Eliminations drawn for Confederation Cup

CAMPBELLVILLE, May 6 – A group of 16 four-year-old pacers will go postward Sunday (May 10) at Flamboro Downs in a pair of eliminations for the harness racing $200,000 (added) Confederation Cup on Sunday, May 17.

The 16 entrants have been split into two $20,000 eight-horse eliminations on Sunday evening. The top four finishers in each division will qualify for the Confederation Cup final.

The inaugural Confederation Cup was contested in 1977 and quickly became an annual showcase for the finest three-year-olds until 2012. After a two-year hiatus, the "Cup" returns as a stakes event for four-year-old pacers. The new Confederation Cup is sponsored by Great Canadian Gaming and administrated by the Woodbine Entertainment Group.

The first elimination (Race 5) Sunday will feature a matchup between last year's Ontario Sires Stakes and New York Sires Stakes champions.

Three Of Clubs (PP2, Doug McNair) will be making his second start of the season after finishing a close fourth in the Open Pace at Pompano Park on April 25. The Gregg McNair trainee banked over $275,000 last season, with his biggest victory coming in the $250,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final at Mohawk Racetrack.

All Bets Off (PP 5, Matt Kakaley) comes from the powerful Ron Burke barn and is also making his second start of the season in Sunday's elimination. Last season's New York Sires Stakes champion, All Bets Off won the $500,000 Messenger Stakes last October at Yonkers Raceway. The Burke trainee is the richest pacer in the Confederation Cup eliminations with over $1 million in career earnings.

The second elimination (Race 10) is headlined by another stakes-winning star from the Burke barn

Limelight Beach (PP1, Yannick Gingras) returns to a half-mile track for the first time since he captured the prestigious Little Brown Jug last September at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. The Burke trainee will be making his third start of 2015 on Sunday evening and has an impressive career bankroll of over $832,000.

Fresh off a victory in the Whata Baron Series at The Meadowlands, Ideal Cowboy (PP3, Corey Callahan) will look to keep his momentum rolling in the second elimination.

The Jeffrey Bamond Jr. trainee established a new career-mark of 1:49.2 in winning the Whata Baron last Saturday. Ideal Cowboy enters the Confederation Cup eliminations with five wins from 16 career starts and earnings of just under $130,000.

The 16 starters in the Confederation Cup eliminations have combined for 149 victories and career earnings of over $6.1 million.

Post time for Sunday's 11-race card at Flamboro Downs, featuring the Confederation Cup eliminations, is 6 p.m.

Here are the full fields for the $20,000 eliminations.

First Elimination – Race 5

1. National Debt (Chris Christoforou) – 2/1

2. Three Of Clubs (Doug McNair) – 9/2

3. P L Hellcat (Chris Christoforou) – 10/1

4. Bettorever (Corey Callahan) – 5/2

5. All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) – 7/2

6. Big Boy Dreams (Sylvain Filion) – 8/1

7. Boomboom Ballykeel (Sylvain Filion) – 15/1

8. Mattamerican (Chris Christoforou) – 12/1

Second Elimination – Race 10

1. Limelight Beach (Yannick Gingras) – 8/5

2. Luck Be Withyou (James MacDonald) – 7/2

3. Ideal Cowboy (Corey Callahan) – 5/2

4. Somewhere Fancy (Doug McNair) – 10/1

5. Nirvana Seelster (Jody Jamieson) – 12/1

6. Lets Drink On It (Tyler Smith) – 6/1

7. Vance Bayama (Sylvain Filion) – 8/1

8. Melmerby Beach (Paul MacDonell) – 9/2

Mark McKelvie