Dresden Row wins another stakes, this time Ontario Derby

Post-time favorite Dresden Row, who took last month’s Durham Cup (G3) for his first stakes success, put on another impressive display, this time in Saturday’s Grade 3 US$100,530 Ontario Derby at Woodbine.

Babbo, supplemented to the race, crossed over from post 6 to secure the early advantage in the 1 1/8-mile, synthetic-track feature for 3-year-olds. Dresden Row under Ryan Munger found himself fourth, less than 1 1/4 lengths behind the pacesetter through an opening panel in 23.90 seconds.

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It was Babbo in front by a half-length after a half-mile in 47.16 seconds followed by Dresden Row, Sept. 29 Breeders’ Stakes winner Roscar and 2023 Grey (G3) victor Two Ghosts.

As the field of seven navigated the turn for home, Munger gave Dresden Row his cue, and the son of Lord Nelson responded with a quick burst to take over the lead just before straightening for home.

The Lorne Richards trainee then widened his advantage in upper stretch and began to pull away from his closest rivals. Ahead by two lengths at the stretch call, the chestnut colt confidently held off a late-running runner-up Bail Us Out to win by a half-length. Roscar was third followed by Two Ghosts, Swift Delivery, Babbo and Miss Roberts.

The final time was 1:49.12.

“He was the best horse in this race,” Munger said, “and obviously plans are not to go wide into the first turn. But my options were to pull him back and go in behind them and then go wide on the far turn or let him just idle along, get into a nice position up the backstretch, and that’s what I did. He’s the type of horse you don’t want any hard-luck stories, so I put him in a nice spot, sitting up second, and when I asked him to quicken, you know, the rest is history.”

After some pre-race antics in his last race, Dresden Row had a drama-free Saturday afternoon.

“Now I can say he was actually calm,” Munger said. “He’s hopefully starting to enjoy this. He’s starting to know that he can just calm his nerves. He just gets a bit excited. Not ugly. Just excited. But this performance is about him. He’s produced the goods.”

The win upped the record to 8: 5-1-2 for the sophomore owned by Keith Johns’s True North Stable and Bloom Racing Stable. Dresden Row was bred in Kentucky by TCR Ranch.

“This horse, every time I’ve got on him, he’s just produced the goods,” said Munger, who was joined in the winner’s circle by Johns.

Last year Dresden Row, out of Giant’s Causeway mare Elle Special, went 4: 2-1-1 including a maiden-breaking score in his third start, a 1 1/2-length victory at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine Tapeta.

Sent off as the 6-5 favorite, Dresden Row paid $4.40 for the win.

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