New grandstand a hit at Clinton
Fans flocked to see the 55-year-old track’s recently completed renovations for Sunday’s grand opening.
by Matthew Lomon
A new chapter in Clinton Raceway’s proud 55-year tradition has officially begun.
On Sunday (July 6), the charming southwestern Ontario oval celebrated the grand opening of its brand new 400-seat grandstand.
Watching on as fans of all ages flocked to the freshly completed viewing center offered both a sense of relief and satisfaction for the racetrack’s manager Ian Fleming, who is in his 50th year working at the track.
“It felt good,” said the Clinton native. “We couldn’t really try to attract events for live racing or even between race days until we were certain it would be ready – we didn’t always have a firm date.
“Now that it’s good to use, we’re going to be able to pursue a lot more avenues.”
Clinton’s grand opening signalled the end of a nearly 10-month construction project — years long when including the ideation phase — that saw shovels first hit the dirt last September following the conclusion of the 2024 meet.
While an unusually harsh winter delayed construction enough that the grandstand wasn’t fully operational for the opening card of 2025 on June 1 (originally scheduled for May 18), the wait was well worth it.
“Sunday [July 6] was the first day the pavilion was open, and it was full,” Fleming said. “It’s a great shaded place to hang out and watch the races.
“The elevator was fully functional too, so people who have trouble with stairs could get up to that area in the grandstand and enjoy themselves and the view. It was very well received.”
Creating a more accessible spectator zone was a key motivator for the grandstand revamp, and the elevator was central to that goal.
The new grandstand also comes equipped with a lounge area, bar and marketing stations reachable from the outside, an accessible washroom, and betting station.
Spectators who filled the grandstand not only had an all-in-one space to escape the sweltering heat, but also a prime vantage point for a pulse-pounding day of racing.
Clinton’s high-octane 10-race card featured a quartet of Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots contests for 3-year-old trotting colts, as well as the track’s signature contest, the Kin Pace final.
Named in honor of Clinton Raceway’s founders (Clinton Kinsmen Club), the $50,000 dash for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies pays homage to past and present Kinsmen and Kinettes, who started the racetrack in 1970 and built the last grandstand.
“We had them for lunch, they cut the ribbon on the new grandstand and stayed to watch the race,” Fleming said. “In fact, quite a few members of the club who built the track in 1970 were in attendance.
“It was a pretty satisfying day for a lot of them who founded the racetrack five decades ago. A bunch of them had to sign a letter at the bank to build the facilities and put guarantees on to pay for it, so they were pretty pleased to be able to participate yesterday and see that a project they started in 1970 was going to carry on.”
The 17th edition of the Kin Pace final went to Millar Farms homebred Sugar Pie Honey and driver Jason Ryan, who persevered by 2½ lengths as the 1-5 favorite.
Sunday was also a grand slam for the Clinton Mustangs Minor Baseball Organization, which collected $3,500 through a barbeque, bake sale, 50/50 draw, and penny auction.
The successful trackside fundraiser was held in yet another new addition at Clinton Raceway – a spacious event tent.
“The groups that come out are using the tent for their fundraising efforts,” Fleming said. “We’ve got a lot more space and areas for people to go to now, especially on a hot day, and that went over well based on the feedback we got.”
For as much good as Clinton’s renovation efforts have returned off the track, they also serve as proof, in tangible form, of the track’s commitment to improving on it.
While Fleming said there is still more to be done, including working towards securing more money for purses, an investment in the facility is an investment in its horsepeople.
“For the horsepeople who are stabled here, it’s a sign we’re going to be around for a long time,” he said. “There are 65 horses training here, so it’s important for them to know that we’re committed to racing and that they’re going to keep racing here.
“If you don’t have good facilities for racing, then maybe they’ll decide to race somewhere else.”
Now five and a half decades in, Clinton continues to withstand the test of time thanks to ambitious, yet prudent decisions made by those who have the track’s best interests in mind.
The grandstand renovation project, though not without its challenges, is merely the latest example in a lasting legacy of wise choices.
“The list of people who went out of their way to help make it work is a very long one, and because of everybody, it got done,” Fleming said. “It was very rewarding to see everyone’s hard work come together on Sunday.”
