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 is all set to host five $18,000 Ontario Sires Stakes 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 p.m. 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 giveaways, the OSS ‘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 giveaways — 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 will receive an OSS 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, Ont. 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, Ont. conditions True Muscle, and the winner of $19,040 will be driven by the OSS program’s leading reinsman, Jody Jamieson, of Moffat, Ont.

“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 will get underway at 1:30 p.m. The three-year-old trotting fillies will be featured in Races 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. In addition to the Grassroots battles, contests, giveaways 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.”

Sires stakes starters P L Jade and Silky Flashy Nfast will have proceeds from any purse money they win Sunday go into the bankroll of The Stable That God Loves.

The Stable That God Loves is a fundraising initiative spearheaded by longtime horse racing public relations guru Bill Galvin. A percentage of purse winnings by the over 100 horses in the stable goes to the Standardbred Chaplaincy, which is led by Chaplain Ken Carter. The Chaplaincy provides non-denominational spiritual, physical and human needs for people working in the horse racing business.

P L Jade is a three-year-old Majestic Son filly that has banked $4,080 in 10 lifetime starts for Prince Lee Acres of Uxbridge. P L Jade is a 6-1 shot in the seventh race for trainer/driver Matt Dupuis and will score from Post 8.

Silky Flashy Nfast has earned $80,505 lifetime for owner/trainer Ben Baillargeon and co-owner Diane Ingham. The Kadabra filly will score from Post 6 with Mario Baillargeon at the controls of the 4-1 shot.

To view the harness racing entries for Friday at Dresden, click the following link: Friday Entries – Dresden Raceway.

(With files from the OSS and The Stable That God Loves)