Breeders' Cup Beckons / Sincere Condolences

ASSINIBOIA DOWNS

The Inside Track | Issue #51 | October 28, 2022

DINING

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140 VLTS

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
VLTs, Race Carrels and Tables are sanitized between customer use.

In this edition . . .

What's happening at the Downs?
Friday & Saturday Dining Specials
Wpg 19+ Adult Expo & Market
New Year's Eve Dinner & Dance
Handicapping Homework Time!
Sincere Condolences
Off-Track Betting Locations
Photo of the Week: Chris Husbands
"I Won Bigg" Betting Group
Carryover Watch
How Do You Beat Flightline?
Canadians in the Breeders' Cup.
TravyFootball Week 8 Predictions
Snapshot in Time - Stable Fund Draw
The Best of Bob - A 16-Year Ride
Upcoming Events

Do the Downs!

SPIN TO WIN THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS IN THE CLUB WEST GAMING LOUNGE - Enter at the VLT cage every Thursday and Friday for a chance to spin the wheel to win up to $100 cash! Draws will be made every 30 minutes starting at noon.

PLAYER'S CHOICE ONLINE HANDICAPPING TOURNAMENTS:

Saturday, November 12
Saturday, December 10

Entry fee: $25. Bankroll: $60. Place 10 ($2 WPS) wagers on any North American harness or thoroughbred race that takes place on the contest day. You must have a Manitoba HPI account to participate. Deadline to enter is the Friday prior to each of the tournament dates by 4 p.m. Entry form. Rules. Current Handicapper of the Year standings.

BREEDERS' CUP 2022

Friday, Nov. 4 at 10:55 a.m. & Saturday, Nov. 5 at 9:30 a.m.

The Breeders' Cup Advance Daily Racing Forms for Friday and Saturday are available for purchase from the program kiosks. $2 each.
ASD Live Breeders' Cup Handicapping Show. Watch Thursday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. on our YouTube channel here.
3% cash back on all eligible wagering on all tracks Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5. Minimum wagered $1,000 and maximum deposit $100. ($2.10 payouts are not eligibile). Wagers must be placed on your HPI account.
Free programs & DRF for both Friday and Saturday's Keeneland cards. They will be available at all locations the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 2 (except McPhillips and Club Regent).
Breeders' Cup Brunch at Assiniboia Downs. $24.95. See menu here. Served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For reservations call 204-885-3330.
Draws for a Breeders' Cup merchandise package at all locations (except McPhllips and Club Regent).

Dining at Assiniboia Downs

HAPPY HOUR - Daily from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close

6 oz. House Wine - $4.50
House Spirits - $4.50
Domestic Beer - $4.50
Fireball - $4.50
Downs Caesar - $5.50
Pint Longshot Lager - $5.50
Poutine - $8.00
Onion Rings - $8.00
Chicken Fingers - $9.00
Cheese Nachos - $9.00
All Day NFL Sunday Special - Regular Wings $10 (all day Sunday only)

All of the above specials are dine-in only.

BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER & SNACKS

The Club West Dining Room and Lounge is open daily at 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and beverages. Our menu includes favourites such as chicken wings, pizza, chipotle mozza burger (pictured), steak sandwich or bacon and eggs plus much more! See the full menu here.

FRIDAY STEAK SPECIAL - $24.95 - 8 oz. top Sirloin charbroiled and seasoned with our smoky dry rub. Served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

PRIME RIB SATURDAY SPECIAL - $29.95 - Our signature Certified Angus Prime Rib (8 oz.) served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries, horseradish and Yorkshire pudding au jus. Served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Reservations are not required.

Wpg 19+ Adult Expo & Market plus the Naughty Halloween Party

Two amazing events at Assiniboia Downs! This Friday & Saturday!

The 19+ Adult Expo and Market takes place this Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon until 9 p.m. at Assiniboia Downs!

Don’t miss out on 50+ vendors, artisans, taboo content, tattoos on site, cannabis, vape, boudoir, crystals, taboo rigger display, food vendors, tarot reading, life-sized 19+ themed balloon sculptures and photo wall, 19+ themed characters for pictures and so much more!

There will also be interactive games and draws every hour for vendor bucks to spend at the market.

As well, Friday, October 28 features a Naughty Halloween Social from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Tickets available at wpgadultexpo.ca or at the door. Weekend passes are also available.

Don’t miss out on this one of a kind show!

New Year's Eve Dinner & Dance

Saturday, December 31 - Main Floor Ballroom

A fabulous buffet from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. featuring our renowned Certified Angus Prime Rib. See menu here.
Late lunch served
Dancing until 2:00 a.m.
Door prizes
Party favours
DJ music & lights
Free coat check
Tickets $79.95 plus taxes & gratuities. Call 204-885-3330

At The Post with G.S. Thompson

Handicapping Homework Time!

2022 Breeders' Cup Only a Week Away! Lucrative Scores Beckon!

Jockey Flavien Prat and Flightline return after winning the Malibu Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita. The favourite for this year's Breeders' Cup Classic has never lost. (Benoit Photo)

The pre-entries for Breeders’ Cup 2022 at Keeneland are in, the race orders are set, and the wagering keys for Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5 are in the locks. Time to open the doors to riches!

You have to start doing your homework early for the Breeders’ Cup, and it always pays to do so, with a chance at a life-changing score in the $1 Pick 6 on both Friday and Saturday, 50-cent Pick 4s and Pick 5s on both days, and rolling Pick 3s and Daily Doubles that can all pay big and better than anything you’ve likely hit this year.

There are always “sure things” in the Breeders’ Cup but every year a few of them find a way to get beat. Almost everyone will be keying budding superhorse Flightline in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Saturday and he’s already being compared to Secretariat.

Flightline is a perfect 5-for-5, he won his last start in the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar by 19 ¼-lengths under wraps, and in his start before that, the Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1), he overcame early trouble and recorded a Beyer Speed Figure of 126, which would have won every Breeders’ Cup Classic ever run.

The only glitch we were able to find in Flightline was when they tried to rate him too aggressively early in his career. We haven’t seen anything like that since. They let him roll smoothly now, and in his last few starts he’s galloped by graded stakes horses like they were tied to a post.

Little things like the early rating that was subsequently fixed on Flightline, along with hidden trouble, are often the keys to finding long-priced winners in the Breeders’ Cup races, any of which could trigger a huge exotic payoff in both vertical and horizontal exotic wagers.

While attending the Breeders’ Cup one year, I was in the Press Box with 50 other veteran writers (99% of whom were also gamblers) and if you hadn’t watched the replays of previous races, you quickly found yourself left behind in both wagering and discussing races with other handicappers. You can find most of the replays on the Internet with Google searches, on YouTube.com, and on a number of online wagering platforms such as HPIBet.com.

At the very least, after going through the Breeders’ Cup Past Performances, you need to watch the most recent races of any of the contenders. Breeders’ Cup Clocker Reports by Mike Welsch of the DRF can also tell you whether your contenders are working well or not. Most Breeders’ Cup entrants work fast, as good horses often do, but Keeneland has a unique dirt surface, and in this year’s case these reports may be even more important. Clocker reports may also help you smoke out some longshots that are working better than they should be. The Breeders' Cup Guide will also give you a kick start on your handicapping.

Lastly, search through the European horse racing publications looking for tidbits of information on the European runners. You might find a horse that has finished behind a fellow Breeders’ Cup entrant that is considered to be better than its more heralded rival. We found a horse like this one year based on a single sentence by a writer/handicapper in an obscure publication and every time we bet on the horse his odds went up.

He paid $68.

Next week: Our picks and analysis for Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup races.

Sincere Condolences

Linda Faye Johnston (January 12, 1953 - October 22, 2022)

Linda Johnston (right) with her sisters Donna (left) and Marion. Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press photo.

Assiniboia Downs would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of veteran horseperson and longtime backstretcher Linda Johnston, who passed away at the age of 69 on October 22, 2022.

Linda was always a pleasure to talk to in the barn, where she worked alongside her sisters Marion and Donna. Linda also ponied in the evenings, and she will be greatly missed by our entire backstretch family.

Linda always had a horse or two, and her last winner was Fried Pickles on July 6, 2020, who was trained by sister Marion. Linda found a good home in Kentucky for Fried Pickles as a broodmare, and the daughter of Malibu Stakes (G1) winner Twirling Candy had her first foal in January 2022, with another on the way. While the youngsters will carry Linda’s legacy forward in the world of horse racing, Linda’s ashes will be buried on the family plot in Birtle, Manitoba, near to where she grew up with her sisters on a farm in Solsgirth, Manitoba.

An expanded obituary is expected to be posted on the weekend, and a Celebration of Life is being planned for the spring.

Rest in peace, our friend.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE TRACK TO WAGER?

Watch and wager at one of our off-track betting locations:

Canad Inns Windsor Park - 1034 Elizabeth Road
Green Brier Inn - 1611 Main Street
Rookies at Central Hotel - 201 Melrose Avenue East
Quest Inn - 367 Ellice Avenue
McPhillips Station Casino - 484 McPhillips Street
Club Regent Casino - 1425 Regent Ave W
Nor-Villa Motor Hotel - 1763 Henderson Hwy
Club 3D - 3317 Portage Avenue
Wager 24/7 at HPIbet.com

Photo of the Week

We pulled this 2016 photo of former ASD leading rider (2014, 2016) Chris Husbands aboard Mike's Halo from the archives for good reason. Chris just won his second straight riding title at Fort Erie. That makes it four riding titles in Canada now! Congratulations Chris, well done! (Wayne Glowacki / Winnipeg Free Press photo)

Do you have an interesting photo you would like showcased in an upcoming newsletter? Email us at [email protected].

In The News

Moira, Lady Speightspeare Lead Canadian Breeders’ Cup Team

Woodbine trainers Kevin Attard, Nathan Squires and Roger Attfield have starters in the 39th Championship run at Keeneland Nov. 4 and 5

Canadian-bred star Moira (far right, white bridle) was a close second in the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1) only to be disqualified. Moira is entered in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Nov. 5. (Michael Burns photo)

Queen’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks winner Moira leads a small Canadian contingent to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships next week at Keeneland racecourse in Kentucky. The 14-race Breeders’ Cup, in its 39th year, is headlined by the $6 million Classic on November 5 and a field of nine has been entered for the 1 1/4-mile dirt race including unbeaten Flightline. More from Jennifer Morrison at the Canadian Thoroughbred here.

How Can You Beat Him?

Classic Trainers Mull Over Challenge Of Undefeated Flightline

Flightline at Keeneland. (Coady Photography)

Trainer John Sadler was watching the U.S. Open on television when he was struck by words printed on the wall behind the tennis players: “Pressure is a privilege.” Heading into next Saturday's Breeders' Cup Classic with the overwhelming favourite in undefeated Flightline, the world's highest-rated horse, Sadler couldn't help but agree. More from the Paulick Report here.

"I Won Bigg" Betting Group

This Saturday: Join the "I Won Bigg" betting group this Saturday on the plaza as they discuss the early Pick-5 at Woodbine.

Breeders' Cup Saturday: The special Breeders' Cup workshop will take place Saturday, November 5 at 9:30 a.m. on the plaza. As a special Breeders' Cup promotion, Assiniboia Downs will seed the Breeders' Cup "I Won Bigg" betting pool with $500.

Everyone is welcome. Can't make it out? Email Larry at [email protected].

Carryover Watch

Parx (October 31) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $193,771
Santa Anita (October 28) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $143,106

See all carryovers here.

SANTA ANITA $1 MILLION PICK 6 JACKPOT PAYOUT GUARANTEE*: If a player hits the single ticket Pick 6 jackpot on Saturday, October 29, the payout is guaranteed at $1,000,000. *Void if the Pick 6 jackpot is hit on Friday, October 28.

Top NFL Picks by TravyFootball: Week 8

Giants over Seahawks (Sunday afternoon): There’s only one game this week that pits two teams with winning records against each other, and it’s the highly anticipated (sarcastic voice) matchup between the 5-1 Giants and the 4-3 Seahawks. If you want to talk about two QBs that were dead in the water a year ago, it certainly would be Geno Smith and Daniel Jones. Smith wasn’t even starting games last season, and Jones looked like it was going to be his last time in a Giants uniform. Fast forward to 2022 and both of these guys are playing fairly well and have their teams in contention atop the NFC. Even writing this sounds weird because I didn’t see it coming from a mile away. Seattle was one of my candidates to be the worst team in the league, shows what I know.

Bengals over Browns (Monday night): Joe Burrow and the Bengals look to be back on track after dismantling the Falcons last week. Burrow had a whole game worth of stats (341 yards, 3 TDs) in only two quarters of work and looked very much like he did in 2021. Another battle of Ohio is on the schedule here with the Bengals travelling across state to take on the Browns, who will try to end their four-game losing skid. It’s not like the Browns have been getting blown out, as three of their four losses have been by three points or less, but whether it’s bad clock management, bad play calling, or bad QB decisions, they always find a way to lose these close games in the final few minutes. I don’t think this game will be close though, so they won’t have worry about being in that situation against the Bengals.

Patriots over Jets (Sunday noon): I was watching this game while texting a friend of mine, and I jokingly said right after Mac Jones threw a brutal interception “the Pats should put Bailey Zappe back in.” Maybe subconsciously Bill Belichick heard me say this, because sure enough I looked at my TV screen and I saw Zappe running onto the field when the Patriots got the ball back. The crowd erupted with chants of “Zappe! Zappe!” I’ve never seen a starting QB get yanked from a game that early after throwing an interception, but that’s the way Bill Belichick operates, he doesn’t care what others think. Zappe gave the Pats a jolt leading two touchdown drives early, but he was very marginal the rest of the game throwing two interceptions and fumbling once. Hopefully he will have better results against a Jets team that looked like they were gaining some momentum, until the injury bug decided to pay them a visit. Their victory over the Denver Broncos was bittersweet as they also lost rookie running back Breece Hall and offensive linemen Alijah Vera-Tucker for the year.

Last week (2-1)

Overall (14-7)

A Snapshot in Time

By Track Historian Bob Gates

In August 1968 a fund was established to assist veteran owner/trainer Joe O’Neill to assist in his recovery from a barn fire that occurred in February 1968. Lost in the tragic fire were 13 thoroughbreds which included Rosemary Henderson’s star runner Wake Island. The above is shot of the Stable Fund Draw which took place between races outside the paddock. The winner of the draw was B. H. Mitchell of Portage la Prairie, who won $1,000. (Gerry Hart photo).

The Best of Bob

by ASD Historian Bob Gates

This week Bob’s blog takes a Dickensian-like look at the date May 3rd and the 16-year span from 1969 to 1985. For one of the Downs perennial leading riders, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Cryptic enough for you? Click here and all will be explained. (From May 2019)