(Photo of Jody Jamieson and True Muscle courtesy of New Image Media)
For the second straight year Dresden Raceway’s annual Canada Day celebrations will feature some of Ontario’s most talented three-year-old trotting fillies as the half-mile oval hosts five $18,000 Grassroots divisions.
“People really look forward to the OSS,” said Dresden Agricultural Society President Lucille Laprise. “And for them to come on Canada Day makes it that much more special.”
The trotting fillies will kick things off at 1:30 pm on Friday, July 1 and will also be featured in Races 2, 3, 5, and 7. In addition to the on-track excitement Dresden fans will enjoy a variety of give-aways, the Ontario Sires Stakes “Be A Winner” contest and the raceway’s traditional eight foot long Canada Day cake.
“We’re encouraging people to wear their red of course, and we’ll have our cake and our great give-aways — we’ve got red and white t-shirts that we’re giving away,” added Laprise. “And the drivers are going to be doing some tossing of the OSS t-shirts.”
Fans have an opportunity to win even more OSS apparel by entering the “Be A Winner” contest. Each finalist receives an Ontario Sires Stakes shirt, ball cap and lanyard badge, along with a $15 win-place-show wager on their selected horse, while the grand prize winner will take home a trophy, an official OSS jacket and golf shirt, a winner’s circle photo with their chosen horse, and a $50 wagering voucher.
Among the trotting fillies hoping to take home an OSS trophy is locally-owned True Muscle. The Muscle Mass daughter is owned by Randy Zhok of Dover Centre, ON and will benefit from Post 1 in the second Grassroots division.
True Muscle scored her first lifetime win in the Grassroots season opener at Mohawk Racetrack on June 14, circling the seven-eighths mile oval in 1:57.1. She heads into Friday’s test off a third-place finish in the Alliance Series Final at Georgian Downs on June 19. Keith Jones of Barrie, ON conditions True Muscle and the winner of $19,040 will be driven by the Ontario Sires Stakes program’s leading reinsman, Jody Jamieson of Moffat, ON.
“We’re quite grateful for the community support, and for all the great horses that come to race here in Dresden, and the drivers and the trainers and everybody,” said Laprise.
Dresden Raceway’s Canada Day program gets under way at 1:30 pm, with the three-year-old trotting fillies featured in Races 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. In addition to the Grassroots battles, contests, give-aways and cake, the final race of the afternoon will introduce fans to Racing Under Saddle (RUS), capping off another memorable Canada Day celebration at the Dresden oval.
“We’re hoping to have great weather and great horses and great fans and a great Canada Day,” summed up Larprise. “You can’t ask for any better.”
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