Four times driver John Campbell has won the North America Cup with a horse who won another million-dollar race. The first two — Precious Bunny in 1991 and Cams Card Shark in 1994 — were named Horse of the Year. The second two — Davids Pass in 1995 and The Panderosa in 1999 — did not even win their division. In ’95 that honor went to Jennas Beach Boy. Four years later, Triple Crown winner Blissfull Hall was the champ.

Campbell’s six NA Cups in the 1990s is a record for any driver in any million-dollar race in any decade.

The Panderosa was the first horse to win both the Meadowlands Pace and the North America Cup with sub-1:50 miles. He posted the first sub-1:50 NA Cup win with a 1:49.4 win. He won the Meadowlands Pace in 1:49.3 with a 26-second final quarter.
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The first North America Cup was on a Monday afternoon at Greenwood in 1984. The first Meadowlands Pace was held on a Tuesday night in July, 1977 at the Meadowlands.
Third home

This year marks the third time a track has hosted the NA Cup at least 10 times.

Greenwood was home to the Cup from 1984 to 1993. Woodbine had the Cup from 1994 to 2006. Mohawk is now in its 10th year as the home of the Cup.
Cross-border rivalry

Had Mark O’Mara and Jate Lobell not gotten their nose up over Frugal Gourmet in 1987, it would have given Canadian-born drivers the first 19 editions of the NA Cup. Now, the times have changed. If a U.S.-born driver wins the Cup again this year, it would the second time that this has happened four times in a row.

Yankee Cruiser and Dean Magee won in 2003. Mantacular and Cat Manzi won in 2004. Rocknroll Hanover and Brian Sears won in 2005 and Total Truth and Ron Pierce took the Cup in 2006. The last three years have seen Captaintreacherous and Tim Tetrick win in 2013, J K Endofanera and Sears win in 2014 and Wakizashi Hanover and Tetrick took last year’s edition.

NA Cup trivia

Q: Who is the richest three-year-old not to compete in either the North America or the Meadowlands Pace?
A: Art Major in 2002 ($1,562,779)

Q: Who was the last Horse of the Year to win the NA Cup?
A: Somebeachsomewhere in 2008. Wiggle It Jiggleit, last year’s Horse of the Year, was second in the NA Cup. Rocknroll Heaven, the Horse of the Year in 2010 was fourth in the NA Cup.

Q: Can you name the equine brothers that were both NA Cup champs?
A: Red River Hanover in 2002 and Rocknroll Hanover in 2005.