Byron Hoping For More Canada Day Success At Dresden Raceway

For the fourth straight year Dresden Raceway’s festive Canada Day program will highlight some of the best young Ontario Sired racehorses in the province.

Two $18,800 Grassroots divisions for the three-year-old trotting colts and geldings will go postward this Sunday, with John Bax trainees Sicario and Delcrest Holiday looking to maintain their hold on the top spots in the division.

Sicario will start from Post 1 in the first division with Steve Byron back in the race bike for the first time since the gelding’s victory in the May 20 Grassroots season opener at Flamboro Downs. Byron is no stranger to the Dresden Raceway winner’s circle, having won four of five Grassroots divisions on the 2016 Canada Day program, two of them for trainer Bax.

“I’ve had good luck there,” said Byron. “I’ve had some decent half-mile horses to race there.”

Through 14 starts this season Holiday Road son Sicario has tallied five wins, two seconds and earnings of $44,400 for Bax Stable of Campbellville, Ontario and Dave Hudson of Dallas, Texas.

In the second division, Byron and Delcrest Holiday will have to overcome Post 6 to earn their second Grassroots victory of the season. Also a Grassroots winner at two, Delcrest Holiday has a record of one win, one second and one third in five starts this season, boosting his lifetime earnings to $29,147. The Holiday Road gelding is owned by Bax Stable, Gaelic Stable of Sharon, Ken Bax of Cavan Monaghan and John Houston of Cobourg, Ontario.

“They’re both good colts,” noted Thornton, Ontario resident Byron. “They’ve both got good gate speed and they trot the turns pretty well, so hopefully that will be to our advantage.”

Racing gets under way at 1:30 pm with the Grassroots trotting colts and geldings featured in Races 4 and 7.

In addition to the on-track action, there will be a wide variety of trackside entertainment for the whole family, capped off by Dresden Raceway’s tastiest tradition, the eight-foot long Canada Day cake.

“There are giveaways, face painting for the kids, lots of fun for everyone,” said Dresden Agricultural Society president Lucille Laprise, adding, “Inside the grandstand is cool, don’t let the hot weather keep you away!”

Complete entries for Dresden Raceway’s Canada Day program, this Sunday, July 1, can be found at http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/racing/entries/data/e0701dresn.dat