The daughter of Hall of Fame driver Paul MacDonell has taken the reins as the raceway manager at Grand River Raceway just as the beloved Elora, ON track is set to open its new five-eighths mile oval.

by Matthew Lomon

Jenna MacDonell is primed to flourish in her new role at Grand River Raceway.

The fourth-generation horseperson, who just this week was sworn-in as the Elora, ON oval’s new raceway manager, has harness racing embedded in her DNA.

“I’ve been in this business since before I was born,” MacDonell said. “I truly love the sport and I want to see it go forward. I know how great harness racing is, and that’s something I want everybody to know.”

Thrust into the standardbred lifestyle before being able to walk or talk, the daughter of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame driver Paul MacDonell openly embraced her roots from the outset.

“I’ve always worked in the barn since a very young age, totally willingly,” Jenna said with a laugh. “I have two sisters and both of them are involved peripherally, but I’ve always been the one that dove headfirst into the industry.”

Jenna has been around pacers and trotters for as long as she can remember.

Some, like the iconic Somebeachsomewhere — which her father drove to great acclaim — have left an indelible mark on her family’s life through their exploits on the racetrack.

Others, like the modest-earning Twin B M W, have been equally impactful in her world. Owned and trained by her grandfather Blaise MacDonell, the son of Apaches Fame raced 181 times, earning just over $87,000 across 18 wins.

For Jenna, it wasn’t what the bay gelding did on the track that made him special.

“I first met him when I was about 10,” she said. “I will never forget that horse. I saw some old friends recently and we were talking about him. There’s just something about your first one that you get involved with that you just never really forget.

“He was little, I was little, and he was quiet and calm. He’s one of the first horses that I learned how to do everything on — how to harness, bath, all of those things. He was more of a pet than a hardcore racehorse.”

Over the years, Jenna’s hands-on experience extended to the coaching wing, working under trainers to deepen her racing IQ.

Beyond the barn, the University of Guelph graduate has spent time on the operations side in various roles with Woodbine Entertainment, including customer service and as an intern in the communications department.

While each stop along the way provided invaluable insights and crucial experience, it was Jenna’s half-decade long tenure in customer service that helped align her managerial mind with her lifelong goal of moving the sport forward.

Over that time, Jenna engaged in countless one-on-one interactions with fans and horseplayers.

“I heard everything — the good, the bad, the ugly,” she said. “It’s one thing to get people through the door, but then it’s another to give them the experience that makes them want to come back. That is going to be one of my main goals: not just bringing people in but making sure they want to stay and truly see the magic that is horse racing.”

As raceway manager, Jenna will have every opportunity to share her unbridled enthusiasm with Grand River’s clientele in the hopes of transforming them into “forever” fans.

“You want to get people connected to the horses,” she said. “I understand gambling is what mainly drives the sport, but for me, personally, it’s always been about the animal and the competitiveness. I want everybody to know what a great sport it is, and how much fun and exciting it is.

“The team at Grand River has done a great job creating this beautiful facility. I want to draw people in, keep them here, and make them fans for life. That’s my goal. It always has been, wherever or whatever side of the industry I’ve been on.”

Equipped with an abundant supply of industry experience to draw from, the well-rounded Jenna can also apply the lessons she’s learned from her successful real estate career to her vision for Grand River.

“In real estate, there are two types of buyers: the analytical type of person who is really only working with dollars and cents trying to make sure the numbers make sense,” she said. “Then, there’s the families moving into a new home and it’s a very personal connection for them.”

Horse racing isn’t all that different, she said.

“It’s not just about the betting and it’s not just about horses. You want to make sure that there’s something for everybody when they come to the racetrack.

“There will be people coming that don’t really like to gamble, but that’s all right because there’s amazing competition going on. There are these beautiful animals out there doing their thing and maybe we can appeal to those people so that there’s something for everybody.

“There’s something for the kids. There’s something for animal lovers. There’s something for people who like to bet. You want to drive everybody in.”

Jenna said Grand River offers patrons, both new and established, plenty of reason — and enticing options — to want to return.

“Grand River has always been one of my favorite tracks to go to both as a horseperson and a fan,” Jenna said. “One of the things I really love about it is that small town, intimate feel. You’re up close and personal with the horses, you can see them at the side coming in and out of the paddock, and all the people running around doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”

Success, she noted, will be achieved through a team effort.

“I’ve always loved that atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to working with the team at Grand River,” she said. “They’re such forward-thinking people.”

Jenna said she feels very supported as she navigates her new position.

Notable names in the industry, including Western Fair’s director of equine programming Greg Blanchard and former GRR raceway manager Jamie Martin, have already reached out with words of encouragement.

“Once it was announced that I would be coming into this role, I can’t even tell you how overwhelming the support was from everybody around,” Jenna said. “I’ve had Jamie Martin, who I worked with at Woodbine, reach out. Greg Blanchard has reached out – he’s someone I’ve also worked with at Woodbine.

“I’ve had so much support and it’s been amazing to see.”

Jenna steps into her new endeavour at an exciting time for Grand River. The half-mile raceway’s highly-anticipated transformation into a five-eighths-mile track is coming along nicely she said.

“The last update that I heard this week [April 26] was that everything is on target. The final layer was going on right now, I believe. Greg [Coon] is currently on site, making sure everything’s going well. The lighting is all in and it was being tested this week. Pylons go in next week.

“Depending on the weather, we’re aiming for the track to be open for training in early May, but that’s very tentative. Then, hopefully, qualifiers in late May, but again, that’s tentative and weather-depending to make sure everything goes smooth.”

Looking ahead to opening day (June 5), Jenna spoke about how the track extension may impact racing for both horses and horseplayers.

“I’m expecting that the larger track will probably attract some higher calibre of horses,” she said. “On the flip side, horses that maybe struggle on a half-mile track will definitely benefit from the bigger track.

“I think the new track will most likely change how horseplayers bet. With bigger tracks there can be a lot more action in the mile, more horses in play, and then more value to the horseplayer that way.”

When asked what she is most looking forward to with the changes, Jenna responded like a true driver’s daughter.

“Personally, I’m very interested to watch the drivers and observe how their strategies will change with this track,” Jenna said. “It’ll be very interesting to see them figure out the nuances of the track because each venue has its own characteristics.”

While her connection to the industry has ebbed and flowed over the years, one constant has been her unwavering passion and respect for the sport and its participants.

Jenna, just like always, will approach every day with a long-held optimistic outlook.

“I’m excited to see how it all plays out. I expect there will be challenges at some point with everybody getting accustomed to the new surface and surroundings. It’ll be a bit of an adjustment for everyone at first, but we’ll get where we need to be.”