from Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Freehold, NJ — Well Said won the fastest of the four elimination races for Saturday’s (June 27) C$1.5 million North America Cup for 3-year-old pacers at Mohawk Racetrack. The Steve Elliott-trained Well Said, driven by Ron Pierce, triumphed by a quarter-length over Keep It Real in 1:50. It was Well Said’s second win in three starts this year.

New Image Media photo

Well Said edged Keep It Real in the fastest of the four North America Cup eliminations.

“He came out of the race good,” Elliott said Monday. “Ronnie keeps putting him on the front end, and he’s not a front end horse; he’s much better chasing horses. But he did what he had to do and got us in the final. It’s never easy going in this class; it’s the top of the top. It’s a real good field of 3-year-olds.

“He’s where he wants to be. He’s come back really good; he’s strong and feels good and acts good. The whole key is getting lucky. We have all the pieces of the puzzle, it’s just a matter of putting them together.”

Well Said won last season’s Breeders Crown for 2-year-old male pacers at the Meadowlands. He has three wins and three second-place finishes in eight starts at Mohawk.

Keep It Real, who started from post No. 9, lost for the first time in seven career races.

Two-time New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Dial Or Nodial won his elim in 1:50.2, defeating OK Boromir by one length. If I Can Dream, coming off a victory in the Art Rooney Pace, took his elim by 2-1/2 lengths over Annieswesterncard in 1:51.1 while Hoosier Cup champ Mr Wiggles triumphed in his elim by three-quarters of a length over Art Colony in 1:51.3.

The top two finishers in each elim were guaranteed spots in the North America Cup final. Two third-place finishers drawn by lot also qualified for the field. The lucky third-place finishers were Chasin Racin and Millionaire Cam.

Connections of elimination winners will select their post positions for the final. The remainder of the field will be drawn. The draw for the race is noon Tuesday, with Toronto Maple Leafs President and General Manager Brian Burke serving as the honorary drawmaster for the event.

Notable numbers: No horse has ever won the Woodrow Wilson Pace at age 2 has come back to win the North America Cup at age 3. The streak will continue; last year’s Wilson winner, Major In Art, is injured and has been retired…Four winners of the Metro Pace have won the Cup: Somebeachsomewhere, Rocknroll Hanover, Gothic Dream, and Presidential Ball…Somebeachsomewhere’s win ended a 10-year streak in which the fastest elimination winner failed to claim the Cup…No horse has ever hit the board from post 10. The best finish was fourth by Dragon Again in 1998 and Artriverderci in 2007…Every other post position has produced at least one winner, with No. 5 leading the way with seven…Favorites have won 12 of 26 Cup finals. (Statistics courtesy of Woodbine Entertainment Group analyst Mike Hamilton.)

Previous NA cup winners: 2008 Somebeachsomewhere, 2007 Tell All, 2006 Total Truth, 2005 Rocknroll Hanover, 2004 Mantacular, 2003 Yankee Cruiser, 2002 Red River Hanover, 2001 Bettor’s Delight, 2000 Gallo Blue Chip, 1999 The Panderosa, 1998 Straight Path, 1997 Gothic Dream, 1996 Arizona Jack, 1995 David’s Pass, 1994 Cam’s Card Shark, 1993 Presidential Ball, 1992 Safely Kept, 1991 Precious Bunny, 1990 Apaches Fame, 1989 Goalie Jeff, 1988 Runnymede Lobell, 1987 Jate Lobell, 1986 Quite A Sensation, 1985 Staff Director, 1984 Legal Notice.

Stakes record: 1:48.4 by Red River Hanover in 2002.

Meadowlands Pace Eligibles: Annieswesterncard, Art Colony, Chasin Racin, Dial Or Nodial, If I Can Dream, Millionaire Cam, and Well Said.

Cup-Pace Doubles: 2005 Rocknroll Hanover, 2000 Gallo Blue Chip, 1999 The Panderosa, 1995 David’s Pass, 1994 Cam’s Card Shark, 1993 Presidential Ball, and 1991 Precious Bunny.