Dresden Row Shines in Ontario Derby Victory

In just 20 days, Dresden Row (Lord Nelson) has quickly emerged as one of Canada’s top 3-year-olds. Owned by True North Stable and Bloom Racing, and trained by Lorne Richards, the white-faced chestnut secured his second consecutive graded stakes win by holding off a late charge from Bail Us Out to claim victory in the Grade 3 Ontario Derby on October 19.

The $138,240 race, run over 1 1/8 miles, attracted Breeders' Stakes winner Roscar, who was shortening up in distance and switching to Tapeta for this contest. The highly anticipated Swift Delivery, co-owned by Team Valor International and NFL star Travis Kelce, was also in the mix after a second-place finish in the Toronto Cup.

Coming off a win in the Grade 3 Durham Cup on Sept. 28, where he upset older horses at 10-1 odds, Dresden Row was more composed for this race. Under jockey Ryan Munger, he settled behind early leader Babbo while Roscar and Swift Delivery loomed. By the final turn, Dresden Row made his move, taking the lead and holding off a late surge from Bail Us Out, who closed hard but finished second. Roscar came third, while Swift Delivery failed to make an impact.

Dresden Row stopped the clock at 1:49.12, marking his fifth win in eight starts and pushing his earnings to $242,431. Bred by TCR Ranch, the colt is now a strong contender for Canada’s Champion 3-Year-Old Colt or Gelding, with potential competition from My Boy Prince.