ASD Hours

• Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
• VLT machines are sanitized between use

2024 Live Race Dates

• Monday, May 20 to Tuesday, September 17 - click here for schedule

In this edition . . .

• What's happening at the Downs?
• There's always a Deal at ASD!
• Father's Day Brunch
• Big Week for Gourneau and Whitehall
• Have You Ever Wanted to Own a Racehorse?
• Manitoba Night Market & Festival
• Looking For a Special Photo?
• Carryover Watch
• Off-Track Betting Locations
• "I Won Bigg" Wagering Group
• A Snapshot In Time: Whittier Park
• 2024 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
• Bounce back effort expected from Dornoch
• Big 3 Headline Belmont Stakes
• Bob's Blog
• Upcoming Events

Upcoming Handicapping Tournaments

Las Vegas Challenge Tournaments:

• Las Vegas Challenge - Monday, June 17
• Las Vegas Challenge - Monday, July 8
• Las Vegas Challenge - Monday, July 29
• Las Vegas Challenge - Monday, August 19
• Las Vegas Challenge - Monday, September 16

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 sherig@ASDowns.com 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. 

2024 Tournament Winners:

• Player's Choice - Saturday, January 20 - Winner: Ron Phelps
• Player's Choice - Saturday, February 17 - Winner: Trevor Phelps
• Player's Choice - Saturday, March 16 - Winner: Don Allard
• Player's Choice - Saturday, April 13 - Winner: Myron Fedoruk
• Player's Choice - Saturday, May 11 - Winner: Kevin Arnst

Club West Gaming Lounge

Join us today in the Club West Gaming Lounge and discover why we're the ultimate destination for VLT entertainment in the area!

Premier Amenities



• Spacious Area: Our gaming lounge provides ample room for you to relax and enjoy your gaming experience comfortably.
• Sanitization: VLT machines are sanitized between use.
• Great Customer Service: Our friendly staff is dedicated to providing top-notch service, ensuring your visit is enjoyable from start to finish.
• Licensed Lounge: Sip on your favourite drinks from our licensed lounge while you play.
• Food & Drink: Indulge in delicious food and drinks available right in the gaming lounge.

New! Draws for $500 in the VLT Lounge

Every race night a draw for $500 Cash will be made every race night in the VLT lounge at 11:30 p.m. during Crazy Hour!

Daily Draws for Cash



• Lucky Stars: Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enter for a chance to pick a Lucky Star for up to $100 cash.
• Lucky Spins: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Enter for a chance to win $20 in free VLT spins. Keep what you win!

This Season we will be featuring a 50/50 draw EVERY race night with proceeds benefiting Final Furlong and the Winners Foundation. 50/50 tickets for Monday, June 10 are on sale now!

• The 50/50 draw will be made each race night at 10 p.m.
• 1 ticket for $10, 10 for $20, 50 for $50, 200 for $100
• Tickets can be purchased from the VLT cashier’s cage, Guest Services, from the designated 50/50 seller or online at 5050.ASDowns.com
• Ticket sales close at 9:50 p.m.
• You don't have to be in attendance to claim your prize
• Winning ticket numbers are posted at 5050.ASDowns.com
• Manitoba Jockey Club LGCA-5630-RF-44247

$11.95 Daily Lunch Specials

Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks from our Club West Dining Room menu or try our ever changing $11.95 lunch special.

Along with our fantastic lunch specials, we also offer happy hour food and drink specials and weekend food deals. Click here to find out more!

Live Racing Certified Angus Prime Rib Buffet

Enjoy our fabulous Certified Angus Prime Rib Buffet from the best view in the house!

Our Certified Angus Prime Rib Buffet is available every race night. The table is yours for the entire evening and includes complimentary racing programs and tip sheets.

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.

Call 204-885-3330 to reserve your table.

Adults - $54.95, Seniors (65+) - $49.95, Children 6 to 12 - $32.95, Children 5 & under - $19.95

Father's Day Brunch - Sunday, June 16

Treat Dad to an unforgettable brunch on Sunday, June 16th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as we celebrate the hero of the family – YOUR DAD! Indulge in all your brunch favourites!



• Sliced Certified Angus Prime Rib in Mushroom Sauce
• Smoked Ham with Dijon Cream Sauce
• Eggs Benedict
• Omelette Station
• Scrambled Eggs
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Hashbrowns
• Sourdough French Toast & Syrup
• Jumbo Shrimp & Cocktail Sauce
• Smoked Sockeye Salmon Pizza
• Grilled Pinepple
• Wild Rice Salad
• Golden Beet Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Local Cheese, Kolbassa & Pickles
• Croissant, Rolls, Flatbreads and Butter
• Sliced Fruit & Berries
• Cakes & Pastries

Tickets: Adults $49.95, 12 & under $22.95, 5 & under $9.95. Order your tickets by calling 204-885-3330.

Please note that there is no live racing on Father's Day.

Father’s Day brunch will sell out quickly so order your tickets today!

Whitehall Wins Five, Gourneau Wins Four

History made in Slinkylady Overnight Stakes, Pruitt saddles Explosive longshot

Making history! Zorina (#2) and Ronald Ali (outside) dead-heat for the win with She's My Niece (#4) and Damario Bynoe in the Slinkylady Overnight Stakes on Monday. According to ASD historian Bob Gates, it was the first dead-heat for the win in a stakes race at ASD since 1963. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

Three-time leading rider Antonio Whitehall came storming back after a tough opening week to win five races including the Taboga Overnight Stakes, Explosive posted the upset of the week in the Rangatira Overnight Stakes, history was made in the Slinkylady Overnight Stakes with a dead-heat for the win, and fans continued to pound the mutuel windows with huge wagering numbers.

Fans bet $1,499,842 on Monday and $1,423,183 on Tuesday and outdid themselves again on Wednesday, pumping $1,523,293 into the pools, including $137,090 into the nightly $50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 pool.

Jockey Antonio Whitehall was all smiles after winning the Slinkylady Overnight Stakes on Tuesday evening aboard Melisandre. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

Whitehall’s five wins weren’t quite enough to get back on the lead in the jockey standings, but he’s in striking distance of the lead now and this jockey race looks like it’s going to be a doozy.

Damario Bynoe won four races, and hat tricks went to Ronald Ali, Renaldo Cumberbatch, and Prayven Badrie, who tops the standings with nine wins, one ahead of Bynoe and Ali. Whitehall is now only three back with six wins, and he got the money when it counted in one of the four overnight stakes run this week. 

Whitehall won the Taboga Overnight Stakes Tuesday evening aboard 2023 CTHS Horse of the Year Melisandre ($13.00), and the now 6-year-old mare looked like her old championship self, dueling inside speedball Halfinthewrapper and opening up into the stretch. No one came close to catching her.

Owned by True North Thoroughbreds and Arnason Farms, Melisandre is trained by Lise Pruitt, who won three races on the week including the Rangatira Overnight Stakes on Wednesday with longshot Explosive ($62.20), who came powering home late for Arnason Farms to win by a head under Renaldo Cumberbatch.

Longshot of the week Explosive comes powering home late on Wednesday to win the Rangatira Overnight Stakes with Renaldo Cumberbatch in the saddle. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

Five-time leading trainer Jerry Gourneau continued to dominate all trainers with four wins on the week including a victory in the Bobby Q Overnight Stakes on Monday night with Magnolia Speed ($4.90), owned by Mike Powers and ridden by Sven Balroop. Gourneau now has 10 wins, four more than runner-up Devon Gittens (6), who is followed in the standings by Mike Nault (4). Pruitt’s three wins moved her into a tie for fourth in the standings with Steve Keplin, Jr., Mike Taphorn and Carlos Moreno, who each have three victories.

Leading trainer Jerry Gourneau gives jockey Sven Balroop the high five sign after winning the Bobby Q. Overnight Stakes on Monday night with Magnolia Speed. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

Moreno and trainer Jared Brown made history on Monday night in the Slinkylady Overnight Stakes when their respective horses Zorina, owned by Linda Eidal, and She’s My Niece, owned by Kane Kachur and Sharyn Houle, finished in a dead-heat for the win. According to track historian Bob Gates, it was the first time since 1963 that we’ve had a dead-heat for the win in a stakes race at Assiniboia Downs. She’s My Niece was ridden by Damario Bynoe, and it took a good hustling ride by Ronald Ali on Zorina to catch her at the wire.

A stretch run worth watching.

Have You Ever Wanted to Own a Racehorse?

Magnolia Speed wins the Bobby Q Overnight Stakes for trainer Jerry Gourneau and owner Mike Powers on Monday night. Sven Balroop up. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

The HBPA will be hosting a free seminar on owning a racehorse on Saturday, June 15 at 9:30 a.m. in the Terrace Dining Room. Enjoy breakfast, watch the horses workout on the racetrack and find out what is involved in owning a racehorse.

To register for the free seminar email the HBPA at hbpamanitoba@mymts.net. Please include the full name(s) of the attendees in the email.

HPI Bonuses

• 2% Cash Back Belmont Special - Wager $100 or more on any track on Saturday, June 8 and get 2% cash back. Minimum wagered $100. Maximum cash back $25. Must opt-in at HPIbet.com.

Can't make it to the track to wager?

Watch and wager at one of our off-track betting 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
• Wager 24/7 at HPIbet.com

"I Won Bigg" Wagering Group

The "I Won Bigg" wagering group will be meeting this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. to play Saratoga. They will also be meeting this Wednesday at the north end of the Clubhouse to play Assiniboia Downs. Everyone is welcome. If you would like more information please email Larry.

This month will mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of Whittier Park racetrack. The above photo appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press on May 15, 1941 with the caption "Spring at Whittier Park." The Whittier Park tree, which still stands today, was located in the infield of the racetrack at the head of the stretch. (H. A. Steel photo)

2024 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet

Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, and Seize the Grey are the headliners but...

Saturday’s Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course features a contentious field of 3-year-olds aiming to win the final jewel of the Triple Crown, headlined by Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan (left) and Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey. (America's Best Racing)

Although there’s not a Triple Crown on the line this year, the 156th Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets is still generating a great deal of excitement. First of all, the $2 million race on Saturday, June 8, will be held for the first time in history at Saratoga Race Course, one of the crown jewel racetracks in the sport. Second, the Belmont Stakes drew an extremely competitive field of 3-year-olds headed by Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Mystik Dan and Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey. Meet the horses at America's Best Racing here.

Gargan Expecting a Bounce-Back Effort From Dornoch

Full brother to 2023 classic winner Mage a 15-1 longshot in the Belmont Stakes

Dornoch working in company on June 1 at Saratoga Race Course. (Skip Dickstein)

Dornoch may be a 15-1 Belmont Stakes (G1) longshot in the eyes of everyone, except trainer Danny Gargan. While the son of Good Magic is entering the June 8 $2 million final leg of the Triple Crown at Saratoga Race Course off a pair of sub-par efforts, Gargan has a pair of legitimate excuses to counter any adverse opinions. More from the BloodHorse here.

Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone and Seize the Grey Headline Belmont

Derby and Preakness Winners tackle shorter Belmont Stakes at Saratoga as construction continues at Belmont Park

Mystik Dan with Brian Hernandez up, wins the 2024 Kentucky Derby for trainer Kenneth McPeek. (NYRA)

Mystik Dan (the horse with Manitoba blood!), who was a nose better than returning rival Sierra Leone in the Kentucky Derby, will look to pick up his second Triple Crown event in Saturday’s 156th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, at Saratoga Race Course. A blockbuster Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga awaits with a program to include six Grade 1 events among nine graded stakes races in total, topped by the Belmont Stakes and featuring three Breeders’ Cup “Win And You’re In” qualifiers. More from the Canadian Thoroughbred here.

Upcoming events at ASD

• Lucky Stars - Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. - more info
• Lucky Spins - Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. - more info
• Manitoba Night Market & Festival - Sunday, June 9 - more info
• Live Racing - Monday, June 10, Tuesday, June 11 & Wednesday, June 12. Featuring ASD's Birthday on Monday, June 10 - more info
• Live Racing - Monday, June 17, Tuesday, June 18, Wednesday, June 19 - more info
• Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament - Monday, June 17 - more info