Grand River Raceway will kick off another exciting season of harness racing on Wednesday, June 5. This year the Elora, Ont. raceway will be celebrating the first horses racing on its brand new five-eighths-mile track.

Grand River Raceway (GRR) will host 48 Standardbred race nights this season, including 18 Ontario Sire Stakes events, from June through September. Racing takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night with a post time of 6:30 p.m. View the full schedule by clicking here. The track addition is the first new track construction since GRR built the half-mile track back in 2004.

“The completion of the five-eighths-mile track has been highly anticipated and marks the beginning of a new era of racing at GRR,” said Jenna MacDonell, Raceway Manager. “Guests will enjoy outstanding race cards and developing new wagering strategies to adapt to the changes in the track.”

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GRR will kick off the race season on June 5 with a community celebration, featuring $2 hotdogs, $3 burgers and $2 cans of pop. The BBQ will be set up on The GrandWay Patio, with drinks available at The GrandWay Lounge bar.

On Wednesday, June 12, GRR will be hosting a formal ribbon cutting with dignitaries and specialists who were integral to getting the five-eighths-mile track built. It’ll be a celebration of how far GRR has come.

Here’s what you can expect this summer at GRR:

• Free Family Fun! Every race night is free entry for all. Need something for the kids to do? GRR's ambassador Tom, along with a variety of mutuel tellers, will be handing out Neighbourhood bags full of fun activities for kids every race night.
• GrandWay Patio Parties: Get a group of 12 or more together and enjoy a VIP experience right next to the track. Groups get an intimate horse racing experience in a reserved seating area on The GrandWay Patio. Limited dates available, excludes GRR specialty race night dates. Contact [email protected] for details.
• Looking for more entertainment this summer? Check out The GrandWay Events Centre (next door to GRR) for Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Nights, Murder Mystery Dinner Theatres and more throughout the summer and into fall/winter. Visit thegrandway.com for more information.

Specialty race nights at GRR:

• June 5 – Opening Night
• July 12 – Wiener Dog Races
• Aug. 5 – Industry Day, featuring the Battle of Waterloo presented by Winbak Farms, with 12:30 p.m. post time
• Aug. 30 – Harness the Hope Night – Giant Pink Patio Party on The GrandWay Patio (dress in pink!)
• Sept. 6 – National Caretaker Appreciation Day, Ontario Sires Stakes 50th Celebration

For tickets and details about these events, visit grandriverraceway.com.

Please be reminded that GRR and The GrandWay Events Centre are designated as smoke-free. Smoking is not permitted in any and on all exterior public racetrack facing areas including the grandstand, tarmac and patio.

The Captain’s Quarters is open for first-come first-serve spectator seating only (with the exception of specialty race night events). There will not be an all-you-can-eat buffet in the tiered dining room this year; however, visitors can bring food from The GrandWay Lounge or the tarmac BBQ to enjoy.

GRR is ready to giddy up and get the race season started. At GRR, you can always come and expect an experience.

(With files from Grand River Raceway)