, trying to pick up cover, teach him a few things. The horse definitely knows how to leave. He left a lot of times last year as a two-year- old. But you’ve got to be up close in a lot of these big races.”
It was the third win in nine starts this year for Georgia Pacific, who, like Western Terror, is a son of Western Hanover.
The second elim went to heavily favoured Panspacificflight and driver Luc Ouellette, who will be looking for a second Cup win after taking the 2002 renewal with Red River Hanover. Taking over after a leisurely half in :55.2, the son of 1999 Cup winner The Panderosa opened several lengths on his rivals turning for home, before holding a closing Camelot Hall safe by a half length, in 1:51.3. Western Prince was a further three-quarters of a length back in third.
Owned by the Peter Pan Stables of Pepper Pike, Ohio, Panspacificflight, who’d come off a monster 1:50.3 mile while parked for most of the trip in last week’s Burlington Stakes, thus remained unbeaten in three outings this year for trainer Kevin McMaster, after taking seven of nine starts in 2003.
“I’m very pleased with him, he raced well,” said McMaster. “He paced a lot better tonight on this track. His gait was real good and he handled the turns well. He doesn’t need a whole lot of training to keep him sharp.”
In the first elim, Steve Condren brought 11-1 longshot Western Terror from a second over spot coming off the far turn to nail Village Hero N by a half-length just before the wire in 1:51. Mantacular finished third, while favoured Brandons Cowboy, parked for the first quarter mile, took the field through three-quarters in 1:23.4 before fading to sixth down the lane.
It was the first win in four starts this year for Western Terror, owned by Perfect World Enterprises and trained by Scott Forbes.
“He’s always had a little bit of go, he’s just kind of a one-dimensional type of colt,” said Condren, who steered Goalie Jeff to the biggest payoff in Cup history in 1989, at 45-1.
“I thought if he had a decent enough trip tonight he could maybe make the board. I was kind of surprised that he won. But they were going lots (fast) and Woodbine’s the type of place if you can read the pace, it’s to your benefit. I figured they (the leaders) should slow up sometime so I put him in position and hoped for the best.”
Mantacular and The Preacher Pan became the two third place finishers to make the final, when a draw was held trackside after the fourth elim.
The official draw for post positions for the Pepsi North America Cup takes place Tuesday at Woodbine, with special guest drawmaster, young star Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The elim winners will get to choose post positions (after a draw amongst themselves for selection order), while the balance of the field will participate in a regular draw.
Admirals Express a fast winner
Laurel and Gary Gust and Cheryl and Ed Sayfie’s Admiral’s Express, in rein to MacDonell, sped to a 1:484 victory in Saturday night’s Junior Free For All pace.
The purse was $35,040.
The winner stalked the early pace — marked by McDylan’s :25 first quarter — and then closed stoutly in the lane to record a two and one-quarter length victory over McDylan (Trevor Ritchie) and Judge Cam (Brian Sears).
Admiral’s Express has won four of 19 races and $130,329 this year.
- A record number of entries for the North America Cup (Tuesday, June 8, 2004)
A total of 35 entries resulted in the drawing of four eliminations for the North America Cup — including on power-packed division.
- Fourth elim of N.A. Cup loaded with talent (Saturday, June 12, 2004)
Saturday’s fourth elim of the N.A. Cup at Woodbine features two Burlington Stakes division winners — Metropolitan and Georgia Pacific — in addition to unbeaten Modern Art, Hoosier Cup winner Skydancer Hanover and once-beaten Droppin’thehammer, not to mention 2003 Governor’s Cup runner-up The Preacher Pan.