Father-son duo Gregg and Doug McNair of Guelph stole the show at Grand River Raceway’s 23rd annual Industry Day event on Aug. 5, winning the two biggest races on the afternoon card.
Gregg trains and his son Doug drove the winners of the $75,400 Battle Of The Belles and the track’s signature race, the $144,500 Battle Of Waterloo.
In the fifth annual Battle Of The Belles, Doug McNair and Lady Shadow gained control of the pace by the first quarter and cruised home four lengths the best in 1:55.4 – a new Canadian season record for two-year-old pacing fillies on a half-mile track.
It was Lady Shadow’s fourth win this season and bumped her career earnings to $94,200 for owners Lindsey and Connie Rankin of Lexington, Michigan.
Gregg McNair’s other contender in the race, Momara, was the runner-up with driver Scott McNair. Regil Meg and Jody Jamieson rounded out the top three.
Three Of Clubs was the betting favourite in the Battle Of Waterloo, and Doug McNair wasted no time in putting the Mach Three colt at the front of the action. He finished two lengths ahead of Steady Warrior in a new career best and Canadian season mark of 1:53.4. Gregg McNair co-owns the colt with Tony Lawrence of Hanover, and Shady Hill Racing Stable of Durham.
Steady Warrior finished second to Three Of Clubs with driver Sylvain Filion. Trainer Wayne McGean paid $12,500 to supplement the colt to the Battle Of Waterloo. He recorded his maiden win in last week’s elimination dash. McGean and co-owner Michael Gouthro paid just $5,000 for the Royal Mattjesty colt as a yearling. He’s now banked $103,675. Arthur Blue Chip and Jody Jamieson finished third for the Shadow One Stable of Guelph and trainer Ian Moore.
The 11-race card also featured a $20,000 consolation race for the Battle Of Waterloo (won by Boomboom Ballykeel and Arthur’s Trevor Henry) and the $15,000 consolation for the Battle Of The Belles (won by Alibi Seelster with Paul MacDonell for owner/trainer Jack Darling).
Doug McNair also piloted the quickest winner in seven divisions of sophomore pacing fillies in the Grassroots series of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS).
Windsong Jacoba kicked off the day with a seven-length domination in 1:54.1 It was her second consecutive win for trainer Barry Treen and owners Leonard Gamble, Relatively Stable, Charalambos Christoforou and William Loyens.
Other Industry Day highlights included the ninth annual Drivers’ Edition Of The Bouncy Pony Stakes, won for the third consecutive year by reinsman James MacDonald.
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame and Grand River Raceway made a special presentation to five-time winning trainer of the Battle Of Waterloo, Carl Jamieson, who will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame on Aug. 15. Jamieson also had a win with Land Of Angels (owned by wife Debra and driven by son Jody) in the third OSS division.
Industry Day wagering totalled $92,348, down slightly from $104,974 in 2012. For more information visit www.grandriverraceway.com
