The Industry Day card at Grand River Raceway on Monday, Aug. 3 delivered a flurry of fireworks as Gogo Gadget took the $205,000 Battle Of Waterloo for Ontario-sired pacing colts after a placing. Meanwhile, Jersey Bulldog dominated the $165,000 Battle Of The Belles and Redland Rocket Man paced to a Canadian record for sophomore pacing colts in the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series.

The Battle Of Waterloo served as the finale on the Industry Day card, where Gogo Gadget (pictured above) pulled off the mild 5-2 upset to score with Johnathan Drury in the bike for trainer Kyle Bossence.

The 1-2 favourite C Script got away quickly for driver Doug McNair as early challenger Wheels Up (Paul Davies) broke stride. Jonathan Drury had second choice Gogo Gadget in the pocket behind C Script past the :26.3 opening quarter, just ahead of No More Exs (Travis Henry). C Script led to the :56.2 half, with a first-over Will Farroh (Jason Ryan) pressing the pace from third. Reaching three-quarters in 1:24.3, C Script had only the pocket-pulling Gogo Gadget to contend with down the stretch. 

Although the favourite held off Drury's colt by a half-length at the wire in 1:52.3, an inquiry was quickly posted. Judges determined that C Script went inside of three pylons late, so he was placed last. Slick Draw (Steven Hudon) was third-placed-second, with No More Exs bumped up to third.

Gogo Gadget, the diminutive son of Betting Line-JK Getupngo, was elevated to first, keeping his undefeated streak intact at four in a row for owner Tamara Vandewiel of Arthur, Ont. The mile clocking was a new 2026 season's record for two-year-old male pacers on a Canadian five-eighths mile track.

"He's done nothing wrong; he's just a gentleman," said Bossence, standing alongside Gogo Gadget in the Battle of Waterloo winner's circle. "He always had a really quick snap off a helmet. The only thing I was a little bit worried about was his size. I just didn't know how long or how fast he'd be able to go with the size, but he's proven that."

Gogo Gadget's driver Drury said he was wondering whether C Script "got inside there a little bit" on the final turn, but his colt stepped up for his biggest win yet.

"He just keeps digging in," said Drury. "He's only a little fella, but every time I've had a chance to sit behind him, he's gotten just a touch better. I didn't think the two-hole trip behind Dougie [McNair] was really ideal, because he was going to be able to steal away with the race and turn it into a sprint like he did. My guy's a little bit better if I could've gone first-up early and looked him in the eye, but it worked out. You don't like to take a win that way, but my colt deserved it too."

In the $165,000 Battle of the Belles, Bob McClure and John Pentland teamed up for a spectacular victory with Jersey Bulldog in the main event for Ontario-sired two-year-old filly pacers. 

Money Carlo (James MacDonald) was first to the front, only to get circled by Aceandaten (Doug McNair) and jump offstride en route to the quarter. Jersey Bulldog gained ground first-over to clear Aceandaten at the :27 opening quarter. Never headed the remainder of the mile with middle half fractions of :55.1 and 1:22.4, Jersey Bulldog widened her advantage to seven expanding lengths in the 1:51.3 victory, breaking her own 1:51.4 record as Canada's fastest seasonal winner for her age, sex and gait on a five-eighths-mile track. Cattle Belle (Trevor Henry) and Lyons Flurry (Mark MacDonald) completed the triactor.

Jersey Bulldog was a 5-2 winner, as beaten 1-4 favourite Money Carlo rallied late for fifth. 

An emotional McClure said he wouldn't have been surprised if Money Carlo had "shattered the Canadian record today," but "John [Pentland's] filly hasn't done a thing wrong since I've gotten the chance to sit behind her," making his choice to drive Jersey Bulldog instead of the other elimination winner a tough one.

"I couldn't split the fillies...They were both extremely talented," he said. "It's just my relationship with John [Pentland], he's been in my corner for a long time...I could settle for finishing second to Money Carlo, but it would've hurt finishing second to Jersey Bulldog and not being in the bike."

Pentland said that Jersey Bulldog had been "good all along," but had to be relocated from her original training centre following a strangles outbreak, which did not affect her. "She went from there to Ideal Training Centre...when everything was clear, we brought her to Dorchester. My groom, Nancy Greddig, who is the best groom in the world...she deserves a ton of credit...The ownership on this horse is phenomenal...They don't offer anything except support."

The winning Bulldog Hanover-Gallie Beach filly is owned by Pentland along with Sherri Sumner of Dorchester, Ont., Jack Darling Stables Ltd. of Cambridge, Ont., and Alan Alber of Thornhill, Ont. She won her July 27 Belles elimination for regular driver McClure, going away in a trip that resembled her victory in the $165,000 final.

Co-owner Alber described the Battle of the Belles as "just a terrific win" for Jersey Bulldog and the team. "Like John [Pentland] said, it takes a village, and today the village worked, so we're very happy with the horse." 

Just prior to the rookie battles, Redland Rocket Man set a 1:48.2 Canadian, Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) and Grand River Raceway track record winning the lone $150,000 OSS Gold leg three event for sophomore pacing colts on Monday’s card at the Elora track.

The mile erased the 1:49 OSS and track record for three-year-old male pacers on a five-eighths mile track set by Allstar Maniac in a Gold event on last year’s Battle of Waterloo card.

Jody Jamieson, subbing for regular pilot Louis-Philippe Roy, drove Redland Rocket Man, a gelded son of Bulldog Hanover out of Granny Hanover, to the head victory over Borderline Mobby (James MacDonald) for trainer/part-owner John Pentland. 

Sent off at 15-1 in the field of eight, Jamieson had Redland Rocket Man on top before the :25.4 quarter pole. Beau Jangles (Bob McClure), the 2-5 favourite, poked a neck in front by the :52.3 half, but was parked as Redland Rocket Man drove on and commanded the front through the 1:20.1 three-quarters with Borderline Mobby gamely on his heels. The two hooked up and battled in the lane with Redland Rocket Man fighting him off to edge out the victory.

“We were conscious when we prepped [Redland Rocket Man that he had talent],” said Pentland. “Did I think he could beat this field? I thought with the right trip he could. I didn't think he would off a [front-end] trip like that, nor did anybody probably think their horse could win off a trip like that. But he's been a good horse all along and we tried to bring him along slowly, and maybe it paid off this time.

“The horse is absolutely for real, and I kept it buried inside a little bit because certainly in his last OSS race he was close. He almost won that race in [1]:48.2. It was a little bit of a heartbreak at the wire. I didn't want that to repeat today.

“He's a terrific colt. He kind of looks after himself. He's a little hot. That's his only downfall. I guess that paid off today.”

Bred by Redland Farm of Bible Hill, N.S., Redland Rocket Man was sold for $41,667 at the 2025 Standardbred Horse Sales Company yearling sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is owned by Pentland of Dorchester, Ont., Murray Cox of Rockwood, Ont., and Gary Volpe of St. Thomas, Ont.

Redland Rocket Man has now earned $316,385 lifetime, with $138,098 of that coming this year, including an appearance in the $1 million Grade 1 Pepsi North America Cup final, where he finished eighth.

On Monday in his Gold start, Redland Rocket Man paid $33.70 to win.

Odds On Bullfrog (Travis Henry) was third, followed by No Waitlist (Doug McNair) and Wholetthedogsout (Mark MacDonald). Beau Jangles, the reigning Canadian and U.S. Horse of the Year, was sixth. 

Redland Rocket Man’s Gold win was his first 2026 victory in his ninth start. It was also the pacer’s first OSS triumph. He was a close second to Borderline Mobby in the previous Gold start on June 27 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Beau Jangles won the first Gold event of the year on May 23 at Mohawk.

A trio of $25,000 Preferreds were also featured on the Industry Day card, kicked off by Tells On A Roll taking the filly and mare pace for Travis and Jodie Cullen.

Away from post four as the 3-5 favourite, Tells On A Roll stormed to the front to cut fractions of :26, :54.4 and 1:22.2 as she paced away by five lengths at three-quarters. She would go on to maintain that margin from there, cruising in 1:51.3 over Who Are You (Michael Whelan) and Settn A Precedent (Trevor Henry).

The win marked the 30th career victory and sixth of the season for Tells On A Roll. Owned by Paul Saunders of Surrey, B.C., A1stable of Dundas, Ont., and Ronald Cullen of Dundas, Ont., the six-year-old daughter of Tellitlikeitis-Have Rock Willroll boasts a career bankroll of $924,840.

Tactical Strike and driver Mark MacDonald utilized similar front-end tactics to take down the Preferred Trot and beat the boys as the 3-5 favourite. 

The Garry Merner trainee hustled to the lead from post seven at an opening quarter of :27 before leading through middle half fractions of :56.1 and 1:25 two lengths clear. Tactical Strike remained in control through the stretch, winning by 2-1/2 lengths over the first-over The Fixer (Brett MacDonald) and pocket-sitter Zip Me Up (Paul Mackenzie) in 1:54.2.

The victory was the second straight for Tactical Strike, who has won five of 26 this season. The five-year-old daughter of Tactical Landing-Sorceress Seelster is a 12-time career winner, banking $234,634 for owner Gino Toscani of Mount Hope, Ont. 

Jack Panic kept his cool on the engine, taking the Preferred Pace with Travis Henry in the sulky for Carmen Auciello.

Jack Panic protected his rail starting spot, utilizing a :26.1 opening quarter to take control of the field of nine. Jack Panic remained on top through middle-half fractions of :54.1 and 1:22.1 while Rbstenacious T (Travis Cullen) moved first-over and into the pocket. He would not be able to reach Jack Panic though, as the 4-5 favourite strode to the wire 1-1/4 lengths in front of that foe in 1:50.3. Snack Attack (Ed Hensley) secured the show spot.

The victorious seven-year-old Sportswriter-R We There Yet gelding notched his 20th career victory and fourth of the season. Jack Panic has career earnings of $443,295 and is owned by Daniel Sarafian of Unionville, Ont.

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

(Standardbred Canada, Ontario Racing & Grand River Raceway)