Grand River Raceway (GRR) has announced that its popular wiener dog races are back again this year.
Also referred to as “the most adorable race of the season,” on Friday, July 14, 28 Dachshunds will race in three heats of nine or 10 dogs in between the horse races. The three winners from each heat move on to the final race consisting of nine dogs, who then will (hopefully) dash to the finish line to take home the biscuits!
Ren’s Pets is returning as the event sponsor and will provide each wiener dog competitor a tasty and fun prize pack. Top dogs (top three winners) will get an extra special treat. Ren’s Pets will also be on-site with a booth.
“This is a race everyone can get excited about,” said Louise Frost, Marketing Coordinator at Grand River Raceway. “The local community has always been a huge supporter of this adorable event making it our most attended and busiest race night. We can’t wait to see the crowd cheering on all the wieners…wait, I mean winners!”
This is a free, family-friendly event with several options for food, entertainment and seating:
- Free entry to all: Guests are invited to find seating on the tarmac, grandstands and The GrandWay Patio.
- Visitors can purchase a wiener dog t-shirt to start or add to their GRR swag collections. T-shirts will be on sale for $20 (including tax). Cash is preferred. Limited quantity available.
- There will be three food trucks on-site to enjoy: Berlin 95, The Serial Griller and MegaCone Creamery.
- There will be a meal special available at The GrandWay Lounge: “The Top Dog Combo” available along with The Lounge's tasty race night menu. The Lounge is featuring an all-beef footlong hot dog with the works (relish, crispy onions, roasted garlic aioli) and a side of kettle chips for $10 plus taxes.
- Dixon’s Distillery and Broken Rail Brewing will be selling beverages on The GrandWay Patio.
- VIP tickets in the Captain’s Quarters are sold out. Contact [email protected] to get on the list to be contacted first when tickets go on sale next year.
Last year, a crowd of around 3,000 people attended the event. It is recommended that guests arrive early. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. GRR asks that visitors respect all guests and staff and allow everyone an opportunity to see the dogs race.
For those who enjoy wagering on the horse races (note that there is no wagering on wiener dog races), GRR will have a stacked wagering menu for the 10 races that includes a $5,000 guaranteed Early Pick 5, which kicks off in the first race. Post time is 6:30 p.m.
New to horse racing? A list of frequently asked questions regarding GRR race nights can also be found on the “Wiener Dog Race” webpage at grandriverraceway.com.
GRR live racing is scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights at 6:30 p.m.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Friday Entries - Grand River Raceway.
(With files from Grand River Raceway)