The favourites in the opening leg of the Little Saratoga Pacing Series proved to be no match for their rivals as the three-week Dresden Raceway event got underway on Sunday, June 7.

The series, which is for non-winners of one race or $5,000 lifetime as of midnight March 31, 2026, began with two $5,000 divisions with the fillies and colts split.

The lightly raced but near-perfect Skip The Honey dominated as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite in the open division after sweeping the London Classic Series last month at The Raceway at Western Fair District. A four-year-old homebred for trainer Greg Drew, Skip The Honey cruised along through fractions of :29, :59.1 and 1:27.3 en route to a 1:56.2 triumph in rein to Garrett Rooney. The gelding by All Bets Off out of Homegrown Honey started his career with two starts in late 2025 and is undefeated in his first five this year. Over Bet (Mark MacDonell) was second-best, following 1-1/2 lengths behind, while his Joshua McKibbin stablemate, Friyayitsbeachday (Aidan Dicks), finished more than a dozen lengths back in third. 

Trainer Gary Hodgson's Cleopanther, the 2-5 favourite and most experienced in the filly field, delivered on her pari-mutuel promise for her first career win in a dozen starts. Driven by Lorne House, Cleopanther retook the lead from the hard-leaving Jersey Jewel (Robert Doyle) just past the :28.4 quarter then cruised clear on top by at least two lengths the rest of the way, passing the half in 1:00 and three-quarters in 1:29.3 before stopping the clock in 1:59 flat. Jersey Jewel settled for second and Stonebridge Caribe (Greg Drew) trailed in third. The maiden-breaking three-year-old filly, sired by Panther Hanover out of Im Stunning, was stakes-placed in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots and Prospect Series last season.

The Little Saratoga will continue with a second leg on Sunday, June 14 and the $12,000 (added) finals on Sunday, June 21.

Dresden Raceway also hosted a leg of the Prospect Series for Ontario-sired three-year-old trotting colts and geldings during the Sunday afternoon program and the $8,000 event was won by the defending divisional Prospect champion and 1-9 favourite Silver Detector. Sam Fillion drove the 2:00.4 winner for trainer Jean-Francois Maguire and owner Silver Stables of Venise-En-Quebec, Que. 

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Dresden Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Skip The Honey winning on June 7)