Dresden hosts Grassroots on Canada Day

JUNE 29, 2015 – Dresden Raceway will ring in Canada Day with exciting prize draws, an eight-foot long cake and seven Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots divisions for the talented three-year-old trotting fillies.

It will be the first Ontario Sires Stakes event at the historic half-mile since September 2013 and Dresden fans are looking forward to seeing the province's best in harness racing action.

"The races themselves are kind of a highlight for us," says General Manager Greg Blanchard. "They haven't had OSS races there in quite some time, so I think there's a lot of excitement around there for that."

Among the fillies heading to Dresden for the 1:30 pm program is Cincinnati Miss, co-owned by Wheatley resident Doug McIntosh. Cincinnati Miss posted a third-place result in the Grassroots season opener at Mohawk Racetrack on June 22 and McIntosh likes her chances from Post 5 in Wednesday's sixth race.

"I was saying, the four or five is perfect at Dresden," McIntosh explains. "But there's a couple in there that can go pretty good too. The Grassroots is not easy racing now, it's pretty solid. It's a good quality of racing, and that's what we're after."

McIntosh shares ownership of Cincinnati Miss with breeder Ivey Pharm Stable of Cincinnati, Ohio, and his brother Bob McIntosh of Windsor trains the filly. Through four starts this season the daughter of Kadabra and Livias Image has tallied one win, two seconds and one third for earnings of $16,160.

"We don't know what we've really got," adds McIntosh, who retired from training horses in the spring to focus on his business, McIntosh Pro Line. "I think she'll be a nice filly and I think there's life for her beyond (the OSS), as a four-year-old. I think she'll get better."

In addition to the seven Grassroots divisions, racing for a total of $126,000 in provincial purse money, early arriving Dresden Raceway fans will be treated to an OSS t-shirt with their program purchase and OSS ball caps will be tossed to the crowd between divisions. Fans can also enter to win a variety of prizes from local sponsors and enjoy a piece of the eight-foot long Canada Day cake.

"There will be lots of prizes and giveaways – and cake to celebrate – throughout the day," says Blanchard.

Dresden Raceway's Canada Day program gets under way at 1:30 pm with seven $18,000 Grassroots divisions followed by three overnight events.

Ontario Horse Racing