Tracking The NA Cup Eligibles

As stakes season picks up and three-year-old pacers start to target Canadian harness racing's biggest prize, Trot Insider will track the contenders and eligibles as they prepare for the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup.

This year's edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup will take place on Saturday, June 17 at Mohawk Racetrack. The eliminations will be held a week prior.

For the past several years, Trot Magazine's Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book has served as an initial barometer for the colts and geldings that may be in the running for the sophomore pacing set's single biggest payday. As in past years, the Spring Book will appear in the April issue of Trot.

Of the last 10 North America Cup winners, only two had set foot on the track by this time in their respective years. Those horses: 2007 winner Tell All (qualified on January 19) and 2011 champ Up The Credit (qualified on March 24).

Here are the horses that have made the March 15 N.A. Cup nomination payment and have raced or are in-to-go as of March 25, 2017. Horses making debuts on this list appear in bold.

Air Strike -- last qualified on March 24 at The Meadowlands, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:54.1

Beach House -- last raced on March 18 at The Meadows, finished first in 1:56.2

Clouseau Hanover -- last raced on March 9 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished sixth, individually timed in 1:54.1

Fear The Dragon -- last qualified on March 21 at Spring Garden Ranch, finished first in 1:54

Henry The Dragon -- last raced on March 23 at Dover Downs, finished first in 1:51.3

Lawrencetown Beach -- last qualified on March 23 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished first in 1:58.1; entered to race on March 27 at Woodbine

Major Moe -- last qualified on March 21 at Spring Garden Ranch, finished fourth, individually timed in 1:54.1

Rock It Scott -- last qualified on March 17 at The Meadowlands, finished third, individually timed in 1:55.4; entered to race on March 28 at Mohegan Sun Pocono

Stealth Bomber -- last raced on March 9 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished first in 1:54.4; entered to race on March 27 at Woodbine

Talbot Romeo -- last raced on February 23 at Woodbine Racetrack, finished first in 1:52.3

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

Below is the list of current eligible three-year-old pacers to the 2017 Pepsi North America Cup as of the March 15 payment.

(Photo, clockwise from top left: Air Strike (Linscott Photography); Fear The Dragon (Chris Gooden); Henry The Dragon (FotoWon); Stealth Bomber (New Image Media))