by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group

TORONTO, June 14…Rocknroll Hanover has been installed as the 7-5 favorite for the C$1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, Canada’s richest harness race, Saturday at Woodbine, featuring the finest three-year-old pacers on the continent. Post time for the 22nd edition of the Cup, which is also the richest pacing event in North America, is 9:40 pm ET, as The Score will televise a special two-hour program nationally from 9:00 – 11:00 pm. In addition to the Cup, Saturday’s card also includes the C$342,100 Goodtimes Stakes for three-year-old colt trotters, the C$565,600 Elegantimage Stakes for three-year-old filly trotters and eliminations for the C$850,000 Canadian Pacing Derby, which will be contested June 25 at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville.

Post positions were determined today with special guest drawmaster Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs in attendance. Last weekend’s Cup elimination winners, Runover Feeling, Rocknroll Hanover and Stonebridge Regal were allowed to choose their posts before the balance of the field was drawn.

WEG Photo.

Cams Fool and Brett Pelling assistant Richard Norman.

Trained by Brett Pelling, Rocknroll Hanover, whose connections chose post five, will put his unblemished 2005 record on the line in the Cup as the 7-5 choice in the 10-horse field seeking the first place prize of C$750,000. The son of Western Ideal is a perfect four-for-four this year, with major wins coming in the New Jersey Classic, May 28 at the Meadowlands and a Cup elim last Saturday, when he rolled to a 1:50 clocking, covering his last half mile in :53.2, while winning by a comfortable two lengths.

Last year, Rocknroll Hanover, owned by Jeffrey Snyder of New York, NY and the Lothlorien Equestrian Centre (Audrey Campbell) of Mississauga, set a world record of 1:49.4 when he was a shocking winner of the Metro Pace at Woodbine, scoring at 31-1 odds. To be driven by Brian Sears, who finished fifth with favored Georgia Pacific in last year’s Cup, Rocknroll Hanover is the field’s leading money winner with $831,756 .

“Probably it couldn’t have worked out better for us,” said Pelling’s assistant, Richard Norman, whose stable also has Cams Fool in the Cup. “I think the best five horses drew 1-2-3-4-5. Couldn’t have asked for more. Rocknroll Hanover is bigger and stronger and smarter than last year. He’s a good horse. He didn’t do very much (this week). Just jogged him, lazed around.

“There will be plenty of early pace. Everybody wants to be handy. I think we’re in a good spot because we get to watch what everyone else does. And our horse is so versatile. He can leave good if he has to or he can just float out and see what everybody else does.”

Snyder and Lothlorien teamed to win the 2002 Cup with Red River Hanover, while Pelling has conditioned two Cup winners, Davids Pass in 1995 and The Panderosa in 1999. Snyder also won the 1994 Cup with Cams Card Shark.

The morning line 5-2 second choice is Stonebridge Regal (PP4, Jack Moiseyev), co-owned and trained by Robert McIntosh of Windsor, who took the fastest of the three elims, timed in 1:49.4, as the son of Artsplace won easily by three and one-half lengths. He’s won nine of 12 starts this year, including the Youthful and Diplomat Series, setting a career mark of 1:49.3 in the latter, the fastest mark by any Cup starter.

Stonebridge Regal will be trying to join Straight Path, the 1998 Cup winner, as the only ones to win the Cup after not racing as two year-olds. However, 11 of 21 Cup winners also won their eliminations.

The 6-1 third choice, leaving from post three, is Runover Feeling, trained by Ohio-based Kelly O’Donnell, who was also an impressive elim winner, scoring by one and one-half lengths in a life best 1:50, with driver Luc Ouellette. The son of Western Hanover has been ultra consistent so far in his career, winning nine of 11 starts, along with a second and third-place finish. He also won a division of the Burlington Stakes on June 4 at Woodbine. Ouellette won the 2002 Pepsi North America Cup with Red River Hanover, upsetting stablemate Mach Three.

“I think it’s important to get position,” said Ouellette. “I think I’m in a good spot for that. If the competition, the way I see it, is outside of me, they might want to be on the lead. If things go our way, we might be able to get towed in behind them. Last week I made a comment. I said this horse reminds me of Red River Hanover, except he’s about 300 pounds lighter. He’s got a lot of desire and he’s real sharp right now, just the way ‘Red River’ was coming into this race.”

Cams Fool (PP2, 7-1), a stablemate of Rocknroll Hanover, is also trained by Brett Pelling and will have the services of the sport’s leading driver, John Campbell. Co-owned as well by Jeffrey Snyder and Lothlorien Equestrian Centre, Cams Fool, a $300,000 U.S. yearling purchase, is a son of 1994 Cup winner Cams Card Shark. He finished second to Stonebridge Regal in his elim and is a two-time winner in eight starts this year after not racing as a two-year-old. Campbell has won a record six Cups, but the latest was in 1999 with The Panderosa.

Leading X Ample (PP7, 8-1), one of two in the field trained by William Elliott, comes into the Cup as the field’s second leading money winner with $306,922 . To be driven by Randy Waples, the son of 1999 Cup winner The Panderosa scored his biggest win on May 29 at Windsor in the Provincial Cup, in a career best 1:51. He then captured a Burlington division June 4 before finishing third to Rocknroll Hanover in the second Cup elim. He’s owned by the Leading X Ample Stable, a syndicate headed by R. Peter Heffering of Port Perry, who won the 1991 Cup with Precious Bunny.

Completing the field are American Ideal (PP10, 20-1), to be driven by Mark MacDonald for trainer Casie Coleman, the first woman conditioner to field a Cup finalist; Gold Dust Beach (PP6, 30-1), a son of champion Jennas Beach Boy, to be driven by Steve Condren, who won the 1989 Cup with the longest-priced winner, 45-1 Goalie Jeff; I Zee (PP9, 20-1), another Cup entrant unraced at two, co-owned and trained by Robert McIntosh, with Chris Christoforou; Load The Dice (PP1, 12-1), another Cams Card Shark colt, trained by Chris Ryder and driven by David Miller and Tidewater (PP8, 30-1), another son of The Panderosa trained by William Elliott, driven by Ron Pierce and owned by Antonio Chiaravalle of Hamilton, who raced 1993 Cup winner Presidential Ball.

The first three finishers in last Saturday’s eliminations, plus a fourth-place finisher (Tidewater) drawn by lot, qualified for the Pepsi North America Cup, the first million dollar harness race of the year on the continent.

Red River Hanover owns the stakes record of 1:48.4, set in 2002 while Bettors Delight won the race by the largest margin, four and one-half lengths, in 2001.

Pepsi North America Cup
PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Odds
1 – Load The Dice – David Miller – Chris Ryder – 12-1
2 – Cams Fool – John Campbell – Brett Pelling – 7-1
3 – Runover Feeling – Luc Ouellette – Kelly O’Donnell – 6-1
4 – Stonebridge Regal – Jack Moiseyev – Bob McIntosh – 5-2
5 – Rocknroll Hanover – Brian Sears – Brett Pelling – 7-5
6 – Gold Dust Beach – Steve Condren – Joe Seekman – 30-1
7 – Leading X Ample – Randy Waples – Bill Elliott – 8-1
8 – Tidewater – Ron Pierce – Bill Elliot – 30-1
9 – I Zee – Chris Christoforou – Bob McIntosh – 20-1
10 – American Ideal – Mark MacDonald – Casie Coleman – 20-1
AE – Divot Hanover – Sylvain Filion – Richard Moreau

NOTES: As the draw began, elimination winners Runover Feeling, Rocknroll Hanover and Stonebridge Regal were part of a draw, by lot, to determine the order in which they would select their post positions. The connections of Runover Feeling selected their post first, followed by Rocknroll Hanover and then Stonebridge Regal.

Pepsi North America Cup draw quotes

JACK MOISEYEV (driver of Stonebridge Regal)

About selecting the four-hole

“If I drew first, I probably would have taken [the rail]. I was waiting to see how the other two drew and it just seemed like a comfortable spot.”

About considering selecting the rail

“I didn’t really want to be on the outside of Rocknroll Hanover.”

With the draw results now official, and many top horses on the inside of the gate, does this change you approach going in?

“You just have to play it by ear. When the gate opens you look around and whatever feels right, you do it. Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong.”

Did Bob say how he came out of his elim?

“Bob said he came out of it super.”

CASIE COLEMAN (trainer of American Ideal)

“Obviously the 10-hole sucks. I did want to draw inside more, but we’ve got it now and we have to deal with it. My horse can close one hundred – he’s proven it many times before. Just last week in the elimination he was last off the head of the lane, he tipped about five-high, made a stumble half-way down the lane and still finished third, just a nose away from getting second.”

“Were going for $1.5 million and they’re going to be rolling on the front-end. There aren’t going to be any cheap fractions. Leading X Ample has post seven. If he ends up ducking [in], I think he can give us some good cover. My horse can leave one hundred too, so who knows, it’s a horse race.
Anything can happen. His post is just a number on his back – it indicates where they start from, not where they finish.”

“These are the nicest three-year-olds in the world he’s up against, but I have no doubt in my mind that this colt can overcome it. We just have to keep looking forward and not look down about the 10-hole. I’ve won out of the 10-hole many times before.”

RICHARD ‘NIFTY’ NORMAN (assistant trainer for BRETT PELLING, talking about Rocknroll Hanover) (PP5, Brian Sears)

“Probably it couldn’t have worked out better for us. I think the best five horses drew 1-2-3-4-5. Couldn’t have asked for more. Rocknroll Hanover is bigger and stronger and smarter than last year. He’s a good horse.”

On (Rocknroll Hanover) being 31-1 last year when winning the Metro last year

“Well that was just an oversight by the gamblers, I think. If anyone had watched his elimination for the Metro, it was a helluva good run. He shouldn’t have been 30 to 1.”

On being scratched from the final of last year’s Breeders Crown due to sickness

“He was sick. We had high hopes for him as a three-year-old and we didn’t want to run any risk to him. We had the horse’s best interests at heart.”

On any pressure about being the 7-5 favorite

“Not at all. We’ve been through it plenty of times before. If you get beat, you get beat.”

What did Rocknroll Hanover do this week, between the elim and the final?

He didn’t do very much. Just jogged him, lazed around.”

On race strategy

“There will be plenty of early pace. Everybody wants to be handy. I think we’re in a good spot because we get to watch what everyone else does. And our horse is so versatile. He can leave well if he has to or he can just float out and see what everybody else does. There won’t be a chance to walk [the early fractions]. Those guys [drivers] are all too smart for that.”

RICHARD ‘NIFTY’ NORMAN (assistant trainer for BRETT PELLING, talking about Cams Fool)

“I really think he’s the sleeper in the field. He was super in his elimination. If they get down to the half on time, he probably looks like he’s going to get away sixth or so. He’ll be dangerous.”

LUC OUELLETTE (driver of Runover Feeling)

On selecting first and choosing post three

“I think it’s important to get position. I think I’m in a good spot for that. If the competition, the way I see it, is outside of me, they might want to be on the lead. If things go our way, we might be able to get towed in behind them. I’m hoping to be able to get him spotted. If some of the competition comes, I might just wind up following them. I’m sure they’re not going to back into us too much. I think we’re going to see pretty honest fractions on the board.”

In comparing Runover Feeling to Red River Hanover, whom Ouellette steered to victory in the 2002 Pepsi North America Cup

“Last week I made a comment. I said this horse reminds me of Red River Hanover, except he’s about 300 pounds lighter. He’s got a lot of desire and he’s real sharp right now, just the way Red River was coming into this race.

I don’t know a whole lot about the horse but I don’t think he could be any sharper than he is right now. He’s very healthy. He’s had a good week.
That’s the main thing because, you know, anything can happen between last week and this week. And knock on wood, nothing bad has happened.”

BILL ELLIOTT (trainer of Leading X Ample and Tidewater)

“I was kind of hoping to be in the middle of the three good horses or maybe on the inside. Both of my horses are on the outside of them. They just have their work cut out for them. Good horses overcome post positions. I think I have two good horses.”

“I don’t think it’s really significant. Both drivers will have different strategies in mind. We’ll just have to see how it plays out.”

“Both of them came out [of their races] well. I pulled their bloods on Monday just to make sure everything was going well. They both are acting good. They’ve been eating well all week. Their blood has come back well. So, it’s all up to them now.”

“I’ll train them Thursday. They’ll have the day off Friday.”

STEVE CONDREN (driver of Gold Dust Beach)

“I’m kind of happy with the six-hole because he’s going to be in the middle there somewhere and hopefully that will draw him into a good position turning for home. Horse racing is horse racing. If you’re in position and they beat each other up [you never know what the outcome will be]. We’ll all be happy if we get a decent check.”

“It’s a good post for him. It gives him an opportunity to do some good in the final.”