by Karen Briggs, WEG Media

Campbellville, ON — This time last year, veteran trainer Carl Jamieson was in an enviable position. He had an undeniably powerful trio of pacing colts all aiming for the C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup: Santanna Blue Chip, Robert’s Rage, and Legacy N Diamonds.

But the best-laid plans don’t always have fairy tale endings.

Tragically, Robert’s Rage died of complications from an infection that spring, and Legacy N Diamonds, while a quality colt, found himself a little outclassed in the company of the top echelon of sophomore pacers.

Santanna Blue Chip, in another time, might have been a true superstar, but he had the misfortune to have been foaled the same year as a juggernaut called Somebeachsomewhere. He placed third in the North America Cup, earned over $1.6 million, and has now been retired to a promising stud career. Yet, no NA Cup trophy for Jamieson.

Cue 2009. Jamieson is back with another triad of 3-year-old pacing colts eligible to the NA Cup: Chief Of The Beach, World Away, and Captain Sir. None of the three has yet developed a profile to match his 2008 candidates, but given that they are in Jamieson’s barn, they’re all worth close scrutiny.

World Away, a son of Ontario sire Western Terror, was a $180,000 yearling purchase at the Lexington Selected Sale. He has remained unproven, thanks to a check ligament injury which forced his withdrawal from the Battle of Waterloo last year and shut down his 2-year-old campaign in July. Jamieson brought the colt back in mid-April, and he has since had four starts at Woodbine and Mohawk. In his first start in stakes company, he was second in the opening round of The Diplomat Series, and a week later he hit the winner’s circle for the first time, winning The Diplomat’s second leg by a nose over Fire On The Water, though he could only manage ninth in the C$73,500 series final on May 9, from the 10 hole.

“He (World Away) acts like a pretty nice horse,” Jamieson says of the half-brother to Mister Big. “He’s pretty green, but if I had to put my money on which of the three would go to the NA Cup at this point, it would be him.

“He’s the only one who’s Ontario-sired, so he’ll be going to the (C$500,000) Upper Canada Cup at Georgian Downs later this month.”

Then there’s Chief Of The Beach, who is by Real Desire out of the Jenna’s Beach Boy mare Beachy Lady, and had a $135,000 price tag at the Harrisburg Sale. Sesamoid problems plagued him at two, so like World Away, he remains lightly raced, with just six starts under his belt at this writing, and quite a bit of work to do to earn back that yearling price. He delivered a check for fourth in the opening round of The Diplomat, a second in the sequel, and third in the May 9 final to fellow NA Cup hopeful, Stinger Blue Chip.

“Chief raced pretty good in The Diplomat, and both he and World Away are good prospects for the NA Cup,” says Jamieson. “They’ve both been training down nicely.”

Jamieson owns both colts in partnership with Ken Henwood, while the third NA Cup candidate, Captain Sir, has some additional partners in George Harrison, Tom Kyron, and Arthur Slack.

Of the three, Captain Sir had the most modest price tag — $65,000 from the Lexington Selected Sale — and has the most mileage in harness, with nine lifetime starts and a record of 3-1-1, with $34,854 earned thus far.

He was promising enough at two to be pointed at the Breeders Crown, where he won his elimination over Art Colony, but faded to sixth in the final at The Meadowlands, which was won by Well Said (now the Standardbred Canada Spring Book favorite for the NA Cup). This spring, he has been winless in two starts.

“Captain Sir is a nice colt but he was choking himself off,” Jamieson explains. “We rigged him up a little differently and it seems to be helping, but we’ll have to see.”

His trio of colts may be relatively untested, but no one has a sharper eye for talent nor a keener sense of the game than this wily trainer.

“It’s nice to have three aimed in the direction (of the North America Cup) again,” Jamieson says. “But you never know ’til you get to the races. We’re just crossing our fingers that nothing happens to them between now and then.”

For more news and stories about the upcoming C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, go to www.northamericacup.com.