Grand River Raceway celebrated its 35th annual Industry Day on Monday, Aug. 5, welcoming fans and horseplayers to the reconfigured five-eighths mile track in Elora, Ont. The 11-race card was highlighted by finals for the $245,400 Winbak Farms Battle of Waterloo for Ontario-sired two-year-old male pacers and the $175,200 Battle of the Belles companion race for two-year-old pacing fillies.
The Battle of the Belles final saw Wicked N Single and driver James MacDonald find redemption after a place finish in their July 29 elimination. The winner survived inquiry about a possible pylon violation on the last turn. Judges ruled that Wicked N Single went inside one pylon, and hit the next, but no violation. She stayed up for the biggest win of her career to date. Place finisher Manhattan Mayhem was ruled to have interfered with Wickedpace, so she was set back to third and Wickedpace moved up to second.
Famous Fast Words set the early pace for Travis Henry, but was overtaken by Wickedpace and Jody Jamieson before the :26.2 quarter. First-over Wicked N Single cleared Wickedpace soon after that point, leading to the half in 56 flat. Manhattan Mayhem and driver Doug McNair tipped fifth-over from fourth on the second turn, gradually gaining ground on the outside until they reached Wicked N Single's sulky wheel at three-quarters, reached in 1:24.3. MacDonald's filly held off late moves by Wickedpace, Manhattan Mayhem, and hard-charging Oneformybaby (Trevor Henry) for the lifetime 1:53.2 victory.
Now a winner of $171,966 in her career, Wicked N Single is a McWicked filly out of Better Single, owned by Lisa Lafort of Waterdown, Ont. and David Mercer of Westmount, N.S. She is trained by Anthony Beaton, who also shares breeder credits with Mercer. The Battle of the Belles final is the July 6 OSS Gold winner's third victory, in her fifth career start.
"I was sweating pretty bad," said driver MacDonald after the race. "You know, everyone in the winners' circle here is here celebrating and cheering, and then to have something like that happen...It put the damper on the situation for sure, but I'm glad they made the right call. I'm happy for the owners and the trainer and the horse herself. She earned it."
Anthony Beaton was emotional after the win, part of a strong comeback after a tough start to the year. "That stuff's all behind me now," he said. "We're hoping to have a lot of success, continued success, as we go forward...She's our first homebred baby, and I've got to thank Winbak Farms for raising her like they did. They did a tremendous job, and hopefully they do the same job with the full sister that we're getting there this fall."
Doug McNair found redemption in the Winbak Farms Battle of Waterloo final, driving Stonebridge Wizard to the gelding's fourth lifetime win.
The 5/2 second choice left strongly, followed from the pocket by Sterling Choice and Tyler Borth. Challenger Fifth And Five, in line to Jody Jamieson, came calling past the :26 opening quarter, but couldn't make front. Stonebridge Wizard battled back to the :53.1 half, with 3/5 favourite Fifth and Five parked first-over. The pacers were four-wide approaching three-quarters, as Out Of Ice (Trevor Henry) and Allstar Maniac (James MacDonald) stacked up outside of Fifth And Five, while McNair's horse maintained a half-length advantage to that point, reached in 1:22.1. Stonebridge Wizard kept ahead of Sterling Choice in a close, 1:51.2 battle to the wire. Tito N Cheddar (Louis-Philippe Roy) closed for show.
Stonebridge Wizard, a gelded son of Dancin Lou-Odds On Magic, is owned by David Kryway of Amherstburg, Ont. The former $32,000 London Classic yearling, bred by Angie Stiller of London, Ont., yearling has four wins and a place finish in his first five career starts for trainer Jared Bako along with $93,800 in earnings. His Battle of Waterloo win time established a new track record for two-year-old male pacers, and surpassed his own Canadian seasonal record for two-year-old pacing geldings to become fastest of all for his age and gait on a Canadian five-eighths mile track this year.
In the winners' circle, McNair explained his driving strategy, and coming back after being set back from the Battle of the Belles place finish.
"Obviously you have to turn the page when something like that happens, and I didn't know how I was going to go about it," he said. "When I made the front so easy [with Stonebridge Wizard], I mean, no one did me any favours...As soon as I crossed over, I said, 'they're gonna have to go a pretty good half to get around me.' I was still think about letting Jody go [with Fifth And Five] ahead into the second turn, but I knew if I let him go, our race was over. We'd have no shot at winning."
McNair praised Stonebridge Wizard's effort: "He was handy and he's a real nice colt. He's so professional."
Assistant trainer Scott Bako said the 2024 Battle of Waterloo champion was always a barn favourite. "He's never really done a whole lot to disappoint us. He's just consistently kept getting stronger and stronger...He's a big, strong, rangy kind of a colt, and he is bigger than most of the colts who are in here as a two-year-old. He's a colt that does kind of set up where when they go more fractions in here, it will suit him, because he does cover the ground so well."
Prince Archie ($8.40) won the $11,000 Preferred 2 Trot by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:55.2 with Steven Hudon in the bike for Laura Toscani. Owned by Gino Toscani, the winning four-year-old gelding is a son of Archangel and the Muscles Yankee mare Belle Of The Ball. Winning in a new career best time, the victory was his ninth of the year in 23 starts and 14th career tally in 43 starts.
"The Button Up" Preferred Pace, worth $11,000, was won by Sauble Ace ($9.70), who was driven by Jason Ryan to a half length win in 1:51.1. Otis Hall trains the Betterthancheddar - Ambrosia Seelster horse for breeder/owners Sauble Hill Farms and Nasussito Racing Inc.
Three $20,000 divisions of the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Series for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings went to the gate on the Monday afternoon card.
Century Komodo (Bettors Delight - Michelons Filly) led the way with a 1:52.2 score by 2-3/4 lengths for driver Doug McNair, trainer Anthony Beaton, and owners Domenic Chiaravalle, Gary Volpe, and Cantucky Farm Inc. He paid $2.20 to win.
Lakers Bank ($41.00) followed in the second division with a 20-1 upset, winning by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:51.4. With Trevor Henry in the bike, the sophomore All Bets Off - Victorias Vett gelding is trained by Tim Myers for Val Spar Stables.
Rounding out the trio of divisions, The Vicar ($2.40) zipped to a swift 1:51.1 triumph by three-quarters of a length with Louis-Philippe Roy holding the lines. Tyler Moore trains the Artspeak - St Lads Billiejean gelding for Glb Stable.
Handle for the day was $580,074. Live harness racing resumes at Grand River on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 pm (ET).
To view Monday's harness racing results, click the following link: Monday Results - Grand River Raceway.
Live video from the 2024 Industry Day card of harness racing is available below.
GRAND RIVER LIVE FEED
COSA-TV FEED
(Standardbred Canada / Grand River Raceway)