In this edition . . .

• What's happening at the Downs?
• ASD Player Portal
• September HPI Bonuses
• Chase the Ace at ASD
• Las Vegas Challenge Tournament
• Dining at ASD
• Chef's Special
• Carl Anderson Wins Sifton with Fresh Claim
• Fan Appreciation Nights
• TravyFootball Week 2
• Looking For a Special Photo?
• Snapshot in Time - Scottish Time
• Carryover Watch
• Dark Horse Bets Download
• Ricoh Woodbine Mile Cheat Sheet
• Velocitor Wins Prince of Wales
• Bob's Blog - The Old Man on the Bench
• Upcoming Events

Only 3 Nights of Live Racing left!

• Monday, Sept. 18, Tuesday, Sept. 19 & Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
• Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $112,172 (last five races)
• Mandatory payout of the Jackpot Pick 5 on Wednesday, Sept. 20
• $1 Classic Hi-5 (Race 7) will be seeded with $3,186 on Wednesday, Sept. 20 and will be a mandatory payout
• $50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 (last four races)
• New to the races? Be sure to stop by and see Brad and Shannon. They will answer all your questions about racing and wagering.
• Download the Dark Horse Betting App, open a new account and get $30 in free wagers.
• Free admission and free parking daily.
• Can't make it to the track? Watch and wager at HPIbet.com

• ASD CUSTOMER APPRECIATION - Wager $40 or more on Assiniboia Downs on Monday, September 18, Tuesday, September 19 & Wednesday, September 20 and receive 3% cash back. Minimum wagered $40. Maximum cash back $100. Available to all Canadian HPI account holders. Must opt-in at HPIbet.com. All wagers must be made on your HPI account. ($2.10 payouts not eligible)
• ASD CUSTOMER APPRECIATION - Wager $100 or more on any track on Friday, September 22, Saturday, September 23 & Sunday, September 24 and receive 2% cash back. Minimum wagered $100. Maximum cash back $25. Available to all Manitoba HPI account holders. Must opt-in at HPIbet.com. All wagers must be made on your HPI account. ($2.10 payouts not eligible)

Win $5,000 by selecting the Ace of Diamonds!

Tickets for Chase the Ace Week #18 are on sale now with a $5,000 Guaranteed Accumulator Jackpot if someone picks the Ace of Diamonds!

• Tickets are available online at ASDowns-CTA.com, Guest Services or at the VLT cashier’s cage.
• 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, 10 tickets for $20, 50 tickets for $50, 200 tickets for $100.
• The weekly draw will be made Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now through until 8:45 p.m. the following Wednesday.
• Full contest rules click here.
• Proceeds support community charities including: Final Furlong, Winners Foundation, Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre, Indigenous Languages of Manitoba, Manitoba Lung Association, MADD Winnipeg, The Dream Factory, Canadian Mental Health Association, Manitoba Arthritis Society, Manitoba Conservatory of Music & Arts and ALS Society of Manitoba.
• By purchasing a ticket, you are helping these charities make a positive difference in the community. Thank you for supporting the Chase the Ace charity program.
• The week 17 winning ticket was Q-6222014. Robert won the weekly prize of $165 when he turned over card #17 which was the four of clubs. This week's winning ticket was purchased at ASD.

Manitoba Jockey Club - LGCA-5630-RF-39799

2023 Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournaments

• Las Vegas Challenge - This Monday, September 18

PRIZES: The tournament winner receives a trip for two to Las Vegas and a trophy (the winner will be provided $3,500 to book their trip to Las Vegas). Second place finisher will receive a $500 deposit to their HPI account, the third place finisher will receive a $250 deposit to their HPI account.

Entry fee into the Las Vegas Challenge is $50 but can be reduced by qualifying on Assiniboia Downs’ race cards leading up to the tournament. To qualify you must select the horse that you think will win each race on the Assiniboia Downs race card. Email your selections for that race night to Sheri at [email protected] prior to the start of racing. If you select three winners on the race card, your entry fee is reduced to $25. For every other race card that you select three winners on your entry fee is reduced by another $5. 

LAS VEGAS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT WINNERS:

• Monday, June 19 - Ron Zurba
• Monday, July 10 - Murray Chaban
• Monday, July 31 - Tanis Atras
• Monday, August 21 - Brian McKellar

Live Racing Buffets

A limited number of reservations are still available for our all-you-can-eat Prime Rib buffet in the Terrace Dining Room for the last three nights of racing. Book your reservation today!

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.

The table is yours for the entire evening and includes racing programs and tip sheets.

Adults - $49.95, Seniors (65+) - $46.95, Kids 12 & under - $29.95, Kids 5 & under - $16.95

Reservations are required. Call 204-885-3330.

Thanksgiving Buffet

Join us for our Thanksgiving Buffet on Sunday, October 8. Let us do all the work for you!

Buffet highlights include: roast turkey with rich gravy, baked ham in cream sauce, locally made perogies and meatballs, plus all the trimmings. Autumn vegetables, mashed potatoes and fresh salads. Warm pie with ice cream plus ASD's bourbon bacon brownie.

Reservations from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call 204-885-3330. Adults: $34.95, Kids (6 - 12 years old): $29.95, Kids (5 & under): $16.95 plus applicable taxes.

Carl Anderson wins J.W. Sifton Stakes with Fresh Claim

Trainers Steve Keplin, Jr., Wendy Anderson have big 4-win weeks

"Comeback Kid" Tim Tarasenco returns aboard Sugar Daddy Jack after winning the J. W. Sifton Stakes on Tuesday for trainer Carl Anderson, owner Tom Boyko and breeder Larry Falloon. (Jason Halstead photo)

Trainer Carl Anderson pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year in the $40,000 J.W. Sifton Stakes with “Comeback Kid” Tim Tarasenco in the irons, trainers Steve Keplin, Jr. and Wendy Anderson won four races each, and apprentice Fraser Aebly continued his hot streak with another hat trick this week at ASD.

Carl Anderson has been winning big races with unexpected charges since 1964, the most memorable being Gold Cup winner Black is Beautiful (1982). His reputation with good horses is as good as it gets in these parts, and also includes Gold Cup winners Deputy Country (2004) and Albarino (2005), among others. He’d won the J.W. Sifton Stakes twice in the past with Resurgent (2005) and McKague (2020), but on Tuesday he added a new twist to his stakes-winning repertoire to win the Sifton for a third time. 

Anderson saddled freshly claimed longshot Sugar Daddy Jack ($19.00) for owner Tom Boyko to win the 53rd running of Manitoba’s richest race for Manitoba and Saskatchewan foaled 3-year-old colts and geldings, upsetting heavy favourites Private Frank and I Love My Life, who went hard at each other for at least five furlongs in the 1 1/8-mile race, setting it up for a rallier, in this case Sugar Daddy Jack.

J. W. Sifton Stakes winners! L to R: jockey Tim Tarasenco, trainer Carl Anderson and owner Tom Boyko. (Jason Halstead photo)

Haltered for just $6,250 on August 28, the Manitoba-bred by Nonios-Nickel Candy by Silver Deputy had won his previous start on August 14 in a $7,500 claiming race for non-winners of two lifetime and Anderson decided to take a shot on the half-brother to nine-winners including 2012 Gold Rush Futurity runner-up Manewal. It paid off.

Stalking a duel between favourites Private Frank and I Love My Life from the inside under jockey Tim Tarasenco, Sugar Daddy Jack came flying home to catch duel winner I Love My Life at the sixteenth pole and drew out to win by 1 ¼-lengths over another rallying longshot, Valid Defence.

Bred by Larry Falloon of Foxwarren, Manitoba, Sugar Daddy Jack gave another Manitoba product, jockey Tim Tarasenco, his first stakes win of the season, the icing on the cake for a great comeback season after more than 20 years off.

Former claimer Sugar Daddy Jack is all alone at the wire in the J. W. Sifton Stakes. (Jason Halstead photo)

Trainers Wendy Anderson and Steve Keplin, Jr. also had an excellent week.

Keplin scored a hat trick on Monday with Something Super ($10.90), Explosive ($6.80) and Smart Call ($4.10) and added another victory on Wednesday with Wherethemoneywent ($4.10).

Trainer Steve Keplin, Jr. walks out to greet one of his four winners on the week. (Jason Halstead photo)

Wendy Anderson went on a roll of her own on Tuesday, winning the sixth and seventh races with Henrisincontrol ($11.40) and Maybe Sometime ($20.00) respectively, and continued right into Wednesday with a win in the first race with The Lonna Ranger ($3.00) for the natural hat trick. Anderson also won the fifth race on Wednesday with Saxon Saga ($3.30). 

Anderson’s winners were split between jockeys Renaldo Cumberbatch and Fraser Aebly, who joined Damario Bynoe as the top jocks for the week with three wins a piece.

Henrisincontrol (#3) gets up in time to win the 6th race on Tuesday, beginning a three-race win streak for trainer Wendy Anderson. Fraser Aebly up. (Jason Halstead photo)

There will be a few more available mounts next week, as 2021-2022 leading rider Jorge Carreno returned south for the winter while sitting third in the standings at the time. He just wasn’t going to catch jockey Antonio Whitehall. Whitehall now has 52 wins, 14 more than runner-up Damario Bynoe, and has been riding with strong confidence this season.

Also of note, a special ceremony was held for former Assiniboia Downs leading rider (1986,1987,1989) and seven-time Sovereign Award winner Todd Kabel of McCreary Manitoba, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 55. Homestretch to Heaven: In Memory of Todd Kabel, took place after the first race. 

On Monday, September 11.

Homestretch to Heaven: In Memory of Todd Kabel. Winner's circle presentation after the first race on Monday. Mourvedre won the race for trainer Deb Hanson and jockey Prayven Badrie. (Jason Halstead photo)

Top NFL Picks by TravyFootball: Week 2

First and foremost, I’m sure everyone has heard about Aaron Rodgers by now. Look, whether you are a fan of the guy or you not, nobody wants to see him injured. It always hits closer to home when I hear players go down with an Achilles tear, as I have personally been down that road twice. If you're curious about what it sounded like, take a balloon, blow it up as big as possible, and then pop it with a pin. That would simulate the sound of my Achilles tearing. It's a really depressing feeling knowing that you're going to be pretty much out of action for at least a year, and that's if everything heals correctly. So here's to Rodgers making a full recovery and hopefully he can end his career on a higher note! 

Niners over Rams (Sunday afternoon): Any doubt about Brock Purdy was put to rest very early in the Steelers game last week. He looked as if he was never injured in the first place. It’s hard to imagine that six months ago he tore his UCL and wasn’t even expected to be ready for the season, but just like he's done his whole career, he defied expectations and came back way earlier. It didn’t take long for him to hook up with Brandon Aiyuk for the Niners first touchdown of the year, and he followed that up shortly afterwards with another touchdown pass to Aiyuk. Steelers defensive back Patrick Peterson, who earlier in the week said that the Niners offense had “tells“ and that he was definitely going to get an interception off Purdy, had to eat crow. Not only did he fail to get an interception, but he also gave up two touchdowns -- some very humbling moments. Now San Fran will travel to Los Angeles to meet their division rivals, the Rams. I don’t know if you can call this a rivalry when San Fran has won the last eight regular season meetings, but maybe… pigs will fly? I will give the Rams a little bit of credit though, going into Seattle last week, missing Cooper Kupp, and still pulling off the victory was impressive, *slow clap*. 

Bengals over Ravens (Sunday noon): The Bengals were easily the most disappointing team last week. It’s not a good look when you hand your quarterback $275 million and then the very first game afterwards, he stinks it up and only throws for 82 yards. You could chalk it up to the bad weather, but for whatever reason, Burrow always struggles against the Browns. I can’t imagine him being that bad two weeks in a row so he should have a nice bounce back game against a Ravens team that’s already starting to lose players due to injury. Speaking of quarterbacks being handed a lot of money in the off-season, after a long drawn out dispute, Lamar Jackson was handed $260 million from the Ravens, and then also proceeded to have a terrible week one performance. Often injured running back JK Dobbins was lost for the season due to an Achilles tear (what’s up with Achilles this year) and I’m not sure how the Ravens plan to replace him. 

Bucs over Bears (Sunday noon): One of the bigger upsets of last week was the Tom Brady-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeating the Minnesota Vikings on the road. It wasn’t a pretty game, maybe because Baker Mayfield isn’t a good quarterback, but the biggest thing he did, was NOT turn the ball over. The defense handled the rest, holding the Vikings to only 17 points and forcing two turnovers by Kirk Cousins. I spoke about the revamped Chicago Bears last week, but after watching them play against the Packers, the more things change the more things stay the same. Even with a better offensive line and more offensive weapons, quarterback Justin Fields still looked completely lost out there. I don’t expect things to get any easier for him going against a pretty good Tampa Bay defense. 

Last week: 3-0

Overall: 3-0

"I Won Bigg" Wagering Group

The "I Won Bigg" wagering group will be playing Assiniboia Downs this Wednesday and will continue with Woodbine on Saturday, Sept. 23. $20 per share. Email Larry at [email protected] for more information.

Scottish Time put on a real show in the 1975 edition of the Gold Cup. The multiple stakes winner, with jockey Delbert Rycroft up, bested a field that included local favourites Macale and Federal Ruler. The 18th running of the Cup was worth $8,550 to the bay gelding, giving him his fourth straight win in the 1975 season. (Gerry Hart photo)

2023 Ricoh Woodbine Mile Cheat Sheet: Get to Know the Horses

Canadian-based War Bomber listed at 6-1, Rico Walcott expected to ride Saturday

Canadian-based War Bomber is listed at 6-1 for this Saturday's Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1) for owner Bruno Schickedanz and trainer Norman McKnight. Jockey Rico Walcott rides. (Michael Burns photo)

The $1 million Ricoh Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1) this Saturday at Woodbine has become a marquee fixture that is one of the most prized races for turf milers in North America. The race typically attracts an international ensemble as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” qualifying race for the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, providing the winner an expenses-paid berth to the race Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park. Get to know this year's entrants at America's Best Racing here.

Velocitor Glides to Prince of Wales Victory

Justin Stein rides back-to-back winners in big race, Fort Erie sets wagering records

Justin Stein rides Velocitor into the winners' circle following the $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes with trainer Kevin Attard (left) and assistant trainer Joshua Attard (right). (Michael Burns photo)

Victory tasted twice as sweet for jockey Justin Stein after winning the 88th Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie Race Track on Tuesday evening. “Deja vu,” said Stein after becoming the back-to-back winner of the Prince of Wales. “It feels awesome to do it again. Winning the Prince of Wales two years in a row is very, very special, and something I’ll always remember.” More from the Canadian Thorougbred here.