The stage is set for the elimination rounds of Grand River Raceway’s signature race, the 14th annual $300,000 Battle of Waterloo, and its companion race, the third annual $150,000 Battle of the Belles.

A total of 18 freshmen Ontario-sired pacing colts and 24 fillies will face off in three respective divisions on Monday, July 25. The top nine finishers for each Battle will advance to their finals on Industry Day, the track’s annual horse racing celebration, on Monday, August 1.

Headlining the colts in the Battle Of Waterloo is Warrawee Needy. Trained by five-time Battle Of Waterloo winner Carl Jamieson, the E Dees Cam colt is undefeated in five career starts and has a Canadian season’s record, track record and Ontario Sires Stakes record to his credit.

A $20,000 purchase at last year’s Canadian Yearling Sale, Warrawee Needy has banked $178,500 for Jamieson and co-owners Tom Kyron, Dr. Michael Wilson and Floyd Marshall. He enters his first race over a half-mile track with a mark of 1:51.4, taken in his first OSS Gold Elimination win at Mohawk Racetrack on June 27. He will be driven by three-time Battle Of Waterloo winner Jody Jamieson. Warrawee Needy will start from the trailing position (post nine) in the final division (race nine).

Gregg and Doug McNair – winners in the 2008 Battle Of Waterloo with Trail Boss – have two hopefuls in OSS Grass Roots winners Aviator Seelster (race four) and Secretsoftheknight (race nine).

Last year’s Battle Of Waterloo winner with Prodigal Seelster, Dave Menary campaigns 2011 hopeful North Shore Boy. Four-time Battle Of Waterloo winner Randy Waples will steer the Jeremes Jet son from the rail in the first division.

Machapelo finished third to Warrawee Needy in their latest OSS Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway on July 18. The Mach Three colt avoids the confrontation in Monday’s eliminations, but lands the outside post (eight) in the first division. He is a winner of $26,450 and will be driven for the first time by Scott Zeron for trainer Mike Keeling.

Your Nemesis and trainer Stephen Gillard won the second edition of the Battle Of Waterloo in 1999, and now the pair are looking for a shot at the Battle Of The Belles with Your Beautiful. She set a Canadian season’s record in her first of two career wins with an impressive 1:55.4 finish in an OSS Grassroots event at Hiawatha Horse Park on June 30. Stuart Sowerby will drive the winner of $38,500 from post seven in the first division.

Jason Libby trained the 2001 Battle Of Waterloo winner Dreamfair Vogel who retained sole ownership of the 1:55.4 stakes record for five years. His hopeful in this year’s Battle Of The Belles is Fine Art Mindale – the quickest of the bunch with a 1:54.1 score in her latest overnight race at Mohawk Racetrack on July 18. The Modern Art miss is a winner of two from three for earnings of $14,600. She will start from post six in race seven with Phil Hudon

Ben Wallace also has a contender in race seven with Classy Lane Rose. Paul MacDonell will pilot the Jeremes Jet filly from post three. She rallied hard in her last start from post seven to come from the back of the pack to finish two lengths in the runner-up spot in her own time of 1:53. The homebred miss is co-owned by Jamie Millier.

Post positions for both finals will be drawn on the Tarmac Show at Grand River Raceway on Monday evening. In the Battle Of The Belles eliminations, the top three finishers from each division will advance to the final. The top four finishers in each of the Battle Of Waterloo divisions, plus one of the two second-place finishers (as drawn by lot), will advance.

The Battle Of The Belles will be drawn following race eight. The draw for the Battle Of Waterloo will follow race ten. Both draws will be broadcast as part of the track’s simulcast show.

Post time for race one on Monday, July 25 is 7:10 p.m. Both finals will be featured during Grand River Raceway’s marquee event, Industry Day, on Monday August 1, with a special afternoon post of 1:30 p.m.

For complete Industry Day details, visit www.GrandRiverRaceway.com.

(courtesy Standardbred Canada)