After the season ends on Labor Day, the track is tentatively planning to begin construction on a new grandstand.

by Matthew Lomon

Clinton Raceway’s 2024 campaign may be deep into the stretch drive, but there’s still plenty of horse (and excitement) left ahead of the finish line.

The five-eighth’s-mile track will work its small-town magic twice more before rounding out its 15-week season — which has run every Sunday afternoon (excluding June 2) since May 19 — on Sept. 1.

This year’s penultimate program, set for Aug. 25, will feature one of the Ontario harness racing circuit’s most unique events in its All Memorial Race Day.

On this day, fans can commemorate the lives of loved ones who have passed with a race named in their honor.

According to Jessica Carnochan, marketing manager at Clinton Raceway, what first began as a part-time offering about 15 years ago has since blossomed into a yearly staple.

“It started with a few races here and there throughout the season — people would want to do a race in memory of someone — and then we kind of thought, ‘Why don’t we have one day that’s solely dedicated to it?’” Carnochan said.

Interest and enthusiasm for 2024’s edition of All Memorial Race Day certainly hasn’t waned per Carnochan, who noted that all 10 races on Sunday’s card have already been accounted for.

The list of sponsors, which Clinton’s marketing guru said returns familiar faces year-after-year, also contains new signees hoping to honor those closest to them.

Carnochan and her team ensures that each honoree receives a personalized memorial.

“We put a little paragraph about each person in the program, and then a photo of them as well on the tote board,” she said. “The announcers are so great at reading those little blurbs and adding their own touch if they knew the person being honored.”

A gift is also given to the winning owner after each race. This year, it’s an iron horseshoe with the race’s namesake, date, and Clinton Raceway engraved into it.

Past commemorative items have included an engraved halter and a metal Clinton Raceway logo with a plaque attached.

As it became tradition, the impact of a race day devoted to loved ones has stretched far beyond the name on the plaque.

“On this day, the winner’s circle is filled with family members and large groups that are there to honor their loved one,” said Carnochan. “And the owners, trainers, and drivers are all very happy to be a part of it, and happy to have them all in there with them for photos.

“It’s nice to see that full winner’s circle and know that they’re all there because of somebody who was important to them. They’re not always necessarily somebody who was involved in the industry. A lot of them are fans who were always in Clinton and loved coming to the races, and this is how they’re honoring them.”

The good times at the southwestern Ontario racing venue continue for one final week with the 44th Annual Charity Drivers Challenge on Sept. 1.

Six of Canada’s most accomplished reinsmen, along with Clinton’s two leading drivers, J Harris and Todd Ratchford, will converge on the Huron County oval to raise money for three local Legion branches (Seaforth, Clinton, and Exeter).

Included in the sixer of superstar drivers is James MacDonald, Travis Henry, Garrett Rooney, Samuel Fillion, Travis Cullen, and defending Charity Drivers Challenge champion Tyler Borth.

The renowned final act to Clinton’s 2024 meet exemplifies all that makes the track a special place for even the highest profile of horsepeople.

“Clinton is that community track that is constantly giving back, and we’re so happy that these drivers don’t think twice about whether they’re going to come or not — I think it’s in their calendars from the beginning — this is what they do on the last Sunday of our season every year, and we’re so lucky to be able to have them come and take part in it,” said Carnochan.

“I know the three Legions are super grateful that these very generous drivers do come and donate their fees from the day.”

Like local charities, fans in attendance also have an opportunity to earn some extra funds during the drivers’ challenge.

Fans who arrive before post time and enter the free Drivers Challenge Challenge will be paired with a driver, and receive a cash payout based on how many points their assigned pilot accumulates throughout the day.

“Every time the driver earns points, the person earns cash,” Carnochan said. “They all get paid out at the end of the day. So, even if your driver only gets 45 points, you still get $45.”

NEW CLINTON GRANDSTAND EXPECTED FOR 2025

Off the track, fans can fuel up at the final barbecue chicken dinner near the current grandstand, which Raceway manager Ian Fleming said is tentatively set to be replaced starting next month.

“We’ve been working on this for a few years now, but it looks like it’s going to take place starting next month,” said Fleming. “After monitoring the trends, we knew we needed a grandstand with 400 bucket seats. We currently have a couple hundred bucket seats and a bunch of bench seats.

“It’ll be a smaller grandstand, but it will have all bucket seats and be fully accessible, which is the big thing we’re excited about.”

The renovation was strategically planned to satisfy feedback offered by Clinton’s own clientele.

“This is a better fit for the crowds we have,” Fleming said. “They want more outdoor patio space, and we’re going to expand that. Right now, it’s about a foot below track level, so we’re going to raise it, expand it, and then have a fully accessible grandstand for patrons and employees.”

Fleming believes the new grandstand has the potential to unlock additional revenue streams for the raceway, especially as it relates to purse value.

Alongside contributions from sponsors and donors, including the industry stalwart Hayter family, supplemental income from specialty events and activities made possible by the new grandstand can go directly into purses.

“We’ve got some other sponsors now that we are putting strictly into purses,” said Fleming. “In the last few years, we’ve added over $50,000, and so next year, our goal is $50,000 for one year.

“With this updated grandstand, we think we can rent it out for some events, and we’re going to put that money towards purses. I think the update is going to be good for the horsepeople, too.”

Continued support from and for local initiatives such as the Legion branches, high school, and hospital will go a long way in shaping the continued health of a community-centric racetrack like Clinton.

And as Fleming noted, there’s a direct correlation between fundraising success and live handle.

“Handle is up 10 per cent on track, and five per cent overall,” said Fleming. “What we really noticed, and we’ve always kind of known this, is when we had a strong group doing the fundraising, we had a very good day.

“The big thing is, if you get a group and they bring a nice following with them, that helps them raise some money, but it helps us too. It makes our crowd a heck of a lot better.”

Once the curtain closes on Clinton’s latest campaign, Fleming estimates the track will have raised between $130,000-140,000 for community groups.

As the team at Clinton prepares to put the finishing touches on yet another successful racing season, both Fleming and Carnochan shared their hopes for the final two weekends.

For the former, good weather, a strong turnout, and smiling faces will do the trick.

While the latter wants no different, the days ahead also represent a summation of all the hard work put into a taxing, but more than worthwhile endeavor.

“It’s always bittersweet, it really is,” said Carnochan. “A lot of time and a lot of effort is put into our season, and I know we only race one day a week, but each day is essentially its own separate event. So, by the end of it, we’re a little bit ready to usher in the quieter season.

“But it’s also a little sad to see another season go by so quickly — how does 15 weeks fly by? It seems like just last week we were counting down 75 more days to the beginning of the season, and now it’s two weeks until the end of this season.”

Carnochan is grateful for the special relationship that exists between the racetrack and its devoted racing fans.

“I know our fans love Clinton, which is awesome, because we love them too,” she said.