Red Mile Racing

'Mamba' lands at No. 1 in first 2026 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll

by Ken Weingartner
(New Image Media photo)

Odds On Mr Mamba, fresh off his win in this past weekend’s Pepsi North America Cup, found himself first again when the Week 1 edition of the 2026 Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll was released on Wednesday (June 17).

Odds On Mr Mamba is 3-for-3 this year after capturing the C$1 million Grade 1 North America Cup at Woodbine Mohawk Park and leads all horses in North America in purses, with $426,000. The 3-year-old male pacer received 29 of 35 first-place votes and totaled 343 points, giving him a 72-point cushion over No. 2-ranked Loua Dipa.

Loua Dipa, who won the Fan Hanover (G1) for 3-year-old filly pacers this past weekend at Mohawk in a Canadian-record 1:48.1, received two first-place votes and 271 points. Following Lou Dipa in spots 3 through 5 were Roses Are Red (G1) winner Miki And Minnie, Oak Grove Trotting Derby and Empire Breeders Classic champ Spencer Hanover, and North America Cup runner-up Brandon Blvd.

Ranked No. 6 was On To Norway, who received the poll’s remaining four first-place votes after stretching his winning streak to 27 races with a 1:49.3 victory this past Friday in a division of the Graduate Series at the Meadowlands. The time, in On To Norway’s fourth start of this season, was a world record for a 4-year-old gelding trotter.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational (G3) winner Ervin Hanover, New Jersey Sire Stakes champion Apex, North America Cup third-place finisher Beau Jangles, and Fan Hanover runner-up Be Perfect BG.

The Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown poll, which will continue weekly on Wednesdays through the Grand Circuit season, does not determine year-end awards. The members of the U.S. Harness Writers Association vote on all Dan Patch Award division winners plus Trotter of the Year, Pacer of the Year, and Horse of the Year.

Rankings based on the votes of harness racing media representatives on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

Odds On Mr Mamba wins Pepsi North America Cup classic

by Chris Lomom, for Woodbine Entertainment
(New Image Media photos)

MILTON, ONT – In a sophomore showdown for glory, prestige, and a place in the history books, it was the diminutive Odds Mr Mamba who came up huge in the 43rd edition of the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The pre-eminent North American event for three-year-old pacers once again showcased some of the sport’s brightest stars, adding another compelling chapter to its rich history in front of a packed house on a spectacular, stakes-laden evening at the Milton oval.

No Waitlist and Al Papi, leaving from post nine and post eight, respectively, blasted off the gate and looked to set the early tone, with the former landing into top spot, followed by Melillo and while Beau Jangles, the 3-5 choice who had his unbeaten string snapped at 15 in one of last week’s Cup eliminations. Odds On Mr Mamba, second choice on the tote board, sat sixth through an opening quarter in :26.1.

Beau Jangles was given his cue to carry on and took the lead ahead of a half in :54.1, with Al Papi, No Waitlist and Brandon Blvd filling out the top four, while MacDonald and Odds On Mr Mamba remained sixth.

Brandon Blvd picked up the pursuit of Beau Jangles and began to ratchet up the pressure on the pacesetter, while Odds On Mr Mamba began to make inroads on the lead pair.

It was Beau Jangles on top by three lengths after three-quarters in 1:21.1, as Brandon Blvd, saddled with post 10, continued to grind away on the outside, while Odds On Mr Mamba roared onto the scene with a powerful outside burst, setting the stage for a scintillating stretch drive. ​ ​ ​

At the wire, Odds On Mr Mamba bested Brandon Blvd by a half-length. Beau Jangles finished a shade behind the runner-up in third and Al Papi crossed the wire fourth.

The final time was 1:48.1.

It was the first Cup crown for MacDonald and for trainer Melanie Wrenn.

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

“I’m so proud of the horse, so happy for Melanie and the connections, and it's just time to party.”

Wrenn, who finished fourth with Odds On Osiris in the 2020 edition, was in an equally celebratory mood.

“I was so nervous. I mean, I knew he was in a good spot at that point, but I mean, he was in with so many nice horses, and he's just amazing. I love him.

“I knew we were going to give it a heck of a try, and he never quits when they're coming to the wire,” continued Wrenn. “He's always gaining on them. So, we had a pretty good shot."

It was the third win in as many starts in 2026 for the bay gelding, who arrived at the North America Cup final off a gutsy neck victory in his Cup elimination race, a 1:48.2 mile paced last Saturday at Mohawk.

Odds On Mr Mamba, who holds status as the fastest two-year-old in harness racing history, a 1:47.4 mile on Oct. 2, 2025, at Hoosier Park, won the Indiana Sires Stakes Final and Elevation Stakes last year and took an Indiana Sires Stakes division on May 25, 2026.

Owned by Odds On Racing and bred by Odds On Nourrir, Odds On Mr Mamba, who paid $6.10 for Saturday’s win, is 10-0-0 from 11 career starts, along with over $1 million in purse earnings.

“It was something that we pointed this horse to, and but there's so many other good horses, and so many other things that can go wrong,” said Dana Parham, of Odds On Racing. “But for this year it went right for us, and maybe not quite perfect for some of the others.

"I do want to thank Pepsi and Mohawk for putting on this great event. I think they should be recognized, so I want to thank all of them.”

Odds On Mr Mamba’s sire, Odds On Equuleus, finished 10th in the 2013 NA Cup, and finished his racing career with 20 wins, $938,000 in purse earnings and a mark of 1:47.4.

*A new wagering record of $687,448 on the North America Cup race was set, eclipsing the previous record of $681,000 in 2015.