Pebble Beach 8-5 morning line choice in 39th Pepsi North America Cup
At 1h07, on June 16, 2022 • By WOODBINE MOHAWK
The field and post positions are set for this Saturday’s (June 18) 39th Pepsi North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The post position draw for the $1 million race, featuring the finest three-year-old Standardbred pacers, took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Campbellville oval. Elimination winners Pebble Beach and Beach Glass earned their respective connections the right to select their post by winning an elimination.
Trainer Brent MacGrath won the draw to have first pick and selected post-four for Beach Glass, while Sonja Booth, representing trainer Noel Daley, selected post-five for Pebble Beach.
Following the draw, Pebble Beach was installed as the 8-5 morning-line favourite. The Daley trainee has won two of three starts this season and has never finished outside the top-three in 14 career starts.
“That was my first option, post-four, but I couldn’t get that,” said Booth when asked about selecting post-five. “He’s settled well in Canada and we are staying at Luc Blais’ farm at Determination, so he’s loving life there. He’s very easy going at the moment.”
Driver Todd McCarthy will be making his Cup debut on Saturday behind Pebble Beach. The young reinsman has taken the North American scene by storm since arriving two years ago from Australia.
“I think he’s an excellent driver,” said Booth. “He gets to drive a lot of good horses, so I think he’s very comfortable coming up here.”
