The stage is set for the 20th anniversary of Grand River Raceway’s signature event, Industry Day — a celebration of the harness racing industry — on Monday, August 2nd. The afternoon card features 11 races totaling $584,000 in purses.
Headlining the program is the 13th annual Battle Of Waterloo. Nine top two-year-old Ontario-sired pacing colts square off in the $300,000 dash, which is carded as race nine.
A five-time winner in the Battle Of Waterloo, trainer Carl Jamieson has two contenders in the race: Kyron (post four with driver Rick Zeron) and Mach It Big (post five with driver Mark MacDonald). His son Jody, a three-time winning driver in the race, steers Mystician from post two for trainer Jeff Gillis. Other past champs lining up in this year’s battle field include Doug McNair (post seven with Grand Master), Randy Waples (post one, Prodigal Seelster), and Paul MacDonell (post nine, Bullet Speed).
The Battle Of Waterloo’s companion race, the $150,000 Battle Of The Belles, is slated for race seven. Scott Zeron, winner of the inaugural race in 2009 with Fbs Terror, picks up a drive on Lisas Luck — a full sister to champion pacer Sir Luck, a graduate of the 2002 Battle Of Waterloo.
The afternoon offers several free, family-oriented activities and contests:
-Children’s activities, such as pony rides, bouncers, a jousting ring, face painting, balloon artists, the Bone Man (equine education) and horse crafts are available throughout the afternoon. (All children’s activities are free, but a donation to the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is suggested)
-ROMP (Racetracks of Ontario Marketing & Promotions) Mascot Road Show
-Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Celebrity Horse Tour: Free photos with former OSS champ Heirs Above
-$500 OHHA Best Of Show Competition for race participants
-Free Industry Day Handicapping Tournament: $1,000 in cash prizes and one spot awarded in the $25,000 TROT Canada National Handicapping Championship
-Battle Of The Belles Prize Draw (for ladies) for a pair of diamond cluster stud earrings (suggested retail value of $1,000) compliments of Frank’s Jewellers in Uptown Waterloo
-Battle Of Waterloo Prize Draw (for the men) for a Summer-Supply-O-Beer! ($400 in LCBO gift certificates)
-Annual Industry Day Bouncy Pony Stakes – Driver Edition: Four of Canada’s top drivers square-off in this hilarious race for charity
Complete event information, and videos commemorating the Top 10 Moments in the 20-year history of Industry Day, are available at Grand River Raceway’s website - www.grandriverraceway.com.
Post time for the 11-race card on August 2 is 2:00. Festivities get underway at 1:00.
(GRR)
