Dresden Row, a multiple grade 3 winner and Canadian champion, took a significant step April 8 at Keeneland toward meeting the potential seen in him by owner/breeder Marc Gunderson, who acquired the horse for $575,000 in January.
The 5-year-old son of Lord Nelson has already shown enough that a few upgrades to his racing résumé could easily make him a viable stallion prospect. Such a future was contemplated when Gunderson bought him out of the Fasig-Tipton January Digital Sale from previous co-owner Jeff Bloom, but he knows better than to get ahead of himself.
Right now, Gunderson's focus is on "climbing the ladder" in the United States to prove Dresden Row is a graded stakes-quality performer on all racing surfaces.
The horse took his first step in that direction by winning a 1 1/16-mile turf race at Keeneland that was carded as a $150,000 allowance race, but included four graded stakes winners in the field. The even-money favorite was grade 2 winner Integration, who had already placed in six grade 1 stakes, including a second by a neck in the 2025 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) and a second in the 2025 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland.
"We were looking for a softer spot to get him started in the United States, get a feel for him, and get a win here," said Gunderson, who races as Twin Oaks Bloodstock. "But with the conditions of this race, I guess we should have just hung a grade 2 on it. As it turned out, it was still the right spot for him, and we did the right thing."
Now trained by Todd Pletcher, Dresden Row with jockey Flavien Prat stalked pacesetter Theismann throughout the first 7 furlongs before taking command at the top of the stretch and drawing away to win by 2 3/4 lengths. The win was Dresden Row's first victory on the turf.
"I think the next step is to move him into a graded stakes on the grass and get two wins, and then, who knows? I think the dirt is still available to us," Gunderson said.
Dresden Row, bred in Kentucky by TCR Ranch, was bought by Bloom as agent for Keith Johns' True North Stable for $70,000 at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Bloom and True North raced the colt together and never finished off the board with him in 15 starts from 2 to 4 while the colt was trained by Lorne Richards. At 3, Dresden Row won the Ontario Derby (G3) and Durham Cup Stakes (G3) on his way to being named Canadian champion 3-year-old colt for 2024.
When Bloom offered Dresden Row through the Fasig-Tipton Digital sale, the horse had a 6-5-4 record from 15 starts and earned $448,803. Fourteen of his starts were made on the all-weather track at Woodbine.
Gunderson said he saw a horse with a lot of untapped potential.
"He had only raced in the United States once, he seems to be taking care of himself, and he was well taken care of by his previous owners and trainer," Gunderson said. "I was willing to take a gamble on him to see if we could walk him up the ladder here on dirt. If he can prove himself on three different surfaces, then in his life after racing, he might have something to give back. He's trained on dirt, and he handles it like any other surface."
Lord Nelson's success as grade 1, dirt sprinter gives Gunderson confidence that Dresden Row can become a multisurface success. The late son of Pulpit was undefeated at 4, when he won Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G1), Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), and Triple Bend Stakes (G1). Lord Nelson was the anticipated favorite for the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) in 2016, but missed the World Championships because of an injury. The stallion eventually developed laminitis from that injury and was euthanized in 2021. Lord Nelson sired four crops and his youngest foals are 4 this year.
Previous experience in racing, on and off going back to 1996, keeps Gunderson well grounded in his expectations. He said Dresden Row's chances of becoming a stallion prospect were 5%-7% when he bought him and have risen some to 10%-15%, provided "everything goes perfectly for him."
"We have to be honest, it is a tough slot to hit," he said. "So, we celebrate this first win and then tomorrow we work on the next path to success. We have an excellent trainer, an excellent team, and a talented horse. I think he is going to give us a very good run this season."
