2024 Pepsi North America Cup Night

2024 North America Cup Results

Louis-Philippe Roy kisses the trophy after winning his first North America Cup with Nijinsky.

Dateline: 06/15/2024

The 41st running of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup, Canada’s richest harness race, was contested on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park featuring the best 3-year-old pacing males in North America going the standard 1 mile trip around the 7/8 mile stonedust oval in Campbellville, Ontario, in a major prep for the Pacing Triple Crown. Conditions were typical for mid June in Southern Ontario, with partly cloudy skies and a post time temperature of 15 C (60 F).

Nijinsky leads down the stretch

Captains Quarters was sent off as the 5-2 favorite in the full field of 10 off his elimination win after finishing second in the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes. In to challenge him included 3-1 second choice Nijinsky, also an elimination winner after winning the Ontario Sires Stakes and his division of the Somebeachsomewhere, and 7-2 third choice Funtime Bayama, the other elimination winner after finishing second to Nijinsky in the Ontario Sires Stakes and then winning his Somebeachsomewhere division.

Driver Sylvain Filion sent Funtime Bayama to the lead first time by through an opening quarter of 26 1/5 while pressed by 9-2 fourth choice Captain Albano and stalked by 10-1 Captain Luke. Down the backstretch Captains Quarters moved up to lead through a half in 54 1/5 and 3/4 in 1:21 2/5. Captains Quarters opened up a 1 1/2 length lead midstretch but Nijinsky, 7th and parked wide around both turns, rallied by in deep stretch to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:48 1/5. It was another 3/4 length back to Funtime Bayama third.

Nijinsky wins the North America Cup.

Pgm   Horse              Driver            Win   Place  Show
 4   Nijinsky            Roy              7.90    4.10  3.10
 5   Captains Quarters   Jamieson                 3.90  3.00
 6   Funtime Bayama      Filion                         3.10

Winning Time:  1:48 1/5 

$2 Exacta 4-5               32.70
$2 Trifecta 4-5-6           92.00
$1 Superfecta 4-5-6-2      130.00

Left: Nijinsky in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Tony Beaton, celebrating his first North America Cup win, said, “He was a very nice colt last year. “He just had a little immaturity and that, but he was always showing these high speeds at the end of the miles. ”

Right: The connections with the trophy. Beaton worked as an assistant to trainer Casie Coleman for 10 years. Coleman is a co-owner of Nijinsky (as West Wins Stable).

Left: Nijinsky heads out for the post parade.

Right: Nijinsky returns after the race. Beaton added, “This year, he came back and he’s so much more mature. You could just do anything with him, and he’s still got that high speed.”

Left: Nijinsky warms up earlier in the evening. Winning driver Louis-Philippe Roy, celebrating his first North America Cup win in his 4th attempt, said, “[The trip] worked really well. I have to give credit to the horse himself. You can do whatever you want, and he’ll respond to you any time in the mile. He’s just so easy to drive.”

Right: Trainer Tony Beaton and driver Louis-Philippe with the trophy. Roy added, “I knew coming down the lane. I didn’t know how much Jody (Jamieson, driving Captains Quarters) had left, but I really liked my chances there. I knew coming up the helmet, he would give me a pretty good kick.”

Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Captains Quarters first time by. The Herbert Holland trainee improved his record to 4 wins, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds in 9 starts, earning $832,154 for owner Rich Stiles.

Right: Third place finisher Funtime Bayama warms up before the race. The Richard Moreau trainee improved his record to 8 wins, 3 seconds, and 2 thirds in 13 starts, earning $531,570 for owner-breeder Bayama Farms Inc.

Kicking off the stakes action, a full field of 10 older trotting fillies and mares faced the starter in the $233,000 Armbro Flight Stakes. 26-1 Tipsy Moni was quickest away through fractions of 26 4/5, 56, and 1:23 3/5 while pressed by 16-1 Tactical Mounds and stalked by 14-1 Chake. Into the stretch Tipsy Moni tired allowing Chake to inherit the lead but 3-1 second choice Call Me Goo, 5th and parked wide early, rallied by and outfinished 3-10 favorite M Ms Dream to win by 1/2 a length in 1:51 2/5. It was another 3/4 length back to Chake third.

Results chart Race 5

Left: Call Me Goo with her comnections in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Jason Skinner said, “She’s by far the best I’ve ever trained. She’s put me on the Grand Circuit. I’ve been here a couple of times, but never with a dominant horse like her. She’s definitely the best one.” Winning driver Tim Tetrick added, “When she’s on a helmet, she’s perfect. But when you give her half a cue, she wants to take all of it. She’s really nice to drive until she gets free lane [because] she wants to go real fast. I wanted to be able to trip her out, put her on a helmet, because I think she’s really good off a helmet.”

Right: Second place finisher and beaten favorite M Ms Dream warms up before the race. The Ron Burke trainee improved her 2024 record to 4 wins, 0 seconds, and 1 third in 5 starts, earning $132,486 for owners Eleven Star Stables, Frank Baldachino, and Hillside Stables.

The $225,000 Goodtimes Stakes featured a full field of ten 3-year-old trotters. 12-1 Top Mast was quickest away through an opening quarter of 27 2/5 before 2-5 favorite Highland Kismet was sent to lead by driver Bob McClure through a half in 55 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:24 4/5, pressed by 13-2 second choice Private Access and stalked by Top Mast. Into the stretch Highland Kismet drew away to finish 3 1/4 lengths clear of Private Access in 1:51 3/5. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Top Mast third.

Results chart Race 7

Left: Highland Kismet in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Mark Etsell said, “He’s come a long way quick. He’s been a bit of a surprise, actually.”

Right: Highland Kismet returns after the race. Winning driver Bob McClure said, “He’s two fingers to drive. You can start him up, shut him down. I didn’t mind. I was fully intending to half-miss the gate because I knew all the outside speed was going to be pushing, so I wasn’t worried about them dropping in front of me. This colt, super, super stepped up, and I couldn’t believe how big a kick he had coming home, and how easy he did it, and how great he’s been.”

A field of 9 faced the starter in the $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational for older pacers. 57-1 Blue Hunt was quickest away through an opening quarter of 26 seconds before 2-1 favorite and last year’s winner Abuckabett Hanover took over through a half in 53 4/5 and 3/4 in 1:20 3/5 pressed by Blue Hunt and stalked by 10-1 Linedrive Hanover. Abuckabett Hanover continued to lead to midstretch but Linedrive Hanover rallied and held off 5-1 third choice Taurasi to win by a head in 1:47 2/5. It was a head back to Abuckabett Hanover third.

Results chart Race 8

Left: Linedrive Hanover in the winner’s circle. Winning driver James MacDonald said, “I was able to slip out at top of the stretch. And the horse is just an amazing animal. He’s had a couple tough trips this year and he just bounces back like a pro. That’s what great horses do.”

Right: Third place finisher and beaten favorite Abuckabett Hanover in the post parade. The Andrew Harris trainee improved his 2024 record to 1 wins, 0 seconds, and 1 third in 3 starts, earning $44,911 for owners William Pollock, Bruce Areman, Freehold, and Andrew Harris.

A field of 10 faced the starter in the $305,000 Roses are Red Stakes for older pacing fillies and mares. 60-1 Tells on a Roll was quickest away through an opening quarter in 26 2/5 before driver Dexter Dunn sent 1-2 favorite Twin B Joe Fresh to to front down the backstretch through a half in 54 2/5 and 3/4 in 1:21 2/5. Twin B Joe Fresh opened up a 3 1/2 length lead midstretch and easily held off late-running 5-2 second choice Sylvia Hanover to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:48. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to 5-1 third choice Always B Naughty third.

Results chart Race 10

Left: Twin B Joe Fresh in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Chris Ryder said, “The horse does the talking. She’s just a powerhouse, she’s got natural speed and she can carry it. I’m just lucky to have her. I came across her and got her, and all the credit goes to her. She’s just got the goods.”

Right: Twin B Joe Fresh heads out for the post parade. Winning driver Dexter Dunn said, “She’s such an easy mare to drive, so we just got away in a good spot. Once Sylvia [Hanover] got on my back, I thought to follow Louis [Roy behind Always B Naughty] to the front; I didn’t want to give Sylvia a tow up. She just felt great. She cruised down the lane pretty strong tonight.”

The $425,000 Fan Hanover Stakes is the distaff counterpart to the North America Cup, with a field of ten 3-year-old pacing fillies. 7-4 second choice My Girl EJ was quickest away through an opening quarter of 26 3/5 before even-money favorite Geocentric took over through a half in 54 4/5 and 3/4 in 1:22. Into the stretch Geocentric tired as 4-1 third choice Its a Love Thing, 5th early and parked wide, rallied by to win by a length over 20-1 Caviart Belle in 1:48 2/5, equalling the stakes, track, and Canadian record. It was another length back to My Girl EJ third, while favorite Geocentric checked in 6th beaten 2 1/2 lengths.

Results chart Race 9

Left: Its A Love Thing in the winner’s circle. Winning trainer Dave Menary said, “I was just hoping she didn’t get away too far back,” Menary said after the race. “She’s a big filly to try and push through from the rail, and I figured there would be outside leavers. So I just left it up to James – as long as she doesn’t get pinned. She did all the work tonight and went right on by.”

Right: Its A Love Thing returns after the race. Winning driver James MacDonald said, “Obviously [the trip] wasn’t how we drew it up, but it’s a horse race, and you just have to wait and see how things go. I’m just lucky that Dave and his crew had her amazing tonight. She was able to overcome a bad trip and showed what kind of a horse she is.”

The $75,000 North America Cup Consolation featured 9 three-year-old pacers who did not draw into the final. 5-4 second choice Clever Cody set the pace of 26 2/5, 55, and 1:22 45 while pressed by 6-5 favorite Mirage Hanover and stalked by 43-1 Remember the Alamo. Into the stretch Clever Cody continued to lead but Remember the Alamo closed late to win by a nose in 1:49 1/5. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Mirage Hanover third.

Results chart Race 6

The Tony Alagna trainee improved his record to 3 wins, 1 seconds, and 5 thirds in 14 starts, earning $150,110 for owners Riverview Racing, Marvin and Lynn Katz, and Remember the Alamo Racing.

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