A perfect summer afternoon set the stage on Aug. 6 for Grand River Raceway’s 22nd annual Industry Day event, and it was a good day to be Dave Menary.
The 33-year-old trainer took the lion’s share of the races’ combined race purses of $450,000, triumphing in both of the biggest dashes of the day. Menary’s sweep began with Macharoundtheclock as she scored her first career win in the fourth edition of the $150,000 Battle Of The Belles.
With Jody Jamieson at the helm, the Mach Three filly left from post six, got away last and swept the field at the three-quarter pole to finish a length over Raise Your Glass (Scott Zeron) and race favourite Its No Secret (Anthony MacDonald). She stopped the clock in 1:55.1, tying the stakes record set in 2010.
Macharoundtheclock was a $50,000 yearling. To date she has earned $82,440 in just three lifetime starts for Menary who co-owns the filly with his father Larry, plus Ken Ewen and Denis Breton.
Breton was back in the winners circle in the track’s signature race, the $300,000 Battle Of Waterloo.
Menary trainee Tarpon Hanover was the betting favourite heading into the 15th edition of the race. The Badlands Hanover colt didn’t disappoint as he cruised to a seven-length victory in a new stakes and track record of 1:53.
Mach Pride (Anthony MacDonald) finished second followed by Bad Boy Hill (Randy Waples). Breton and Menary share ownership of the colt with Brad Gray and Bruce Norris. Tarpon Hanover was an $82,000 yearling and has now banked $242,250. His 1:53 mile bests the stake record of 1:53.2 set by Menary trainee Prodigal Seelster in the 2010 Battle Of Waterloo, and matched last week by elimination winner Mach Pride.
For driver Scott Zeron, it was his second consecutive Battle Of Waterloo driving title after winning the 2011 edition with Machapelo.
As part of the Industry Day festivities, Grand River Raceway awarded Jody Jamieson bobbleheads with the redemption of a program voucher. The 200 dolls were gone within 10 minutes as a line circled the tarmac.
Jamieson met fans and signed dolls prior to his first drive of the afternoon — Clik N in the Jim Lehman Memorial Race. The winning steer kicked off a driving triple for Jamieson.
He was back in the winners circle in the next dash for the $20,000 consolation race for the Battle Of The Belles. Jamieson controlled the pace from start to finish with Mary Celeste, finishing four lengths the best in a new lifetime mark of 1:55.4.
The homebred Your Nemesis miss is owned by trainer Stephen Gillard and his wife Marilyn. The couple won the 2011 Battle Of The Belles Final with Your Beautiful.
Randy Waples had two wins on the card, starting with the $30,000 Battle Of Waterloo Consolation. Windsong Joker managed his third career win in five starts for trainer Barry Treen and owner Leonard Gamble.
Waples was back for the $130,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final with Creampuff Macdaddy, a 9-1 winner in a new career best of 2:00.2 for owner Doug Millard of Woodstock. Trained by Brad Maxwell, the two-year-old trotting colt is a winner of two races from four career starts and $86,920.
Other winners on the $714,000 card included 2005 Battle Of Waterloo champ Button Up. Now nine, the 4-1 shot came on gamely in the stretch of race eight to record his 34th lifetime win and bump his earnings to $690,000 for Sure Gain Stable of St. Marys. He’s trained by Mark Horner and driven by Mike Horner.
The on-track handle for Grand River Raceway’s 2012 Industry Day event was up 16 percent over 2011 (from $90,559 to $104,974). The overall handle was up 12 percent (from $225,684 to $251,926).
