Industry Day at Grand River Raceway will have a brand-new feel on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Since the former half-mile oval was expanded to a five-eighths mile track this meet, many of its track records have been rewritten. Fittingly, this year’s Battle of Waterloo, sponsored by Winbak Farm, will see the newly-minted record holders for two-year-old colts and geldings face off in the Monday's lucrative final.

The Battle of Waterloo was established in 1998 at Elmira Raceway. It was relocated to Grand River Raceway in 2004, where it continues to be operated by the Grand River Agricultural Society. Open to Ontario-sired two-year-old pacers, the Battle of Waterloo final and its companion race for two-year-old filly pacers, the Battle of the Belles, are annual highlights of the Industry Day card at Grand River.

Two eliminations for the 2024 Battle of Waterloo and Battle of the Belles took place this past Monday, July 29 at the Elora, Ont. track. To read more about and watch those elims, click here.

The $175,200 Battle of the Belles (Race 10) and the $245,400 Battle of Waterloo (Race 11) anchor an 11-race card that includes two Pick 5s on its wagering menu. The early Pick 5, beginning in Race 1, features a guaranteed pool of $10,000. The “Super-Charged” late Pick 5 (Races 7-11) also offers a guaranteed pool of $10,000, for a sequence that includes two Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots legs for three-year-old male pacers (Races 7 and 8), the Button Up Preferred 2 (Race 9), the Battle of the Belles and the Battle of Waterloo.

There will also be two Pick 4s offered. The early Pick 4 (Races 2-5) has a guaranteed pool of $5,000 and the late Pick 4 (Races 8-11) has a guaranteed pool of $7,500. The Battle of Waterloo will also offer a Super Hi-5 wager with a guaranteed pool of $7,500. All wagers listed above will offer a low 15 per cent takeout.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Industry Day, which features an afternoon of live harness racing alongside family-friendly entertainment at the track. The NEIGHbourhood Kids Area provides face painting, inflatable axe-throwing and other fun activities, while food trucks from Berlin 95, MegaCone Creamery and others will offer a range of options at the East Gate.

Post time for the afternoon card is 12:30 p.m. (Eastern). Additional information, plus a webpage to purchase tickets for VIP Captain’s Quarters seating, can be found on Grand River's website. To view the entries for Monday's card, click the following link: Monday Entries - Grand River Raceway.

(with files from Grand River Raceway)