Heather McGrail -- Alameda County Fair Board of Directors.

It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

McGrail is a new member of the Fair Board of Directors and is going through her first Alameda County Fair as a board director.

But the McGrail name is hardly new to the group, as her father Jim was a board member for some time before passing away five years ago.

Now the next generation of McGrail has assumed a spot on the board, guaranteeing the name is relevant when it comes to leadership at the Alameda County Fair.

"A lot of this is keeping my father's legacy alive," the 39-year-old McGrail said while visiting the stable area at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton recently. "Being on the board was something I would not have known if it wasn't for my dad. He loved the horse track and I always loved coming to the races with him."

If the last name sounds familiar more than just for the fair board, it should. McGrail Vineyards is one of the top wineries in the Tri-Valley and was Jim's baby. After he died, Heather McGrail assumed more responsibility in the winery and is now the president of the company.

A mother of three, McGrail possesses the drive of a successful businesswoman but without sacrificing being an attentive, involved mother.

It was the parenting part that may have ultimately led to the decision to apply for an opening on the fair board.

McGrail's 13-year-old daughter Kylie has been involved in 4-H for some time now, meaning there was going to be plenty of time spent on the grounds during the fair, a big time of year for the local 4-H chapters.

"When my dad was on the board, my daughter was in fourth grade and doing 4-H," explained McGrail. "I was down (at the fair) all the time. After last year, I thought since I am down here all the time I might as well be involved."

It came to fruition toward the end of 2022 when there was an opening on the fair board. With the Wente family no longer involved with the board, McGrail felt compelled to apply.

"The opening came around and there was no wine representation on the board," McGrail said. "With this being an agricultural fair, how was there no wine representation? We need to find a way to marry wineries and the fair."

With the fair board now a part of her life, McGrail has been blessed with an efficient staff and organization at the winery that lets her fulfill her duties.

"I have such a great team at McGrail that it allows me time to do other stuff, like the fair board," McGrail said.

With December being when her initial board meeting took place, McGrail is still in the infant stages of being a member, but she is embracing the learning curve and taking in all the information she can.

"It's really been all about learning so much about the fair," McGrail said of her time already spent on the board. "I honestly did not realize how much the fairgrounds people do during the rest of the year. It's amazing everything that happens here."

McGrail took spots on the Agriculture and Fair Operations committees for starters. More learning has followed.

"I feel like I am in the discovery phase of being on the fair board," McGrail said.

There was a purpose she selected those two committees for her initial assignments. By picking the Fair Operations Committee, it gives McGrail a base of understanding the inner workings of the fair.

As for the Agricultural Committee -- well, that was natural.

The fairgrounds is currently raising funds to build The Farm, which will be a working exhibition farm in the heart of the fairgrounds when done.

It will be a living and breathing chance for kids to get hands-on experience with crops, livestock and agricultural ecosystems.

In short, with her experience at the winery, could there be a better fit?

"It's going to be an educational facility for kids to learn all about farming," McGrail said of The Farm. "I'm not going to forget about the growing of grapes. Who knows -- maybe a student will learn about growing grapes and when they get to college, maybe they will go to U.C. Davis and study viticulture or enology?"

There was another reason McGrail decided to join the fair board.

"It's the largest event in Alameda County each year," McGrail said. "It makes sense that (the fair) needs to be an important component of the wine industry."

McGrail Vineyards opened in 2008 and has grown to 7,500 cases of wine a year, up from 1,500 cases in the early years. And wineries like McGrail have helped bring the Livermore Valley from an average wine area to one that offers an alternative to competing wine regions.

"I think with the quality of the wine in the Livermore Valley increasing and improving, we need to be more involved with the fair," she said. "It just makes sense."

While she is not on the Racing Committee, McGrail carries a soft spot for racing, thanks in large part to her father's love of the sport.

"I feel like racing is what I know the least, but this is an exciting time to be on the board," McGrail said. "To me, racing is a key component of the fair."

She is seeing a winery in the Tri-Valley honored with a named race each day of the horse racing slate this summer. This Friday (June 23) will be the day of the "McGrail Race".

For her kids, it is going to be pretty cool to have mom on their local fair board.

Kylie is now raising 10 pigs on their farm and will have another full 4-H slate this year during the fair run.

Gracie is 10 but has chosen to not follow Kylie's 4-H run.

"She tried, but once she heard the pig squeal when we were tagging it, that was all it took," McGrail said with a laugh.

Finally, Colton is the youngest at 7 years old, but it appears he is following in grandpa's shoes.

"He is all excited about the horse races and being there for them," McGrail said.

Horse racing highlights at the 2023 fair

Friday also starts the second weekend of racing and will bring forward the start of the stakes races for the fair.

Kicking off the run will be the $75,000 She's A Tiger stakes, an 8.5-furlong test named in honor of the 2013 American Champion 2-year-old Filly Eclipse award winner.

She's A Tiger made her debut at the Alameda County Fair in 2013 for Pleasanton-based Jeff Bonde and won by nine lengths in a 5-furlong race.

She went on to end her first year of racing by crossing the line first in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies but was controversially disqualified and placed second for interference in the stretch.

July 1 will be the $75,000 Oak Tree Sprint, a 6-furlong sprint bringing out some of the top sprinters in Northern California.

The next day will see the inaugural running of the Mary Clare Schmitt Oaks, celebrating the life of the race namesake who passed earlier this year. Longtime Pleasanton residents, Clare, and her husband George Sr., were iconic players in the horse racing industry as owners and breeders of horses.

George will be a guest at the Daily Handicapping Seminar on the day of the race to talk about Clare.

Closing day, July 9, will bring the richest race in the history of the Northern California fair circuit in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile. It is the debut for the Mile, which is planned to be a cornerstone of racing in Pleasanton for years to come.

Also, on July 9 there is the running of the Everett Nevin, a $75,000 race that brings together top 2-year-olds around Northern California, with an occasional Southern California shipper dotting the lineup.

Post time every day of racing is set for 1:45 p.m. The Daily Handicapping Seminar will be held each day at 12:30 p.m. on the stage located right behind the racing grandstands.

For more information, check out the fair website at www.alamedacountyfair.com.