The track will celebrate the 35^th anniversary of the event on Monday and feature the Battle of Waterloo and Battle of the Belles for the first time on the new five-eighths mile oval.

by Matthew Lomon

A tradition like no other in southwestern Ontario, Industry Day at Grand River Raceway has evolved into one of the most highly anticipated events on the province’s standardbred racing calendar.

As the Elora, ON oval prepares to take center stage on the first Monday in August for the 35th time, Grand River Raceway manager Jenna MacDonell walked us through what to expect, as well as what has changed over the years, ahead of the big day on Aug. 5.

“It’s a super family-friendly atmosphere,” said MacDonell, who assumed managerial duties before the 2024 campaign.

“Overall, it’s just a really fun day and I know that a lot of folks in the industry look forward to celebrating Industry Day at Grand River — afternoon card, 12:30 post-time, holiday Monday — what else could you possibly want?”

Grand River’s hallmark event has grown tremendously since it was first brought to life some three and a half decades ago by former Elmira Raceway secretary Ken Middleton, Sr. and former Grand River general manager Dr. Ted Clarke.

“Back in the early days, there was no big race,” MacDonell said. “They would have lectures and panels on lameness by a vet or a shoeing by a blacksmith, and it would take place that way.

“It’s evolved over the years and become more of a community event, as opposed to just solely an industry event.”

It wasn’t until eight years after the inaugural Industry Day that an accompanying race headlined the marquee day.

“Eventually, they added the Battle of Waterloo in 1998 and the Battle of the Belles in 2009,” MacDonell said. “It’s really turned into something different than what it used to be.”

While the day itself may have progressed in both scope and scale, the on-track feature remains a horse person and horseplayer’s dream.

Fields for the $245,000 Battle of Waterloo (2-year-old open pace) and $175,000 Battle of the Belles (2-year-old filly pace) were set on July 29 following the summation of four total eliminations (two per race).

Last year’s edition of the Battle of Waterloo went to 1-9 choice Do Better and a pair of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famers in driver Sylvain Filion and the late, great, Bob McIntosh, who died recently at the age of 71.

The Battle of the Belles, however, was flipped on its head when 50-1 long shot Cheese Party and reinsman Trevor Henry outduelled even-money favorite Pass Line for the landmark score.

For MacDonell, that level of unpredictability is what drives the edge-of-your-seat action that racing fans crave.

“It’s always exciting when you get the 2-year-olds out because they’re not proven, you don’t know what they’re going to do,” she said. “We’ve got some ideas of how fast they can go because we’ve seen them put up a couple of miles.

“But really, anybody could show up that day. It’s hard to say where it’ll go, and I think that’s what makes it so exciting.”

It’s only fair to imagine how the wide-open nature of both these tilts will be further elevated by the recent expansion to a five-eighths-mile course.

“With the new track, the wide turns, and even the way the track’s constructed, it’s making for lots of movement within the mile and very interesting racing,” MacDonell said. “It’s pretty ‘anything goes’ in that anybody could have the chance to win.

“So far, the track has shown to be fast. Hopefully, if we get a nice, hot, sunny day, and everything goes according to plan, we’re going to see some great miles over the track.”

Having grown up around Industry Day and competing in previous iterations through her father, Hall of Fame driver Paul MacDonell, Jenna knows how important a litmus test the Waterloo and Belles can be.

“With Somebeachsomewhere, we knew what they had after he won the Battle of Waterloo [2007],” she said. “It was just the beginning of his career and I think that’s the same with some of these horses. It’s the beginning of their career and it’s exciting to see who’s going to come out on top.

“It’s just the start for some of these potentially great horses and it means a lot to be able to showcase it at our track.”

Now tasked with organizing the event that’s delivered fond memories to so many, Jenna hopes to infuse some of that past Industry Day magic into this summer’s running.

“In previous years, there was a tent in the back berm,” Jenna said. “But that’s no longer available because of the new track construction. So, our goal was to find a way to recreate that vibrant atmosphere on the back berm, where everybody would be sitting along the fence and cheering on the participants.

“The hope, now, is that everybody will congregate more towards the tarmac, and you’ll be able to run into people you haven’t seen in a while.”

Staying in stride with recent Industry Days would work wonders for Grand River, especially on the wagering side, as the track set a new Industry Day handle benchmark with an all-sources total of $590,824 in 2023.

Beyond the two main events, horseplayers will have additional incentive to crowd the betting lines with the debut of The Button Up preferred for top-older pacers.

The undercard contest honors one of Industry Day’s most prolific performers, Button Up, who captured the 2005 Waterloo before going on to win the preferred race for older pacers in 2007, 2010, and 2012.

“I’m hoping we break that record again this year, that would be fabulous,” Jenna said. “And I think we’re well on our way. There’s a great card of racing, the undercard will be strong as well. We’ve got some OSS Grassroots [races] that day.

“Getting these amazing horses into place I think is really going to help. People want to wager on a good product, and I think the field that’s been assembled, it’s going to have a lot of eyes on it. So, we’re hoping that people are ready to come out, wager, and smash that handle record again.”

Fans of all ages and experience levels will have something to look forward to come Monday.

The Neighborhood Kids Area tent comes complete with a variety of kid-friendly activities including face painting, glitter tattoos, inflatable axe throwing, patio games, and a petting zoo.

Equine Guelph will also be on site with their interactive and informative EquiMania! display.

VIP tickets are currently on sale, as well. The passes, which range in price based on tier (premium seating is $40 for adults, $27.50 for children; general seating is $30 for adults, $17.50 for children), grant ticket-holders access to a private table in the Captain’s Quarters dining room, among several other bonuses.

A perfect opportunity, noted MacDonell, for racing fans and others to get their money’s worth in Grand River fashion.

“Grand River just has that nice, small town, friendly atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a beautiful facility and it’s a really fun way to get some entertainment without having to break the bank.

“People might come for the kids’ zone or simply for something to do, but hopefully what we can show them is how exciting racing can be and I think that’s always the goal every night at Grand River.”