Bowing to Beau in the Pepsi North America Cup

Despite suffering his first career defeat last week, Beau Jangles — at slightly inflated odds — will be my choice to win this year’s Pepsi North America Cup.

by Brett Sturman 

Headlined by Pepsi North America Cup XLIII (43), Saturday’s massive, graded stakes-filled card at Woodbine Mohawk Park has the potential to be one of the best top-to-bottom Cup cards in history. Beginning with the $1 million signature event and then followed by all other graded stakes in race order, here’s how I see the night shaping up.

RACE 11, $1 MILLION GRADE 1 PEPSI NORTH AMERICA CUP FINAL

While trying to absorb all the online and social media commentary that’s been posted since last Saturday’s (June 6) stakes preliminaries, my sense is there has been an overreaction to the defeat of Beau Jangles in his North America Cup elimination. To be sure, last year’s Horse of the Year was beaten fair and square when third last week to both Odds On Mr Mamba and Brandon Blvd. Gone now is his aura of invincibility, but I’m not ready to judge that race too harshly.

In last week’s elimination, it became apparent that Beau Jangles was going to be in trouble when moving with purpose first-over from fourth but he wasn’t allowed, or able, depending on your perspective, to clear the 45-1 longshot leader Gentleman’s Club through fractions of :54.1 and 1:21.1. I was wondering at the time why Andrew McCarthy on Gentlemen’s Club didn’t want to yield to Beau Jangles and have a much greater likelihood of at least qualifying for the final, but instead wound up being dueled into submission and then faded. The skirmish took its toll on Beau Jangles too, who tried to fight on through the stretch but at that point it was only a matter of when he was going to be passed by both of the top two eventual finishers.

I’m not making excuses at all for Beau Jangles. But I don’t think the elimination race changed many opinions. If you liked Beau Jangles last week and supported him when his odds were 2-5, he’s very appealing now at perhaps something where if I had to guess, 7-5. On the other hand, Odds On Mr Mamba stormed into Ontario and swept with a wide stretch rally at odds of slightly better than 5-2. With that win and now a slight post edge for the final, he has more of the look of an even money proposition, though the hometown crowd could still shift things towards “Beau.”

Aside from the trips last week, Odds On Mr Mamba cast away any doubts of ability due to his size or lesser-quality breeding with that visually impressive win, and all credit is due to him. He proven that he’s every bit as good as the sport’s best 3-year-olds, and maybe even the best one when all is said and done on Saturday.

It’s not just a two-horse race, but the post draw has made life far more difficult for Brandon Blvd. He came into last week’s elimination off that 1:48.1 score in the Somebeachsomewhere, got the second-over trip last week and was snapped at the wire by the wide-rallying Odds On Mr Mamba. Brandon Blvd was Dexter Dunn’s somewhat, to me, surprising pick last week over Odds On Mr Mamba, so some stock should be put into that. In last year’s North America Cup final it was Madden Oaks and Braxten Boyd blasting from post 10 and it almost worked out; I’d imagine Dunn would be looking for something similar.

Sweet Lovin Lou was a winner of the other Cup elimination last week, and he was impressive in doing so. In that race, he made his move from fourth while being behind a gapped-out longshot in the third position, made inroads into a well-supported leader who had things his own way up front, and ended up prevailing comfortably enough in 1:48.2. The week prior he offered crisp pace at both ends of his mile to be second to Brandon Blvd. It’s not a surprise, but James MacDonald who drove both elimination winners, has elected to stay with Odds On Mr Mamba, so Scott Zeron picks up the drive here with Sweet Lovin Lou.

A worthwhile longshot could be Melillo, who starts from the rail with last year’s Cup winning driver, Ronnie Wrenn, Jr. He was aggressively handled early in his elimination, yielded to a longshot who he eventually had to navigate his way around later in the mile – this was a highly impressive 2-year-old last year.

If you want to consider last week’s race, the battle, Saturday will be the war. And Beau Jangles, tried and tested on this oval – will be my top pick.

Beau Jangles — Odds On Mr Mamba — Melillo

RACE 3, $240,000 GRADE 2 GOODTIMES FINAL

Magic Punk is now two-for-two on the season following his elimination win last week and has looked flawless in the early going this year thus far. His Dexter Cup effort at The Meadowlands on May 2, where he closed furiously to win despite being well out of position was impressive. From there, he showed his class in winning his Goodtimes elimination here last week with confidence. In that race, he was parked, yielded to his main threat, but didn’t sit for long before he was right back out to go engage that foe and kept on through the stretch. He’s near or at the top of the Hambletonian rankings now and is the one that the Goodtimes final goes through.

In that same referenced elimination, Ontario-sired Strobe Lite was well supported against Magic Punk and was raced aggressively. Despite being passed he was still trying to take another late shot and now lands the rail for the final; could work out a stalking trip from there. In the other Goodtimes elimination, Neighver Punt was able to make up a couple of lengths very late to nail Touchedbyanangel in a strong 1:51.4, who I thought looked clear after grinding to the lead first-over into the stretch. Touchedbyanangel has been sparring back and forth with Strobe Lite in Ontario-sired racing while Neighver Punt wasn’t able to get involved against Magic Punk in the Dexter Cup.

Magic Punk — Touchedbyanangel — Strobe Lite

RACE 7, $215,000 GRADE 2 ARMBRO FLIGHT FINAL

A well-known group of talented trotting mares gather for what will be their first of many battles this season, with the welcomed addition of new 4-year-olds, highlighted by last year’s 3-year-old divisional champion, Yo Tillie.

Yo Tillie returns to Woodbine Mohawk Park where she won last year’s Breeders Crown to cap off that dream season. She comes off a seemingly inexplicable loss in her most recent at Oak Grove a few weeks ago to Aperfect Annie but aside from that blip will likely be seen as one of the top contenders. A win in this race would send last year’s Older Female Trotter of the Year Warrawee Michelle over the $2 million mark in career earnings and she too, was a Breeders Crown winner here last October. Dial Square S won this race last year and was one of the best in this division at points during that summer but wasn’t as strong as things went on. She makes her second start back and still feels like she should be respected. Bravo Angel S is now four-for-five on the year for Engblom and had plenty of moments against these types last year; 6-year-old perhaps has the seasoning edge over a few others in here such as Yo Tillie.

Bravo Angel S — Yo Tillie — Warrawee Michelle

RACE 8, $320,000 GRADE 1 ROSES ARE RED FINAL

Twin B Joe Fresh has owned this division and has owned this race for the last two years but things look like they might be different this time around as Twin B Joe Fresh aims for a Roses Are Red three-peat.

Beginning with Dexter Dunn’s choice in the pair of Ryder trainees over Miki And Minnie, Twin B Joe Fresh wasn’t at her best in last week’s elimination when making her first appearance of the year and first start since last year’s Allerage on Oct. 5. In her elimination, she couldn’t have received a better trip right on the back of Louies Girl N, but she wasn’t able to quicken off that cover and you could only rate her performance at best, fair, and post 9 for Saturday’s final will only complicate things further.

Louies Girl N continues to assert herself as a force in the division this year and she was able to win last week despite a first-over trip where she tussled with Always B Naughty; was a dominant winner two back in the Betsy Ross at Harrah’s Philadelphia. She’ll have to deal with the other elimination winner Miki And Minnie, who closed out last year by beating older pacing mares as a 3-year-old in the FanDuel. She comes out of that Betsy Ross race two back as well but will be better situated this time around. Always Dawn lands another outside post but was closing fast last week at odds of 99-1 after being a bit detached heading into the final turn. Rodeo Drive Deo is a proven commodity against these too and there was nothing wrong with her stretch run last week either. The Last Martini went first-over last week and was good in holding it together for second; don’t forget she dead-heated here last year with Miki And Minnie in the Breeders Crown as a big longshot.

Miki And Minnie — Louie’s Girl N — Rodeo Drive Deo

RACE 10, $420,000 GRADE 1 FAN HANOVER FINAL

Something has to give as Loua Dipa squares off against the lifetime unbeaten Be Perfect BG for Fan Hanover glory. 

Last week Loua Dipa proved once again her affinity for the Woodbine Mohawk Park oval as she was sensational in winning her elimination in 1:48.3, bouncing back nicely from her surprising defeat in Pennsylvania to start off the year on May 1. Be Perfect BG has been just that through nine career races for trainer Anthony Beaton and was a sharp 1:48.4 elimination winner, but she’s never faced the likes of Loua Dipa. Loua Dipa is, of course, capable of being beaten, but I wouldn’t want to go against her based on the track record here or what we saw last week. A Clean Deal was bet down to 9-5 last week against Loua Dipa and gave it her best shot but in the end wasn’t as strong, lost the runner-up spot late, and now moves to post 10. Credit to Perfect Thought for her upset elimination win at odds of 11-1 in a time of 1:49.3; quality looking filly has yet to figure out Be Perfect BG in New Jersey. Easy Station did well to handle the big step up last week and is fortunate enough to land the rail once again; she continues to go faster.

Loua Dipa — Be Perfect BG — Easy Station