Grand River Opening Day hit a high note for Christine Fairhall
by Matthew Lomon
Opening Day at Grand River Raceway had a different ring to it this year for Christine Fairhall, who after a decade-plus at the Elora, ON, oval, experienced her first curtain-raiser as raceway manager.
“It would have to be the most eventful of them all,” said Fairhall with a laugh. “When I first started, I really wasn’t responsible for much. Later on, I became responsible for one department, and now it’s pretty much everything. I’ve obviously had plenty of memorable opening days, but this one was probably the most exciting.”
The 10-race program on Wednesday (June 3) gave Grand River’s new raceway manager the opportunity to stretch her legs and get a feel for race day operations from a different lens than year’s past.
“It was a nice day that I enjoyed being a part of,” Fairhall said. “I much prefer to be out with everybody. I never want to micromanage anyone, but I do want to be visible to all of our staff, horsepeople, and guests, so that if anything does come up, small or large, I’m there. That way nobody has to take time to sit down and send me an email when they get home after a long day.
“It was hectic, but a good vibe. Everybody was in the moment and glad to be back.”
Highlighted on the track by local pacing stars Ladies From Hell, who notched her 63rd career victory, and All My Lovin, now over $50,000 in lifetime earnings, the five-eighths-mile raceway’s season opener went off without a hitch.
Grand River’s auspicious start carried over into days two — Friday (June 5) — and three — Monday (June 8) — with Fairhall crediting a veteran crew for keeping the ship running smoothly.
“Our staff is incredible,” she said. “There’s a core group of returning staff, so they knew their roles inside and out. That’s a huge help for me and for the people coming in. Our paddock coordinator [Nancy Braid] is amazing, I don’t know how she does it. She has everything figured out before anybody even gets to the track and that’s a relief for new people who maybe haven’t been to Grand River or haven’t been for a while.
“I know for us as staff, we’re excited to be back, and we want to make sure our horsepeople and guests feel the same way.”
The early returns from both key groups have been quite promising.
“We’ve gotten positive feedback about the track surface,” Fairhall said. “That’s something we’re very focused on maintaining throughout the season.
“Wagering has also been up so far this season compared to last year. We’ve been fortunate to have carryovers in our Hi-5 and Pick-5 pools, and we hope that trend continues as the Ontario Sires Stakes roll into town next week.”
The premier showcase for the next generation of Ontario-sired stars will make its first of eight appearances at Grand River this season with a second leg Prospect Series tilt for 3-year-old trotting colts on Wednesday (June 17).
As Fairhall noted, OSS competition has a distinct way of upping the ante around the facility.
“It makes for an especially lively day, that’s for sure,” she said. “We’ll get some horses from different stables and have races going for bigger purses, so that will increase our presence a little bit and bring more visibility.
“Days like that keep everybody in the mutuels and the paddock on their toes but in a good way. There’s always something to look forward to when the OSS comes to town.”
Grand River’s summer calendar is set to feature several other attractions beyond an octet of OSS visits.
While the specifics are still being ironed out, the list of events includes Harness the Hope, the popular breast cancer research, awareness, and support fundraising initiative, the fan-favorite wiener dog races, Caretaker Appreciation Day, and much more.
The day needing no introduction, Grand River’s hallmark event Industry Day, returns on Aug. 3 with the Battle of Waterloo, the Battle of the Belles, and an exciting addition for horseplayers.
“We are hosting our leg of the Bet Ontario handicapping contest on Industry Day this year, which is something different,” Fairhall said.
“Our regular NEIGHbourhood kids area will be changed over for that day to an Ontario Racing kids experience area,” Fairhall said. “It will include a lot of fun educational horse-related and racing-related activities for kids and family. The whole east field area will be designated for family fun, as well.”
Also coming as part of the loaded Industry Day lineup is a virtual reality experience from the Bill Galvin Racing Alliance, VIP tickets for dining and viewing in the Captain’s Quarters restaurant, food trucks, and festive floral arrangement décor.
The signature card of racing holds a special place in the hearts of many around Grand River, including Fairhall.
In 2019, her family’s horse Karma Seelster pulled off a 27-1 upset over 1-9 favorite Alicorn in the Battle of the Belles.
“There was a lot of running around that day because I was working, and two of my daughters were as well,” said Fairhall, granddaughter of the legendary Keith Waples, adding with a laugh, “We did quickly run down for a winner’s circle photo but afterwards I thought, ‘Oh man, I should have changed shirts’ because we all had our blue Grand River shirts on. But it was a really nice moment for our family, and bettors too with her good price.”
While not as eventful as a 27-1 upset in a $157,500 race, Fairhall’s first week as raceway manager has certainly been illuminating.
“I’m definitely getting a better sense of what everyone does in their roles at the track and how things flow,” she said. “I appreciate all their efforts. Stepping out of the smaller department has given me greater insights as to what’s happening on the other side of those doors.
“Also, I’m a very visual person. I can read and hear from everybody what their duties are and grasp it, but I am much better when I can see it firsthand. So, being able to see everybody in action and work alongside them has been a big help.”
Fairhall was particularly impressed by the team members managing the paddock gate.
“It seems like they need five hands to do everything required to allow people in,” she said. “You need to scan licenses, write down and check horses, check the time, and so much more.
“They’re doing a tremendous job at getting everybody in as quickly as possible for the night while keeping our security balance at the same time.”
Fairhall also praised Grand River’s seasoned staff members for helping a cohort of new employees find their collective footing during and between race dates.
“Everybody is working very hard at getting up to speed,” she said. “We’ve found that the horsepeople are very patient with that, and our guests are as well.”
When Fairhall last spoke with All Over Ontario in early May, she said the year would be a success if everyone who walked through the door left feeling confident that Grand River was doing its best to provide a safe, enjoyable and pleasant experience.
Her first days running point have only strengthened that belief.
“Now that I have spent more time with our staff and hope to spend more time meeting and getting to know the horsepeople, I feel even more confident that we are capable of pulling that off,” she said.
“I knew from my time here that we had a great group, and seeing everybody in action from this perspective has only reinforced that further.”
