Grand River Raceway (GRR) is set to celebrate its 35th Industry Day on Civic Holiday Monday, August 5, with festivities kicking off at 12:30 p.m. This exciting event promises an afternoon packed with family fun and thrilling harness racing action.
This year’s Industry Day marks the inaugural event on GRR's brand-new 5/8-mile track. The highlight of the day will be the prestigious Battle of Waterloo, sponsored by Winbak Farm, alongside the Battle of the Belles. These signature races attract both dedicated horse racing fans and local community members.
The Battle of Waterloo, a stake for Ontario Sired two-year-old pacers, stands as the premier race at GRR and is a crucial early-season event for colts in the Ontario Sires Stakes program. Complementing this is the Battle of the Belles, a stake for Ontario Sired two-year-old pacing fillies.
This year introduces the Button Up Preferred, a new race honouring the undefeated “Button Up” from previous Industry Days. The total purse for the day's special card is anticipated to exceed $340,000.
Winbak Farm returns for the third consecutive year as the presenting sponsor of the Battle of Waterloo.
Grand River Raceway’s expert handicapper, Robert Reid Jr., will be on-site for live broadcast coverage, joined by Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle from Western Fair, serving as Race Analyst and Track Announcer.
The Industry Day wagering menu will feature a Super-charged Late Pick-5 with a $10,000 guaranteed pool, including all signature races – two OSS Grassroots divisions, the Button Up Preferred Pace, the Battle of the Belles, and the Battle of Waterloo. Additionally, an Early Pick-5, starting with race 1, offers a $10,000 guaranteed pool. Two Pick-4 wagers will be available: an early one with a $5,000 guaranteed pool and a late one with a $7,500 guaranteed pool. All feature wagers will have a low 15% takeout.
Families can enjoy the NEIGHbourhood kids area, featuring:
- A petting zoo
- Face painting
- Glitter tattoos
- Inflatable axe throwing
- Lawn games
- A visit from Grandy…and more!
Special guests joining the festivities include Grandy, national anthem performer Olivia Padfield, New Start Standardbreds, Bill Galvin Racing Alliance with their VR experience, Equine Guelph, and more, with booths on site.