The curtains closed on the 2024 season at Grand River Raceway's new five-eighths mile racetrack with 10 races capping off the action on Monday, Sept. 30.

Travis Henry ended the meet as the 2024 leading driver with 54 wins and more than $360,000 in purses. Jason Ryan and Brett MacDonald each tallied driving hat tricks on the finale, yielding them a tie for second with 44 wins apiece.

The honours for leading trainer went to Ashley Lendvoy with 19 trips to the winner's circle and more than $100,000 in purse earnings. Julie Walker and Kyle Bossence tied for second with 13 wins apiece.

The Pop-Up Series for horses not averaging $650 per start in 2024 with a minimum of 10 starts was concluded on Monday with the $12,500 final and $8,000 consolation.

Full Disclosure ($2.10) and Austin Sorrie never found the pylons in the final, going the long way around the track to a three-quarter-length score in 1:53.3. Ashley Lendvoy trains the Sweet Lou-Hilarious son for Gino Toscani.

Smart Thinking ($9.30) won the $8,000 Pop-Up Series consolation by a half length in 1:55.1 with Scott Coulter in the bike for trainer/owner Kim Biekx.

Grand River Raceway's 2024 meet was a historic one for Canadian harness racing with the debut of the expanded Elora oval from a half-mile track that had been in place for that past two decades. The expansion was complete for the June 5 opening and the entire meet was contested over a five-eighths-mile racing surface, producing a new set of track records for the new configuration.

The overall track record of 1:50.3 was set by the Ashley Lendvoy-trained three-year-old pacing colt Betthebeach Yankee (Betting Line-A Beach Cowgirl) and driver Austin Sorrie when winning last Friday, Sept. 27 for owner Gino Toscani while the fastest trotter is eight-year-old gelding Macallan (Credit Winner-Margarita Hall), who won on July 19 in 1:52.3 with Travis Cullen in the bike for trainer Tim Cherwaiko and co-owner Gary Green.

Battle Of Waterloo champion Stonebridge Wizard's 1:51.2 mile on Industry Day, Aug. 5 set a track record for two-year-old male pacers (and a new divisional Canadian record over a five-eighths-mile track) while Manhattan Mayhem was the fastest freshman filly with a 1:53 victory in the Battle of the Belles eliminations on July 29.

Razzin Jazz holds the three-year-old pacing filly record courtesy of her 1:52 score on June 17, the same day Ideal Perception set the track record for aged pacers in 1:50.4. A few days later on June 21, Fated Fire won in 1:52.1 in a track record for aged pacing mares that still stands.

On the trot, the two-year-old record of 1:56.3 was established in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series, with Medley Seelster becoming the track's fastest filly and You Got It Kemp the fastest male on Sept. 6 before Pierre In Paris equalled the male mark in Grassroots action on Sept. 13.

Paquet is the fastest sophomore trotter courtesy of his 1:54 victory in a Gold leg on Aug. 14 and R Liza established the 1:54.2 filly record in her Gold outing on Aug. 12.

Tijuana Seelster set the older trotting mare record at the track with her 1:55.3 victory on June 17.

To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Grand River Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)