ELORA, ON (July 30, 2024) – Grand River Raceway’s (GRR) 35th Industry Day is Civic Holiday Monday,
August 5 with a post time of 12:30 pm featuring an afternoon of fun for the whole family and great harness racing action.
This will be the first Industry Day on the brand-new 5/8-mile track. This signature day features The Battle
of Waterloo, presented by Winbak Farm, and The Battle of the Belles. The event is well attended by
horseracing fans and the local community.
The Battle of Waterloo, a stake for Ontario Sired two-year-old pacers, is the signature race at GRR and a key early season race for all colts racing in the Ontario Sires Stakes program. The Battle of the Belles, a stake for Ontario Sired two-year-old pacing fillies, is the companion race to the signature dash.
A new race, the Button Up Preferred, will also be featured on the card this year honouring “Button Up” who was undefeated on Industry Day. The total purses for the special afternoon race card are expected to be over $340,000.
Winbak Farm has proudly returned as Battle of Waterloo presenting sponsor for the third year in a row.
Grand River Raceway’s expert handicapper Robert Reid Jr. returns for the on-site broadcast coverage
and will be joined by Western’s Fair’s Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle, Race Analyst and Track Announcer.
The wagering menu for Industry Day will be highlighted by a Super-charged Late Pick-5 featuring a
$10,000 guaranteed pool and comprised solely of signature races – two OSS Grassroots divisions, the
Button Up Preferred Pace, the Battle of the Belles, and the Battle of Waterloo.
The early Pick-5, starting in race 1, offers an identical $10,000 guaranteed pool. Horseplayers will also have a pair of Pick-4 opportunities – the early guaranteed at $5,000 and the late guaranteed at $7,500. All of the feature
wagers are offered at a low 15% takeout.
The NEIGHbourhood kids area will have:
• Petting zoo
• Face painting
• Glitter tattoos
• Inflatable axe throwing
• Lawn games
• A visit from Grandy…and more!
The afternoon includes a variety of food options: A BBQ on The GrandWay Patio with a special feature –
Sausage on a bun served with coleslaw and kettle chips for $15 (tax included); a BBQ on the main tarmac; food trucks (Berlin 95, MegaCone Creamery, Endless Inspirations, and candy floss), and of course the tasty GrandWay Lounge menu.
Want to watch the races from the comfort of indoor air-conditioned seating? The horses race rain or shine.
Buy VIP tickets to The Captain’s Quarters (CQ) and get reserved seating all afternoon, a delicious
picnic lunch, race program, private tv, and more. The CQ has the BEST seats in the house!
There are special guests joining the fun – Grandy will make an appearance, Olivia Padfield is singing the
national anthem, along with New Start Standardbreds, Bill Galvin Racing Alliance with their VR
experience, Equine Guelph, and more will have booths on site.
Important notices about Industry Day:
• No driving or tailgating on the Back Berm this year.
• No parking or alcohol is allowed on the grassy area near the East Gate.
• GRR wants to remind guests that there is no smoking on all GRR and GrandWay premises,
smoking is only permitted in the parking lot area.
• No alcohol in the space between GRR tarmac and The GrandWay patio. Also, no alcohol is to
be brought into the parking lot area.
Check out the Industry Day details here: https://grandriverraceway.com/events/industry-day/ or follow Grand River Raceway on Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date on the latest GRR horse racing news.
by Louise Frost, for Grand River Raceway