Makes it two Grade 3 stakes in a row with score under Ryan Munger. (Micheal Burns/Woodbine)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Dresden Row, who took last month’s Grade 3 Durham Cup for his first stakes success, put on another impressive display, this time in Saturday’s Grade 3 $135,000 Ontario Derby at Woodbine.
Babbo, supplemented to the race, crossed over from post six to secure the early advantage in the 1 1/8-mile main track feature for 3-year-olds, as Dresden Row, under Ryan Munger, found himself fourth, less than 1 ¼ lengths behind the pacesetter through an opening panel in :23.90.
It was Babbo on top by a half-length at the half in :47.16, followed by Dresden Row, Roscar, winner of the Breeders’ Stakes on Sept. 29, and Two Ghosts, last year’s Grade 3 Grey stakes victor.
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 Robert Geller’s stretch call, the chestnut colt confidently held off a late-running Bail Us Out to best that foe by a half-length. Roscar was third, followed by Two Ghosts, Swift Delivery, co-owned by NFL star Travis Kelce, Babbo, and Miss Roberts (GB).
The 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.”
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,” said Munger. “And 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 you know, this performance is about him, he’s produced the goods.”
It was the fifth win, to go along a second and a pair of thirds from eight starts for the Keith Johns’ True North Stable and Bloom Racing Stable (Jeffrey Bloom) sophomore, who was bred in Kentucky by TCR Ranch.
“This horse, every time I’ve got on him, he’s just produced the goods,” praised Munger, who was joined in the winner’s circle by Johns. “So, thank you to the whole team.”
Last year, Dresden Row, out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Elle Special, went 2-1-1 from four engagements, including a maiden-breaking score in his third start, a 1 ½-length victory at 1 1/16 miles on the Woodbine main track.
Sent off as the 6-5 choice, Dresden Row paid $4.40 for the win.
