Milton, ON – World champion Odds On Mr Mamba shipped north from Indiana and vanquished the unbeaten Beau Jangles while Sweet Lovin Lou stoutly powered first-over to give driver James MacDonald a difficult choice after he guided both to victories in the pair of C$50,000 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations on Saturday night (June 6) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
MacDonald worked a covered trip for Odds On Mr Mamba and exploded with fervor down the grandstand side to land the win in his North America Cup elimination in a 1:48.2 mile.
Melillo looped after his stablemate Ubrute rushing into a :26.2 first quarter and grabbed the lead, but Gentleman’s Club soon swung out of third and swept to the front as the field rolled up the backstretch. Beau Jangles, the 2-5 favorite and a career 15-for-15 entering the race, gapped in fourth but received the cue from driver Bob McClure to attack past three-eighths and moved through the gears to hit top speed into a :54.1 half. Brandon Blvd tracked the favorite through the turn with Odds On Mr Mamba perched third-over.
Beau Jangles blitzed Gentleman’s Club rounding the last turn but failed to clear to the lead. He held a head up on Gentleman’s Club past three-quarters in 1:21.1 while Brandon Blvd fanned three-wide and Odds On Mr Mamba unwound even wider spinning for home. Beau Jangles inched by Gentleman’s Club while Brandon Blvd and a drifting Odds On Mr Mamba burst past the inside pair to battle for the lead late. Brandon Blvd dug in on a straight line but failed to stave Odds On Mr Mamba’s momentum late in a neck decision on the finish. Beau Jangles held third with Melillo and Redland Rocket Man securing the last berths into the Grade 1 final.
“I just wanted to get myself into a good spot turning for home where I could let him do his best work, whether that was too far back or whatever,” said MacDonald, who picked up the drive on Odds On Mr Mamba when Dexter Dunn opted for Brandon Blvd. “They told me what a kick he had, and Dexter said the same thing, so I thought if I could be second-, third-over it would work out great. In the first turn I was happy to get Dexter in because I thought Beau (Jangles) might get back to the lead. It worked out amazing tonight. A lot of times when they run out like that down the lane, they usually can’t get there, they lose the competitive raciness because they don’t have someone right beside them. I know I’m confident they’ll get them straightened out for next week.”
Trainer Melanie Wrenn said picking James MacDonald to drive Odds On Mr Mamba was “a pretty easy decision. James is a great driver, and his home turf, the whole nine yards. How could we go wrong? And plus, we had one start, and ‘Mamba’ is probably better off the pace like that, and we didn’t really want to be in the hunt, so we knew that James would do the right thing.”
And despite the long-awaited matchup against Beau Jangles coming inside a North America Cup elimination, MacDonald also said that “I think it’s going to add more to the (final); some people look at it as Beau Jangles not being undefeated anymore, but I think we’ve learned over the years champions bounce back. And I think for Beau Jangles, (trainer Ian) Doc Moore will have him amazing, Bob will drive him perfect, and it’s going to be a heck of a horse race.”
A homebred Odds On Equuleus gelding for Dana Parham’s Odds On Racing, Odds On Mr Mamba stayed unbeaten from two starts this year and won his ninth race from 10 starts in his career. Last season, he became the fastest 2-year-old pacer in history, with a 1:47.4 mile at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
“He’s grown a bit, but he’s still not a big horse, but he has a huge heart, and he just wants to do it,” trainer Wrenn said after the race. “He did everything perfectly. He didn’t miss a meal. He shipped fantastic. It wasn’t a problem.”
Sent off as the 5-2 second choice in the betting, Odds On Mr Mamba paid $7.40 to win.
Odds-on favorite Sweet Lovin Lou cruised uncovered into the last turn and overhauled tiring horses in the first North America Cup elimination in 1:48.2.
Following a recall to repair a broken overcheck on Al Papi, Al Papi blasted off the starting car to take the lead through a :26.3 first quarter. He pocketed No Waitlist heading into the backstretch with pylon-starter Superchamp Hanover following in third and Sweet Lovin Lou landing into fourth. Al Papi motored to the half in :54.1, at which point driver James MacDonald tipped Sweet Lovin Lou off the pylons from fourth and advanced on the outside while Al Papi continued to speed towards three-quarters in 1:20.4.
Sweet Lovin Lou lunged forward as the pace flattened into the stretch and spurted away under a hand drive to a 1-1/4-length victory over a game Al Papi in second. Azrael Blue Chip rallied from second-over for third ahead of an even No Waitlist while Lindy Dragonwater secured the last spot into the final.
“Dan (Lagace) did a great job training him down and we just kind of brought him along each start,” driver James MacDonald said after the race. “Raced him off the pace, last week (in the Somebeachsomewhere) he was closing again and I thought tonight he was ready to do a little work and he showed he was. I just kind of rode out there first-over – last year he’d get a little rolly in the turns, but he was flawless tonight. Dan did a great job, smoothed him out, had him perfect so that made my job easier. I just coasted up to the lead and when I called on him at the top of the stretch he just exploded.”
A colt by Sweet Lou, Sweet Lovin Lou nabbed his first win of the season in his third start and his fourth win in his career from 12 starts for owners Lagace Stables, Edwin Buhler, Big Als Stables and Brittany Farms Micki Rae. The victory lowered Sweet Lovin Lou’s lifetime mark by over two seconds.
“He’s always showed the speed, he’s just been immature – he actually turns 3 tomorrow,” trainer Lagace said after the race. “We spent all winter and his first couple of races just try to teach him to relax, to settle, and James has done a great job. He’s the same way as last year. His hopples are four inches longer, but other than that he’s the same. We had him in an open (bridle) all winter just to teach him that it’s OK to relax and settle. Chasing good horses for a long season and being immature, when you’ve got someone like James in your corner and he’s teaching them and letting them finish strong, you can’t ask for anything better.”
Sent the 3-5 favorite, Sweet Lovin Lou paid $3.20 to win.