Miller to drive Fear The Dragon, Sears gets Downbytheseaside in NA Cup
June 13, 2017,from Standardbred Canada
Mississauga, ON — This past weekend, David Miller won Pepsi North America Cup eliminations with Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon. Trot Insider has been told who Miller will be driving in this Saturday’s C$1 million final, and has also been told who will be steering the other mount.
Brian Brown, trainer of both Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon, told Trot Insider this morning (Tuesday, June 13) that Miller will drive Fear The Dragon this Saturday in the C$1 million NA Cup.
Trot Insider will discuss this and more with Brown after Tuesday’s NA Cup post position draw, which will take place today at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ont. The draw is being live streamed by the Woodbine Entertainment Group. For information on the streaming, click here.
Miller was pleased with Fear The Dragon after his 1:50 elimination victory last weekend.
“I was real happy with him. He was just cruising along there,” Miller said. “I asked him a little bit — he’s a bit lazy at times — and I was real happy with him. He was real comfortable.”
Miller also discussed Fear The Dragon’s brief break of stride in the homestretch. Miller explained that the colt stepped over a head number that had fallen to the track earlier in the race. Fear The Dragon avoided the head number, quickly regrouped, and went on to score the 1-1/2 length win.
“If you watch, leaving the gate Yannick’s horse (driver Yannick Gingras, aboard Ocean Colony) lost his head number as he was crossing over and I didn’t even think of it through the stretch and my horse stepped over it,” said Miller.
Brown also told Trot Insider that Brian Sears has picked up the mount on the highly regarded Downbytheseaside, who Miller steered to a 1:50.4 victory in his Cup elim. The win extended Downbytheseaside’s 2017 undefeated streak to four, but Miller stated after the mile that the colt was not at his best in the race.
“I don’t think he was at his best tonight for whatever reason, but I’ve seen him better,” Miller said in a post-race interview. “(The wind) could be playing a factor; you’re leaving into it and you’re finishing into it and it might have something to do with it.
“He was a pretty solid horse last year and got better as the year went on, which is unusual. He came back this year and we can’t be happier with him. Just tonight, I wouldn’t say he was at his best.”
- Post positions drawn for Pepsi North America Cup (Tuesday, June 13, 2017)
Posts were drawn today for Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old male pacers at Mohawk Racetrack. The connections of elimination winners Downbytheseaside, Fear The Dragon, and Huntsville got to pick starting spots before an open draw for the remaining positions.
- Tetrick hopes to hoist Cup with Huntsville (Thursday, June 15, 2017)
Tim Tetrick knows Huntsville will face challenges in Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup. His goal is to make the race even more challenging for those that oppose him.
- Alagna sending out fifth Cup starter with Western Hill (Thursday, June 15, 2017)
Trainer Tony Alagna is set to make his fifth appearance in the C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup on Saturday (June 17) when he sends Western Hill, a Western Ideal gelding from the Art Major mare Cosmo Blue Chip, from post nine with Doug McNair driving the 20-1 morning line shot.
- Fear The Dragon hopes to bring Emerald Highlands Cup glory (Friday, June 16, 2017)
The Perretti Farms dispersal in November 2013 allowed Bruce Trogdon’s Emerald Highlands Farm to acquire Armbro Cinnamon in foal to Dragon Again. The resulting foal, born on April 16, 2014, was Fear The Dragon. A 3-year-old colt, Fear The Dragon has won 10 of 16 career starts and is undefeated in five outings this season. His most recent victory was a 1:50 score in an elimination of the Pepsi North America Cup.
- Lou Lamoriello to present North America Cup (Friday, June 16, 2017)
Woodbine Entertainment Group is pleased to announce that Lou Lamoriello, general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be making the winner’s circle presentation for this Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk Racetrack.