The annual $100,000 invitational will see 10 of the sport’s best aged pacers line up, with a ton of attention on a battle between the all-time richest pacer in harness racing history, Foiled Again, and the hottest pacer in the game, State Treasurer.
Foiled Again (post six) is a past Gold Cup champion having won the 2010 edition at Woodbine Racetrack. That is just one of the dozens of accomplishments the Ron Burke trainee has on his record.
Foiled Again has won 80 of his 206 career races and earned over $6.2 million. Last season, the well-accomplished pacer captured the Breeders Crown en route to being named the top older pacer on both sides of the border.
This season, Foiled Again has won four of his eight starts, but in his most recent effort at Western Fair Raceway in the Molson Pace he was defeated by this season’s top older pacer on the WEG circuit, State Treasurer.
State Treasurer (post seven) has won four of his five starts this season for trainer Dr. Ian Moore and driver Chris Christoforou. The triumph in the Molson Pace was the fourth consecutive victory for the five-year-old son of Real Desire, a streak he will carry into Saturday’s Gold Cup.
Dr. Moore said his star pupil matured between his four-year-old and five-year-old season.
“He trained back really well and he’s a lot stronger and a lot more mature this year as a five-year-old,” said Dr. Moore. “I’ve had him since he was a two-year-old, we’re very thrilled and the owners are as well [with] the way he has competed all along this season.”
In the Molson Pace, State Treasurer made a break at the start and had to rally from last for an impressive victory. Since that win on May 30, Dr. Moore has given the horse a break.
“I gave him about a week off after the Molson Pace because he had five hard races right in a row including six days back for the Molson Pace,” said Dr Moore. “We turned him out and he loves it out there and he’s been back working this week, trained real good on Wednesday, Thursday off, I’ll jog him [Friday] and he’ll be good to go Saturday.”
Other notables in the field include 2012 Pepsi North America Cup champion Thinking Out Loud (post one) for the Hall of Fame duo of trainer Bob McIntosh and driver John Campbell.
Sunshine Beach (post five) will make his four-year-old debut for trainer Mark Steacy. As a three-year-old Sunshine Beach captured the Progress Pace and Battle of Brandywine.
Dr. Moore said this year’s Gold Cup is one of the deepest he can remember and it should be a slugfest.
“I think that’s one of the best fields I’ve seen for that race in recent years, and it’s going to be tough there is no doubt about it.”
$100,000 Mohawk Gold Cup
PP – Horse – Driver
1. Thinking Out Loud – John Campbell
2. Evenin Of Pleasure – Sylvain Filion
3. Modern Legend – Corey Callahan
4. Warrawee Needy – Doug McNair
5. Sunshine Beach – Brian Sears
6. Foiled Again – Yannick Gingras
7. State Treasurer – Chris Christoforou
8. Mach It So – Tim Tetrick
9. Bettors Edge – Ron Pierce
10. Captive Audience – David Miller