Dandy Ideal Defeats Louprint, Prince Hal Hanover Coasts in Colt Pace Eliminations

October 18, 2025

MILTON, October 18, 2025— Hunter Oakes trainee Dandy Ideal ended Louprint’s unbeaten sophomore season when keeping the North America Cup champion at bay through an all-out stretch drive to win the second of two $34,250 CAD Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings in a 1:48 mile on Saturday at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Driver Jason Bartlett secured a stalking seat with Dandy Ideal behind Swingtown passing a :26 first quarter before Crack Shot brushed forward to grab the lead. Louprint meanwhile took off the speed out of post 7 and floated off the pylons up the backstretch, idling in midfield before committing to advance outside. After a shuffle where Swingtown circled back to the lead, Louprint pushed up the rim and fished cover from Dandy Ideal moving by a :54.2 half.

Dandy Ideal rushed to challenge Swingtown rounding the final turn as Louprint gapped cover to the outside of Crack Shot. Swingtown gave way to Dandy Ideal past three-quarters in 1:22.3 and Bartlett implored Dandy Ideal to reach for the line. Louprint slid off cover and clawed into Dandy Ideal in a desperate final eighth but came just a nose short of victory at the finish. Captain Optimistic finished third with Manolete and Crack Shot earning the last spots into the final.

“I wasn't real excited about my spot going down the backside past the half, and I knew [Louprint] was going to be behind me,” Jason Bartlett said after the race. “There was a little bit of quick speed going on and I like my horse first over, it doesn't matter what trip I give him. With him behind me, obviously you're worried, but my horse dug in.

“Off the last turn, I still had a fistful,” Bartlett also said, “and I'm like ‘Whoa. We’re going to give him a run here.’ And the horse, all the credit in the world to him, he never gave up.”

While snapping Louprint’s 11-race win streak, Dandy Ideal returned to the winner’s circle after having his eight-race win streak snapped in an overnight prep a week ago at Pocono Downs. The American Ideal-Ok Heavenly gelding, bred by Stephen Dey and Dandy Farms Inc., won for the ninth time from 15 starts this season and the 14^th time from 25 starts in his career and has now earned $1,142,949 for owners Susan Oakes, Thaddeus Wier and Alan Johnston.

“He had a good week,” Hunter Oakes said after the race. “I made a bridle change that seemed to help – he warmed up really, really good. Like what Jason said, getting away third, I'm like ‘first up again?’ But hat off to Jason, he's done such a good job with him all year and he's a good horse. He tries to find a way to win.”

Sent the second choice in the betting, Dandy Ideal paid $14.70 to win.

Prince Hal Hanover moved unfettered for most of the mile and sprinted for home with ease to bag the first Breeders Crown elimination as the 4-5 chalk in a 1:49.1 mile.

Driver Todd McCarthy motored Prince Hal Hanover to the fore through a :26.4 first quarter and carried the field up the backside to a :56.1 half. He continued unchallenged into the last turn while Madden Oaks launched a first-over bid out of seventh and marched steadily forward through three-quarters in 1:23.1. McCarthy hit the accelerator with Prince Hal Hanover straightening for home and sailed in a length winner with ease. Fusion gave chase off a pocket trip for second while Sippononsearoc rallied from off cover for third and Madden Oaks settled for fourth. TH Colby grabbed the last spot into the final in fifth.

“It was probably a touch slower than I thought I was at, but he deserved a soft half,” Todd McCarthy said after the race. “He's had some pretty big runs this year, and I was really happy with the way he finished. I kind of wanted to press hard. I didn't want there to be a bit of a challenge underneath me, so I figured there'd be a couple there to follow him. He's got such good gate speed that I figured I could get there early enough and then try and dictate from there. So it kind of went to plan for us there tonight, and I feel that he's doing pretty good for next week.”

The Doc Moore trainee, from a pair of Breeders Crown winners in sire Captaintreacherous and dam Percy Bluechip, collected his ninth win from 27 starts and has now earned $1,435,055 for owner Prince Hal Hanover Stable. His win in the Breeders Crown elimination follows a defeat at The Red Mile where he cut middle fractions of :52.4 and 1:19.4 before tiring to a third-place finish in a 1:48.1 mile.

“I think he's happy to be home,” Dr. Moore said. “He's been on the road a bit recently, and I'm not sure the last race here, it might have been back in July, perhaps. So it's been a while, and when I warmed him up tonight, he was rock solid – he was all business, never let go of me. I usually like to jog a little bit at a moderate speed the first lap, and he was having no part of that. So I knew he was good tonight. And I saw that half, I thought ‘wow, that's going to be all right.’

“He's gone some tough races this year, and got beat a couple times, post position and the way the race went might have impacted him,” Dr. Moore also said. “So at least we should get a decent draw now in the final, and hopefully we have some luck there.”

Prince Hal Hanover, bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, paid $3.90 to win.

By Ray Cotolo