True North Stable and Bloom Racing Stables Dresden Row continued his mastery of the all-weather main track at Woodbine with a half-length victory in the $100,530 Ontario Derby (G3) Oct. 19.
It was the second consecutive graded win for the 3-year-old Lord Nelson colt who previously beat older horses in the Durham Cup Stakes (G3) Sept. 28. Saturday's win was also his fifth win in a row on the all-weather surface.
Under rider Ryan Munger, Dresden Row stalked pacesetter Babbo while four wide around the first turn of the 1 1/8-mile contest for 3-year-olds. After moving into second place, Munger gave his mount the cue at the five-sixteenths pole, and as the field entered the lane Dresden Row took over.
The Lorne Richards trainee opened a two-length lead at the stretch call and then held on to win by a half-length over Repole Stable's Bail Us Out, who rallied from sixth position on the far turn. Roscar finished third.
The winner's final time was 1:49.12.
"He was the best horse in this race," said Munger. "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."
Dresden Row paid $4.40 to win as the favorite. Second choice Swift Delivery—owned by Gary Barber, Team Valor International, National Football League star Travis Kelce, Bruce Zoldan, and Steven Rocco—finished fifth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths after a wide trip.
Dresden Row was bred in Kentucky by TCR Ranch out of the winning Giant's Causeway mare Elle Special. He is a half to 2021 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) winner Hopeful Treasure, by Oxbow .
Keith Johns' True North purchased Dresden Row for $70,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by Little Farm Equine. Dresden Row has won five of eight starts and earned $242,431.
"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. "So, thank you to the whole team."
