"I can remember coming up here 20 years ago, walking through the grandstand, saw that trophy, never dreamed we'd have a shot at it. I've had a couple of others horses in eliminations, never made the final. To come in with two horses like this and have a shot at that trophy...never thought I'd be in this position but I like it."
Trainer Brian Brown discussed 2017 Pepsi North America Cup starters Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon with Trot Insider at the post draw on Tuesday, June 13. The $1 million final will be contested on Saturday, June 17 at Mohawk Racetrack.
Downbytheseaside won his elimination in 1:50.4 over Western Hill and Sports Column while stablemate Fear The Dragon was a 1:50 winner ahead of Filibuster Hanover and Ocean Colony. Both colts are undefeated in their sophomore campaigns.
As elimination winners, the colts' connections were able to choose their post position for Canada's richest race. Downbytheseaside will be leaving from post two with Brian Sears picking up the catch-drive for owners Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo, and Diamond Creek Racing. Owned by Emerald Highlands Farm, Fear The Dragon will retain the driving services of David Miller and will start from post four.
"To have two great horses in the same year like [Fear The] Dragon and Downbytheseaside is a remarkable feat," Bruce Trogdon, owner of Emerald Highlands Farm told Trot Insider. "Brian has earned his success, he is a hard worker and really knows how to develop colts."
It's rare for one trainer to have two horses in the North America Cup final; it's even more rare for one trainer to campaign multiple elimination winners. In the history of the North America Cup, only two trainers have won more than one elim in the same year: Bill Robinson (1993: Presidential Ball and Riyadh; 2002: Mach Three and Red River Hanover) and Jimmy Takter (2014: Lyonssomewhere and Tellitlikeitis).
Downbytheseaside and caretaker Toni Dale Hollar
The post positions for the 2017 North America Cup Final appear below.
$1 MILLION PEPSI NORTH AMERICA CUP
(Post – Horse – Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds)
1 – Ocean Colony – Yannick Gingras – Jimmy Takter – 10-1
2 – Downbytheseaside – Brian Sears – Brian Brown – 3-1
3 – Huntsville – Tim Tetrick – Ray Schnittker – 8-5
4 – Fear The Dragon – David Miller – Brian Brown – 2-1
5 – Sports Column – Chris Christoforou – Blake MacIntosh – 25-1
6 – Classic Pro – Trevor Henry – Dr. Ian Moore – 20-1
7 – Ozone Blue Chip – Brett Miller – Ron Coyne Jr. – 25-1
8 – Filibuster Hanover – Louis-Philippe Roy – Ron Burke – 15-1
9 – Western Hill – Doug McNair – Tony Alagna – 20-1
10 – Miso Fast – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke – 20-1
To view the entries for Saturday's card at Mohawk or a free program, courtesy of TrackIT, click on one of the following links: Saturday Entries / Saturday Program Pages.
The Pepsi North America Cup headlines Mohawk’s mega-stakes Saturday card of harness racing that will also feature a $75,000 Cup Consolation, the $440,000 Fan Hanover Stakes (for three-year-old pacing fillies), $365,000 Roses Are Red Stakes (pacing mares), $253,000 Armbro Flight Stakes (trotting mares), $251,000 Goodtimes Stakes (three-year-old trotting colts), and $100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup (invitational pacers).
First race post time is 6:30 p.m. The 34th edition of the Pepsi North America Cup will go postward at 10:40 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on TSN3 and TSN5 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.