Breeders Crown, Jugette winner Loua Dipa to be retired
Loua Dipa won her final race, the $103,000 Matron on Thursday night at Dover Downs in Delaware, and paced into retirement.
Hall of Fame trainer Ron Burke said the 2025 Breeders Crown 2-year-old champion will be retired to Crawford Farm, Durhamville, N.Y., where she will be a broodmare to be bred.
Loua Dipa is owned by the Burke Racing Stable LLC, Fredericktown, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Canonsburg.
“I knew she’d be good (Thursday night),” Burke said. “In her last two starts (two wins), she’s been back. She was great and I told Mark (Weaver) this week when we trained she was good.
“She’s just a champion. She’s the best I’ve trained. She’s great. She’s healthy and she’s retired.”
Loua Dipa won 17 of 27 races, had domestic earnings of $1,404,118.
In addition to the 2025 Breeders Crown 2-year-old filly pacing championship, Loua Dipa won this year’s Little Brown Jugette.
In July, she became just the second filly to enter The Adios. But that didn’t work out her way as she was third in the elimination to qualify for the final where she finished last in the nine-horse race.
She rebounded and won the $265,000 (Grade 1) Little Brown Jugette two months ago.
The victory broke a three-race losing streak, interrupted by a surgery to correct a breathing problem, and adding to Burke’s legacy.
Loua Dipa was fastest 2-year-old filly pacer of all time, became the Burke Stable’s seventh Jugette champion and second straight as Rodeo Drive Deo won the race on 2025. The stable has won three of the last five Jugettes.
Weaver previously said ownership was considering selling half of Loua Dipa to Crawford Farm for breeding purposes. Burke hadn’t made up his mind about retiring her at that point.
“We’re thrilled,” Weaver said. “We think she deserves it. We look forward to seeing her offspring. She’s had hell of a career.
“When she (Loua Dipa) was right, the post didn’t really matter. She was, I think, as great of a filly as we’ve ever had.”
Burke has long compared the maternal side of Loua Dipa’s family.
He once said, “It’s funny, Looksgoodinloulou (3-year-old filly) reminds me of the grand dam (Don’t Blame Her). Loua Dipa reminds me more of the dam (Looksgoodinaromper).
“They’re much more similar, the funny way they steer and they’re just the nicest horses to be around. Both of these fillies are truly the quietest, nicest, kindest fillies, so they remind me a lot of each other. Looksgoodinaromper was one of my favorite horses. She was a world champion at 2-years-old, and now she has two world champions.”