In his first two seasons of racing, True North Stable and Bloom Racing Stable's Dresden Row won five of 10 starts, including a pair of graded stakes at his home track of Woodbine, but entering the Nov. 8 Autumn Stakes (G3), the 4-year-old Lord Nelson colt was winless from four starts in 2025.
And in his most recent race on Oct. 19, Dresden Row finished third, beaten 12 lengths, as the 1-to-4 favorite in an optional claiming-allowance race. Trainer Lorne Richards, however, kept the faith, and he was rewarded with a resurgent victory Saturday in the CA$157,800 race.
"For the last week I've been trying to find a reason not to run him, but you know I just couldn't see any reason not to, and it worked out for the best," Richards said.
Ridden by Ryan Munger, Dresden Row stalked early leaders Paramount Prince and Funtastic Again in a fast-paced race, 5 lengths back in third after the former went a half-mile in :47.13. He was still 5 lengths behind after 6 furlongs in 1:12.46, but soon began his advance. Dresden Row swung out five-wide turning for home and hit the lead with about a furlong to go.
He lengthened his advantage to 1 3/4 lengths at the wire as closers Jokestar and Cameo Performance rallied to finish second and third, respectively, just a head apart. The winner's time for 1 1/8 miles on Woodbine's synthetic main track was 1:50.07.
With the win, the ultra-consistent Dresden Row improved his career record to 6-5-4 from 15 career starts, with earnings of $448,803. Richards said Kentucky-bred Dresden Row could next run at Turfway Park, where he finished second, beaten a neck in the 2024 Prairie Bayou Stakes last December.
Bloom Racing Stable's Jeff Bloom, agent for True North Stables, purchased Dresden Row for $70,000 from the Little Farm Equine consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Video
Pondering Runs Downs Caitlinhergrtness in Bessarabian
Irish eyes were smiling earlier on the card when jockey Declan Cannon and trainer Brendan Walsh, both natives of the Emerald Isle and now Kentucky residents, teamed to win the CA$150,000 Bessarabian Stakes (G3) with Godolphin's United States shipper Pondering.
Reserved by Cannon early behind the leaders while inside in either third or fourth position, Pondering found daylight at the head of the lane and outfinished 2024 King's Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness, who had shot to the lead with a bid on the second turn, for a three-quarter-length victory. Love Cervere ran third.
The winner, a homebred 3-year-old filly by Hard Spun out of the stakes-winning Street Sense mare Always Thinking, raced 7 furlongs on Tapeta in 1:23.34 following splits in the race set by others of :22.76, :45.83, and 1:10.53. Pondering paid $27.90 for a $2 win wager.
"She settled when I got cover—just had daylight down the (backstretch). She was trying to do a little bit too much," Cannon said.
The victory was her first at the graded level and her second stakes winner. The Bessarabian marked her first start on a synthetic surface after garnering her earlier experience on turf and dirt.
The winner is a half sister to Think Big (Twirling Candy ), a three-time graded stakes winner this year. Pondering is the third graded stakes winner of 2025 for Hard Spun, who will stand next season for $20,000 at Darley in Kentucky.
Video
Sultana Rallies for First Stakes Win in Maple Leaf
Last-out allowance winner Sultana collected her first black-type victory when stepping up to take the CA$150,300 Maple Leaf Stakes (G3) in a thrilling photo finish.
Campaigned in partnership by Lou Donato, Theodore Manziaris, Paul Borrelli, and Lanni Bloodstock, the lightly-raced Sultana was making just the fifth start of her career in Saturday's 1 1/4-mile contest for fillies and mares.
Trailing the field for much of the way, Sultana advanced on the leaders passing the 6-furlong marker and rallied widest of all turning into the stretch. Under steady encouragement from jockey Rafael Hernandez, the Kevin Attard trainee closed determinedly down the center of the track, edging 26-1 shot Queen's Command at the wire.
Sultana ($12.90) finished a head better than Queen's Command, who was a length ahead of the Mark Casse-trained Dancing N Dixie. She completed the 1 1/4 miles on the synthetic main track in a final time of 2:05.72.
With her Maple Leaf win, Sultana became the second graded stakes winner sired by the 2017 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Always Dreaming, who succumbed to colic in 2024.
Video
