by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — A group of 16 4-year-old pacers will go postward Sunday (May 10) at Flamboro Downs in a pair of eliminations for the C$200,000 (added) Confederation Cup on Sunday (May 17).

The 16 entrants have been split into two C$20,000 eight-horse eliminations on Sunday evening. The top four finishers in each division will qualify for the Confederation Cup final.

The inaugural Confederation Cup was contested in 1977 and quickly became an annual showcase for the finest 3-year-olds until 2012. After a two-year hiatus, the “Cup” returns as a stakes event for 4-year-old pacers. The new Confederation Cup is sponsored by Great Canadian Gaming and administrated by the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

The first elimination (race five) Sunday will feature a match-up between last year’s Ontario Sires Stakes and New York Sires Stakes champions.

Three Of Clubs (post two, Doug McNair) will be making his second start of the season after finishing a close fourth in the Open Pace at Pompano Park on April 25. The Gregg McNair trainee banked $251,908 last season, with his biggest victory coming in the $222,500 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Mohawk Racetrack.

All Bets Off (post five, Matt Kakaley) comes from the powerful Ron Burke barn and is also making his second start of the season in Sunday’s elimination. Last season’s New York Sires Stakes champion, All Bets Off won the $500,000 Messenger Stakes last October at Yonkers Raceway. The Burke trainee is the richest pacer in the Confederation Cup eliminations with nearly $1.1 million in career earnings.

The second elimination (race 10) is headlined by another stakes-winning star from the Burke barn. Limelight Beach (post one, Yannick Gingras) returns to a half-mile track for the first time since he captured the prestigious Little Brown Jug last September at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. The Burke trainee will be making his third start of 2015 on Sunday evening and has an impressive career bankroll of $832,560.

Fresh off a victory in the Whata Baron Series at The Meadowlands, Ideal Cowboy (post three, Corey Callahan) will look to keep his momentum rolling in the second elimination. The Jeffrey Bamond Jr. trainee established a new career-mark of 1:49.2 in winning the Whata Baron last Saturday. Ideal Cowboy enters the Confederation Cup eliminations with five wins from 16 career starts and earnings of $127,971.

The 16 starters in the Confederation Cup eliminations have combined for 149 victories and career earnings of more than C$6.1 million.

Post time for Sunday’s 11-race card at Flamboro Downs, featuring the Confederation Cup eliminations, is 6 p.m.

Here are the full fields for the C$20,000 eliminations, with listed drivers and morning line odds.

First Elimination – Race 5
1. National Debt (Chris Christoforou) – 2/1
2. Three Of Clubs (Doug McNair) – 9/2
3. P L Hellcat (Chris Christoforou) – 10/1
4. Bettorever (Corey Callahan) – 5/2
5. All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) – 7/2
6. Big Boy Dreams (Sylvain Filion) – 8/1
7. Boomboom Ballykeel (Sylvain Filion) – 15/1
8. Mattamerican (Chris Christoforou) – 12/1

Second Elimination – Race 10
1. Limelight Beach (Yannick Gingras) – 8/5
2. Luck Be Withyou (James MacDonald) – 7/2
3. Ideal Cowboy (Corey Callahan) – 5/2
4. Somewhere Fancy (Doug McNair) – 10/1
5. Nirvana Seelster (Jody Jamieson) – 12/1
6. Let’s Drink On It (Tyler Smith) – 6/1
7. Vance Bayama (Sylvain Filion) – 8/1
8. Melmerby Beach (Paul MacDonell) – 9/2