The champion of his generation in Canada in 2024 and the reigning Sovereign Award-winning older dirt male, Dresden Row (Lord Nelson) was entered for, but scratched from last Saturday's GIII Dinner Party Stakes at Laurel, for which he was the 7-5 morning-line favorite, opting instead for this high-level allowance Thursday evening at Churchill Downs.
A two-time graded winner at three and victorious in the GII Autumn Stakes last November for True North Stable and Jeff Bloom's Bloom Racing Stable and trainer Lorne Richards, Dresden Row topped this year's Fasig-Tipton Digital January Sale on bid of $575,000. The chestnut made a successful debut for his new connections in a similarly classy Keeneland allowance Apr. 8 and was the 8-5 chalk to take his overall winning streak to three here.
Beaten for speed and settled just about midfield as Theismann (Quality Road) made play up front, Dresden Row traveled strongly throughout, but had some traffic to negotiate with push coming to shove.
Deftly guided across heels into the lane, the chalk had clear sailing and did his best running through the wire, sailing past all rivals to take it by 3/4 of a length. Ole Crazy Bone (Ghostzapper), making his first start since romping in the GII Kentucky Turf Cup over a mile and four furlongs last September, gave a good account of himself to complete the exacta at a trip well short of his best. The listed-winning Lambeth (Arrogate) was third.
Dresden Row, a half-brother to Hopeful Treasure (Oxbow), GSW, $363,607, descends from the family of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Peintre Celebre (Nureyev).
6th-Churchill Downs, $146,309, Alw (C), Opt. Clm ($175,000), 5-21, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.65, fm, 3/4 length.
DRESDEN ROW (h, 5, Lord Nelson–Elle Special, by Giant's Causeway) Sales history: $11,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $70,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR;$575,000 5yo '26 FTDGJA. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3yo Colt, Ch. Older Dirt Male & MGSW-Can, SP-US, 17-8-5-4, $623,770. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Twin Oaks Bloodstock LLC; B-TCR Ranch (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.
($5.28) and @iradortiz go over the top to take the turf feature at Churchill Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/XM2TTzc2Wp
— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) May 21, 2026
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