The Inside Track | Issue #101 | October 13, 2023 | |
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Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- VLTs, Race Carrels and Tables are sanitized between customer use.
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In this edition . . .
- What's happening at the Downs?
- Chase the Ace at ASD
- ASD Handicapping Tournaments
- Dining at ASD
- Claims and Claimers - Best of 2023
- 19+ Adult Expo and Market
- TravyFootball Week 6
- Looking For a Special Photo?
- Snapshot in Time - Elite Mercedes
- Carryover Watch
- Dark Horse Bets Download
- Takeaways from Breeders' Cup Prep Weekend
- Infinite Patience wins 13th Consecutive Stakes
- Arcangelo tops Final BC Classic Rankings
- The Best of Bob - Eight Decades and Counting
- Upcoming Events
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$5,000 Progressive Jackpot Won!
Congratulations to Trevor P. who won the weekly prize of $100 and the $5,000 progressive jackpot when he turned over card #46 which was the Ace of Diamonds! The winning ticket was U-4073216. Trevor purchased his ticket online.
Thank you to everyone who supported our Chase the Ace Community Fundraiser!
Manitoba Jockey Club - LGCA-5630-RF-39799
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2023 Player's Choice Online Tournaments
- This Saturday, October 14
- Saturday, November 11
- Saturday, December 16
PRIZES: 1st place: $1,000 (plus a trophy), 2nd place: $400, 3rd place: $200, 4th place: $100, 5th place: $50
Entry fee is $25. $2 WPS on one horse in any 10 races (harness, thoroughbred or quarter horse) from any North American track on the contest day. Click here for full rules.
2023 TOURNAMENT WINNERS:
Player's Choice Tournaments
- Saturday, January 21 - Randy Premachuk
- Saturday, February 18 - Steve Holborn
- Saturday, March 18 - Nicole Baker
- Saturday, April 15 - Barry Mymko
- Saturday, May 13 - Brad Ostrove
Las Vegas Challenge Tournaments
- Monday, June 19 - Ron Zurba
- Monday, July 10 - Murray Chaban
- Monday, July 31 - Tanis Atras
- Monday, August 21 - Brian McKellar
- Monday, September 18 - David Blake
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Club West Gaming Lounge
140 VLTs available daily in our spacious Club West Gaming Lounge from 10 a.m. through 1 a.m. Please note that our VLTs are sanitized between play. Click here for a full list of games available at ASD.
Win CA$H Every Day!
- Draws to win up to $100 cash on our lucky wheel Monday through Friday from noon until 5 p.m.
- Draws for $20 in FREE VLT Spins Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
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Dining at Assiniboia Downs | |
Club West Dining Room & Lounge Open Daily
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks plus Happy Hour food and beverage specials in our Club West Dining Room & Lounge! Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
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Club West Dining Room & Lounge menu
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Daily Happy Hour specials
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Friday Steak & Suds $24.95: 8 oz. Sirloin steak charbroiled and seasoned with our smoky dry rub. Served with fresh vegetables and a choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Plus a complimentary pint of ASD Lucky Lager.
Saturday Prime & Wine $29.95: Certified Angus Prime Rib (8 oz. cut.) Served with fresh vegetables and a choice of mashed potatoes or french fries, horseradish, and Yorkshire pudding au jus. Plus a complimentary 6 oz. glass of house wine.
Sunday Fish & Chips $14.95: Two pieces of beer battered cod with tartar sauce and lemon. Served with french fries and coleslaw.
Add a starter Caesar salad, tossed salad or soup of the day to any of the above specials for $3.95. Served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are not required.
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At The Post with G.S. Thompson | |
Claims and Claimers – The Best of 2023 at ASD
Where else in North America can this class of horses make this much money?
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Manitoba-bred Sugar Daddy Jack wins the $40,000 J. W. Sifton Stakes for trainer Carl Anderson and owner Tom Boyko. Tim Tarasenco up. (Jason Halstead photo) | |
There’s no question who the best two claims of 2023 were at Assiniboia Downs, nor can you argue who the Claimer of the Year was.
Sugar Daddy Jack was claimed for $6,250 and won his next start in the $40,000 J.W. Sifton Stakes, Delvecchio was haltered for $10,000 and ran the best race of his career in his next start to win the $40,000 Phil Kives Stakes, and Drop a Caribou won six of his seven starts in claiming races for three different trainers.
Sugar Daddy Jack was smartly trained for his 3-year-old stakes debut in the Sifton by multiple Gold Cup-winning trainer Carl Anderson and responded beautifully after stalking a pace battle between favourites Private Frank and I Love My Life.
Anderson didn’t think he’d had enough time with his new horse when he entered him back two weeks after claiming him, but the Manitoba-bred gelding by Nonios-Nickel Candy by Silver Deputy got just the trip he needed under jockey Tim Tarasenco and drew off to win the 1 1/8-mile race by 1 ¾-lengths.
Bred by Larry Falloon and owned by Tom Boyko, Sugar Daddy Jack finished the year with three wins and two second-place finishes for earnings of over $40,000.
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Saskatchewan-bred Delvecchio enters the winner's circle with groom Charlotte Johnston after winning the $40,000 Phil Kives Stakes for trainer Mike Nault and A2 Thoroughbreds. Damario Bynoe up. (Jason Halstead photo) | |
Delvecchio was scintillating in his Phil Kives victory with Damario Bynoe up, setting fast fractions in the 1 1/8-mile restricted stakes and drawing off to win by 4 ½-lengths for trainer Mike Nault and owner A2 Thoroughbreds.
Bred in Saskatchewan by Don Bjarnason, the 7-year-old Saskatchewan-bred gelding by Where’s the Ring-Briars Flash by Hurricane Center finished the year with two wins and three runner-up finishes from seven starts.
He too, earned over $40,000 on the season.
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Delvecchio (inside) on the lead early enroute to winning the Phil Kives Stakes. (Jason Halstead photo) | |
Drop a Caribou won his first three starts of the meeting at the $5,000 level for trainer Tom Gardipy, Jr., slicing through his non-winners of two, three and four conditions before being claimed out of his only losing effort in 2023 for a $5,500 tag by trainer Mike Taphorn.
The 4-year-old Ontario-bred gelding by Where’s the Ring-Stormy Adieu by Silic then won his next two starts at the $5,500 level for Taphorn and was nabbed by trainer Shelley Brown, who then raised the game gelding up to $7,500 and guided him to his sixth win of the meeting in his final start of the season on September 6.
Jockey Ronald Ali was up for five of Drop a Caribou wins and leading rider Antonio Whitehall was up for the final victory. Drop a Caribou finished the season with All For One Stable as the horse everybody wanted to own, banking over $40,000 and easily paying for a well-deserved winter vacation.
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Leading rider Antonio Whitehall says a prayer after helping Drop a Caribou to his sixth win of the season for trainer Shelley Brown and owner All In One Stable. (Jason Halstead photo) | |
There was a small gap back to the next winningest claimers on the grounds, five of whom formed a log jam with four wins a piece.
Quadruple claiming winners included Kate’s Princess for trainer Gary Danelson; That’s a Lot of Bling for trainer Mike Nault; Not Afraid, who won his first start for trainer Mike Taphorn and three more races after being claimed by trainer Carl Anderson; Annakhozana, who won three races for trainer Jerry Gourneau and another for Shelley Brown; and Kim’s Texas Bling, who won all four of her races for trainer Jerry Gourneau.
The four-time winners ran for tags that ranged from $3,750 to $10,000, and earned $35,000 - $45,000 each, easily paying their way through exceptional seasons and proving once again that...
There’s good money to be made at Assiniboia Downs.
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Top NFL Picks by TravyFootball: Week 6
I know to the naked eye playing Quarterback looks as simple as taking the snap and throwing it, but for those who actually want to see the difficulty that goes into it, I highly suggest taking 15-20 minutes of your day and watching this YouTube clip hosted by former NFL QB J.T O'Sullivan. He breaks down Brock Purdy's game against the Dallas Cowboys last week, it's some real nerd stuff (I love it) but it's also really educational.
49ers over Browns (Sunday noon): The unbeaten 49ers will travel to Cleveland for a Sunday at noon matchup against the Browns who are coming off a bye week. Some people might consider this San Fran’s toughest game so far (said the same thing about Dallas last week, how did that turn out?), as playing on the road is always tougher than playing at home. For some reason it always seems to be raining in Cleveland, no matter what time of day it is, so I’m expecting some sort of bad weather. Having said that, the Niners have the superior run game with Christian McCaffrey and the emerging Jordan Mason (who actually led the team in rushing last week) and the superior defense, not that Cleveland’s defense is a unit to take lightly. There are still people out there who are just waiting for Brock Purdy to have a bad game so they can say “See! He’s not that good,” but the truth of the matter is, that’s GOING to happen at some point, because every player, no matter how good they are and no matter how much they excel, is going to have a bad game. Tom Brady had bad games, Pat Mahomes had bad games, heck, Joe Montana had bad games. Having a bad game doesn’t make you a bad quarterback, it’s how you bounce back from having a bad game that will define you. Speaking of quarterbacks, it’s not clear who will start for the Browns as DeShaun Watson is still dealing with a shoulder injury, if he can’t go, journeyman back PJ Walker will get the nod.
Bears over Vikings (Sunday noon): Never thought I would be picking the Bears to win a game, but here we are. Look, the Bears aren’t a great team, or even a good team, but neither are the Vikings, and they will not have Justin Jefferson for the next month (or longer) because he is dealing with the dreaded, and probably the most annoying injury in football, a pulled hamstring. I call it the most annoying because there’s nothing you can do to speed up the healing process, you also can’t come back until it’s fully healed because it’s so easy to re-injure. You can’t run, you can’t cut, you can’t run your routes properly, you essentially become useless as a receiver if you can’t use your legs. So, with Cousins down his top receiver and no essence of a running game, I don’t see how the Vikings are going to be able to move the ball down the field, even against the crummy Bears.
Bengals over Seahawks (Sunday noon): Maybe Joe Burrow went and saw a witch doctor during the week, who provided him with some magical healing powers to cure his ailing calf, because he certainly did not look like the same guy from the first month of the season. While missing one if his top two receivers in Tee Higgins, he still had his go to receiver in Jamar Chase, who claimed last week that he is “always open” during a post-game interview. Well, he certainly was open against Arizona last week, exploding for 15 catches, 192 yards, and three touchdowns as the Bengals walloped the Cardinals (sorry Darren). This is the Cincinnati team people have been waiting for to emerge after getting off to a rocky start at 1-3. Seattle has quietly put together a nice 3-1 record of their own and sits second in the NFC West. Coming off a bye week, they should be well rested and ready for the resurging Bengals.
Last week: 1-2
Overall: 11-4
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Looking for a Special Photo of Your Big Horse?
Track Photographer Jason Halstead may have just what you're looking for
| Special moment with Not Afraid after his fourth victory of the season in Race 5 on Aug. 7, for trainer Carl Anderson. (Jason Halstead photo) | Looking for that extra-special photo of your big horse, one you might not find in your win pictures? Track photographer Jason Halstead takes numerous photos during the races, and not all of them can make it into the win photos. If you’re looking for something frameable from your big race, or of your special horse, email Jason at jjhphoto@gmail.com. Prices are excellent! Almost as good as his photos 😊 |
- Keeneland (October 13) - Super Hi-5 carryover $59,352
- Los Alamitos (October 14) - Pick 6 carryover $48,236
- Woodbine (October 13) - Jackpot Hi-5 carryover $43,712
- Parx (October 16) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $33,918
- Charles Town (October 13) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $32,113. Mandatory payout on Saturday, October 14.
See all carryovers here.
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Can't make it to the track to wager?
Watch and wager at one of our off-track betting locations:
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"I Won Bigg" Wagering Group
The "I Won Bigg" wagering group will meet every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on the plaza. This week the group will be playing Woodbine and Santa Anita. $20 per share. Email Larry at larry@ampereelectric.ca for more information.
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A Snapshot in Time
by Track Historian Bob Gates
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This week we feature yet another champion from the stable of Larry Carter. In 2006 his grey/roan gelding Elite Mercedes ran all over his competition. He made all three of his Downs starts that year winning efforts. In doing so Elite became the first horse in the history of Assiniboia Downs to win the premier stakes races for older horses – the Wheat City, the R. J. Speers Memorial and of course the Gold Cup! (Gerry Hart photo) | |
Locked, Timberlake, Muth punch their tickets, Up To the Mark, Idiomatic impress
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Locked in the paddock at Keeneland before winning the 2023 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity Oct. 7. (Keeneland/Coady Photography) | |
Six-year-old mare wins 13th consecutive stakes in Ballerina at Hastings
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Infinite Patience with Antonio Reyes up, winning their 13th consecutive Stakes. (Michael Bye Photo) | |
The outpouring of tears and hugs and handshakes might have been conveying a message but for now, nobody’s commenting. When six-year-old beauty Infinite Patience strutted into the winner's circle after the $100,000 Ballerina Stakes at Hastings Racecourse on Saturday, October 7, it was her 13th consecutive victory in stakes competition. More from the Canadian Thoroughbred here. | |
Blue Rose Farm's Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1), has finished first in the final poll of the 2023 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic Rankings, a weekly rating of the top 10 horses in contention for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. This year's Breeders' Cup Classic will be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. More from the Paulick Report here. | |
Best of Bob
by ASD Historian Bob Gates
And now for something completely different. ~ Monty Python's Flying Circus. Bob put his pen down and went leafing through his photo archive. The result? He came up with eight photos, one for each of the eight decades that the Downs has been in business, plus a bonus photo. Click here to view Bob’s Historical Picture Book (From June 2022)
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Upcoming events at ASD
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Spin to Win in the Club West Gaming Lounge - Monday to Friday - more info
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Lucky Spins - Draws for $20 in free VLT Spins - Friday to Sunday - more info
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Player's Choice Handicapping Tournament - Saturday, October 14 - more info
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MICEC Monster Bingo - Saturday, October 21 - more info
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Naughty Halloween Social - Friday, October 27 - more info
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Wpg 19+ Adult Expo - Friday, October 27 & Saturday, October 28 - more info
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Breeders' Cup - Friday, November 3 & Saturday, November 4
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Inspirations Market - Saturday, November 11 & Sunday, November 12 - more info
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The Inside Track Archives |
Did you know that past issues of The Inside Track are available on our website? Click here to read them now.
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