Woodbine Mohawk Park: Odds On Mr Mamba rallies to Pepsi North America Cup crown

Odds On Mr Mamba backed up his elimination win as he turned a second-over trip into a 1:48 1/5 triumph in the C$1 million Grade 1 Pepsi North America Cup for 3-year-old male pacers on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. For driver James MacDonald and trainer Melanie Wrenn, they both had success in the Cup for the first time.

Leaving from post three, Odds On Mr Mamba took back to sixth and wound up letting a floating-from-post ten Brandon Blvd (Dexter Dunn) drop in front of them. Meanwhile, No Waitlist (Doug McNair) cannoned to the top from post nine in a 26 1/5 quarter before he was looped first by Al Papi (Yannick Gingras) and then favorite Beau Jangles (Bob McClure).

Beau Jangles got to the half in just 54 1/5, but Brandon Blvd was coming first-over and giving cover to Odds On Mr Mamba, the other elimination victor Sweet Lovin Lou (Scott Zeron) and Azrael Blue Chip (Andy McCarthy). Beau Jangles managed to hold the lead to three-quarters in 1:21 1/5, but Brandon Blvd had advanced right next to him, setting the stage for a stirring stretch drive.

Brandon Blvd and Beau Jangles continued to battle in the lane as Al Papi had room to the inside and Odds On Mr Mamba was turned loose by MacDonald to the outside. Odds On Mr Mamba drifted out again, but not as badly as in his elimination, and he went by both leaders in the closing stages en route to a half-length victory. Brandon Blvd nosed out Beau Jangles for second in a game performance by both, Al Papi was fourth and Melillo (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) came on to get fifth.

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"I was so confident. I thought the race, the way the draw set up, I thought I was going to get a great trip. It was a dream come true," said MacDonald. "I watched my brother win this race with Sportswriter and I was at Kawartha Downs never thinking I was ever going to do anything like this on this kind of stage. It's pretty special for me, and I'm just so thankful I got the drive and so lucky to be here."

A gelding by Odds On Equuleus, Odds On Mr Mamba races for Dana Parham's Odds On Racing and was bred by his Odds On Nourrir operation. Odds On Mr Mamba has a summary of 10-0-0 from 11 tries, has put away C$1,028,219 and paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice.

"I knew he was in a good spot at that point, but he was in with so many nice horses," Wrenn said about her thoughts when they turned for home. "He's amazing. I love him. We just did a little maintenance, the stuff everybody does. He was just due. We worked on him a little bit and we rigged up just a tad different. He still got the job done. I don't know if we can mess him up.

"He never quits. When they're coming to the wire, he's always gaining on them, so we had a pretty good shot."

"It was something we pointed this horse to, but there are so many other good horses and so many other things that can go wrong," Parham added. "For this year, it went right for us and maybe not quite perfect for some of the others.

"Pete and Melanie, they're great. They have a small stable, so horses don't get lost with them. Some of the bigger stable, who knows? Maybe this horse wouldn't have developed so well."