Fast Records and Quick Comebacks in Industry Day “Battles” at Grand River

Grand River Raceway celebrated its 35th annual Industry Day on Monday, August 5, welcoming fans and horseplayers to the reconfigured five-eighth mile track in Elora,ON. The 11-race card was highlighted by finals for the $245,400 Winbak Farms Battle of Waterloo and the $175,200 Battle of the Belles companion race for 2-year-old pacing fillies.

In race 6, the $20,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots leg #4 for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, 1/9 favourite Century Komodo came through for driver Doug McNair and trainer Anthony Beaton. Century Komodo (p, 3, 1:51s; $55,540) grabbed command from Chalk Hanover and James MacDonald past the 26.4 quarter, leading the way through a 56.3 half and sparring with first-over McWicked Time, in line to Travis Cullen, along the backstretch. McWicked Time backed down when Century Komodo pulled ahead at three-quarters, reached in 1:23.1. McNair’s gelding held off place finisher Chalk Hanover by a comfortable two open lengths at the wire in the 1:52.2 mile.

It was the fourth career victory for the son of Bettors Delight-Michelons Filly, a former $100,000 yearling at the 2022 London Classic Sale, bred by Century Spring Farms of Gorrie, ON. Century Komodo is owned by Domenic Chiaravalle of Hamilton, ON; Gary Volpe of St. Thomas, ON; and Cantucky Farm Inc. of Jarvis, ON.

Race 7 was the second $20,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots leg #4 for three-year-old male pacers. Lakers Bank (p, 1:51.4; $42,300) overcame post #8 to set a new divisional track record of 1:51.4 in a front-end trip for driver Trevor Henry. Favourite (4/5) McPleasant and James MacDonald sat the pocket to the 27.1 quarter. Lakers Bank shrugged off a challenge from Always a Thrill, driven by Sylvain Fillion, who got underway after the 56.1 half and chased him from first-over through three-quarters in 1:23.4. Filion’s gelding held on gamely for place as the 19/1 winner prevailed by over two lengths at the finish. McPleasant was third.

Lakers Bank is an All Bets Off-Victorias Vett gelding bred by Lara Lake-Nontell of Elgin, ON. He is trained by Tim Myers and owned by Val Spar Stables of West Hill, ON. It was the fifth 2024 win for Lakers Bank, who was unraced at age two. His new 1:51.4 record was—briefly—the fastest 2024 mile by a 3-year-old pacing gelding in Canada.

In race 8, the third $20,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots leg #4 for 3-year-old male pacers, 1/5 favourite The Vicar (p, 3, 1:50.3s; $39,182) and driver Louis-Philippe Roy opted to take back to fifth off the gate, sitting behind an early four-horse battle won by Tamworth Boy and Jody Jamieson, who led to the opening quarter in 26 flat. The Vicar pursued Tamworth Boy from first-over into the second turn, clearing past the 55 flat half and then facing a challenge from Sports Activator, driven by Brett MacDonald. Bridle-to-bridle past three-quarters in 1:22.4, 30/1 Sports Activator and The Vicar kept dueling down the stretch of the 1:51.1 mile, with the latter pulling ahead by less than a length to rewrite the new Grand River divisional record. The Vicar is now Canada’s fastest three-year-old male (colt or gelding) pacer on a 5/8-mile track this season.

The Vicar is a free-legged gelding by Artspeak, out of St. Lads Billie Jean, bred by St. Lads Farm of Belleville, ON. A former $26,000 yearling at the 2022 Atlantic Classic Sale, he is trained by Tyler Moore and owned by Glb Stable of Lakeview, NS. The Grassroots win was his eighth lifetime win and fifth this season.

Race 9 saw Sauble Ace (p, 3, 1:51s; $123,042) and Jason Ryan stage a mild upset in the $11,000 Button Up Preferred-2. Ideal Perception and driver Anthony Haughan blasted off the gate to take early control. They were confronted by Arties Ideal and Samuel Fillion on the first turn, who cleared past the 26.1 quarter. Ideal Perception instantly pulled ahead again, opening up past the 54.2 half. Palladium Hanover and Travis Cullen began a first-over bid on the backstretch, but couldn’t catch Ideal Perception, all alone up front at three-quarters in 1:22.2. A three-wide late rally from Sauble Ace steadily diminished Ideal Perception’s lead, and the 7/2 winner beat him to the wire by a half-length in 1:51.1.

The win was a seasonal-best for Sauble Ace in his fourth 2024 victory. The four-year-old stallion son of Betterthancheddar-Ambrosia Seelster is owned by breeders Sauble Hill Farms of Tara, ON and Nasussito Racing Inc. of Ayr, ON, and trained by Otis Hall.

Button Up Preferred -Sauble Ace, Driver Jason Ryan  |  Photo credit: Tiffany Chantel

The Battle of the Belles final saw Wicked N Single (p, 2, 1:53.2; $171,966) 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.

Battle of the Belles Winner – Wicked N Single, Driver James MacDonald  |  Photo credit: Tiffany Chantel

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 1:53.2 victory.

Wicked N Single is a McWicked filly out of Better Single, owned by Lisa Lafort of Waterdown, ON and David Mercer of Westmount, NS. 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 James 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 (p, 2, 1:51.1; $93,800) 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 flat 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.

Battle of Waterloo Winner – Stonebridge Wizard, Driver Doug McNair  |  Photo credit: Tiffany Chantel

Stonebridge Wizard, a gelded son of Dancin Lou-Odds On Magic, is owned by David Kryway of Amherstburg, ON and bred by Angie Stiller of London, ON. The former $32,000 London Classic yearling has four wins and a place finish in his first five career starts for trainer Jared Bako. His Battle of Waterloo title established a new track record for 2-year-old male pacers, plus surpassed his own Canadian seasonal record for 2-year-old pacing geldings to become fastest of all for his age and gait on a Canadian five-eighth-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 no 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 2-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.”

Handle for the day was $580,074.

Live racing resumes at Grand River on Wednesday, July 7 at 6:30 pm (Eastern).