Beau Jangles blazes to Breeders’ Crown glory

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Canadian racing's new superstar caused a sensation on Friday.

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Bo Jungles completed a perfect 12-for-12 season and captured the North American title, winning the Breeders' Crown 2-Year-Old Colt Race at Woodbine-Mohawk Park in a new Canadian record of 1:48 3/5.

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Ridden by Bob McClure, Bo Jungles led as the 10-horse field approached the final turn and from that point on stood up to all remaining contenders to win by a length. McClure always knew exactly what his colt had.

“We had a better post,” McClure said of his departure from the sixth post. “I didn't want to get him in trouble.”

“I knew they were going to fight him hard, and they did. But I also didn't think they were throwing anything at him that he couldn't handle.”

Trained by Dr. Ian Moore, Bo Jungles was purchased for $65,000 at the annual sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Cattlewash's son turned that into $1.8 million in income. In September he won the Metro Pace and two weeks later won the final of the Ontario Sires Stakes. Moore said the colt will now have some rest until the new year.

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The race was one of four Crown finals for two-year-olds. On the pace of the $959,000 2-year-old filly, Lua Dipa continued to set new standards in the division, dominating to set a Canadian record of 1:49 1/5.

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Once the daughter of Sweet Lou took the lead halfway through the backstretch she had no more to worry about as she pulled away from the turn to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Ronnie Wrenn Jr. took Lua Deep to trainer, owner and breeder Ron Burke, who didn't have high hopes for the filly at the start of the season.

“She showed a hint of it in her first qualifying and at every start after that as she got better and better,” Burke said. “Then when she came here (for She's a Great Lady), we said, 'Wow, she's special.' »

Following this race, she set a world record of 1:48 miles in Lexington, Kentucky. In total, she has nine wins from 12 starts.

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Two young local stars rose to fame on the $959,000 two-year-old filly. Driver Todd Ratchford, 29, and trainer Matt Bax, 34, achieved their first Crown success with Storybook Love. Ratchford ran in the middle for a mile and had no chance to get outside down the stretch. But a path opened up between the horses and inside in the stretch and Ratchford took full advantage, passing Setyoursightshigh and Nezuko Kamado to score in 1:52 2/5.

At a loss for words

“It was absolutely crazy,” Ratchford said. “I just don’t have words, I can’t even explain.”

It was the fourth win in 12 starts for Storybook Love, a Mohawk regular who also raced in the company's New York Sires Stakes.

And in the $959,000 two-year-old colt, continued pressure on the heavily favored Apex allowed Spencer Hanover to make a late stalemate to win in 1:53 2/5. Ridden by Jason Bartlett, Spencer Hanover was in the middle of the field at the start of the mile. Down the stretch he moved to the middle of the track to take down Apex and long-shot Mr. Big Spender in 1:53 2/5.

The stewards did call an investigation as Spencer Hanover had indeed drifted on the stretch, but it was not enough to change the finishing order. It was the third win in 12 starts for Spencer Hanover, a son of Head Seven trained by Markus Melander. It was the first Crown win for Bartlett, a longtime driver at Yonkers Raceway in New York.

The Breeders' Crown concludes on Saturday with eight finals for three-year-old and older horses.

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