ASSINIBOIA DOWNS
The Inside Track | Issue #40 | August 12, 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!
  • Dead-Heat in Handicapping Contest
  • Adjournment, McKague big winners
  • Snapshot in Time - Rangatira
  • Partner Locations
  • Photo of the Week - Benroy
  • Queen's Plate Update
  • Carryover Watch
  • Bob: Track Record History
  • 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.
CHURCHILL DOWNS ARLINGTON MILLION DAY BONUS - 3% cash back on all eligible racing from Churchill Downs on Saturday, August 13, 2022. Minimum wagered $100. Maximum deposit $25. Wagers must be placed on HPIbet.com account to qualify. ($2.10 payoffs not included).
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 $3,750 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 10.

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
Rare Tie in Las Vegas Handicapping Challenge Contest
Vastly different handicapping styles result in dead-heat and purse split
Handicapping contest co-winner Peter Colwill at his Lester Beach cottage enjoying his winnings.
Two vastly different handicapping styles produced a rare tie in Monday’s Las Vegas Handicapping Challenge Tournament, and the winners decided to split the 1st and 2nd cash prize equalling $4,000.

Jane Baxter picked horses based on names and looks while Peter Colwill used over 40 years of handicapping experience to arrive at the exact same monetary result on Monday night, including seventh race winner Devils Time, the first winner of the year for trainer Steve Thompson.

Baxter and Colwill both had the same monetary total of $72.90 at the end of the contest and both had three winners, Witt’s Coco in the first race, El Chairman in the sixth race and Devils Time in the seventh. Each also had the same four second-place finishers.

They could have flipped a coin to determine an outright winner, but instead they decided to split the combined top two winner’s prizes of $3,500 for first place and $500 for second. Each took home $2,000 and a trophy, despite vastly different styles. Darcy Penner finished third in the contest with a bankroll of $71.80 and won $250.

It was the first tournament win for Baxter, who is married to regular contest player Ken Stewin.

“It’s very exciting to win,” said Baxter. “We've been in the area about seven or eight years now. We used to always go to the track. Ken was in the Assiniboia Racing Club too, so we used to go to the back and see the horses and I would feed them baby carrots and peppermints.”

Did getting to know the horses give Baxter an edge in the contest.

“Actually it was an absolute fluke,” said Baxter. “Ken and his brother Stan use all the stats in their handicapping. For me, it’s pure luck. It’s basically something I see in the look of the horse, or something in the name. Or I might check the jockey stats and like the jockey. I have no talent whatsoever for picking winners, but sometimes the horses just give you a sign.”

Baxter is originally from England but moved to Winnipeg as a child. The couple relocated to Westwood eight years ago and have been enjoying Assiniboia Downs more ever since. And Baxter has always had a kinship with horses.

“As a young person, I would try and go horseback riding every day,” said Baxter. “We did not have a horse, I had to go to a riding academy. I just love horses and always have.”

So how's this going to affect the dynamic in the household between husband and wife?

“I was actually joking with him and I said, ‘Oh my goodness, if I keep this up, I'll have to have a special trophy case made,’ and he just laughed,” said Baxter. “He knows what I'm like. He was happy for me, very excited. The other handicappers must be shaking their heads.”

Fellow winner Peter Colwill wasn’t. He knows how tricky it can be to win at the races. Colwill is a comprehensive handicapper who won a local handicapping tournament way back in 2009. Colwill studies all aspects of a race and uses Beyer Speed Figures, pace scenarios and class drops as three of his primary handicapping angles.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, the 60-year-old Colwill has been handicapping for 40 years, learning by experience and also reading books. The first book he ever read on handicapping was My $50,000 Year at the Races, by Andy Beyer. He started coming to the races with his mother as a teenager and has been learning about the game ever since.

“Mom was a big race fan,” said Colwill from his cottage in Lester Beach, where he enjoys fishing in the summer. “I've been playing more lately. But raising a kid playing hockey, there was a lot going on, so I played when I could. Now that the kids are older, I can play more. And HPIBet.com makes it easier.”

It wasn’t a tough decision for Colwill to split the first and second-place prize money with fellow winner Baxter.

“It was a sure thing,” said Colwill.
Adjournment wins $40,000 Graduation Stakes
Manitoba-bred McKague takes $20,000 Phil Kives Trial
Adjournment wins the 43rd Running of the $40,000 Graduation Stakes on Wednesday evening at ASD for trainer Lise Pruitt and owner Arnason Farms. Antonio Whitehall up. (Jason Halstead photo)
Adjournment, a $46,000 (USD) Fasig-Tipton Digital Dispersal Sale purchase by Barry Arnason, went a long ways towards paying for himself with a victory in the 43rd running of the Graduation Stakes on Wednesday. The 2-year-old gelding by Harbor the Gold-Flying Memo by Memo was sent off as the second choice in the Graduation, and despite scoring by only two lengths, he always looked like the winner. Trained by Lise Pruitt for Arnason Farms, Adjournment was confidently ridden by Antonio Whitehall and paid $5.80 to win.

In other stakes action, 5-year-old Manitoba-bred McKague won the the Phil Kives Trial for trainer Carl Anderson, who has been in a zone with his horses this year. Ridden by Stanley Chadee, Jr., McKague performed in his usual gritty fashion, forcing the pace outside longshot Bitethebulletpro, putting that one away on the turn for home and turning back Crowned Royal in the drive to win by three-quarters of a length. Favourite Delvecchio had a tough trip between horses and tired in the drive after a show-bid rally. The winner, a dark bay gelding by Secret Circle-Northern Cotton by High Cotton, was bred by his owner Nearco Ltd, and has now earned over $100,000 from a record of 5-5-5 in 17 starts.

Congratulations to both big winners!
Manitoba-bred McKague wins the Phil Kives Trial on Wednesday evening for trainer Carl Anderson and owner Nearco Ltd. Stanley Chadee, Jr. in the saddle. (Jason Halstead photo)
A Snapshot in Time
By Track Historian Bob Gates
Over the next four weeks the Snapshot in Time will feature track record equaling performances for six furlongs at Assiniboia Downs. This is the first photo of four that will be featured. On May 23, 1970, Rangatira becomes the third horse to equal Mazur’s record time of 1:10 2/5, which was 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 (opening Monday, August 15)
  • Wager 24/7 at HPIbet.com

Assiniboia Downs is pleased to announce that our newest off-track betting location, Club 3D at 3317 Portage Avenue will be opening this Monday, August 15. Watch the races, wager and purchase programs from this location.
Photo of the Week
Prayven Badrie galloping Assiniboia Racing Club's Benroy. The hard trying 4-year-old gelding by Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Bodemeister has finished second three times this year for trainer Devon Gittens and is sure to break through soon for his first win of 2022. (Mary Durant photo)
Do you have an interesting photo you would like showcased in an upcoming newsletter? Email us at [email protected].
In The News
11 possibles for Queen's Plate. Duke of Love who has many Canadian owners.
Duke of Love has over 700 owners who are hoping he can win the Queen's Plate (Michael Burns photo)
Only 10 days until the 163rd Queen’s Plate and trainers are putting the finishing touches on their Canadian-bred 3-year-olds headed to the 1 1/4-mile classic on August 21. The $1 million Plate is the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown, and Canadian Thoroughbred has a list of 11 possible entrants (not a final list). More from Jennifer Morrison here.
Carryover Watch
  • Gulfstream (August 12) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $294,283
  • Saratoga (August 12) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $123,924
  • Del Mar (August 12) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $112,950
  • Assiniboia Downs (August 15) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $91,186
  • Assiniboia Downs (August 15) - Jackpot Hi-5 carryover $82,115
  • See all carryovers here.

MANDATORY PAYOUT: Gulfstream Park will have a mandatory payout of the Jackpot Pick 6 on Saturday, August 13 (provided it is not won on Friday, August 12. The carryover going into Friday's race card is $294,283.
Bob's Blog
by ASD Historian Bob Gates

A history lesson on the Downs current six-furlong track record of 1:09 flat. Spanning 32 years and bookended by two corresponding era movies -- 1959’s Anatomy of a Murder and 1992’s A League of Their Own -- Bob looks back at the five stars of the six-panel distance at ASD. Click here for more.
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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