Upsets stole the show in both of the biggest races of Grand River Raceway’s 24th annual Industry Day celebration on Aug. 4.
The afternoon card featured 12 races worth $655,640, including the 17th annual Battle Of Waterloo.
The event also included children’s activities, a chance to meet horses, an Ontario Harness Horse Association Best Of Show Competition and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame presentation to Grand River Raceway general manager Dr. Ted Clarke.
Battle of Waterloo
Hall of fame driver John Campbell made his Grand River Raceway debut in last week’s elimination races for the Battle of Waterloo.
The New Jersey-based Ontario native posted a 7-1 win with Go Daddy Go in the $217,140 final.
The score also gave fellow hall of famer trainer Robert McIntosh his first Battle of Waterloo victory. McIntosh bred and co-owns the chestnut colt with Dave Boyle.
Go Daddy Go finished nearly two lengths ahead of race favourite Sporting The Look with Jody Jamieson in the bike for five-time Battle of Waterloo winning trainer Carl Jamieson.
Trainer Casie Coleman of Cambridge had four horses in the race, which finished third through sixth.
The Battle Of Waterloo is contested by two-year-old Ontario-sired pacing colts.
Battle of the Belles
In the fillies’ sixth annual Battle of the Belles, it was Guelph driver James MacDonald at the helm in a 20-1 whopper with Win The Gold for trainer Tony O’Sullivan and owner/breeder Emerald Highlands Farm.
Leaving from post two, the Sportswriter daughter moved first-over at the halfway marker and powered home in the stretch to overtake betting favourite Sports Chic and Jody Jamieson, winning by a neck. Capela and John Campbell rounded out the top three.
The $138,000 race marked Win The Gold’s maiden win in three career starts.
Ontario Sires Stakes
Jet Airway set a new track record for sophomore pacing colts with a 1:51.1 score in the first of three $70,000 divisions of sophomore pacing colts in a Gold Leg of the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS).
Driven by Randy Waples for trainer Tony Alagna, it was the colt’s fifth win from 11 starts this year. The former record of 1:52.1 was set by Champagne Phil in Aug. 2013.
Play It Again Sam and James MacDonald were the even-money favourites in the second division where the Shadow Play colt led at every step in the mile, holding off to finish a neck over Speckled Door (with Doug McNair) and Falcon Justice (with Paul MacDonell) in 1:53.1. Play It Again Sam is a winner of two races this season for trainer Ian Moore and owners Wayne Eric Whebby and RG McGroup Ltd.
Moore was back in the winners circle for the final OSS dash with Silverhill Shadow who cruised gate-to-wire to win by two lengths in 1:53.2.
Last year’s Battle Of Waterloo champ Three Of Clubs was the runner-up with driver Doug McNair, followed by Victor Bayama and Sylvain Filion.
Consolation races
The Industry Day race card also featured a $30,000 consolation race for the Battle of Waterloo and the $25,000 consolation for the Battle of the Belles.
In the Battle of the Belles Consolation, Billy Davis Jr. steered Delightful Hill to her second career win with a half-length margin over Northern Starlet and Akissfromtheart in 1:56.1 for trainer Tony Alagna and owner Tom Hill.
Seaforth made a strong comeback after last week’s break in stride in his elimination division for the Battle of Waterloo. He won the $30,000 Battle of Waterloo Consolation dash by one-and-three-quarter lengths over Lyons Jimmydean and Jet Settin Mitt. Mike Saftic steered the homebred Eric Adams trainee for Millar Farms. It was the colt’s first career win in four starts.
Racing Under Saddle
The International Trot presented by Racing Under Saddle (RUS) Ontario featured riders from Canada, Sweden, the U.S., Finland, Norway and Belgium.
Saara Jalasti of Finland was the champ, scoring her first Canadian win. She rode eight-year-old Tragically Shipp to a four-length win over Angies Lucky Star (Philippe Masschaele of Belgium) and Hetties Honey (Anna Humphris of Canada). The Monte Trot was Tragically Shipp’s first win of the season for trainer Lee Watson and owners Lynne and David Magee.
Hall of Fame presentation
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame made a presentation to Grand River Raceway general manager Dr. Ted Clarke, who was to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the builders category on Aug. 6.
