Stakes Night in Canada - NA Cup Eliminations

Sliding under the radar of this weeks Queens Plate are the elims for the North America cup, at Mohawk.

The elims have been drawn, and the hodge-podge that has been a staple this year is no more apparent than the four divisions. Divisional elims usually result in a top four or five finishers in each division advancing. Not this year.

In elim one, Keep it Real draws a terrible post. We'll see if Well Said can turn on a switch and somehow be better, which I doubt. I can't find a thing to play in this elimination. Seeing it is the superfecta, that annoys me. The Hoosier horse raced well last time, and that surprised me a bit. We'll see how he does.

In elim two we have another enigmatic division. I would guess Dial or No Dial should do well here, but last week's third place finish in the NJSS final does not inspire confidence. He will probably win, but he'll be overbet.

Elim three is by far the deepest. There are several 150 and change types here, and several horses that by all rights should make the final, will not. My pre cup pick Barber Pole has seemingly imploded. I have no idea what has happened to him; how you go from jogging in 151 on a five eighths without the use of the whip, and jogging in 149 like a Sunday walk in the park, to 6th by 25 is beyond me. My next choice, Passmaster Hanover, has a brutal post. For those people who sometimes wish the elims were drawn by handicap, by a handicapper, this elim is testament to that. I was really looking forward to bet Arctic Warrior after last week's Burlington, and I hated seeing him in this elim, but I will still be playing him.

Elim four is a decent betting elimination. Mr. Wiggles came home in 120.4 last time off a clear prep. I am not in love with him, but if he gets a trip the price should be nice. Other than that, nothing in this elim is overly exciting to me.