Post positions for 2011 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations at Mohawk

Elimination races for 2011 North America Cup

Have a look at the 3 elims for Saturday night and I believe you'll agree that the 3rd elimination is the preferable race to be in. The first race (Race 3) is incredibly deep, while the second elim also looks tough. I have bolded the three colts I believe will perform best in each race.

Elim No. 1 (Race 3)

PP - Horse - Listed Driver

1 - Mach Of Ballykeel - Sylvain Filion
2 - Rock To Glory - David Miller
3 - Big Jim - Phil Hudon
4 - Powerful Mist - Tim Tetrick
5 - Bestofbest Hanover - Jack Moiseyev
6 - Rockabillie - Sylvain Filion
7 - Custard The Dragon - Montrell Teague



Elim No. 2 (Race 4)

PP - Horse - Listed Driver

1 - Feel Like A Fool - Brian Sears
2 - Betterthancheddar - Brett Miller
3 - Up The Credit - Jody Jamieson
4 - Grams Legacy - Brian Sears
5 - Eighteen - Paul MacDonell
6 - Lookinforadventure - Brett Miller
7 - Townslight Hanover - Scott Zeron
8 - Shadyshark Hanover - Tim Tetrick



Elim No. 3 (Race 6)

PP - Horse - Listed Driver

1 - Mystician - Jody Jamieson
2 - Roll With Joe - Randy Waples
3 - Keystone Velocity - Jody Jamieson
4 - Western Alumni - Randy Waples
5 - Dutch Richman - Tim Tetrick
6 - Wink N Atcha - Brian Sears
7 - Big Bad John - Brett Miller
8 - Foreclosure N - Sylvain Filion

Best 3 Year Old Colts eligible for North America Cup

Top 35 North America Cup contenders, Mohawk stakes races

35 Contending Colts: 2011 Pepsi North America Cup

#1 - Big Jim – 3-1
#2 - Up The Credit -- 5-1
#3 - Betterthancheddar -- 7-1
#4 - Shadyshark Hanover -- 7-1
#5 - Roll With Joe -- 10-1
#6 - Powerful Mist – 12-1
#7 - Rock To Glory – 12-1
#8 - Fashion Delight - 12-1
#9 - Feel Like A Fool -- 15-1
#10 - Custard The Dragon – 15-1


#11 - Mystician – 16-1
#12 - Prodigal Seelster -- 18-1
#13 - Big Bad John -- 18-1
#14 - Eighteen – 20-1
#15 - Watermelonwine -- 20-1
#16 - Foreclosure N – 22-1
#17 - Grams Legacy -- 25-1
#18 - Joe Palz -- 25-1
#19 - Bestofbest Hanover -- 30-1
#20 - Lookinforadventure – 30-1



#21 - Wink N Atcha -- 35-1
#22 - Prana -- 35-1
#23 - Dutch Richman -- 35-1
#24 - Dapper Denzil -- 35-1
#25 - Just Asign To Me -- 38-1
#26 - Wind Me Up -- 38-1
#27 - Arsenal -- 40-1
#28 - On The Radar -- 40-1
#29 - Reckless Ric -- 45-1
#30 - A And Gs Express -- 45-1



#31 - Drain Daddy -- 48-1
#32 - Rockabillie -- 50-1
#33 - Bettors Green -- 50-1
#34 - Ohmygosh Hanover -- 50-1
#35 - D M Bodatious – 50-1

Brad Richards, Dallas Stars part ways

Rangers, Maple Leafs in hunt for star center

Now that Brad Richards and the Dallas Stars have officially parted ways (Richards announced he won't negotiate with the Stars until they have an owner; Stars GM said no offer possible before July 1st), it's time for the Leafs to launch a full court PEI press to land Richards in Toronto.

Manhattan's bright lights, or hero of a nation?

If it boils down to the N.Y. Strangers and the T.O. Buds, our ace in the hole will have to be the PEI connection (Darryl Boyce is from PEI, as is Phaneuf's mom, who figure skated for the province). Burke must plan a trip to Charlottetown, where he and Phaneuf can schmooze Richards about the young, energetic and fast improving Leafs team. Brad Richards needs to land somewhere that will be a competitive team over the next 3 to 5 years, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have a young, talented core (Phaneuf, Schenn, Kessel, Reimer) that can help keep Brad Richards vital and winning for many years to come.

As probably 80% of PEI hockey fans are also part of Leafs Nation, the chances of Toronto landing Richards are much better than most hockey writers realize.

Somebeachsomewhere Stakes - 3 Divisions this Saturday!

My hometown is Burlington, Ontario so when I heard they were changing the name of the Burlington Stakes, traditionally the major prep race for the Pepsi North America cup at Mohawk, there was some concern. You can imagine my joy when I learned the Burlington Stakes were being renamed the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, after my favourite horse, the fastest Standardbred of the 21st Century and the quickest 3 year old ever.

Here are the entries for the 3 divisions of the Somebeachsomewhere Stakes, to be followed next week by the eliminations for the 2011 Pepsi North America Cup:


Saturday, June 4th at Mohawk Raceway

Race 3 -- Pace, purse $100,000 (EX, P3, TR)

D-SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE - 3 YEAR OLDS.
STARTING FEE $1,500 CDN $1,550 U.S.
Post time: 07:52 P.M. Lasix: 03:37 P.M.

1 Ohmygosh Hanover B Miller C Coleman
2 Big Jim Ph Hudon J Dean
3 Prodigal Seelster Ra Waples D Menary
4 Rock To Glory D Miller C Coleman
5 Up The Credit J Jamieson C Jamieson
6 Dreamfair Kovu Ra Waples P Fletcher
7 Powerful Mist T Tetrick M Givens
8 Big Time Rocks S Zeron R Laarman

Race 3 - Retention Barn - All horses



Race 7 -- Pace, purse $100,000 (EX, P3, TR)

D-SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE - 3 YEAR OLDS.
STARTING FEE $1,500 CDN $1,550 U.S.
Post time: 09:16 P.M. Lasix: 05:01 P.M.

1 Lookinforadventure B Miller B Saunders
2 On The Radar J Jamieson B Burgess
3 Rockabillie S Filion Dr I Moore
4 Bestofbest Hanover J Moiseyev D Martin
5 Drain Daddy Ri Zeron M Brethour
6 Just Asign To Me T Henry G Hebert
7 Mach It Big J Jamieson C Jamieson
8 A And Gs Express D Miller C Coleman

Race 7 - Retention Barn - All horses



Race 9 -- Pace, purse $100,000 (EX, P3, P4, TR)

D-SOMEBEACHSOMEWHERE - 3 YEAR OLDS.
STARTING FEE $1,500 CDN $1,550 U.S.
Post time: 09:58 P.M. Lasix: 05:43 P.M.

1 Roll With Joe B Sears E Hart
2 Foreclosure N S Filion M Steacy
3 Mickey Hanover J Jamieson R Allard
4 Shadyshark Hanover T Tetrick E Miller
5 *Watermelonwine Ri Zeron D Menary (cog: 30-JUL-2011)
6 Eighteen S Filion Dr I Moore
7 Bettors Green M Baillargeon B Wallace
8 Betterthancheddar B Miller C Coleman

Race 9 - Retention Barn - All horses

Who is best #1 center for Toronto Maple Leafs?

Brad Richards, Zach Parise or Paul Statsny???

As I do not believe that Stamkos can be pried away from Yzerman and Tampa, it seems the Buds' pursuit of a first-line center may boil down to pursuit of Brad Richards as a UFA, Zach Parise as a RFA, and Paul Stastny via trade.

Leaving aside the costs of acquisition, which will be steep for any of these guys, which of the 3 do you believe is the best fit for the Leafs over the next three to five years, and why?

Top contenders for 2011 North America Cup at Mohawk

Here is my updated list of top 2011 Pepsi NA Cup contenders

40 Top Colts: 2011 Pepsi North America Cup

#1 - Big Jim -- 5/2
#2 - Shadyshark Hanover -- 6-1
#3 - Feel Like A Fool -- 6-1
#4 - Rock To Glory -- 6-1
#5 - Custard The Dragon – 7-1
#6 - Mystician – 8-1
#7 - Fashion Delight -- 8-1
#8 - Foreclosure N -- 10-1
#9 - Prodigal Seelster -- 12-1
#10 - Big Bad John -- 12-1


#11 - Grams Legacy -- 15-1
#12 - Powerful Mist -- 18-1
#13 - Joe Palz -- 18-1
#14 - Watermelonwine -- 20-1
#15 - Lookinforadventure -- 20-1
#16 - Roll With Joe -- 25-1
#17 - Wink N Atcha -- 25-1
#18 - Prana -- 25-1
#19 - Eighteen -- 28-1
#20 - Dutch Richman -- 28-1


#21 - Dapper Denzil -- 30-1
#22 - Up The Credit -- 30-1
#23 - Just Asign To Me -- 35-1
#24 - Wind Me Up -- 38-1
#25 - Arsenal -- 40-1
#26 - On The Radar -- 40-1
#27 - Reckless Ric -- 45-1
#28 - A And Gs Express -- 45-1
#29 - Betterthancheddar -- 48-1
#30 - Drain Daddy -- 48-1

#31 - Bettors Green -- 50-1
#32 - Ohmygosh Hanover -- 50-1
#33 - D M Bodatious -- 50-1
#34 - Keystone Velocity -- 50-1
#35 - Mach Of Ballykeel -- 55-1
#36 - Bestofbest Hanover -- 55-1
#37 - Draconian -- 55-1
#38 - Facebook -- 55-1
#39 - Four Starzzz Z -- 55-1
#40 - Dreamfair Kovu -- 55-1

Zdeno Chara needs to step up for Boston to win Cup

Both Bruins and Leafs win with Kaberle deal

Tomas Kaberle 16:31 +7 - 18 games 8 Points

Zdeno Chara 28:17 +11 - 17 games 5 Points

Tomas Kaberle is gradually winning over Bruins fans, and the calls may soon be for Chara to pass occasionally (3 assists in 17 games!) rather than for Kaberle to shoot more. I'm not knocking Chara's massive role, as he has been a monster prowling in his own end. Something's gotta give, and the Bruins would be wise to try Chara and Kaberle together if they get behind by a couple of goals in any game.


"Genius" Brian Burke lands 2nd round draft pick from Bruins

The final shoe has dropped in the Bruins-Leafs trade for Tomas Kaberle. In addition to Boston's first round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, and the promising young centre Joe Colborne, the Leafs will now also receive the Bruins' 2012 2nd round pick. This option kicked in if Boston re-signed Kaberle, or if they reached the finals of the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, which they have just done.

Though most believe Burke lost the Kessel trade, and that may indeed be the case, my own feeling is that a big move was required at the time and Phil Kessel became the second piece to go with Luke Schenn. The Dion Phaneuf trade added the third impact player and James Reimer rose through the minors to become the fourth.

Kaberle was moved at the perfect time and brought in a significant bounty for the Maple Leafs. Fans of the Boston Bruins have tempered criticism of the trade in recent days, and if the boys in black and gold bring Lord Stanley's Mug back to Beantown, then TK may actually ascend to local hero status.

Leaf fans know his crisp passes will be required against Vancuver's swift defense, while Bruins fans are learning this now, game by game.