Tonight marks the first of 19 Fun & Frivolity Friday race nights at Grand River Raceway
.
The Friday line-up includes a slew of interactive Tarmac Show favourites, including The Price Is Almost Right, Is That $100 In Your Pocket? and the popular Bouncy Pony Stakes.
New Friday night features include a prime rib buffet in the half-miler's tiered dining room, the Captain's Quarters.
Also debuting tonight is The NEIGHbourhood — a hands-on equine education program for kids. Held under the Tarmac Tent, The NEIGHbourhood incorporates interactive classroom resources and two retired Standardbred racehorses to teach youngsters the basics of horses and harness racing.
In addition to the equine curriculum, The NEIGHbourhood also boasts a dynamic horse craft station which includes materials for kids to create trophies for their favourite horses, and design their own driving colours. The NEIGHbourhood is free, and suitable for kids of all ages. Parental supervision is required.
Tonight's card also serves as a fundraising event for the Breast Screening Program at Groves Memorial Hospital in nearby Fergus, ON. Grand River Raceway will match all sales from a Penny Auction in the main lobby, and donate $200 to the program on behalf of the winner in tonight's inaugural 2010 Bouncy Pony Stakes. Decked out in pink, Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society coordinator Joanne Colville will lead tonight's post parades with retired Standardbred Spoonman, who is owned by her sister Annemarie, a cancer survivor.
Dawn Lupul joins the Grand River Raceway broadcast team as the race announcer for each Friday night in 2010. Lupul and Grand River Raceway made history together last year when Lupul became the first woman in Canadian harness racing to announce a full card.
The Elora, ON half-miler is now racing Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights for the duration of the summer. Post time for tonight's card is 6:30 p.m.
To access a special $5 betting voucher offer for tonight's prime rib buffet, visit the Grand River Raceway Facebook page.
To view tonight's entries, click here.