by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

This weekend will signal the true start of the three-year-old racing season for pacers as a total of more than $1.3 million is on the table for the sport’s top sophomores.

Many of harness racing’s best three-year-old pacers are gearing up for the C$1.5 million North America Cup (elims June 12) and the $1 million Meadowlands Pace (elims July 10) by participating in either the New Jersey Classic or Hoosier Cup on Saturday and the Provincial Cup on Sunday.

With an eye toward the future, here’s a look at those three races.

The top two male pacers at age two, Dan Patch Award winner I Am A Fool and runner-up Modern Art, lock up again in a field of 10. In addition to I Am A Fool and Modern Art, the North America Cup eligibles in the field are Holborn Hanover and Spirt Of A Shark. Each of those horses, excluding Spirit Of A Shark, is eligible to the Meadowlands Pace. Timesareachanging is eligible to the Meadowlands Pace only.

Lisa Photo

Modern Art defeated I Am A Fool by three-quarters of a length in a NJ Classic elimination.

Modern Art is 2-for-2 this year and has posted a career mark of 1:50.2. Trained by Joe Holloway, he has won eight of 15 lifetime and earned $744,041. His top triumph came in the Woodrow Wilson, where he beat Camelot Hall in 1:51.3. Modern Art, who will start from post one on Saturday, wired the field in his New Jersey Classic elim last week.

“He’s very good right now,” driver David Miller said. “With the trip, everything worked out great. He is good and strong right now.”

I Am A Fool was second to Modern Art in his elim last week. He has won nine of 17 lifetime starts, including a Breeders Crown victory over Modern Art last November, and earned $1.17 million.

“He was good,” trainer Brett Pelling said. “I was happy with him. It is just his second start. He had good kick at the wire. With the 10 horses in the race [Saturday] there should be a lot of action. After this race, he looked a lot better than he did last week.”

Pelling said he wasn’t concerned about having to start from post 10 in the Classic final. “One thing about being out there, you don’t have any decisions to make about what you’re going to do,” he said.

Spirit Of A Shark, trained by Mark Kesmodel, has won two of seven this year, equaling his win total for 2003. He has earned $122,423 in 16 lifetime starts and posted a record of 1:49.4, which he set at the Meadowlands earlier this year. Spirit Of A Shark held off Timesareachanging in their Classic elim. He will start from post seven in the final.

“Obviously, Modern Art and I Am A Fool are the top two,” Kesmodel said. “They’re getting their legs under them and they’re proven already. My colt has a few more races under his belt. He is coming into the final real good, real sharp. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Timesareachanging, trained by John Bavosi, has won four of 14 lifetime starts and earned $63,760. He will start from post eight. “He does everything easy,” Bavosi said. “He does not stress. He raced super [in the elim]. He was much tighter; it was only his second start. There are better times ahead, absolutely.”

Holborn Hanover, trained by Mark Harder, has won two of 17 lifetime outings and earned $52,441. He will start from post four in the Classic final.

A field of 11, starting in two tiers, will go behind the gate for the Hoosier Cup. There are eight NA Cup eligibles in the field: Droppin’thehammer, Metropolitan, Peyote, Santastic’s Pan, Skydancer Hanover, Up Front Brad, Wizsell, and Yankees In Seven. Of that group, all are eligible to the Meadowlands Pace except Peyote, Skydancer Hanover and Wizsell.

The top moneywinner in the field is the Joe Anderson-trained Droppin’thehammer, who has earned $215,628 while winning four of 13 lifetime starts. He was third in the Metro last year, finishing behind Camelot Hall and I Am A Fool. Droppin’thehammer has won his first two starts of this year, beating older horses in a career-best 1:52.2 at Balmoral Park in his most recent effort, May 20.

Metropolitan, trained by Chris Ryder, won his first start of 2004 last Saturday, beating older horses in a lifetime best 1:50.3 at the Meadowlands. He won three of 11 races last year, finishing off the board only twice, while earning $130,473.

Skydancer Hanover is coming off a 1:51.1 win in the Max Hempt Memorial Pace at Pocono Downs last week. He has won four of five starts for trainer Mark Harder this year — equaling his victory total of last season — and has banked $154,813 in his career.

Santastic’s Pan, trained by Dan Altmeyer, was second to Skydancer Hanover in the Max Hempt Memorial. He won a division of the Bluegrass last year and has earned $193,672 in his career. He is winless in three starts this year after winning eight of 13 last season.

Absentees from the field include Camelot Hall and Berry’s Creek winner Brandon’s Cowboy. Camelot Hall has won two qualifiers this year, but was sick after his most recent outing May 19. Brandon’s Cowboy, who failed to advance to the Provincial Cup final, was given a week off to get ready for the Burlington.

The nine-horse field features four NA Cup eligibles: Georgia Pacific, Magical GG, Osage Hanover, and Rogue Hall. Georgia Pacific, trained by Randy Bendis, won his Provincial elimination last week and has earned $56,635 this year (third in the field behind Four Starzzz King’s $227,400 and Rogue Hall’s $59,365). Georgia Pacific and Osage Hanover are also eligible to the Meadowlands Pace.

“I thought that as a two-year-old he belonged with the best, and so far he’s proved that he does,” Bendis said about Georgia Pacific.

Osage Hanover is trained by Scott McEneny and has won two of 12 lifetime starts while earning $33,421. Four Starzzz King, who won his Provincial elim, has won eight of 11 races this year, including the Matt’s Scooter and the Junior Trendsetter. He was runner-up to Brandon’s Cowboy in the Berry’s Creek. He was supplemented to the Provincial for C$17,500.

Quik Pulse Mindale, another supplemental entry, won the other Provincial elimination. He has won all four starts this year and six of seven lifetime races while earning $41,080.