by Mark McKelvie, WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — The connections of 56 3-year-old pacers have made the first sustaining payment to remain eligible to the 34th Pepsi North America Cup. The C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup is Canada’s richest harness race and will take place on Saturday (June 17) at Mohawk Racetrack.

New Image Media photo

Beyond Delight winning the 2016 Metro Pace.

A total of 60 three-year-olds were originally nominated and all but four have been kept eligible through the first sustaining payment.

Ray Schnittker trainee Huntsville and Brian Brown trainee Downbytheseaside headline the group of eligible 3-year-olds. Both colts are sired by 2008 Pepsi North America Cup champion Somebeachsomewhere and both set world records during their rookie campaigns.

Beyond Delight, the 2016 Metro Pace winner who is trained by Tony O’Sullivan, is another notable pacer on the list eligible 3-year-olds. The son of Bettor’s Delight won the O’Brien Award as Canada’s top 2-year-old pacing colt in 2016.

The eliminations for this year’s Pepsi North America Cup will take place on Saturday (June 10). The C$1 million final will take place the following week.

The next sustaining payment for the Pepsi North America Cup is due April 15. The fee is $1,000 Canadian or $715 USD.

Below is the list of current eligible three-year-old pacers to the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup.

AIR STRIKE

AMERICAN SPORTSMAN

ARSENAL SEELSTER

ART SCENE

BEACH HOUSE

BECKHAMS Z TAM

BETTORS DREAM

BETTOR’S WESTERN

BEYOND DELIGHT

BLOOD LINE

CALVIN K

CLASSIC PRO

CLOUSEAU HANOVER

DARLING’S DRAGON

DIAL THE BOSSMAN

DOWNBYTHESEASIDE

DRAGNET ALERT

EDDARD HANOVER

FEAR THE DRAGON

FILIBUSTER HANOVER

HENRY THE DRAGON

HUNTSVILLE

HURRICANEBEACH

IDEAL WHEEL

LAWRENCETOWNBEACH

LINDYTHEFOURTEENTH

LYONS WELSH PRIDE

LYONS WILLIAM

MAC ATTACK

MAC’S JACKPOT

MAJOR MOE

MC MACH

MISO FAST

MR VARSITY

NORMANDYBEACH

OCEAN COLONY

ODDS ON DELRAY

OZONE BLUE CHIP

PERFECTLY CLOSE

PHOTOBOMBR HANOVER

R J P

RICHARD HILL

ROCK IT SCOTT

ROCK THIS WAY

SANTAFE’S COACH

SOME ATTITUDE

SPORTS COLUMN

STEALTH BOMBER

STREAKAVANA

TALBOT ROMEO

THREE MORE SMILES

TWIN B COWBOY

WESTERN HILL

WHO SAID NOT TO

WINDSONG NAPOLEON

YOUNG DRUNK PUNK