2004 Pepsi North America Cup Entries

The post positions for the final of the $1.6 million Pepsi North America Cup, the richest race in Canada and richest so far this year in North America for any breed, were drawn Tuesday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Rich Nash, the top pick of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft and a player for the Columbus Blue Jackets, served as the honourary drawmaster for the event. Nash, who will turn 20 on Friday, was awarded the Rocket Richard Trophy at last Thursday's NHL Awards for being the league's top goal scorer last season with 41 goals in the regular season.

The post position draw was a bit different this year as the winner's of the four elimination races got to pick their posts (after a draw among them for a random selection order) while the rest of the field was drawn in the traditional way. 9-5 morning line favorite and fastest elimination winner Georgia Pacific got first choice and his trainer Randall Bendis selected post four. He has tied the fastest sophomore mark of the season in North America in his last two races, both wins, with 1:49.4 for the mile.

Rouge Hall, winner of his elimination in a career best time, selected post position three for the final. He was unraced at two and has won five of seven starts as a 3-year-old. Western Terror, an 11-1 upset winner in the first elimination, got third choice and took the one hole. His elimination win was his first victory in four starts this year. Last to choose was Panspacificflight and his driver Luc Ouellette, winner of the race in 2002 with Red River Hanover, choice post position two for him.

Post time for the 21st edition of the North America Cup will be 9:40pm EDT, and it will be televised on The Score as part of a 2-hour broadcast from 9-11pm. There will be three other stakes on the card: The $353,250 Armbro Flight for trotting mares, the $322,700 Goodtimes for the 3-year-old trotting colts, and the $601,300 Elegantimage for the 3-year-old filly trotters. The winner of the North America Cup will take home $814,750, making it the richest running of the event so far.

Below are the entries for the Pepsi North America Cup in post position order with their connections and odds including one also-eligible who will draw into the race in the event of a late scratch.