ASSINIBOIA DOWNS
The Inside Track | Issue #41 | August 19, 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?
  • Family Fun Days are Back!
  • Preview of the CTHS Sale
  • Snapshot in Time - Toy Stand
  • Partner Locations
  • Photo of the Week - McKague
  • Final Night Market of the year coming up soon
  • Red Knobs favourite in the Canadian Derby
  • Field of 11 set to go in Queen's Plate Sunday
  • Carryover Watch
  • Bob: Balooga Bull "simply the best"
  • 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 for up to $100 cash! Draws will be made every 30 minutes starting at noon.
FREE ASD PROGRAMS ON 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 & trainer stats, photo finishes, 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 - How do I place a bet? What do the odds mean? How do I read the information in the program? If you need answers to the questions above or any other racing questions be sure to stop by the Fan Education Centre on the main floor. Shannon and Brad are there to answer all your questions and maybe help you pick a winner! They can also show you how to open a free betting account at HPIbet.com.

The Fan Education Centre is open every race night from 6 p.m. to the end of racing.
CHASE THE ACE - Play Chase the Ace every live race night. Ace of Diamonds wins the $4,152 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. Manitoba Jockey Club license LGCA-5630-RF-34975.

Final Furlong is a Manitoba-based charity that helps find good homes for retired racehorses and pony horses. Visit them on Facebook @FinalFurlongCanada.
NEXT ONLINE TOURNAMENT IS MONDAY, AUGUST 29. Deadline to enter is Saturday, August 27 at 1 p.m.

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

QUALIFY DAILY: Qualify every live race day for a reduced entry fee by picking three winners on the ASD race card. Click here for a list of the current qualifiers as of August 17.

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

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)
FAMILY FUN FROM 6:30 P.M. - 9:30 P.M.! Mondays are Family Fun Days in August. Free kids activities from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Bouncy castles, face painting and live kids entertainment. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Free admission and free parking.
Dining at Assiniboia Downs
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER & SNACKS
The Club West Dining Room is open daily at 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. for breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks. 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.
RACE NIGHT PRIME RIB BUFFET
Enjoy our fabulous all-you-can-eat Prime Rib buffet every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during live racing! 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 plus much more!

Complimentary programs and tip sheets are included and the table is yours for the evening. Adults - $47.95, Seniors (65+) - $44.95, Kids 12 & under - $27.95, Kids 5 & under - $14.95 Reservations are required. Call 204-885-3330.

RACE NIGHT 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.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY CHEF'S SPECIALS
Friday Top Sirloin Steak - $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.

Saturday BBQ St. Louis Ribs - $24.95 - Smoky charbroiled ribs with our signature BBQ sauce. Served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Reservations are not required.
At The Post with G.S. Thompson
Manitoba Yearling Sale this Sunday!
Last Going Commando yearlings expected to attract serious attention. 
Sherisse Ziprick snaps a photo of husband Cam holding the last Going Commando yearling slated to be sold at auction, Hip #28 in the CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sale on August 21, 2022.
Who’s going to hit the jackpot at the 2022 CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sale? And will it be with the last Going Commando yearling ever sold at public auction?

The annual yearling sale takes place this Sunday, August 21 on the Red River Ex Grounds and the first yearling goes through the sales ring at 2:30 p.m. Viewing begins Saturday at 10 a.m. There are 34 yearlings by 10 different sires from 15 different consignors to look at. And as always, there will be bargains.
Escape Clause losing to Eclipse Award winning mare Midnight Bisou by a nose decision in the $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in 2019.
Will there be another Sovereign Award winner like Escape Clause, a $5,000 purchase in the 2015 sale that went on to win graded stakes and earn $866,100 (USD)? Or Fancy As, who earned $670,092 (USD) after being purchased at the local sale for $3,200. Or how about the tough and game Langara, who brought only $6,000 at the sale and earned $209,004 (USD). There have been too many bargains to mention over the past 30 years, but you can find the major ones listed in this year’s sales catalogue.

And some of them are still running.
Hidden Grace winning the $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes on August 1. Jason Halstead photo.
Champion Hidden Grace was purchased for $15,000 at the 2017 sale here and has now earned $282,162 (USD) from a record of 16-4-4 from 25 starts including a win in the recent $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes on August 1.

All Canadian-bred yearlings that pass through the sales ring in the 2022 Manitoba CTHS Division Yearling Sale are eligible to compete as 2-year-olds in the local $25,000 CTHS Sales Stakes, as well as a number of stakes in Alberta, B.C. and Ontario for purses that total $1 million. There is also an additional $3.7 million available at Woodbine in numerous stakes restricted to Canadian-breds.

On top of all the above, we also have the rich Manitoba-bred program right here at home, which includes $280,000 in seven restricted stakes and lucrative lifetime purse supplements for all Manitoba-breds. Combine that with the recent purse increase at Assiniboia Downs and you’re seeing opportunity everywhere. There’s only one catch.
You need a horse to get it.

Beyond good conformation and the first three dams on the catalogue page, make sure to watch how the youngsters carry themselves when they’re being shown before the sale. Look for confidence and an eye that speaks to you. Also look at the overall pedigree. Is there hidden class top and bottom that might have skipped a generation? Maybe the genetics will spring back to life!

While all the stallions in this year’s sale are capable of siring a good horse, we do have to call attention to one in particular. Going Commando has been the leading sire in Manitoba for the past 10 years, and he is now retired after an incredible run in the breeding shed. The 2022 CTHS Manitoba Division Yearling Sale marks the last time you will ever see one of his yearlings go through a sales ring.

Beautifully managed by Ziprick Thoroughbreds over the past decade, Going Commando has sired 51 winners that have earned over $3 million in total, including champions Escape Clause, Hidden Grace, and Melisandre, to name a few, and he has been a major force in the Manitoba breeding and racing industry.

Going Commando is represented in this year’s sale by one colt (Hip #8) and three fillies (Hip #s 10, 27, 28). Will his last filly ever sold at auction, Hip #28, be another Escape Clause? Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled appears on both sides of her pedigree, and she gets a heavy double dose of stamina on both sides from Professional chef-de-race Le Fabuleux, whose name in French means…

“The Fabulous.”
A Snapshot in Time
By Track Historian Bob Gates
This is photo #2 of 4 of our series that features track record equaling performances for six furlongs at Assiniboia Downs. On June 16, 1971, Toy Stand becomes the fourth horse to equal Mazur’s time of 1:10 2/5 that he set back in September 1958. (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
  • Club 3D - 3317 Portage Avenue
  • Wager 24/7 at HPIbet.com
Photo of the Week
Manitoba-bred McKague returns with jockey Stanley Chadee, Jr. after winning the $20,000 Phil Kives Trial last Wednesday at ASD for trainer Carl Anderson, groom KC Ursel, and owner/breeder Nearco Ltd. The 5-year-old son of Secret Circle has now earned over $100,000. (Jason Halstead photo)
Do you have an interesting photo you would like showcased in an upcoming newsletter? Email us at [email protected].
Our final Night Market of the summer is coming up soon! Sunday, August 28 from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. 15+ food trucks, 100+ vendors, live music, beer garden and kids activities. Be sure to check out our Facebook page where we will be featuring different vendors and food trucks. Tickets $7 (5 & under free). Event parking $5.
In The News
Winner of the Canadian Derby gets a free ticket to the Ontario Derby at Woodbine and a win in both races earns a $50,000 bonus.
Red Knobs, by Union Rags, won the Manitoba Derby and heads to the Canadian Derby as the favourite. (Jason Halstead photo)
Robertino Diodoro doesn’t need a road map to get to the Canadian Derby winner’s circle. Originally from Calgary, Diodoro, who is now perennially one of the top trainers in North America, has won three Derbies – Broadway Empire in 2013; Edison in 2014 and Sky Promise in 2018. He also had Chief Know It All cross the finish line on top in 2017 only to be disqualified. More from Curtis Stock/HRA here.
Moira morning-line favourite in 11-horse Queen's Plate
Woodbine Oaks winner Moira (above) is the 5-2 early favorite for the Queen's Plate. Rondure is a close second choice at 3-1. (Michael Burns photo)
Moira has been tabbed as the 5-2 favourite by linemaker Ernie Perri for the 163rd running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate on Sunday at Woodbine. More from DRF's Ron Gierkink here.
Carryover Watch
  • Del Mar (August 19) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $383,322
  • Parx (August 22) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $251,578
  • Saratoga (August 19) - Pick 6 carryover $167,611
  • Assiniboia Downs (August 22) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $133,419
  • Assiniboia Downs (August 22) - Jackpot Hi-5 carryover $93,689
  • See all carryovers here.
Bob's Blog
by ASD Historian Bob Gates

Ever wonder what happened to Balooga Bull? The talented son of Flashy Bull had an incredible career at Assiniboia Downs. Bob calls him “Simply the Best” and he’s here to remind us just how good this Sayler School graduate really was. Click here to find out.
Upcoming events at ASD

  • Live Racing every Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:30 p.m
  • Manitoba Night Market & Festival - Sunday, August 28 - more info
  • Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament - Monday, August 29 - more info
  • Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament - Monday, Sept. 26 - more info
Feedback
We would love to hear from you! Email your comments and/or suggestions to [email protected].
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