Woodbine: Champion Dresden Row leads Seagram Cup

Multiple graded-stakes winner and Sovereign Award winner Dresden Row faces seven rivals in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Seagram Cup at Woodbine. 

The 1 1/16-mile main track event, for 3-year-olds and up, marks the second start of the season for Dresden Row, who was crowned Canada’s champion 3-year-old male of 2024.

Click here for Woodbine entries and results.

Dresden Row has a record of 11: 5-3-3 to go along with $330,558 in purse earnings.

After a debut second over six furlongs on the turf course in October 2023 and a third, only a head back of the winner in a 6 1/2-furlong test over the main track two weeks later, Dresden Row broke his maiden courtesy of a 1 1/4-length score at 1 1/16 miles over the same surface on Nov. 5.

He closed out his rookie campaign with another sharp performance, a 3 1/4-length triumph at 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track.

His first stakes success came in the Durham Cup (G3) on Sept. 28. One race later, he put on another impressive display, taking the Ontario Derby (G3).

After a second in the Autumn Stakes (G2) last November, Dresden Row traveled to Turfway Park in December and finished second, a head behind the winner, Paros, in the Prairie Bayou Stakes. 

“He ran very well,” Richards said. “With a little better trip, he probably gets there. He kind of got squeezed off on the first turn, shuffled back, down on the inside, eating track the whole way, but he came running at the end. A couple more jumps and I think he gets there.

“They set a track record (1:42.22), so it was a pretty salty dash.”

Dresden Row’s 4-year-old debut, at Woodbineon June 28, came in the Highlander (G3), where he finished third in the six-furlong turf event.

“He was running strong at the end,” Richards said. “The turf was listed as good. I don’t think he cares for turf that has that type of give to it, and I don’t think the distance is what he prefers. It was a big ask, but I thought he ran a good one. I’d like to run him on the inner turf one day, so hopefully, we can get there.”