Tetrick ready to go with Confederate

Harness racing driver Tim Tetrick will head to Saturday’s C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old pacers at Woodbine Mohawk Park with morning-line favorite Confederate (Sweet Lou-Geothermal), and a win would make him only the third driver to capture the race at least three times as well as increase his total number of victories in million-dollar races to nine.

Of course, nine foes stand in the way of Confederate and Tetrick. Among them is Christchurch and Todd McCarthy, who with a triumph would become the first driver to win the Cup in his first two appearances in the race while also becoming only the third driver ever to hoist the trophy in consecutive years.

The North America Cup is race 11 on Mohawk’s stakes-loaded card, with an approximate post time of 10:48 p.m. (EDT). Saturday’s races also include the Fan Hanover for 3-year-old female pacers, Roses Are Red for older female pacers, Goodtimes for 3-year-old male trotters and Armbro Flight for older female trotters.

Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. Free past performances can be found on the track’s website here.

Tetrick leads all active drivers in wins in million-dollar races. He is fourth all-time, trailing only John Campbell (23), Ron Pierce (13) and Mike Lachance (10). Campbell and Lachance are the only drivers with more than two wins in the North America Cup, with six and three, respectively.

“It’s definitely special,” said Tetrick, whose million-dollar wins include two of his five Meadowlands Pace victories, his two previous North America Cups, and a Hambletonian, Canadian Trotting Classic, Art Rooney Pace and Mohawk Million. “It would be awesome (to win another). These are the biggest races in our sport. Getting to compete in them is great, and hopefully we can do some good on Saturday.”

Confederate is trained by Brett Pelling and owned by Diamond Creek Racing, will start the Cup final from post five and is the 5-2 morning-line favorite. He won his elimination last week by 2-1/4 lengths over Lyons Surfing in 1:48.4. He is 2-for-2 this season after winning five of seven races in 2022.

His victories last year included the Kentucky Championship Series final and an elimination of the Breeders Crown. He was second in the Crown final.

“So far, he’s done everything right,” Tetrick said. “He raced against older horses at The Meadowlands (on May 27) and swooped the lane. Then, I put him on the lead (in his Cup elim), and he just jogged around there with the plugs in. It’s funny, he goes cruising around in (1):48 and you feel like you’re just training one. He had plenty left.”

The second choice on the morning line is It’s My Show at 3-1, followed by Fulton at 9-2, Voukefalas at 5-1, and Christchurch at 6-1. The remainder of the field is 12-1 or higher. It’s My Show, Fulton and Christchurch joined Confederate as elimination winners and were guaranteed starting spots in posts two through five.

It’s My Show, with Scott Zeron driving for trainer Linda Toscano, has post two. Fulton (Dexter Dunn-Toscano) has post four, Voukefalas (Jordan Stratton-Mike Russo) post six, and Christchurch (McCarthy-Nancy Takter) post three.

“I think it’s a very wide-open race,” Tetrick said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if any horse won it. I feel confident. My horse is coming into the race very good. It’s no easy task, but I feel like I have the best, or one of the best, horses in the race.

“There should be a lot of speed. They’ll be racing. (Confederate) loves to pass horses and he’s super, super fast. He’s so quick. He can come off a helmet and really catch high gears. It gives me more options. You don’t always have to be in the right spot all the time. If the trip doesn’t work out, he can still pace home really fast.”

Tetrick’s previous North America Cup wins came with Captaintreacherous in 2013 and Wakizashi Hanover in 2015.

McCarthy, who won last year’s North America Cup with Pebble Beach, is among nine drivers to capture the race in their first try. McCarthy got the drive Saturday with Christchurch after Dexter Dunn, who drove him in his elim, committed to another of his regular horses, Fulton, for the final.

“He’s a very nice pickup,” said McCarthy, who drove Christchurch five times as a 2-year-old. “He’s going really well at the moment, Nancy has him in great form, so hopefully we can continue that this weekend.”

Christchurch won two of seven races last year and is 2-for-2 this season. The son of Always B Miki-Darlinonthebeach is owned by Diamond Creek Racing, Farhi Standardbreds Corp, and Spreydon Racing. Christchurch’s dam, grandam and great-grandam were all millionaires: Darlinonthebeach, Darlin’s Delight and Town Pro.

“He’s definitely matured since last year,” McCarthy said. “I know he’s a horse that’s been a bit of a project to get him to learn to race. They’ve definitely done a good job with that. He looks to fit in this race well on Saturday.

“To me, it looks like an even sort of field. I think it’s going to be a great race to watch. There are a bunch of horses that have a shot, it’ll just be the way the race plays out. Hopefully, we’re in front when it matters.”

Among other drivers in the Cup, David Miller also will be trying for his third victory in the event. Miller will drive Ammo, the 2022 Breeders Crown champ from post nine at Mohawk, from post 10. No horse has won the North America Cup from post 10 since 1994 when the race was moved to a seven-eighths-mile track.

Other previous Cup-winning drivers in the field are Dan Dube, who drives Moment Is Here; Scott Zeron, who drives It’s My Show; and Yannick Gingras, who drives Save America.

Jordan Stratton, who drives Voukefalas, is making his Cup debut.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA