Dresden meet concludes with banner Monday card, Leamington to open Sunday
by Matthew Lomon
Dresden Raceway concluded its sesqui-centennial campaign in style on Monday (Aug. 4), recording a season-best, single-card handle in the process.
Driven by a raucous crowd and a robust dozen-race card to match, the half-mile oval known as Ontario’s Little Saratoga saw horseplayers place nearly $91,000 in wagers ($90,806) on the Canadian Civic Holiday.
The turnout left Nathan Bain, the voice of Dresden Raceway, speechless.
“It was probably the busiest I’ve ever seen it,” said Bain. “The lineups were absolutely insane, and people were betting. The tradition of racing on the Holiday Monday at Dresden is so time-tested that the fans continue to support it all these years later.”
The track’s record books received another rewrite after race five – the second of three Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots contests on the day – courtesy of 1-9 favorite Macapelo Seelster.
In the capable hands of Dresden’s leading driver Garrett Rooney (38 wins; $146,979 in prize money), the daughter of Big Jim–Macapelo Rose sped to the wire in 1:55.1 to set a new track record for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
Macapelo Seelster’s third Grassroots triumph of the season was not the only headline-making effort on Dresden’s final meet of 2025.
Five races later, in the 10th, driver Nick Steward guided 18-1 long shot Monteverdi to the day’s biggest upset.
“The fans are always amazing at Dresden,” said Bain. “I’m way up top and I could hear everyone cheering on the horses. It’s just a really genuine energy and I think that’s what racing misses a lot – that lively on-track atmosphere where everyone’s cheering, and you can hear the loudness.
“It makes it so much better for everyone, the horse people and drivers included.”
Zooming out from the last of its 11 race dates, Dresden saw several other standout moments dating back to opening day on Sunday, May 25.
From returning favorites like Father’s Day at the races, Harness the Hope – the renowned breast cancer research, awareness, and support fundraising initiative — and Black Heritage Day to new traditions in the Little Saratoga Pacing Series – formerly known as the Mark Austin Memorial – there were no shortage of highlights on the southwestern Ontario oval’s calendar.
For Bain, narrowing it down to one single moment would’ve meant leaving out too many.
“Every day there was always something fun going on,” he said. “The overall atmosphere and the fans – I can’t really jump to one memory – it’s just a lot of fun being at Dresden. Everyone knows each other there and it’s a fun place to race and work.”
At the center of it all is the enduring support from Dresden’s most loyal standardbred supporters.
“It’s amazing that everyone keeps coming out and that the track is still going strong,” Bain said. “Dresden’s been around quite a long time and it’s very cool that people are still making time to support it every single week.
“There’s a special vibe every single time you’re there.”
LEAMINGTON RACEWAY TAKES THE REINS IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO
About an hour south of Dresden is Leamington Raceway, which kicks off its 2025 meet on Sunday (Aug. 10).
The 13-week live harness racing program will also be called by Bain, who took over full-time race calling duties at Leamington as an 18-year-old in 2020.
What may feel like a tight turnaround to some – a whopping six days between the end of Dresden and beginning of Leamington – is routine for the now 23-year-old play-by-play man.
“I still do a lot to prepare and make sure all my info is ready for the program – lots of studying up and pushing on social media for opening day,” said Bain. “This week is always a big transition because I’m finalizing my work for Dresden and then at the same time, preparing for Leamington so there’s plenty that goes on.”
The expedited off-season also has its perks from a race calling perspective.
“When you don’t call a race for six months, it takes some time to get back into the rhythm of things,” Bain said. “It’s like learning to ride a bicycle again, you just have to do it once to get the hang of it. When you don’t call for a long time, it takes some time to get back to the flow of things. I’m really ready for Leamington.”
That meticulous preparation served Bain well during a record-breaking opening day at Leamington last year when the track generated its highest single-card handle since the raceway reopened in 2013 ($86,380).
Total handle for the 2024 season drew close to $785,000.
“Reaching those handle totals last year was a nice surprise,” said Bain. “I find with Leamington there’s a huge fan base; it’s a big area down here in southwestern Ontario with Windsor, Leamington and all the other surrounding towns in Windsor Essex County.
“The influence of Windsor Raceway is still around, too. There were a lot of fans that went there that still come to Leamington and support it. Horse racing was always very popular in this region.”
Setting the latest renewal of Leamington racing on the right foot is part of the plan, but so too, added Bain, is creating a sustainable on-track atmosphere for attracting and retaining fans.
A key piece in that future-proofing puzzle is giving guests opportunities to get closer with the faces that drive the sport, literally.
Last year, we introduced Driver Appreciation Day and we’ll be doing that again this year,” said Bain. “The drivers will come up and sign some autographs. I think it’s important for the fans to get to know the drivers.”
Well acquainted with the driving colony himself, having grown up a Leamington regular, Bain noted other buzz-worthy events coming to the track in 2025, including Kids Day, Seniors Day, Wiener Dog Races, and a visit from Harness the Hope.
Off the track, fans can expect upgrades coming to different areas within and underneath the grandstand.
New bathrooms were installed in the grandstand over the off-season, while the space underneath the viewing centre also received renovations, most notably a touch-up of the ceilings.
“It looks a lot brighter and a lot nicer than it was last year,” said Bain.
A promising start to what’s sure to be another successful season.
