After more than five decades as Huron County's home for harness racing, the grandstand at Clinton Raceway is due for a major upgrade this fall.
Known as one of Ontario’s grassroots jewels, the site features live harness racing, a casino and simulcast race coverage as well as a nearby playground and skatepark. Adding a modern grandstand will enhance the experience and ensure harness racing continues to be a cherished part of the sports landscape in Huron County and beyond.
As part of the grandstand renovation, a new 400-person capacity grandstand will be built and the ever-popular patio space will increase in size and be raised to track level. This move will allow more fans to be closer to the sights and sounds of the homestretch. The wooden bench seating in the upper grandstand will be replaced by all bucket seats offering patrons a more enjoyable experience for a full card of racing. The biggest benefit of the grandstand renovation is increased accessibility. Previously limited by the age of the facility, starting next season, staff of Clinton Raceway are excited to offer more fans an even better experience.
“The old grandstand had its limits in terms of what we were able to accommodate,” said Ian Fleming, General Manager of Clinton Raceway. "The biggest reason to take on a project of this magnitude is to ensure we’re able to offer more people a better experience. Between the increased accessibility, bucket grandstand seating and track-level patio, there’s something for everyone in this rebuild.”
Contributions from Ontario Racing (OR), Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and Clinton Raceway, and the support of the Municipality of Central Huron ensured the project, which was first envisioned three years ago, came to fruition. With the support secured, the project went to engineering firm Agri-Urban builders from Dresden utilizing many local contractors.
“The team at Clinton Raceway have a long history providing quality grassroots harness racing and a new, modern grandstand will help ensure more fans and people are able to enjoy horse racing and local hosted events at a modern venue in Huron County,” said Andrew Gaughan, Independent Chair of Ontario Racing. “The financial support for this grandstand received via the Ontario Racing Capital Fund allocated in partnership with the OLG and the Ontario Government, through the long-term funding agreement for Ontario horse racing creates a strong, competitive industry across the province.”
The project will commence at the end of the 2024 meet and is set to be completed prior to the start of the 2025 season next May. Starting in September, Agri-Urban will begin by completely tearing down and removing the old grandstand before getting started on the rebuild.
Moving forward, the Clinton Raceway team is confident the investments made in the fan experience will also benefit horse racing participants and the local economy.
“By making the facility fully accessible and having a great seating area, we will be able to attract other events to rent the space. The rental income we generate will go directly into our purse account. Our purse sponsorship program [led by the generous support of the family of Vic Hayter] has contributed an additional $50,000 to the funds provided by Ontario Racing,” said Fleming, noting that owners and trainers reinvest purse earnings into the sport, so the additional funds will have a positive ripple effect on the local economy.
With deep community roots dating back a half century, Clinton Raceway continues to invest, innovate and give back, ensuring generations more will benefit and be part of the exciting sport of horse racing.
(Clinton Raceway)