Milton, ON – Defending Horse of the Year Beau Jangles made a triumphant return in Saturday’s (May 9) SBOA Stakes elimination at Woodbine Mohawk Park, turning in a sharp and professional season debut for driver Bob McClure and trainer Dr. Ian Moore.
The undefeated son of Cattlewash left from the rail in a field of seven and got away second behind Tilthecowscomehome through a :27.3 opening quarter. McClure gave the champion his cue to move once straightening into the backstretch and took his time clearing on the leader who gave him a slight stretch. On the lead at a :56.1 half, Beau Jangles ramped up the tempo halfway around the final turn to hit three-quarters in 1:24.3. The stretch drive saw the Dr. Moore trainee power home in :26.3 to secure a four-length 1:51 victory in effortless fashion.
“He’s definitely fresh,” said McClure post-race. “He was just a dream to drive out there tonight, just like he always has been. I turned for home and I didn’t even speak to him, he just took off on his own… halfway down the lane he was looking around at stuff just playing so had to get his focus a little bit, but it’s scary how much he can do with little effort.
“I look forward to a great year for him, Doc, the owners and everybody. I just hope he can do what everybody hopes he can.”
Beau Jangles is now a perfect 13-for-13 and went over $1.7 million earned with his season debut win for owners Graham Grace Stables LLC, Kiwi Stables LLC and Bolton Stables.
After an award-winning dream season at two, the hype surrounding Beau Jangles heading into his 3-year-old season has rivaled that of the great Somebeachsomewhere. His wins last year in the Grade 1 Metro Pace and Grade 1 Breeders Crown give him the opportunity to join Tall Dark Stranger (2020) as the only horses to win those events at age two and then return to win the Grade 1 Pepsi North America Cup at age three.
“We gave him all the time off we could,” said Dr. Moore of Beau Jangles’ winter break. “We never started jogging him until about the 19th of January. He didn’t real grow any, he filled out some, he got bigger in the chest, but didn’t grow any taller and he came back like a trooper.
“Last year there was no pressure, every week was a bonus. This year, the pressure has been going for a while.”
The top five finishers were completed by Tilthecowscomehome, Mega Moves, Wholetthedogsout and Count On Gord.
With Place and Show wagering removed, $94,140 of the $103,469 Win Pool was wagered on Beau Jangles.
The second $25,000 elimination in the SBOA for Ontario sired 3-year-olds saw Borderline Mobby prevail in 1:50.4 for driver James MacDonald and trainer Dave Menary.
The son of Cattlewash looped to the lead in the second quarter around Windor and would keep that rival at bay all the way to the wire to win by one length. Redland Rocket Man, Illicit Behavior and Dax Seelster also qualified for next week’s final.
Borderline Mobby is now one-for-two on the season after winning just once in 10 starts at age two. His career best victory takes him over $111,000 in earnings. A $2 win ticket on Borderline Mobby returned $8.
The draw for next Saturday’s (May 16) $131,475 SBOA Stakes Final for 3-Year-Old Pacing Colts & Geldings took place following the eliminations.
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Wholetthedogsout | Mark MacDonald |
| 2 | Redland Rocket Man | Louis-Philippe Roy |
| 3 | Dax Seelster | Mark MacDonald |
| 4 | Borderline Mobby | James MacDonald |
| 5 | Count On Gord | James MacDonald |
| 6 | Beau Jangles | Bob McClure |
| 7 | Windor | Doug McNair |
| 8 | Mega Moves | Tyler Borth |
| 9 | Tilthecowscomehome | Jody Jamieson |
| 10 | Illicit Behavior | Bob McClure |
| AE | Letr Sink Son | Travis Henry |
Fellows’ trainees sweep SBOA Colt Trot eliminations
The SBOA Stakes eliminations continued Saturday evening (May 9) with the 3-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Trot splits contested early on the 12-race card at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The opening division of the SBOA eliminations delivered a compelling top-level showdown, as Touchedbyanangel held off the heavily-favored Strobe Lite to win in 1:54.1. Driven confidently by Doug McNair for trainer Kyle Fellows, Touchedbyanangel secured a perfect two-hole trip behind Wolverine Legend through fractions of :28, :57 and 1:25.4. Touchedbyanangel angled into contention turning for home and powered on to secure the victory over the late-closing Strobe Lite.
Strobe Lite, the O’Brien Award-winning standout from last season, made a strong seasonal debut for driver James MacDonald and trainer Benoit Baillargeon. The 1/5 favorite was settled into a mid-pack trip before unleashing a steady late rally. Despite closing ground through the stretch, he came up just a neck short off a :27.2 kicker. Rounding out the top three was Wolverine Legend, who set the tempo for driver Trevor Henry and held on admirably to secure a qualifying spot. Dream For Peace and Stonebridge Mac also made next week’s final.
With the win in Saturday’s season debut, Touchedbyanangel now has three wins in 13 starts and over $200,000 earned for owners Yolanda Fellows, Blair Corbeil, Mike McAllister and Peter Porter. The son of Archangel paid $8.40 to win.
The Fellows stable carried the momentum from the first elimination win to a sweep of the top two spots in the second split, as Toss Of The Dice pulled off a 34-1 upset in a scramble of a finish that saw the top-five separated by just two lengths in a blanket finish.
Driven by Mark MacDonald, Toss Of The Dice swept the field from last by going three-wide around the final turn. The three-wide move was forced after longshot In The Black began to fade after being parked throughout. Race favorite First Class Mass was stuck behind the fading rival, while Mike Me Up and Toss Of The Dice got around.
In the stretch, L P Bay, who had been pressured by In The Black, surrendered the lead to Trouble With Names. However, the new leader could not hold off the Fellows trainees, as Toss Of The Dice reached up to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.1. Mike Me Up was second, while Trouble With Names was third. First Class Mass finished up strong after the last turn traffic to finish fourth, while L P Bay hung in tough to be fifth.
Another a son of Archangel, Toss Of The Dice was winless in two starts this season before Saturday’s elimination. He now has four wins in 13 starts and over $59,000 earned for owners Yolanda Fellows, Leo Fleming, Bill Manes and William Cripps. Toss Of The Dice paid $71.30 to win.
The draw for next Saturday’s (May 16) $130,475 final took place following the eliminations:
| Post | Horse | Driver |
| 1 | Wolverine Legend | Trevor Henry |
| 2 | Touchedbyangel | Doug McNair |
| 3 | Mike Me Up | Louis-Philippe Roy |
| 4 | Toss Of The Dice | Mark MacDonald |
| 5 | First Class Mass | James MacDonald |
| 6 | Dream For Peace | Billy Davis |
| 7 | Strobe Lite | James MacDonald |
| 8 | Stonebridge Mac | Bob McClure |
| 9 | Trouble With Names | Bob McClure |
| 10 | L P Bay | Travis Henry |
| AE | Green Nineteen | Todd Ratchford |
A total of four SBOA Stakes Finals will take place next Saturday (May 16). Post time is 6:30 p.m.