Due to the significant rainfall which occurred this past Sunday, Clinton Raceway was forced to cancel its July 22 race card due to unsafe track conditions. The third annual Vic Hayter Memorial Trot had been scheduled as the final race of the 11-dash matinee at the Huron County oval.
"It's very unfortunate that we had to cancel," Ian Fleming, Clinton's general manager, has stated, "but the safety of the horse and all personnel come first in these situations." The decision was made to reschedule the race in honour of the late Stratford Ontario hotelier and horseman Vic Hayter to this coming Sunday (July 29).
The $5 raffle, silent auction and Pineridge Beef BBQ will all be held in conjunction with the already-scheduled fundraiser for the Lake Huron Pony Club.
"In the end, both groups are going to benefit from the merging of these two events," commented track marketer Jessica Carnochan. "They had different fundraising ideas planned, and they will definitely complement each other.” The beneficiaries of the Vic Hayter events are the Stratford Perth Humane Society and the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society, two causes very near and dear to the late Vic Hayter.
The National Caretaker Appreciation events will also take place this Sunday. All of the caretakers on the day’s race card will be provided with lunch, courtesy of the raceway and the Hayter family. All caretakers in attendance will have the chance to win some great prizes, and those that visit the winner's circle will be provided with a print, from harness artist Michelle Hogan and a commemorative photo.
Race fans will be treated to two miniature exhibition horse races, and have the opportunity to meet the pint-sized horses at the grandstand for petting and photos.
A shot of the winner’s circle after the 2017 edition of the Vic Hayter Memorial Trot (Photo courtesy Clinton Raceway)
The second of three planned Trackside Local Markets will round out the day’s activities. "We hosted our first one the last Sunday in June," Carnochan commented. "The vendors were really excited about the atmosphere, and the fans liked having something additional to take in during the race card." Vendors featuring locally-made wares, ranging from pallet furniture to soap and jewelry, will be set up around the facility during the afternoon.
First-race post time for the July 29 card of live racing will be 1:30 p.m. More details and information on this, and the remainder of the 2018 season, can be found at clintonraceway.com.
(Clinton Raceway)