Red Mile Racing

Odds On Mr Mamba, Sweet Lovin Lou Victorious in North America Cup Eliminations

by Ray Cotolo, for Woodbine Communications
(New Image Media photos)

MILTON, ONT — 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 $50,000 Pepsi North America Cup eliminations on Saturday night 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 Gentlemans Club soon swung out of third and swept to the front as the field rolled up the backstretch. Beau Jangles, the 2-5 favorite, 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 Gentlemans Club rounding the last turn but failed to clear to the lead. He held a head up on Gentlemans 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 Gentlemans 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 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,” MacDonald, who picked up the drive on Odds On Mr Mamba when Dexter Dunn opted for Brandon Blvd, said after the race. “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] move 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 the North America Cup elimination, MacDonald also said that “I think it's going to add more to the race, 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, 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, earning $528,219.

“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 Melanie Wrenn said after the race. “He did everything perfectly. He didn't miss a meal. He shipped fantastic. It wasn’t a problem.”

Sent the 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 persisted to overhaul 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 c**t 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, earning $312,317 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 mature – he actually turns 3 tomorrow,” trainer Dan 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 okay 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.

Gingras Sweeps Goodtimes Eliminations with Magic Punk, Neighver Punt

by Ray Cotolo for Woodbine Communications
(New Image Media photo)

MILTON, Ont.— Yannick Gingras flew into Woodbine Mohawk Park for a pair of drives in the two $30,000 Goodtimes Eliminations – a Grade 2 event for trotting 3-year-olds – on Friday night (June 5) and found the winner’s circle with both, guiding 4-5 favorite Magic Punk and 4-1 third choice Neighver Punt to victories.

In the first elimination, Magic Punk floated off the wings from post 7 and gradually advanced to take the lead from Greenarrow Hanover past a :28 first quarter. As Magic Punk cleared, second-choice Strobe Lite tipped off the pylons from fourth and marched uncovered up the rim to reach for the lead into a :56 half. Gingras obliged to sit the pocket moving for the final turn and readied to pounce with his charge. Magic Punk spurted out of the pocket past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and slid away from Strobe Lite in the stretch to register an easy 2-3/4-length win. Wolfpack Crown grabbed third from Greenarrow Hanover while Land The Plane earned the last berth into the final.

“Ake [Svanstedt] said he’d be a little aggressive in the post parade and races two-fingered,” Gingras said after the race. “He had a lot of trot; push-button in the race. I used him a couple of times the way the race shook out, but he was well in hand. It was easy to let James [MacDonald] go – his horse was one of the horses to beat – and I figured I’d get him getting to the top of the stretch. It was no worries.”

Magic Punk, a c**t by Wishing Stone out of the Explosive Matter mare I D Entity NO, remained unbeaten from two starts this year with his other win coming in the Grade 3 Dexter Cup last month at The Meadowlands. Ake Svanstedt trains the six-time winner from 10 starts, with $427,879 earned, for owner Magic Punk Inc. He paid $3.50 to win.

Gingras fished cover for a second-over tow and successfully downed even-money favorite Touchedbyanangel in the final strides of a 1:51.4 mile in the second Goodtimes elimination.

After 8-5 second choice Exactly broke stride behind the gate, Royal Captain fired from post 6 to take the lead from pylon-starter Classified ripping into a :26.3 first quarter. Touchedbyanangel planted into fourth ahead of Neighver Punt and strode along up the backstretch until Gingras began creeping off the pylons approaching a :55.4 half, at which point driver Doug McNair pulled off the cones to push for the lead into the far turn. Royal Captain clung to a diminishing advantage with Touchedbyanangel looming to three-quarters in 1:24 and gave way in the stretch while McNair’s charge hustled for the finish. Neighver Punt had clear sailing in the final eighth and persisted to reel in the loose leader with every stride late for a NECK victory on the finish. Royal Captain held third with Classified finishing fourth and Dream For Peace closing for the last spot into the final.

“[I was told] he’s easy to drive, so I figured him out in the post parade,” Gingras said after the race. “I was confident in the middle of the last turn, but when we kicked for home Dougie [McNair] took off a little bit and I was like ‘alright, we’ll be second’ but he was still trotting. Down late he really dug in, so credit to the horse.”

Marcus Melander trains Neighver Punt, a c**t by Bar Hopping out of the Donato Hanover mare Twice Is Right, for owner Courant Inc. The c**t collected just the second win of his career from 12 starts, pushing his career earnings to $110,654, and paid $10.60 to win.

The post positions for the Goodtimes Final were drawn following the eliminations. The elimination winners earned the right to draw first for posts 2 through 6. Below is the field for the Goodtimes Final, which will take place on the undercard of the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup next Saturday (June 13):

$240,000 Grade 2 Goodtimes Final

PP-Name-Driver-Trainer

1-Strobe Lite-James MacDonald-Ben Baillargeon
​2-Wolfpack Crown-Louis Roy-Tyler Moore
​3-Magic Punk-Yannick Gingras-Ake Svanstedt
​4-Touchedbyanangel-Doug McNair-Duane Marfisi
​5-Neighver Punt-Yannick Gingras-Marcus Melander
​6-Dream For Peace-Mark MacDonald-Shawn Steacy
​7-Land The Plane-Jody Jamieson-Carl Jamieson
​8-Royal Captain-Tyler Jones-R. Dustin Jones
​9-Classified-Louis Roy-Matt Bax
​10-Greenarrow Hanover-Bob McClure-Shawn Steacy
​AE-I Am-Trevor Henry-Herbert Holland

Captain Albano to get back to business in Battle of Lake Erie

By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
(Chris Tully photo)

After enjoying a lighter workload in the weeks since winning the MGM Borgata Pacing Series championship in early May, Captain Albano is ready to get back to serious business this weekend.

Captain Albano is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in Saturday’s (May 6) $250,000 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park in Ohio. The two-time Dan Patch Award winner will leave from post 3 in a field of nine in the Grade 2 invitational for older pacers, with regular driver Todd McCarthy in the sulky for trainer Noel Daley.

The 5-year-old son of Captaintreacherous-Angelou prepped for the Battle by winning a qualifier in 1:50.2 (last quarter of :26.1) on May 29 at the Meadowlands. He won the $478,000 Borgata final (G2) May 8 on MGM Yonkers Raceway’s half-mile oval, where also posted two victories in the event’s five preliminary rounds.

“I gave him a little bit of an easy time after the Borgata because he’d raced six weeks in a row there,” Daley said. “We didn’t let him down completely; he stayed training the whole time, we just eased off. He’s in good spirits and in good shape. If anything, he might have put on a little weight during his time off. Racing six weeks in a row at Yonkers catches up with them a little. I’m happy with where he’s at.”

Captain Albano, who received Dan Patch divisional honors at ages 2 and 3, has three wins and a third in his six races this season and his $303,000 in earnings lead all male pacers. Last year, the stallion hit the board in 12 of 18 starts, winning seven and banking $597,775 for owners Patricia Stables, L.A. Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing, and Michael Dolan.

He raced into mid-December last year, capping his campaign with a second-place finish in the $250,000 MGM Grand Prix Pacing Series final at Yonkers after winning three preliminary legs.

“He didn’t have too much of a break from last year,” Daley said about Captain Albano, who made his first 2026 start on March 30 in the Borgata. “He’s good on a half, and (the Borgata) is such a good money race, that we had to have him ready for it.

“Now I’m just going to pick my spots with him, and we’ll try to work our way through the year. We’ll go to the big dances when they’re there. (The Battle of Lake Erie) is a great race, it’s $250,000, no pay-ups, just an invite. He drew OK; (post) 3 is pretty good. It’s better than anything outside of there. Hopefully, we can just be up close somewhere.”

For his career, Captain Albano has won 29 of 51 races, hit the board another 12 times, and earned $2.47 million. He was poised to retire to the breeding shed after his 3-year-old season, but after initial testing and looming deadlines, the connections decided to continue racing.

“When we brought him back at 4, I said if we’re going to do 4, we should do 5,” Daley said. “Then we can retest him and see if he’s good enough to go to stud. But I’m happy to get the two years of racing with him. He’s a great-looking horse and he’s got a good personality to him. He knows he’s a stud, but he’s easy to deal with. And he gets around all size tracks, so that’s a big help.

“He’s just a very cool horse and a pleasure to have around.”

The $250,000 purse for the 40th Battle of Lake Erie is the highest in its history. Ken Hanover, who won last year’s $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie and captured the $100,000 Joseph Auger Memorial (G3) on May 24 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line in Saturday’s race. He will start from post 6 with Brett Miller driving for trainer Roland “Polie” Mallar.

The field also includes 2025 Borgata champion Mossdale Ben N, who will leave from post 2 with Jim Marohn Jr. in the sulky for trainer Peter Tritton and is 4-1. Prince Hal Hanover, who already has two graded stakes victories in four starts this season, is 9-2 and will have Matt Kakaley at the lines for Dr. Ian Moore.

“It’s a good field,” Daley said. “You put the money out there, they’re going to come. We’re all very agreeable there.”

Saturday’s card also includes the $100,000 Buckeye Distaff, for Ohio-sired pacing mares.

Racing begins at 6 p.m. (EDT). The Buckeye Distaff is race 10 (estimated post time of 9:18 p.m.) and the Battle of Lake Erie is race 12 (10:02 p.m.).

Brandon Blvd stellar in Somebeachsomewhere

by Mark McKelvie, for Woodbine Mohawk Park
(New Image Media)

MILTON, ONT – Brandon Blvd delivered a statement performance ahead of the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations by winning the Grade 3 Somebeachsomewhere Stakes on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The Andrew Harris trained Brandon Blvd and driver Jason Bartlett posted a stakes record clocking of 1:48.1 to win the $140,500 Somebeachsomewhere for three-year-old pacers. The clocking bested the previous mark of 1:48.2 set by Bulldog Hanover in 2021.

The opening-quarter of the race saw No Waitlist blast to the lead, while Sweet Lovin Lou also hustled forward, but had to settle for the two-hole with Brandon Blvd right in behind third. After a :26 opener, Brandon Blvd swept to the lead and hit the half in :54.3.

Brandon Blvd would then pace a :26.4 third quarter in effortless fashion, posting a three-quarter time in 1:21.1. The stretch drive would see the son of Downbytheseaside close things out with another :26.4 clip to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

“I asked on him a little bit at the head of the lane and he just took off…the last three or four pylons he was just shut down and I actually thought I was going a :47 clip,” said Bartlett, who was subbing in for regular driver Dexter Dunn. “What a great horse, professional, leave out of there and put people where we need to put them and then remove him. Just a professional.”

Sweet Lovin Lou angled out in the lane and got up for second over No Waitlist. Borderline Mobby was fourth. All 10 starters are eligible to the Pepsi North America Cup.

Brandon Blvd making just his second start of the season, following up a victory in the Grade 3 Paul Revere at Plainridge on May 2.

“The schedule gets so busy that you want to try and bring them in easy,” said Harris. “These horses really only race about 13, 14, 15 times a year and you got to have them ready for the right starts.”

Brandon Blvd is owned by Punisher 11 Stable LLC and now has nine wins in 12 career starts. His latest graded stakes win takes his career earnings over $675,000.

The next step for Brandon Blvd is the Pepsi North America Cup and Harris is ready to see what will happen.

“We’re just going to sit here and do what we do on the track. Beau Jangles is amazing, Odds On Mr Mamba is amazing, there’s a few other horses that are amazing. Let them do all the talking and nobody has to talk about us, and we’ll just show up on race day and see what happens.”

Brandon Blvd paid $2.40 to win.