Woodbine Mohawk Park: Beau Jangles vs. Redland Rocket Man highlights Ontario Sire Stakes finals

Trainers Dr. Ian Moore and John Pentland said they can’t wait for another round of Beau Jangles vs. Redland Rocket Man, this time in Saturday’s (Oct. 10) C$350,000 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Super Final for 3-year-old pacing colts at Woodbine Mohawk Park. It is carded as race 9, the final race of eight straight Super Finals featuring total purses of C$2.8 million in purses.

The two Ontario Sired pacers have traded punches 15 times already with Moore’s pupil Beau Jangles winning 11 of those. But Pentland trainee Redland Rocket Man is in top form of late off a 1:46 4/5 Canadian-record mile, followed by an impressive two-heat victory in the C$650,000 Grade 1 Little Brown Jug in Ohio, both in September.

As for Beau Jangles, he’s won two straight and three of his last four and posted a career-best 1:47 2/5 mile in his C$112,857 Bluegrass test on Saturday (Oct. 3) at The Red Mile in Lexington, KY.

That means Saturday’s 16th meeting between Beau and the Rocket Man is primed to be an epic slugfest.

“I think it'll be a great race for Ontario racing and Ontario Sired horses with John’s colt in there,” Moore said. “I was just looking at the program, and I see where [Redland Rocket Man] has got well over $700,000 made in Canadian dollars. That's pretty damn good for a Canadian Bred 3-year-old.”

Pentland said the match-up is “wonderful” for the Ontario industry.

“We’re really excited about it,” Pentland said. “This is one of those races that people are talking about, and they'll certainly be talking about it after. It’s exciting, and it's going to be a marquee race for sure.”

Moore said it appears both pacers are heading into the Super Final in super condition.

“Earlier on in the summer [Beau wasn’t in] top form, and obviously Rocket Man was, and I think still is,” Moore said. “But, [Beau is] coming to top form now. I was very pleased last Saturday [with his race in Lexington]… The track was not fast that day, so [1:47 2/5] was a very decent mile, and I think the horse is going to excel from that.”

BEAU VS. ROCKET MAN - TALE OF THE TAPE

Lifetime, Beau Jangles has won 11 of the 15 head-to-head races with Redland Rocket Man and finished on the board 14 times. Redland Rocket Man has finished on the board seven times.

As for recent form, Redland Rocket Man has won two of the last four three meetings and has finished ahead of Beau Jangles in three of the last four starts, including the Sept. 12 start in the C$140,000 Simcoe at Woodbine Mohawk Park in which Redland Rocket Man set a Canadian record of 1:46 4/5.

In OSS competition, Beau Jangles has won seven of the nine meetings. Redland Rocket Man has won once, but finished ahead of Beau in two of the last three meetings.

Lifetime, Beau Jangles has won 18 of 25 starts. Redland Rocket Man has won seven of 26 starts.

During Beau Jangles’ perfect 12-for-12 rookie season, which ended with him being voted the Horse of the Year in Canada and the U.S., he out-earned Redland Rocket Man by $1,510,463 ($1,688,750 to $178,287). At 3, Redland Rocket Man has earned $272,797 more than Beau Jangles ($768,133 to $495,336). Lifetime, Beau Jangles has earned more than double what Redland Rocket Man has ($2,184,086 to $946,420).

In terms of Grade 1 wins on their resumes, Beau Jangles has both the C$1 million Metro Pace and C$959,000 Breeders Crown to his credit, both in 2025. Redland Rocket Man has the Jug, which was held on Sept. 24 of this year. Redland Rocket Man did not contest last year’s Breeders Crown, but was fourth in the Metro final. Beau Jangles did not contest the Jug.

THE OBVIOUS STANDOUTS

On Saturday, Beau Jangles, a son of Cattlewash out of Mrs Major Hill, is the 4-5 morning line favorite out of post 7 with James MacDonald in the sulky. Redland Rocket Man, a gelded son of Bulldog Hanover out of Granny Hanvoer, is the even money second choice. He will have Jody Jamieson in the bike.

Moore said Beau Jangles is, “in great shape. He hasn't lost a pound. If he did earlier, he's put it back on… This will be Beau’s third race in 12 days. As you have heard me say in interviews prior, I have lightened up on the training on him, and it seems to have made a huge difference… I think [the training] might have been overdone in the past, though, not dramatically. Maybe others might have done more than I did, but I still think that's made a difference in the horse, recently. I think he'll handle the three races in 12 days no problem. I gave him an extra day off from Lexington. He raced Saturday, and came home Sunday. So, he had Sunday, Monday, Tuesday off and, basically, jogged yesterday and today.”

Pentland said Redland Rocket Man, “came out of the Jug really well. There was just no race for him, so that's the reason he hasn't had a start since. I don't think it's going to affect him, and he's ready for the Super Final.

“I gave him a pretty-easy first week after the Jug. I don't train very hard, anyways. But we trained him about a week ago, and then I went and trained him on Tuesday, a fairly good mile, but maybe about 2:04 in the jogger.”

Though it’s obvious the two pacers are at the top of the 10-horse field, Moore said not to discount some of the other sophomore pacers in a solid group. As such, the trainer said he doesn’t know how the race will unfold.

“I still don't think [Beau Jangles] needs to go to the front every time to win, but in [his Lexington] race, nobody else wanted to. It was really odd, but I think [this Saturday] will be different for sure. And you know, everybody wants to sit behind a good horse, I guess, sit in the two hole. So, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out. But yeah, I think [Beau Jangles is] coming back to his form. John's already at his form with Rocket Man, so it'll be very interesting. It will be a good race to watch for sure.”

Pentland said, “They’re nice horses, but if it comes down to just Beau and Red, it'll be the trip that wins the race.”

Beau Jangles, bred by Tara Hills Stud in Port Perry, ON, was a $65,000 yearling purchase. He is owned by the Graham Grace Stable of Clifton, VA, Kiwi Stables of La Plata, MD and Bolton Stables of Clermont, FL.

Redland Rocket Man, bred by Redland Farms of Bible Hill, NS and foaled in Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI, was a $30,000 yearling purchase. He is owned by Pentland of Dorchester, ON, Murray Cox of Rockwood, ON and Gary Volpe of St. Thomas, ON.

Both pacers were sold out of the Preferred Equine consignment at the 2024 Standardbred Horse Sales Company’s yearling auction in Harrisburg, PA.

“I'm looking forward to [Saturday],” Moore said. “I think it'll be a great race, no matter what happens.”

Saturday’s Super Finals will feature 77 Ontario Sired horses contesting the eight C$350,000 2- and 3-year-old divisions beginning in race 2 and running straight through the Beau Jangles vs. Redland Rocket Man grand finale. The first-race post time at Woodbine Mohawk Park is 6:30 p.m.

-edited release (By Dave Briggs for Ontario Racing)