The Inside Track | Issue #10 | Jan. 13, 2022 |
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Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- Full immunization and government issued I.D. required to attend Assiniboia Downs.
- VLTs, Race Carrels and Tables are sanitized between customer use.
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- What's happening at the Downs?
- Excited Breeder / New Stallion
- A Snapshot in Time
- Photo of The Week
- Dumb luck wins $1.2 million
- Top Jocks go different directions
- Monster Pegasus Invitational
- NFL Wildcards with TravyFootball
- A Dream of Racetrack Heaven
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FRIDAY & SATURDAY DINNER SPECIALS!
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FRIDAYS: 8 oz. top Sirloin steak charbroiled and seasoned with our smoky dry rub. Served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Every Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. $24.95. Reservations are not required.
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NEW! SATURDAYS: Smoky charbroiled St. Louis ribs with our signature BBQ sauce. Served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Every Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. $24.95. Reservations are not required.
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MONDAY MADNESS IN JANUARY - 5% cash back on all eligible wagering on Parx, Turf Paradise and Mohawk every Monday in January. Minimum wagered $100 (each Monday). Maximum deposit $25 (each Monday). Wagers must be placed on HPI account to qualify. ($2.10 payoffs not included).
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PLAYER REWARDS POINTS EXTENDED - You now have until February 28, 2022 to use up your old Player Rewards points. Points can be used for program and DRF purchases from the kiosks, food and beverage purchases or entry into monthly handicapping contests.
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At The Post with G.S. Thompson |
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Breeder Larry Falloon excited about Nonios foals, new mares
Dr. Betty Hughes buys another well-bred stallion for Manitoba
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Manitoba-bred Lucky Chuckee and Leroy Nelson return after winning the 2021 CTHS Sales Stakes for breeder Larry Falloon, trainer Shelley Brown and ownership partner Anne Champion. Jason Halstead photo. |
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Manitoba breeders are starting to get excited about the upcoming racing season and breeder Larry Falloon is leading the pack.
The 62-year-old grain farmer from Foxwarren bred last year’s runaway winner of the 2021 CTHS and Buffalo Stakes, Lucky Chuckee, and he is also the co-owner of Manitoba stallion Nonios, whose first substantial crop of 2-year-olds will make their local debuts in 2022.
Falloon bought Nonios in 2018 from Colebrook Farms in Ontario, with partners Andrew Clarke and Denis Huberdeau. Nonios had 10 yearlings in last year’s Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale and there are at least that many and more galloping around in the snow right now on Manitoba farms.
“I think we bred 27 or 28 mares with Nonios last year and the same the year before, which is pretty good,” said Falloon. “His first babies in Manitoba will hit the track this year and they’re looking pretty nice. I’ve got five mares in foal to him, and we have a few more to breed to him this year, including Stevie Mac.”
Local fans will remember Stevie Mac as one of the toughest most consistent mares on the grounds at Assiniboia Downs. Trained by Shelley Brown, the daughter of multiple graded stakes winner Munnings won the La Verendrye Stakes and earned $104,551 from a record of 11-7-3 in 35 starts. Falloon is excited about the new mares he’ll be breeding to Nonios this spring, which also include Sweetdetermination and Franchesca.
Sweetdetermination is a daughter of 1996 Breeders Cup Classic (G1) winner Alphabet Soup and is a half sister to 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) runner-up Force Freeze and Super Derby (G2) runner-up Declan’s Fast Cat. The four-time winner earned $240,213 in allowance races at Woodbine.
Franchesca is an unraced daughter of multiple Grade 1 winner and 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) runner up Henrythenavigator and a half sister to Queen of the Green Handicap winner Abbey Bridge.
If you’re going to build a powerful broodmare band in Manitoba, the above three mares are certainly a great start! And Nonios has already sired 10 winners from limited foals, his latest being Alacritous, who won a tough non-winners-of-four lifetime race at Mahoning Valley Racecourse in Ohio on December 30, 2021, to improve his lifetime record to 6-4-4 for earnings of $192,684.
Nonios is by 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Pleasantly Perfect. His biggest win came in the Affirmed Handicap (G3) but he also finished second in the Swaps Stakes (G2), Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), Awesome Again Stakes (G1) and Native Diver Stakes (G3). Both the Affirmed Handicap and the Native Diver Stakes are well worth watching.
Nonios faced some classy competition during his career, and there is more coming to the Manitoba breeding industry. Dr. Betty Hughes, who currently stands Vengeful Wildcat at Dunroven Farm, bought another stallion in Louisiana last weekend.
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New Manitoba stallion Cameo Appearance. Nice pedigree! |
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Cameo Appearance is by Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner Majestic Warrior out of a winning half sister to Chicago Handicap (G3) winner Kitty in a Tizzy, and his broodmare sire was one of the gamest horses ever to set foot on a racetrack, back-to-back (2000-2001) Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow.
Cameo Appearance finished second in the 2013 Oklahoma Derby (G3) and third in the Super Derby (G2) while compiling a record of 4-1-2 from eight starts for earnings of $228,678. Even more intriguing is his overall pedigree, which includes double crosses of some of the best racehorses and sires in the history of the breed -- Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Buckpasser and Northern Dancer.
Dreamers take note.
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Opening day at the "NEW" Assiniboia Downs on June 10, 1958. And what a day it was! Track owners Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hardy make the winner's circle presentation after the very first race ever run at the Downs to jockey "Dickie" Armstrong, who won the race on Gold Urn. Look at that crowd! Photo courtesy of ASD Historian Bob Gates.
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A single bettor took home the entire Pick 6 Jackpot of over $1.2 million at Gulfstream Park on Friday January 7, 2022, and said it was dumb luck. He didn’t have time to look at the past performances or handicap, so he used two of his favourite handicapping services to help him pick the horses. The ticket cost was $1,080.
When 31-1 longshot Canelo turned for home in the 10th race, the screaming started, and the bettor’s wife and daughter rushed down the stairs to see what all the commotion was. “I think I just won over a million dollars,” said the bettor. The Paulick Report has the scoop here.
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Assiniboia Downs is pleased to announce that we will continue with our handicapping tournaments for 2022. Online format and prize money will be the same as it was in 2021. There will be 13 tournaments in total.
- Four Player’s Choice tournaments from January through April
- Five Las Vegas Challenge tournaments during live racing
- Four Player’s Choice tournaments from October through December
The Handicapper of the Year will be based on your best 7 out of 13 scores.
The first four tournament dates are as follows:
- Saturday, January 22
- Saturday, February 19
- Saturday, March 19
- Saturday, April 30
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Manitoba stallion Nonios has that look in his eye. |
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Manitoba stallion Nonios (Pleasantly Perfect-Stylish Manor by Touch Gold) enjoying the warm weather on Tuesday at Dunroven Farm. We couldn't tell whether he was dreaming about his big stakes runs of the past at Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Monmouth and Saratoga, or his upcoming spring dates. Probably both. He had that look in his eye.
Do you have an interesting photo you would like showcased in an upcoming newsletter? Email your photos to [email protected].
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Nations Top Two 2021 Riders Headed in Different Directions |
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Jockeys Irad Ortiz Jr. left, (NYRA photo) and Joel Rosario (Coady Photography) appear to be headed in different directions early in 2022. |
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Knicks Go and Joel Rosario winning the 2021 Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Could they repeat in 2022? Paulick Report/Derbe Glass photo. |
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Defending champion and projected 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go, scintillating Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Life Is Good, and undefeated Malibu Stakes (G1) winner Flightline highlight a list of 19 horses invited to compete in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Saturday, Jan. 29, at Gulfstream Park. This could be the race of the year, and it's only January! More from the Paulick Report here.
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Road to the Kentucky Derby 2022 |
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Jan. 21, 22 & 23 - Derby Future Wager
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Jan. 22 - Lecomte - Fair Grounds
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Jan. 29 - Southwest - Oaklawn
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Feb. 5 - Holy Bull - Gulfstream
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Feb. 5 - Sam F. Davis - Tampa
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Feb. 5 - Withers - Aqueduct
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Feb. 6 - Robert B. Lewis - Santa Anita
Full list of Kentucky Derby prep races here.
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Carryover Watch & Programs |
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Santa Anita (Jan. 14) - Jackpot Pick 6 - carryover $391,924
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Santa Anita (Jan. 15) - Mandatory Jackpot Pick 6 payout
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Woodbine Harness (Jan. 13) - Jackpot Hi 5 - carryover $101,622
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Gulfstream (Jan. 13) - Jackpot Pick 6 - carryover $62,418
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See all carryovers here.
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"I Won Bigg" Betting Group |
The "I Won Bigg" betting group meets every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Clubhouse. This week the group will be focusing their efforts on Santa Anita and Tampa Bay. Want a share? $20 gets you in! Email Larry at [email protected].
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Top 3 NFL Picks with TravyFootball: Wildcard Round
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Bengals over Raiders (Saturday afternoon): The Raiders defeated the Chargers in one of the most controversial endings I've ever seen. Regardless of how it happened, they now will travel to Cincinnati where the Bengals are hosting their first playoff game since 2015. These two teams faced off during the regular season and the Bengals won 32-13.
49ers over Cowboys (Sunday afternoon): There’s three things guaranteed in life -- death, taxes, AND THE 49ERS BEATING THE RAMS!!! To say I was excited about that win would be a gross understatement, and I won’t even get into the emotional roller coaster I was on throughout the game. The Cowboys could be in trouble here, more specifically their defense, who will have trouble stopping the Niners from running the football. Here’s hoping that San Fran can pull off another upset.
Chiefs over Steelers (Sunday night): With the Colts losing to the Jaguars last week, it opened the door for the Steelers to squeak their way into the playoffs. Ben Roethlisberger’s career will be extended by at least one more game, but sadly I think it ends here. In Week 16 the Chiefs defeated the Steelers 36-10, and Travis Kelce didn’t even play in that game. Patrick Mahomes will have his full arsenal of weapons this time, which will result in multiple mismatches for the Steelers defense.
REMAINING WILDCARD GAMES:
Bills over Patriots (Saturday afternoon)
Bucs over Eagles (Sunday noon)
Cardinals over Rams (Monday night)
LAST WEEK’S PICKS: 2-1
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The Best of Bob
by ASD Historian Bob Gates
Bob's "take" on Tex Ritter's 1961 hit "Hillbilly Heaven" was his most popular column from the 2020 season! Click here for one more trip to racetrack heaven and join Bob for his visit with Phil Kives, Bert Blake, Max Freed and his old friend Garylle Stewart. (From July 2020)
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We would love to hear from you! Email your comments and/or suggestions to [email protected]
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