Top pacers set for Juravinski Memorial elims

Fifteen of harness racing top four-year-old pacers have been entered in the third edition of the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup and will face off in a pair of $35,000 eliminations on Sunday, May 12 at Flamboro Downs.

The pacers will be vying for a spot in the $200,000 (added) final, which will take place the following weekend on Sunday, May 19.

World champion Seven Colors (Stay Hungry) headlines the first elimination field of seven from post three for trainer Andrew Harris. Coming off a pair of qualifiers at Meadowlands Racetrack, he will launch his four-year-old season with his first appearance at the Dundas, Ont. half-mile oval after a $686,220 campaign in which he won the Carl Milstein Memorial while setting the 1:48.1 sophomore world record for a half-mile track at Northfield Park. The Pennsylvania Sires Stakes champion was also a close runner-up in both his elimination heat and final of the Little Brown Jug over Delaware Fairgrounds’ half-miler. Harris co-owns the speedster with William Pollock and Bruce Areman of Freehold, New Jersey.

The second elimination features the Tan Micallef-trained No Control (Control The Moment) coming off a blowout 1:50.2 career-best victory in the Canadian Sired Graduate Series final last Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The lightly raced gelding was a runner-up in all three preliminary legs of the series to start his four-year-old season. Micallef shares ownership with Keira Liberte of Hagersville, Ont., Ian Clarke of Guelph, Ont., and James Clarke of Oakville, Ont. No Control has drawn post four for his Flamboro Downs debut in the second elimination field of eight.

Formerly known as the Confederation Cup, Flamboro Downs’ signature race for four-year-old pacers was renamed in 2022 in honour of the track’s co-founder and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer who passed away in February that year.

Doors will open at 6 p.m. and post time for the 11-race card on Sunday is 6:55 p.m., with the eliminations scheduled as the fifth and sixth races.

Flamboro Downs will offer a Juravinski Cup buffet in the dining room on Sunday with roast beef, chicken, pasta and more for $34.99 plus tax. Limited reservations are available. To book your table, contact Judy Foss at 905-627-3561 ext. 4810 or email judy.foss@greatcanadian.com.

The complete fields for the eliminations are listed below in post position order with listed drivers and trainers.

$35,000 Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup Elimination 1 (Race 5)
Post – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer
1. Redwood Hanover (Stay Hungry) – James MacDonald – Tony Beaton
2. Downrightdelicious (Downbytheseaside) – Jody Jamieson – Travis Alexander
3. Seven Colors (Stay Hungry) – Dexter Dunn – Andrew Harris
4. Burnout (Racing Hill) – James MacDonald – Todd Luther
5. Hungry Man (Stay Hungry) – Doug McNair – Richard Moreau
6. All Class (Heston Blue Chip) – Dexter Dunn – Per Engblom
7. Ervin Hanover (Captaintreacherous) – James MacDonald – Dave Menary

$35,000 Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup Elimination 2 (Race 6)
Post – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer
1. Blue Hunt (Hunstville) – Travis Cullen – Jodie Cullen
2. Coach Stefanos (Tellitlikeitis) – James MacDonald – Erv Miller
3. Hunters Hero (Stay Hungry) – Jody Jamieson – Travis Alexander
4. No Control (Control The Moment) – James MacDonald – Tan Micallef
5. Liteningonthebeach (Downbytheseaside) – Dexter Dunn – Tim Twaddle
6. Dupree Hanover (Stay Hungry) – Doug McNair – Richard Moreau
7. Ants Marching (Downbytheseaside) – James MacDonald – Todd Luther
8. Huntinthelastdolar (Hunstville) – Dexter Dunn – Per Engblom

From Standardbred Canada