DRESDEN — Ontario Sires Stakes excitement is back in Dresden this weekend with three Trillium Series divisions for the sophomore trotting fillies.

The Trillium Series is open to Ontario-sired fillies and fillies bred outside the province, but purchased by Ontario residents. On Sunday afternoon three American-bred fillies will battle 17 of their Ontario-bred peers over the Dresden Raceway oval for a total purse of $64,288.

Trainer Gary Bourgon will harness one filly in each division, one Ontario-bred and two American-breds, and the Milton resident is hoping Decadent Pagan, Raw Gem and Haybird Hanover can earn their fair share of the Trillium pie.

“It’s just like playing the lottery; it’s better to have three chances than one,” he says with a chuckle. “And like they say, if you don’t play, you can’t win.”

Bourgon’s first chance at Sunday’s jackpot comes in Race 3 with Decadent Pagan, whose odds of being her trainer’s lucky ticket increased when she drew the rail in Wednesday’s post position draw.

“She’s probably the best of these three fillies, but she’s probably in the toughest too. It seems like all the good fillies drew into one division,” notes Bourgon. “She’s a nice honest filly, she has a lot of class and she never gives up, so we hope she can tag along and get a trip.”

Among the fillies Decadent Pagan will face is North To Alaska, the runner-up from the May 18 Gold Final at Mohawk Racetrack, who will start from Post 6. A daughter of American sire Malabar Man, Decadent Pagan heads into Sunday’s contest off a third-place finish in the Celias Counsel Series Final at Mohawk on May 6 and a fourth-place finish in a non-winners of two races contest at Mohawk on May 18.

Next out of the gate for Bourgon, who trains all three fillies for Erkki Laakkonen of Georgetown, is Raw Gem. A daughter of Ontario sire Mr Lavec, Raw Gem has just three starts to her credit this season and earned her way into Sunday’s showdown with a third-place finish in the Grassroots opener at Quinte Raceway on May 19.

“She raced good at Belleville, so that is why we put her in there. She should be able to tag along and get a prize,” says the veteran trotting trainer. “She’s not quite as race wise as Decadent Pagan, but she’s learning as she goes.”

Raw Gem faces Grassroots winner St Lads Abby from Post 1 and Gold Series regular Mikestory from Post 7 in the fifth race.

Haybird Hanover will complete Bourgon’s triple threat from Post 2 in the seventh race.

The American-bred daughter of Lindy Lane captured her first start of the season, and just her second lifetime start, at Flamboro Downs on May 17 in a credible 2:04.2 off a front end trip.

“She might be the sleeper of the bunch. She’s got speed and she’s got talent so it will be interesting to see how she does in there,” Bourgon says. “And she’s a gamer, she just loves to race.”

Randy Fritz will pilot all three fillies for Bourgon and Laakkonen and will be keeping his eyes on Grassroots winners Zorgwijk Dutchess from Post 3 and Designable from Post 4 in the third Trillium division.

Dresden Raceway calls the first race to the post at 1 pm on Sunday and showcases the Trillium fillies in Races 3, 5 and 7.