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 Rocknroll Hanover winning the 2005 North America Cup. |
Date: 06/13/2006
The North America Cup at Woodbine, one of the most important races on the continent for three year old pacers, will be run Saturday night June 17th. Sponsored by Pepsi and with a purse of $1.5 million (Canadian) it is the richest harness race in Canada.
Unlike in thoroughbred racing, almost all harness races are run at a mile and entry into the finals of major stakes races involves eliminations the week before. For the North America Cup, three elimination races were run on Saturday, June 10th.
 Honorary drawmaster Paul Maurice, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, with Woodbine track announcer Dan Loiselle. |
First run in 1984, the race has featured a who's who of pacing history, with such winners as Jate Lobell, Precious Bunny, Presidential Ball, Cam's Card Shark and Gothic Dream. The late Cam Fella won the race in 1982 (when it was still called the Queen City Pace), and went on to sire four North America Cup winners: Goalie Jeff, Precious Bunny, Presidential Ball and Cam's Card Shark. 1987 winner Jate Lobell went on to sire three winners of his own: Safely Kept, David's Pass, and Gothic Dream. In 2000, the bay gelding Gallo Blue Chip used his win as a stepping stone to divisional honors in Canada and Horse of the Year distinction in the United States. Last year's winner was the favorite, Rocknroll Hanover, driven by Brian Sears in a time of 1:49 4/5.
 Jeremes Jet, last year's champion 2-year-old pacer, will break from post 10. |
The field’s leading money winner, with over $1.2 million, is Jeremes Jet, last year’s champion two-year-old colt pacer in both Canada and the United States. In an incredible 2005 season, he won six of seven starts, including the year’s end Breeders Crown at the Meadowlands, the Governor’s Cup at Woodbine and the Metro Pace at Mohawk. Trained by Tom Harmer for the Genesis Racing Stable of Plainfield, Illinois, Jeremes Jet, with driver Paul MacDonell, is winless in two starts this year. He finished second to Mr Feelgood in a division of the Burlington, June 3, before his fourth-place finish last Saturday, two lengths behind Feelin Friskie in his elim, while locked in through the stretch.
The race is the sixth on Saturday and goes to post at 9:40pm ET. It will be shown on The Score in Canada or you can watch it online at the Woodbine website. Here are the entries for the 2006 Pepsi North America Cup:
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Driver | Odds |
| 1 | Dave Panlone | Jim Arledge | Dave Palone | 8-1 |
| 2 | Feelin Friskie | Scott Bell | John Campbell | 2-1 |
| 3 | Doonbeg | Jim Dean | Jody Jamieson | 7-1 |
| 4 | Perfect Union | Jerry Silverman | George Brennan | 15-1 |
| 5 | Total Truth | Brenda Teague | Ron Pierce | 9-2 |
| 6 | Bono Bests | Ivan Sugg | David Miller | 5-1 |
| 7 | Western Ace | Brenda Teague | Ron Pierce | 5-1 |
| 8 | Fox Valley Tribal | Robert Sanders | Mark MacDonald | 30-1 |
| 9 | Impeccable | Dr. Ian Moore | Randall Waples | 30-1 |
| 10 | Jeremes Jet | Tom Harmer | Paul MacDonell | 6-1 |
 The North America Cup Trophy |
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