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AVP TV& 9ààb The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 26, 2001- 21 jLIiIIRG. Concrt. CANADA aNC. lýmwr 1STpEI mo TE B FF lB ettors Delight captures North America Cup By BRUCE MURRAY Special to The Champion Bettors Delight was the favourite before>U LJ D Saturday's $1 ,148,500 Pepsi North America Cup- and proved just why during it. Fashioning an awesome display of power the Iocally-owned colt simply blew away the competition - delivening a four-and-a- haif Iength victory in Canada's richest hamness race at Woodbine. With Mike Lachance along tor the ride, the son of 1994 Cup winner Cams Card Shark pulled away from pacesetter Real Desire tumning for home and then widened at will, eventually scoring a convincing win over long shots Hawaiian Cowboy and Horseslaughter in a career-equaling 1:50. His finish wasjust one tifth ot a second off the stakes record set by The Panderosa in 1999. Il was the largest margin of victory in 18 editions of the Cup. as Bettors Delight proved hes currently the finest three-year-old pacer on the continent. The sophomore star is owned by Hombys John Grant and trained by Cambridge's Scott McEneny. The Cup did not untold in the early going as many thought it weuld. White Peruvian Hanever and Miltonian Chris Christoforou w tlook charge at the start. winging tl romn the outside post 10, tl was Real Desire and Horobys Randy Waples who carne out aller the ... ..... quarter. surging past Bettors Dclight and Peruvian H-anover te takt. commnand. Real Desire- the second cheice at 3-I., blistered the hait- in :53.3 - was challenged hy Klingon Hanover brielly befere that Of9OO one went off stridc (aller sultering broken equipment). then pre- pared for the onslaught of Bettors Delight areund the tar tom. The challenge didn't last long, as Lachance had the 3-5 favourite in high gear after a move trom lourth. As the tield turned into the stretch, Bettors Delight powered away trom his rivaIs to win as he pleased. Meanwhile, Real Desire taded to ninth - more than Il lengths in arrears. While it was the first Cup win for Grant and McEneny, it was the third for Hall of Famer Lachance. There was just one different, though. Saturday he was behind the heavy favourite. His previous winners - Sately Kept and Straight Path - were both long shots. Grant - who has owned some fine horses in his 40-plus years in the business, but not one of this magnitude - was understand- ably smiling wide. Mike Lachance (above) holds Up the "It's a thrill of a lifetime in this business. Mike has donc a won- Pepsi North America Cup trophy plus derful job on him and Scott has done a wonderful job getting him three fingers - ane for each of his Cup'J ready," said Grant. "I'm just delighted. Its a little hard on the wins - after (top) driving Bettors nerves." Delight to victory at Woodbine Bettors Delight came into the Pepsi North America Cup as the Racetrack Saturday. Meanwhile (at g only millionaire in the field, with $1,093,471 in earnings. right) owner John Grant and his wlfe -' Saturday's triumph was worth an additional $574,250. Kay are ail smiles as they proudly dis- As the public choice, Bettors Delight paid only $330 to win, play the prestîglous Cup. combining with Hawaiian Cowboy, driven by Miltonian Mike Poo yG A A AN Saftic, for a $4860 exactor. à a