Less than four weeks remain until the 2024 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations, and Trot Insider will be showcasing some of the race's best prospects as they prepare to fight for one of the largest prizes in Canadian harness racing.
Captain Albano, the winner of the Dan Patch Award, was named first in TROT Magazine's 2024 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, with odds of 4-1.
The 2024 chart-topper made nine starts during his highly successful rookie campaign, bringing home seven victories. The son of Captaintreacherous and American Ideal mare Angelou, who banked $445,680, advanced in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes (PASS) and won the $252,000 PASS final in 1:50.2 on September 2. In a $87,000 Bluegrass Stakes division, Captain Albano set a new lifetime best at The Red Mile twenty-seven days later with a time of 1:49.2. His two-year-old campaign came to an end on October 27 when he placed second in the Breeders Crown final. For the benefit of Patricia Stable, L A Express And Sjoblom Inc., Michael Dolan, and others, Noel Daley trains Captain Albano.
"He knows what he has to do," trainer Daley stated to Trot Insider. "He's a really nice horse and does just what he has to do."
This Saturday, May 18, at Pocono Downs, is Captain Albano's first sophomore pari-mutuel start. Trot Insider spoke with Daley, who won the 2022 Pepsi North America Cup with Pebble Beach, to talk about the 2024 N.A. Cup Spring Book's top pick:
“Where did he winter and when did you start back with him?
We left him in Kentucky at Walnut Hall. I started back with him bright and early in the beginning of January. It's been a good while, but I just get plenty of work after him without any real speed work.
Have you noticed any changes from last year to this year?
He's come back really good, he's filled out. He was just an average-sized horse, but he really filled out like a quarter horse.
He's now qualified twice. What will his tentative early schedule look like leading up to the Pepsi North America Cup?
We'll get a couple of sires stakes into him, all being good, later in the month. Then, I aim to send him up there to the North America [Cup] after a couple of starts here.
I planned on missing the first sires stakes at The Meadows. We're aiming for the 18th there at the Poconos to be his first start.
What does his tentative schedule look like after the North America Cup?
He's in basically everything -- the Meadowlands Pace, races at Poconos, the Adios. When you have one like him, you can pretty much afford to pay up for most things. You have to have options.
At what point last year did you think this horse was North America Cup material?
Early he [Captain Albano] was always nice in the barn, but Pebble Beach always sort of had an air about him, he had a bit of personality. I always thought I'm pretty sure this horse is pretty good.
I'll be honest, my second trainers, they all told me straight up this one's as good as [Pebble Beach]. But, I wasn't sure because he was always just there. He never made a statement about himself, training him down. He just kept putting it together and just doing what he had to do basically.
As someone who has won this race before with Pebble Beach, how does it feel to have another legit shot at the North America Cup?
That was a great race we had up there with that fella. For whatever reason, he was probably better up there than he was anywhere. It would be awesome to be able to do it again, and it's a pretty flashy trophy you get out of it, too!"