Dresden Row takes advantage of pace battle to upset Durham Cup

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Longshot Dresden Row was unruly in the paddock but all business on the track in a determined score under Ryan Munger in Saturday’s Grade 3 Durham Cup at Woodbine.

The 3-5 favorite Paramount Prince went straight to the lead on the dead rail and was hounded by Rapid Test throughout the 1 1/16-mile Tapeta route.

Dresden Row raced about three lengths off the lead in third on the backstretch and loomed three wide into contention at the quarter pole. He passed a tiring Paramount Prince at the eighth pole and then gamely held off a wide-closing Ron’s Gizmo to win by a head, in a quick time of 1:42.04.

Stanley House rallied outside for third as Rapid Test edged out the trailing Paramount Prince for fourth.

Dresden Row ($22.50) was taking on older stakes opposition off a third over yielding turf in the Toronto Cup Stakes for 3-year-olds.

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“I planned my race,” Munger said. “The way the race worked out was my best-case scenario. It worked out so perfect. A horse went and challenged Paramount Prince in front, and I just tracked them the whole way. At the three-eighths pole, I got him back onto the bridle. I could feel he was traveling good. I knew he was going to run hard to the line. This is the kind of run I was expecting from him. He’s a talented individual.”

Dresden Row earned $81,000 of the $140,400 purse for True North Stable and Bloom Racing Stable. The Kentucky-bred son of Lord Nelson is trained by Lorne Richards, who said an equipment problem led to the colt’s naughty pre-race behavior.

“He reared up in the paddock and pulled the bridle over his head,” Richards said. “He didn’t have a bridle on for a few minutes. There was a little bit of panic there, but I’m just coming off surgery and I couldn’t throw it on – I’m the tallest guy, and there were a lot of five-footers in there trying to get it back over his ears.”

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