For the past five years, the Ontario Sires Stakes program has been featured on Dresden Raceway’s popular Canada Day program. This Monday (July 1), the half-mile oval will play host to four Grassroots divisions of three-year-old trotting fillies.

Tyler Borth will steer Luckyjohanna in the second Grassroots division, and Dresden Raceway’s leading driver expects the Eli Wagler trainee to be in the hunt for a share of the $22,100 purse.

“He took her there last week, which was a good idea, just to get her used to it,” noted Borth. “She raced good, she closed up well. As long as it’s not too tough she should be all right.”

Luckyjohanna finished second in the overnight event last weekend, one-half length behind five-year-old mare Massivepajamaparty. Ingersoll resident Wagler bred, owns and trains the daughter of Archangel and Shine Again, who has two wins and $10,532 to her credit through 12 sophomore starts.

“She’s really come around her last four or five starts. I think she’s getting a little bit better with age and more experience,” said Borth, who also hails from Ingersoll and will line up at post 5 with the filly in Monday’s six-horse field.

“You’ve kind of got to watch her on the first turn, so I’ll likely just settle her away. I think the game plan is just get around the first turn and then go from there, but the short field definitely helps, that way she’s not too far out of it. As long as you keep her on the bit she seems to be able to kick home pretty good.”

Borth will also steer two of the favourites in the second leg of the Mark Austin Pacing Series: Toxic Hanover from post 1 in the first split and Township Willy from post 2 in the second division.

“They both raced good last week. They’re pretty simple, they can both leave,” said the reinsman. “Toxic Hanover is maybe a little bit better than the other one, that’s probably the one I’ll drive in the final, he’s a nice big horse.”

In addition to the exciting program of racing, fans will be treated to Canada Day giveaways and cupcakes along with the usual range of community-sponsored prize draws.

“The first 150 people get Canada Day pins and Canada Day flags, and we’ve got 500 cupcakes we’re giving away to celebrate Canada Day,” said Dresden Raceway’s Gary Patterson. “And we have a slew of giveaways every week from Tim Hortons, Harvey’s Swiss Chalet, Shoppers Drug Mart, McDonald’s, Mario’s Pizza Plus, The Track Kitchen, Lisa Fox essential oils, Subway, and there will also be some surprise draws. The Chase The Ace draw we have going along, we’re expecting it to be almost $800 on the weekend — so a great day of racing and Canada Day festivities.”

Borth adds that fans will be in for a treat as some of the top drivers in the country travel to Dresden for the Ontario Sires Stakes divisions, including Sylvain Filion, Trevor Henry and James MacDonald, who currently sit first, fifth and sixth among all drivers in Canada.

“They always do a good job there, they’ve always got giveaways and stuff going on in the grandstand,” Borth noted. “Canada Day, with the Sires Stakes, there’s some other drivers coming so they’re always nice to watch.”

Dresden Raceway’s Canada Day program gets under way at 1:30 p.m., with the three-year-old trotting fillies featured in races 1, 3, 5, and 7 and the Mark Austin Pacing Series divisions slated as races 8 and 9.

To view entries for Monday’s program, click the following link: Monday Entries — Dresden Raceway.

(Ontario Sires Stakes)