NA Cup elims to Powerful Mist, Up The Credit, Big Bad John
Campbellville, ON--Powerful Mist, Up The Credit and Big Bad John each scored impressive wins in their respective $50,000 eliminations Saturday (June 11) at Mohawk Racetrack, in preparation for next week's $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup, the richest race on the continent for 3-year-old pacers.
The Cup elim wins also provided their connections with the all-important right to select a post position for the final, before the balance of the field is drawn on Tuesday. The top three finishers in each elim qualified for the final.
In the first and fastest elim, Powerful Mist, with Tim Tetrick driving, collared heavy favorite, Big Jim, in deep stretch while posting a 1-1/2-length tally over Rockabillie in 1:50.2. Big Jim tired to finish third.
With no show betting, the tote board lit up, as Powerful Mist paid $12.20 to win and $13 to place, while Rockabillie returned $59.10 to place.
"Last week was an effort which was good enough to win," recalled Tetrick, about his colt's third-place finish behind Up The Credit and Big Jim in a division of the Somebeachsomewhere in 1:49.2.
"He's so nice to drive; he's quick, handy," Tetrick said. "I was far back and then had to go three-wide early up on the turn and he did the rest. He was very good. He paced all the way through the wire. He's just a nice little horse; he makes the job easy. This horse has never
showed a bad race. He's always showed up."
Big Jim, last year's champion 2-year-old pacing colt in both Canada and the United States, took over from Rockabillie after an opening quarter in 26.4 and took the field through a half in 54.4 and three-quarters in 1:22.2.
The son of Western Ideal looked liked a winner in early stretch, but like last week, began to tire late and was collared by the top pair near the wire, while finishing third, 2-1/4 lengths behind the winner.
Powerful Mist, a son of Powerful Toy, is trained by Melvin Wayne Givens for his U.S. owners. It was his 13th career win in very busy 2- and 3-year-old campaigns. Last year, he won nine of 16 outings, while his elim win Saturday was his fourth in seven starts this season.
The second elimination went to the 3-5 choice Up The Credit, trained by Carl Jamieson and driven by Jody Jamieson. The son of Western Terror wore down Shadyshark Hanover to win by a half-length in 1:50.4, his fourth victory in five starts this year. Eighteen, a 40-1 shot, finished third.
Betterthancheddar, the 5-2 second choice, was the pacesetter through an opening quarter of 27.4 and the half in 56, but faded down the lane to finish fifth.
Up The Credit was sixth in the early going before swinging out to challenge Shadyshark Hanover in the drive to the wire after three quarters in 1:23.2.
"My horse raced great," said Jamieson, who won the 2007 Pepsi North America Cup with Tell All. "When he sees a horse in front of him, he just wants to go by. He only just went by him late in the stretch, but that's really all he had to do."
Favored Big Bad John kept his 2011 unbeaten streak alive with a gutsy 2-1/4-length win over Roll With Joe in the third elim in 1:50.3, his fourth victory in as many starts, after a 2-year-old season which saw him take seven of nine, with two seconds.
Driven by Brett Miller, the son of Western Hanover left from post 7 and was parked before reaching the half in 55.3. Big Bad John then overcame a bold challenge from Mystician as the three-quarters was reached in 1:24, before pulling away late for the score. Dutch Richman and Foreclosure wound up in a dead-heat for third, meaning both qualified for the final.
"This colt always paces right to the wire and he felt that way tonight,” said Miller. "Getting to pick your post (for the final), that's huge."
Big Bad John paid $3.60 to win.