ASSINIBOIA DOWNS
The Inside Track | Issue #34 | July 1, 2022
  • 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?
  • Canada Day Fireworks & Festival
  • Race Night Dining
  • Brown Vaults to Lead in Standings
  • Tiz a Cyclone Wins 5/6 at First Show
  • Snapshot in Time - Jockey Dean Kutz
  • Partner Locations
  • Photo of the Week - A Winning Sunset
  • Genes Linked to Soundness
  • Tornado Racing All-Women Syndicate
  • Carryover Watch
  • Bob: Horse From '40s Demands Attention
  • Upcoming Events
Do the Downs!
SPIN TO WIN THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS IN THE CLUBWEST GAMING LOUNGE - Enter at the VLT cage every Thursday and Friday for a chance to spin the wheel for up to $100 cash! Draws will be made every 30 minutes starting at noon.
MONDAY MADNESS - 3% cash back on all eligible racing on Monday, July 4, 11, 18 & 25. Minimum wagered $100 (per Monday). Maximum deposit $25 on eligible wagering each Monday. Wagers must be placed on HPIbet.com account to qualify. ($2.10 payoffs not included). Promotion deposit will be made on Wednesdays.
ASD PLAYER PORTAL - All the important information you need for Assiniboia Downs live racing is now in one place! Watch the live feed and ASD Live handicapping show in HD. Plus free online ASD programs, free Brisnet pps, jockey bios, expert tips from ASD, Canadian Thoroughbred and Horse Racing Nation. Bookmark this page and check back daily as programs and picks will be added as they are available.
FAN EDUCATION CENTRE - If you’re new to racing make sure to stop by and see Shannon and Brad at the Fan Education Centre on the main level during live racing. They are available from 6 p.m. to the end of racing to answer all your questions. Learn how to make a wager, what the odds mean, how to read the racing program and more! And while you're there, they can help you open a free online HPIbet.com account.
CHASE THE ACE - Play Chase the Ace every live race night. Ace of Diamonds wins the $1,000 jackpot. Other prizes: Either Joker $100, any other card $25. Tickets are $5 and available at Guest Services from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The draw will be made at 9:30 p.m. Proceeds in support of Final Furlong.

Final Furlong is a Manitoba-based charity that helps find good homes for retired racehorses and pony horses. Visit them on Facebook @FinalFurlongCanada.
ONLINE TOURNAMENT DATES: The next Las Vegas Challenge Tournament goes Monday, July 16. The deadline to enter is Saturday, July 14 at 1 p.m. No late entries will be accepted. Entry form. Tournament rules.

PRIZES: 1st Place: Trip for two to Las Vegas *, 2nd Place: $500, 3rd Place: $250

QUALIFY DAILY: Qualify every live race day for a reduced entry fee by picking three winners on the ASD race card.

ENTRY FEE: $50 which you can reduce to zero by predicting three winners on the ASD race cards leading up to the tournament. 

For more information, tournament rules and qualifying days please email Sheri at [email protected].

(* The winner of the tournament will be provided $3,500 to book their trip and accommodations to Las Vegas)
Race Night Dining
TERRACE DINING ROOM PRIME RIB BUFFET: Back after a long awaited pandemic hiatus is ASD's delectable all-you-can eat Prime Rib buffet filled with lots of choices including signature classics and what are sure to be your new favourites!
  • Buffet highlights include signature certified Angus prime rib of beef carvery, seafood table featuring jumbo shrimp and salmon, fresh salads and side dishes prepared with locally grown vegetables
  • Rotating entree selections of tender grilled chicken, crispy fried fish, sticky BBQ ribs, roasted meats and artisan sausages
  • Dessert table features warm fresh baked pies and your choice of ice cream plus cheesecakes, tortes and our famous bourbon bacon brownie
  • Complimentary programs and tip sheets
  • The table is yours for the entire evening of racing
  • Adults - $47.95, Seniors (65+) - $44.95, Kids 12 & under - $27.95, Kids 5 & under - $14.95
  • Reservations are required. Call 204-885-3330.

PLAZA DINING: Looking for a more casual dining experience during racing? Tables on the plaza (with a view of the track) are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
  • Choose from the Clubhouse a la carte Race Night Menu.
  • The table is yours for the entire evening of racing.
  • Minimum charge $20 per person
At The Post with G.S. Thompson
Camano Comet won the 7th race on Tuesday evening at ASD, completing the hat trick on the card for trainer Jared Brown, jockey Jorge Carreno and groom Susan Crane. Congratulations! (Jason Halstead photo)
Brown Vaults to Lead in Trainer Standings, Carreno opens up
Jared Brown, Jorge Carreno and groom Susan Crane score hat trick on Tuesday
Jared Brown vaulted to the lead in the trainer standings with a hat trick on Tuesday night, Jorge Carreno opened up in the jockey standings, former Manitoba champion Melisandre suffered her second lifetime defeat after eight straight wins, and Harold Wiens won the first Player's Choice Handicapping Tournament of the summer season.

Brown, Carreno and groom Susan Crane teamed up on Tuesday evening to win the third race with My Cowboy ($3.30), the sixth with Creative Feature ($3.60) and the seventh with overlay Camano Comet ($10.70). The hat trick gave Brown eight wins on the season and vaulted him to the lead in the trainer standings. Brown is now one win up on Shelley Brown, who is off to an unusually fast start this year with seven wins. Three-time leading trainer Jerry Gourneau is hot on their heels however, with six wins, along with Wendy Anderson and Mike Nault.

Carreno won a pair of races on Monday before scoring the hat trick on Tuesday, and even though he didn't win a race on Wednesday, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying, which was especially evident in the sixth race. You'll want to watch that replay, which features one of the best stretch battles of the year between Goldeneyed, trained by Gary Danelson and ridden by Prayven Badrie, and Wicked Fortitude, trained by Jared Brown and ridden by Carreno.

Both horses gave everything they had under Carreno and Badrie, responding gamely through the stretch with neither wanting to give an inch. At the finish it was Badrie and Goldeneyed, but there were no losers in this one.

Carreno widened his early lead in the jockey standings and now has 16 victories, five more than Chavion Chow, who has 11 wins. Rounding out the top five are Renaldo Cumberbatch (10 wins), Neville Stephenson (9) and Prayven Badrie (9). The jockey battle is far from over, as talent abounds in this year's jockey colony and few mistakes are being made. Whoever has the best mount wins.
Prayven Badrie (inside) aboard Goldeneyed holds off Jorge Carreno on Wicked Fortitude to win one of the best stretch battles of the season in the 6th race on Wednesday evening at ASD. (Jason Halstead photo)
French Rose handed former undefeated Manitoba champion Melisandre her second straight defeat on Wednesday night in the third race for trainer Steve Keplin, Jr. and looked good doing it. Melisandre gave her best, but Keplin had his Fonner Park stakes winner ready to ramble.

Keplin is an excellent young trainer from the Turtle Mountain Reserve in North Dakota. He’s often overlooked on the tote board due to his smaller stable, but his horses rarely run a bad race. He’s compiled a lifetime record of 49-30-30 from 184 starts for an overall win clip of 27% and this year he's winning at a 29% clip with a record of 4-5-1 from 14 starts.

Probably wise to never leave his horses off your tickets.
French Rose is led into the winner's circle by trainer Steve Keplin Jr. after winning the 3rd race on Wednesday even over a hard-trying Melisandre. Neville Stephenson in the saddle. (George Williams photo)
And speaking of winners, Harold Wiens of Glenlea, Manitoba, won the first Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament of the summer on Monday by picking 6/7 winners. The self-employed farmer, trucker and construction company owner started out with horses in the ‘80s working for JY Farms in Florida and has loved the racing game ever since. He was also surprised he won.

"Will wonders never cease," said Wiens, who won the tourney, a trip for two to Las Vegas, a trophy and bragging rights, with a bankroll of $60.20. Randy Premachuk finished second with a bankroll of $57.50 to win $500, followed by Shawn Gorrie ($54.90), who won $250 for his third-place finish. Congrats to all the winners, and to all the players!

Wiens has twice represented Assiniboia Downs at the Horseplayer World Series in Vegas thanks to local tournament wins, and he says anyone can do it. "Watch the races and make notes," said Wiens. "You can make money here if you pay attention."

Wiens said it was a fluke that he won last Monday's tournament. Picking six out of seven winners and five decades of experience says different.

"I wish I could turn back the clock and do it all again," said Wiens.
Remember Tiz a Cyclone, one of the gamest horses ever to race at Assiniboia Downs? He's now an award-winning show horse at the age of 10! Shown here with owner and rider Katie MacLennan, "Tiz" recently competed in six events (his first ever) at the Manitoba Hunter Jumper Association Ride of Rides Show, and won five of them! "He has never liked to lose," said MacLennan. "He was fabulous. I'm so proud of him." Congratulations Katie and Tiz!
A Snapshot in Time
By Track Historian Bob Gates
On October 16, 1978, jockey Dean Kutz broke the record he set the year before when he rode 137 winners. Kutz would ride a total of 147 winners in 1978, but this was the night of his record breaking 138th victory. The winning horse you ask? Trainer Jack Robertson’s Leftfoot Rightfoot. Dean’s record only lasted a year however, as Irwin Driedger won 161 races in 1979. (Gerry Hart photo)
CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE TRACK TO WAGER?
Watch and wager at one of our partner 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
  • Wager 24/7 at HPIbet.com

OPENING SOON!
  • Club 3D - 3317 Portage Avenue
Photo of the Week
We do get some spectacular sunsets as backdrops for the winner's circle at Assiniboia Downs! Track photographer Jason Halstead captured this shot of Manitoba-bred filly Yankee Cat (True Sense-Yankee Candy by Candy Ride) after she broke her maiden for trainer Maria Stanford. Jockey Neville Stephenson in the saddle. Well done on all fronts!
Do you have an interesting photo you would like showcased in an upcoming newsletter? Email us at [email protected].
In The News
Inbreeding study of Thoroughbreds identified a gene linked to bone development
Recent study says strong correlation observed between inbreeding and Thoroughbreds that never start in a race. (Chad B. Harmon / Blood Horse photo)
The results of an inbreeding study published June 29 that examines the impact of inbreeding in Thoroughbreds delivers a word of caution to breeders worldwide and at the same time offers hope. Read more from the BloodHorse here.
'We need to find new ways to create ambassadors for our sport - to find new owners and encourage on-track visitation.' - Kelli Hemingson
Some of the all-women racing syndicate Tornado Racing, recently launched at Century Mile. (Ryan Haynes/Coady photo)
Kelli Hemingson had an idea. For years she had wanted to own a thoroughbred racehorse. But financially it just didn’t make sense. Then, Hemingson, who is the manager of pari-mutuels for Edmonton’s Century Mile and Calgary’s Century Downs racetracks and casinos, and her best friend, Jentry Van Baal, who is the assistant marketing manager at Century Mile, came up with an idea. Word of mouth made it work! Read more about the all-women racing syndicate, Tornado Racing, at the Canadian Thoroughbred here.
Carryover Watch
  • Assiniboia Downs (July 4) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover - $190,533
  • Prairie Meadows (July 1) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover - $155,462
  • Churchill Downs (July 1) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $129,864
  • See all carryovers here.

MANDATORY PAYOUT ALERT: Century Mile will have a mandatory payout of their Jackpot Pick 5 today (Friday, July 1). The carryover going into tonight's races is $51,048.
Bob's Blog
by ASD Historian Bob Gates

This week Bob takes us on a trip waaaaay back in time. Forces essentially conspired and resulted in the telling of a story about a thoroughbred from another era. A book of poetry, win photos from 1950 and a longshot all factor into the equation. Click here to read about a horse from the late 1940s who got our history guy’s attention, demanding to be remembered. 
Upcoming events at ASD

  • Live Racing every Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
  • Canada Day Fireworks & Festival - Friday, July 1 - more info
  • Gulping Horse Ultimate Beverage Festival - Saturday, July 16 - more info
  • Manitoba Night Market & Festival - Sundays July 24 & August 28 - more info
  • Holi Summer Fest - Saturday, August 6 - more info
Feedback
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