Grand River Raceway’s 23rd annual Industry Day celebrations are set to begin on Aug. 5 with an 11-race card worth more than $300,000 in purses.
Festivities and the TV broadcast kick off is at 1pm on Aug. 5. Post time for the first dash is 1:30pm.
The main feature of the day is Grand River Raceway’s signature dash, the 16th annual Battle Of Waterloo, a $125,000 dash.
The fifth annual Battle Of The Belles will be contested for $75,000, featuring Ontario-sired two-year-old pacing fillies.
The finalists for those races were determined during eliminations contested on July 29.
Rounding out the Industry Day race card are consolation races for the Battles, plus a leg of Grassroots action for three-year-old pacing fillies in the Ontario Sires Stakes.
During the Industry Day card, Grand River Raceway and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame will salute Carl Jamieson, who will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame on Aug. 15.
Jamieson is a five-time winning trainer of the Battle of Waterloo. The Rockwood horseman won the race every other year from the inaugural edition (at Elmira Raceway) in 1998 through 2006.
In 2000, he trained the top three finishers: C T Rocket, Warrawee Caesar and Futurestarkillean.
Jamieson will also be part of a Hall of Fame autograph session, hosted by the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame from 1:30 to 2:30pm.
As always, Industry Day offers many other harness racing events:
– fans are invited to meet the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society ambassador The Painted Pony (1 to 2pm);
– Standardbred Canada’s I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club will be on-hand with the Wheel of Fame and Fan Club merchandise. They will also award $1 QuickPick Super Hi-5 tickets to the first 50 people (18+) to visit their booth on Industry Day;
– the ninth annual Drivers’ Edition of the Bouncy Pony Stakes (following race nine);
– an All-Access-Kid’s-Pass is available onsite for $5 and includes face painting, balloon artists, bouncy castles, and pony rides from 1pm to 5pm;
– Online Handicapping Challenge, presented by Standardbred Canada’s I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club (starting Aug. 2);
– local actors Gary Bryant and Gerard Gouthro will welcome patrons as Battle of Waterloo Ambassadors Napoleon & The Duke Of Wellington;
– $500 Cheerleading Squads: $250 awarded to each cheerleader representing the winning horse in the Battle Of The Belles and the Battle Of Waterloo; and
– HorsePlayer Interactive (HPI) is offering three percent cash back for bets made through HPI accounts on Grand River Raceway’s 2013 Industry Day race card.
Post position draws for both stake races were conducted on July 29. The following are the fields for the finals on Industry Day:
Post Position for the Battle of Waterloo
1. Three of Clubs: tr (trainer): Gregg McNair; dr (driver): Doug McNair
2. Steady Warrior: tr: Wayne McGean; dr: Sylvain Flion
3. Pop Pop Joe: tr: Blake MacIntosh; dr: Brad Forward
4. Allstar Seelster: tr: Jack Darling; dr: Jody Jamieson
5. Ok Gladiator: tr: Gregg McNair; dr: Doug McNair
6. Cluster Hanover: tr: Jack Darling; dr: Jody Jamieson
7. Arthur Blue Chip: tr: Dr. Ian Moore; dr: Jody Jamieson
8. Sword of the Spirit: tr: Martin Lachance; dr: Mario Baillargeon
9. P L Hellcat: tr: Dan Clements; dr: Chris Christoforou.
Post Postitions for Batle of the Belles
1. Slick Rumor: tr: Blake MacIntosh; dr: Brad Forward
2. Arrivista Hanover: tr: Rene Laarman; dr:Chris Christoforou
3. Catalea Seelster: tr: Ron Adams; dr: Brad Forward
4. Lady Shadow: tr: Gregg McNair; dr: Doug McNair
5. Can Art: tr: Gregg McNair; dr: Doug McNair
6. Yoselin Seelster: tr: Ben Wallace; dr: Rick Zeron
7. Regil Meg; tr: Reg Westgarth; dr: Jody Jamieson
8. Momara: tr: Gregg McNair; dr: Doug McNair
9. Justabit Mean: tr: Murray Brethour; dr: Sylvain Filion.
The fifth annual Battle Of The Belles and 16th annual Battle Of Waterloo and will go postward as races nine and 11, respectively, during Industry Day at Grand River Raceway on Aug. 5. Post time for race one is 1:30pm.
For complete event details, visit www.IndustryDayCelebration.com
For complete event details, visit http://industrydaycelebration.com.
