There was relief written all over trainer Lorne Richards’ face this week as he watched Dresden Row bound onto the Woodbine track, ears pricked, stride easy, after a near scare that almost derailed his season. The colt’s assistant trainer, Kelsey Mayhew-Munger, kissed him on the neck after his final breeze, and Richards admitted, “He’s back to himself — and that’s a good feeling.”
The Sovereign Award-winning Dresden Row, Canada’s champion 3-year-old of 2024, will look to defend his title in Saturday’s Grade 3 Durham Cup, a $150,000, 1 1/16-mile main track test. It will be his eighth straight stakes assignment, coming on the heels of a runner-up effort in the Seagram Cup on August 2.
Richards still shakes his head thinking about that trip. “He didn’t get the greatest run. Pinned on the rail, he only got rolling when it was too late,” he said.
The stable suffered another setback when Dresden Row was scratched from King’s Plate Day in mid-August after spiking a dangerous fever. “It came on fast — we tried four antibiotics. He was 104.4 the next morning,” recalled Richards. “It took 10 days to get him right, but he’s been sharp since.”
A Model of Consistency
In 12 career starts, Dresden Row has never finished worse than third, sporting a 5-4-3 record and nearly $360,000 in earnings. He broke his maiden at Woodbine in November 2023, then went on to capture the Durham Cup and Ontario Derby last fall. His winter form was just as impressive, missing by a head in Turfway Park’s Prairie Bayou Stakes, run in track-record time.
“He’s the real deal,” Richards said with a grin. “He’s athletic, natural — he makes training look easy. Hopefully this weekend he gets the trip he deserves.”
His most recent works, five furlongs in 1:02.20 and four furlongs in :50.80, were labeled “maintenance” by the trainer. Still, the colt showed his usual spark, leading Richards to believe bigger days are yet to come.
Saturday’s Test
The Durham Cup will not be a walkover. Martin Drexler sends out three — Classic Mo Town, Cool Kiss, and Skyro — while other threats include multiple graded stakes winner Paramount Prince, seasoned runner Journeyman, and the consistent Loose Wire. Playmea Tune adds further depth to the eight-horse field.
Post time for the Durham Cup is set for 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch live at Woodbine or bet remotely through HPIbet.com and bet365.com, with wagering options including Rolling Double, Exacta, 20-cent Trifecta, 20-cent Superfecta and $1 Swinger.
Richards, however, isn’t looking at the betting boards. His eyes are on Dresden Row, the colt he believes still has more to give. “I think his best is ahead of him,” he said. “And if he shows it Saturday, it’ll be something special.”
Durham Cup (G3) – Race 9 Field
1 – Cool Kiss – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
2 – Journeyman – Keveh Nicholls – Michael Wright, Jr.
3 – Classic Mo Town – Pietro Moran – Martin Drexler
4 – Playmea Tune – Fraser Aebly – Josie Carroll
5 – Paramount Prince – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
6 – Skyro – Eswan Flores – Martin Drexler
7 – Dresden Row – Ryan Munger – Lorne Richards
8 – Loose Wire – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
Dresden Row aims for back-to-back glory in the Durham Cup (G3) at Woodbine, returning fit and fresh after a health scare sidelined him last month.
Read more horse racing news and race previews at RaceBuzz.
