Burke trained filly wins big in Canada
Breeders Crown champion Loua Dipa is rolling in 2026.
The homebred Sweet Lou filly out of the Pet Rock mare Looksgoodinaromper for owners Burke Racing Stables LLC, Fredericktown, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, won the C$420,000 Grade 1 Fan Hanover for 3-year-old pacing fillies, Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk in Ontario, Canada.
Loua Dipa’s winning time of 1:48.1 – a stakes, track and Canadian record bested unbeaten Be Perfect BG.
Said driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr.: “I wanted to sit one-two and as long as (driver) Dexter (Dunn) had to use his horse a little bit to clear me, I was happy to sit the two-hole. I got lucky, shook loose late; she’s a true champion. I was very confident in the horse; she knows how to win. I know she’s as tough as nails. She knows where the wire is and dug in late.”
Wrenn drove Loua Dipa’s 13 races in 2025. The filly hit the board 12 times, winning nine starts and earning $827,028. She captured two Grade 1 stakes, the Breeders Crown and She’s A Great Lady, and her 1:48 victory in a division of the International Stallion Stakes (G3) made her the fastest 2-year-old female pacer in history.
Loua Dipa won her second race in three starts this season and her 11th race in 16 starts (.688 winning percentage) in her career, earning $1,384,788.
Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke said she’s the best filly he’s ever trained. “And that’s saying a lot,” Burke said after the race, “because I can name a ton of other ones, but she’s special. She does things other horses can’t do. I think we’ve yet to see even the best of what she can do.
“Last year was Louprint (winning the North American Cup) and her this year. It’s pretty cool. Those are tough races to win. Basically, winning one of them each year with two homebreds is pretty fun.”
Burke said the plan for Loua Dipa is to be in the Adio Volo on next month’s Adios card.
NA Cup
Odds On Mr Mamba roared to victory in the 43rd edition of the Grade 1 C$1 million North America Cup for 3-year-old pacers, also at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The heavily-hyped Beau Jangles held command past three-quarters in 1:21.1. As Brandon Blvd continued rolling on the outside, 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. Al Papi, a Burke-trained horse, crossed the wire in fourth 1-1/2 lengths behind, while Melillo, another from the Burke Stable rounded out the top five. The final time was 1:48.1.
Some of the top 3-year-olds in that field are expected to compete in next month’s Adios.
NOTE: The United States Trotting Association and Harnesslink contributed to this story.