Here's a good thread on making sugar syrups:
So do I really have to use brewers yeast or will my moms sourdough junk work?
No really...
I just blew through 20 lbs of sugar and a jar of DAP yeast nutrient trying to perfect my caramelized "Candi Syrup" recipe. and this is what I came up with.
The basic ideas for the recipe are from Radical Brewing Randy Mosher, and from Brew Like a Monk Stan Hieronymus. I spent some time working on a procedure that seems to work really well. The procedures came from various books on candy making and internet resources. Both recipes are temperature sensitive and absolutely dependent on...
I've made many sugar syrups with that method, in a wide variety of darkness, being arguably as good as the "real thing."
And no, there is chemically no difference between beet and cane sugar, you can use either, they are both all Sucrose.
To mimic a D-45 syrup, aim for a Light to Medium Amber (270-280°F).
Follow the author's instructions, and perhaps make a smaller (using only 1 pound of sugar) test batch first, to get a feel for the process, heating level and changes of color.
Oh, BTW, a deep, narrow saucepan is prefered over wide shallow pans or pots.