ELORA- Action-packed racing returns to Grand River Raceway Wednesday as the 2025 harness racing season kicks off at the Elora oval. Racing fans can look forward to 48 action-packed race nights running every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through September, including 22 Ontario Sires Stakes events.
Raceway Manager Jenna MacDonell says there are plenty of new additions for the 2025 racing season that everyone will enjoy.
“The thing I am most excited about is the new kids area, which is called The NEIGHbourhood (Kid’s Area). The aim of the NEIGHbourhood is education, and we plan to have a couple of exhibits about what it’s like to be a racehorse and information on horses in general, as well as a brand-new virtual reality (VR) experience, which will show kids (and also adults) what it’s like to be in a race, which is very cool.”
The area will be open Friday nights in June and September and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during July and August. This area, as well as admission to the racetrack, is always free.
That’s not the only thing that is brand new. MacDonell says that the broadcast has also made some new upgrades.
“We are going to have a new look, new feel, and a couple of new features as part of our broadcast show, and it’s just going to make for a very interesting program.”
There will also be a new racing analyst in the Grand River family, as Western Fair Raceway Track announcer Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle will take over the reins from former racing analyst Robert Reid Jr., who stepped down after last year’s racing season to pursue a new role as an AGCO racing official. Since making his debut in June of 2021, he has been the sole analyst in that role.
Special events this season include the popular Wiener Dog Races on July 4th, with multiple races through the evening. And for racing fans, the signature day of the year, which is Industry Day, features both the $175,000 Battle of The Belles (2YO Filly Pacers) and the $245,000 Battle of Waterloo presented by Winbak Farms (2YO Open Pacers) on August 4th with a special post time of 12:30pm. Also, a special night for breast cancer awareness is Harness the Hope Night, which raises funds to support young women facing cancer diagnoses and to advance awareness, research, early detection, and treatment for breast cancer. The event is driven by a commitment to help those directly impacted now and in the future.
Since its first race date on April 24th, 2004, Grand River for over a decade has kept bringing back not just racing fans but also newcomers to the sport and to connect them to the industry.
“It really is a full-circle moment at Grand River,” MacDonell said. “We are very involved with our community, and we truly see the value in connecting everybody. We love to connect the community with our horse population and our horse people, and I think it’s good for everyone.”
MacDonell adds, “Grand River Raceway is certainly well-loved by both our horse racing community and the community of Centre Wellington.”
The opening night card features 10 races, including the feature race of the night in Race 9, which is the Preferred 2 Handicap. New post time, and for the rest of the racing season, it is at 6:20pm.
For complete details, visit www.grandriverraceway.com/events
