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| | ISSUE #195 - AUGUST 1, 2025 | | Manitoba Derby Night - Monday, August 4. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. | | |
The Manitoba Derby presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
Get ready for the biggest night of the season – the $125,000 Manitoba Derby for 3-year-olds, presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries! As the first leg of the Western Canada Derby Series, this prestigious race is packed with excitement.
- $100,000 Guaranteed Pick 4
- Mandatory payout of the ASD Jackpot Pick 5. Current carryover $465,217.
- Enter the Derby Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $100 win wager on a Derby horse.
- Strike a pose in front of our Derby backdrop to enter to win a $100 ASD gift card—just don your best Derby attire or hat!
- Free Family Fun starting at 6:30 p.m. with bouncy castles, face painting, and kids entertainment.
- Visit the special Derby history display by Track Historian Bob Gates.
- Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Free admission and free parking make it a night you won't want to miss!
CLICK HERE for the Preview of the Manitoba Derby.
Racing continues Tuesday, August 5 at 7:30 p.m. with free family fun activities starting at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. Free parking and admission every live race night!
CLICK HERE for schedule.
| | | Manitoba Derby favourite Take Charge Tom on his way to winning the Derby Trial. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo) | | |
Stellar Card for Monday’s $125,000 Manitoba Derby, Two-Year-Olds Put On a Show
The 77th running of the $125,000 Manitoba Derby is set for this Monday evening after an exciting week that included some sizzling 2-year-old performances.
Post Positions were drawn for the Derby at the annual Derby Press Conference on Thursday for a strong field of eight, headlined by Derby Trial winner and morning-line favourite Take Charge Tom, trained by four-time Manitoba Derby-winning trainer Robertino Diodoro, but this race could be much more wide open than it looks on paper.
CLICK HERE to read more.
| | | Girls Night Out - Wednesdays in August. | | |
Girls Night Out! Wednesdays in August
Grab your girlfriends and join us at the Downs for an evening of fun, food, and fabulous prizes—just for the girls!
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Fancy Hat Draw - Wear your best Derby hat and enter to win $150 cash! Draw after Race 6.
- Girls-Only Special $100 Draws - Enter to win - draws after Races 4, 5 & 6.
- $5 Food & Drink Specials (available on the main and 3rd floor) – Fireball Shot, Peach Tart Shot, Razderby Lemonade, 6 oz House Wine, Chicken Fingers Snack, Popcorn, Double Scoop of Ice Cream.
- $5 Espresso Martini Shooter – Includes a ballot to win a $300 Thermea Spa Gift Card. Sponsored by Corby Spirit & Wine.
| | | Groom Katie Morris with No Show No Call after winning the second race on Wednesday evening at ASD for trainer Mike Taphorn. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo) Click photo to enlarge. | | |
Looking for a Special Photo?
Track Photographer Jason Halstead may have just what you're looking for
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 😊
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A Snapshot in Time by Bob Gates
Before the Queen’s Cup—or, if you prefer, the “Manitoba Centennial Derby Perpetual Challenge Cup”—there was the “Manitoba Derby Trophy.” In the early years of the Derby (1930 to 1940), held at Polo Park, the Manitoba Derby Trophy was awarded to the winner. In 1941, the name of the race was changed to the Canadian Derby. This trophy then became the championship symbol for the Canadian Derby, which continued at the old Polo Park racetrack until its closure in 1956, when the race was moved to Edmonton. Somewhere along the way, the original trophy disappeared without a trace (Speers Family photo).
| | Cugino has been listed at 10-1 for the Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, but he does have elite connections. (Coglianese photos) | | |
2025 Fourstardave Stakes Cheat Sheet
The $750,000 FanDuel Fourstardave Stakes has evolved over the last 30 years into one of the premier races for turf milers in North America, and the 2025 edition Saturday rendition at Saratoga Race Course drew a loaded 10-horse field.
Saturday's stakes-packed card at Saratoga also includes the Saratoga Special, Test Stakes, Saratoga Derby, and Whitney Stakes.
-- America's Best Racing
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Mandatory Payout Alerts:
- Gulfstream Park: Jackpot Pick 6 on Sunday, August 3. Current carryover is $84,473
- Assiniboia Downs: ASD Jackpot Pick 5 on Monday, August 4. Current carryover is $465,217
| | Highland Falls has been listed at 8-1 for the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday as he makes his second start of 2025. (NYRA) | | |
G1 Winner Highland Falls Makes Second Start Of 2025 In Whitney
Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Highland Falls, who won the local 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in September, will look to double up on Saratoga Race Course stakes success in Saturday’s $1 million Whitney (G1). The nine-furlong Whitney offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.
-- Paulick Report
| | J. Keeler Johnson analyzes Saturday's Whitney Stakes at Saratoga for the Blood Horse, and it looks like a dynamite race! | | |
Will a Saratoga Standout Win the Whitney?
Who will prevail in Saturday's $1 million Whitney (G1) at Saratoga? The 1 1/8-mile "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) has drawn a tremendous field with plenty of viable win contenders.
Excellent analysis by J. Keeler Johnson at the Blood Horse, with both logical picks and longshots.
-- Blood Horse
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Bob's Blog: The History of the Manitoba Derby in Photos
The 77th running of the $125,000 Manitoba Derby takes place on Monday evening, August 4. To help get everyone into the Derby spirit, this week’s history blog features a Manitoba Derby photo album. These Derby-related photos span nearly 90 years of the annual classic. Click here to enjoy a visual journey from 1930 to 2018!
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Feedback & Inside Track Archives
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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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