ELORA – Grand River Raceway (GRR) will be heading into a new era of racing this upcoming season as it debuts a larger track that new raceway manager said will make for more exciting races.
The GRR race season begins June 5 and this year the horses won’t be racing on the usual half-mile track, but on the brand new longer and wider five-eighths mile track.
Jenna MacDonell, GRR’s newest raceway manager, said in an interview the change elevates GRR almost to the level of other well-known tracks in Ontario.
“I know the local horse community is extremely excited about this brand new track, I think it’s just going to be a very exciting season,” said MacDonell.
The decision to create a bigger track predates MacDonell’s time with GRR, having just started as raceway manager about four weeks prior to the interview, but she said a lot has changed in the industry since GRR was first built over 20 years ago that makes this a good move.
“There are less tracks than previously, so this move to make this a five-eighths mile track I think was a very good one because I think it puts us right up there and really makes it great for the industry to have access to this,” MacDonell said. “Other than Georgia Downs in Barrie there isn’t really another (five-eighths track).”
A bigger track, MacDonell explained, means more action in the mile as the horses have more room to move.
“They’re not hindered by the tight turns on a tighter track, they have a little bit longer of a straightaway, they have nice wide turns,” MacDonell said. “There’s more chances for the horses to win.”
With this in mind, MacDonell said this has an impact on betting as horses that may have been stuck at the back of the pack might be able to win and place when they normally wouldn’t have been able to do so.
“It opens the door for different types of bets, it opens the doors for gamblers to have more chances to win,” MacDonell said.
She also expects people will be more willing to bring younger and less experienced horses too that aren’t quite ready for a track like Woodbine Mohawk Park.
“We’ve been racing here for the last 20 years and it’s been world class races, but I think it just elevates it even more now that we have that bigger track,” MacDonell said.
GRR will still focus on creating a community vibe and a family-friendly atmosphere with free activity bags each race night for children and events like the popular wiener dog race night coming on July 12.
Coming from a harness horse racing family – MacDonell’s father is hall of fame driver Paul MacDonell – she said she’s personally excited to get to be a part of this new era for GRR as it has always been one of her favourite tracks.
“I’m just so excited that I get to be a part of pushing the industry forward and especially on such a monumental season,” MacDonell said. “It’s just basically the dawn of a new era and I’m so excited to get to be there for it and help the industry grow, develop and sustain itself over the years.”
GRR kicks off race season on Wednesday June 5 with a community celebration with a BBQ on the GrandWay patio. A formal ribbon cutting ceremony will take place the following week on June 12.
Race nights are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a 6:30 p.m. post time.
Other specialty race nights this season include:
- Wiener dog races on July 12
- Industry Day featuring the Battle of Waterloo, Aug. 5 with a special 12:30 p.m. post time
- Harness the Hope Night on Aug. 30
- National Caretaker Appreciation Day on Sept. 6
