BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Florida-bred Classic Mo Town will attempt to duplicate his victory in the Grade 2 Eclipse in May when he goes postward in the CA$150,000 Durham Cup (G3) at Woodbine Saturday. Eight 3-year-olds and older will race a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the synthetic course with Classic Mo Town labeled at 12-1 on the morning line for trainer Martin Drexler.

Classic Mo Town has been unsuccessful in two starts against graded company since his three-quarters of a length triumph in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Eclipse. The 5-year-old gelding by Mo Town was sixth in the nine-furlong Dominion Day (G3) on June 28 and fourth in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Seagram Cup, both on the Woodbine all-weather course.

He has been a consistent performer at Woodbine with a record of two wins, a second and two thirds in seven starts, with his other victory coming against second condition, $50,000 optional claimers going eight-and-a-half furlongs on the all-weather course in November of last year.

Classic Mo Town has a career record of six wins, three seconds and eight thirds in 24 starts with earnings of $300,934. He is out of Potra Clasica (Arg), by Potrillion (Arg) and was bred in Florida by John B. Penn and Sue’s Farm II LLC.

He is 12-1 on the morning line and will be ridden by Pietro Moran from post three.

Dresden Row, who was second in the Seagram Cup in his last start and won the 2024 version of the Durham Cup, is the 6-5 favorite. 

Dresden Row has won five of eight starts at Woodbine, including the Ontario Derby (G3) on Oct. 19 last year immediately following the Durham Cup.

Trainer Lorne Richards has given the riding assignment on Dresden Row to Ryan Munger, who has ridden the 4-year-old colt in 10 of his 12 career starts. Dresden Row has five wins, four seconds and three thirds with earnings of $356,667.

Dresden Roy has post seven.

Others set for the Durham Cup are Cool Kiss with Sahin Civaci riding, Keveh Nicholls rides Journeyman, Playmea Tune has jockey Fraser Aebly, Patrick Husbands has the call on Paramount Prince, Skyro will be guided by Eswan Flores and Ruben Hernandez will be in the saddle on Loose Wire.

Return to the September 18 issue of Wire to Wire