The Inside Track | Issue #129 | April 26, 2024 | |
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ASD Hours
- Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
- VLT machines are sanitized between use
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2024 Live Race Dates
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Monday, May 20 to Tuesday, September 17 - click here for schedule
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In this edition . . .
- What's happening at the Downs?
- There's always a Deal at ASD!
- Marvin and Deb Buffalo Arrive
- Sincere Condolences: Connie Clauson
- 2024 Condition Book #1
- 2024 Shipping Incentive Program
- Sincere Condolences: Jim Farrell
- Bill by Tim Cox
- Kentucky Derby 150
- Looking For a Special Photo?
- Carryover Watch
- Off-Track Betting Locations
- "I Won Bigg" Wagering Group
- A Snapshot In Time: Ken Hendricks
- Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet
- A Canadian Upset for the Ages
- Buzz Buzz: Woodbine Opens!
- Kentucky Derby Then and Now
- Steve Haskin's Derby Rankings Week 14
- The Best of Bob - Clayton Gray
- Upcoming Events
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Upcoming Handicapping Tournaments
Player's Choice Tournaments:
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
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140 VLTs are available daily in our spacious Club West Gaming Lounge from 10 a.m. through 1 a.m. Enjoy complimentary coffee or tea. We also have fantastic deals on daily drink specials, happy hour specials, daily lunch and nightly food features. Please note that our VLTs are sanitized between play.
Free daily draws take place for your chance to win cash!
Games for Cash
Lucky Stars: Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enter for your 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 get $20 in free VLT spins! Keep what you win.
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There's Always a Deal at ASD! | |
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$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.
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Special Offer!
$10 off Live Racing Certified Angus Prime Rib Buffet |  | |
To celebrate live racing, we are offering $10 off our Certified Angus Prime Rib buffet on Monday, May 20, Tuesday, May 21,
Monday, May 27 & Tuesday, May 28
Reserve your table today for our renowned Certified Angus Prime Rib buffet. Live racing and a prime rib buffet - it doesn't get much better than that!
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.
The table is yours for the entire evening and includes complimentary racing programs and tip sheets.
Adults - $54.95, Seniors (65+) - $49.95, Children 6 to 12 - $32.95, Children 5 & under - $19.95
Reservations are required. Call 204-885-3330 and mention the promo code LIVE10 to receive this special offer!
Click here for our 2024 racing schedule.
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Offer is valid on the dates below only:
- Monday, May 20
- Tuesday, May 21
- Monday, May 27
- Tuesday, May 28
Cannot be combined with any other offer.
USE PROMO CODE LIVE10
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At The Post with G.S. Thompson | |
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Marvin and Deb Buffalo Arrive From Tampa Bay
Triple stakes-winner Spitten Kitten back in action as part of 10-horse stable
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Trainer Marvin Buffalo and wife Deb with triple ASD stakes winner Spitten Kitten. (George Williams) | |
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Trainer Marvin Buffalo and his wife Deb arrived from Tampa Bay Downs this week and helped swell the horse population in the ASD backstretch to over 320 with their 10-horse stable, which includes triple stakes-winning filly Spitten Kitten, who they own in partnership with Arnold Souster.
Spitten Kitten was victorious in the One and Only Overnight Stakes, the Chantilly Stakes and the Jack Hardy Stakes last year before being given a rest, and she recently started back at Tampa Bay Downs, finishing fourth in an allowance race on April 5.
“We had 11 starts, a win, a second, a third and two fourths,” said Marvin, who added that both he and Deb were impressed by the professionalism of many of the horse people they met during their first winter at Tampa. “It’s tough racing.”
The couple enjoyed their time south of the border and saw some of the best riders and horses in North America, a few of which will be headed to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4.
“We made some new connections,” said Marvin, who had no horses left in his stable when he left here last fall. Not any more. The couple claimed seven horses from $5,000 to $16,000 in Tampa that will now be racing at ASD.
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Spitten Kitten returns with very happy jockey Sven Balroop after winning the 2023 Jack Hardy Stakes. (Jason Halstead) | |
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“Everyone from the grooms to the jockeys to the trainers were professional horse people,” said Deb. “It was a different level from what we’ve experienced before,” added Marvin.
“It opened my eyes when we first got there. The way some of the trainers condition their horses. And at race time, when the horses run, they run all the way. When they hit the head of the lane, they re-break. You have to have a pretty fit horse to win.”
The higher the class level at Tampa obviously lends itself to fitter and faster horses, but the subtleties of conditioning horses to a new level of fitness weren’t lost on Marvin, who also referenced Hall of Famer Charlie Whittingham in his comments. Whittingham was well known for having his horses better conditioned than any other horse in the race when it came to the major graded stakes.
But it wasn’t all work in Tampa.
“We loved the weather,” said Deb. “We were right on the Gulf of Mexico. There were dolphins, and those kinds of things. It was such an experience. It would rain for 20 minutes hard and then the sun would come out and it would be beautiful.”
The couple opened some doors for the future during their trip south, and more stalls could be available to them at other tracks this fall. They’ve bootstrapped their way to the next level through hard work, and Marvin has now compiled a record of 222-237-262 from 1,695 starts for purse earnings of $1,753,011. And he’s only going to get better.
But their smiles said they were happy to be home.
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Winnipeg Free Press photojournalist Mike Deal catching the light on Thursday at ASD. (George Williams) | |
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Also seen in the backstretch on Thursday morning was Winnipeg Free Press photojournalist Mike Deal and top Manitoba breeder Cam Ziprick.
Deal was putting together a photo spread on grooms in the HBPA Groom School for the Winnipeg Free Press, and managed to catch some beautiful light for his photos. Deal also happened to snap the “workout” debut of exercise rider Jaydean Lamothe.
The daughter of trainer Wendy Anderson completed her first full-speed work inside three-time riding champion Antonio Whitehall and looked good doing it. She also had an ear-to-ear smile after the work.
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Jaydean Lamothe in the midst of her first speed workout inside three-time leading ASD rider Antonio Whitehall. Nicely done Jaydean! (Mike Deal) | |
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Meanwhile, Cam Ziprick was looking forward to watching some of the 2-year-olds by Ziprick Thoroughbreds stallion Speculating. This will be Speculating’s first crop of 2-year-olds to race and if they run to their looks, watch out.
Eleven more Speculating foals were expected this spring at Ziprick’s farm in Russell Manitoba, and we can also look forward to a pair of beauties in this year’s CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sale out of multiple stakes-winning champion Manitoba-bred Hidden Grace and Sovereign Award-winning Manitoba-bred mare Escape Clause’s dam Danger Pay.
Trainers with Speculating 2-year-olds currently in the barn are believed to be Jared Brown, Mike Nault, Wendell Mustard, Tiffany Husbands, and Tom Gardipy, Jr. but there could be more. And they’ll all soon get the chance to strut their stuff in the live races.
Less than a month until opening night, Monday May 20!
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Garfield Dunkley paints a pretty picture at ASD on Thursday morning. (George Williams) | |
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Sincere Condolences
Connie Clauson (February 14, 1946 - April 7, 2024)
| Connie Clauson with Kenton "the wonder horse" in 2015. (Wayne Glowacki/Winnipeg Free Press) | |
It is with profound sadness we share that long time Manitoba HBPA Director Connie Clauson passed away Wednesday, April 17 at the age of 78.
Connie’s contributions to racing in Manitoba included various roles such as grooming, training, breeding, ownership and board membership. Her passion for racing was not just for the sport, but also for the people and the horses.
Connie found her way to the racetrack as a 19-year-old in the early 1960s according to her sister Dolly. “We worked together at Ryan’s Drive-In just west of Winnipeg, and the racetrackers used to come in there. She just caught the horse bug and stayed.”
Not only did Connie go on to become an owner/trainer, but she contributed immensely while on a number of boards, and she always had a place in her heart for those less fortunate.
One of the best horses Connie trained during her long career was Kenton, who was profiled along with his trainer in the Winnipeg Free Press in a story entitled Small Operation, Big Success, on August 29, 2015. Kenton “the wonder horse” finished second in the Graduation Stakes and third in the Osiris Stakes as a 2-year-old and second in the Frank Arnason Sire Stakes as a 3-year-old.
Connie served on the boards of the Manitoba HBPA, the Chaplaincy, Final Furlong and the Winners Foundation, among others. She was the definition of the word “philanthropist” and represented Benevolence in the HBPA proudly and unmatched.
From organizing events and free BBQs for the backstretch and volunteering time to feed the community, to visiting members past and present in hospital or who had fallen on hard times, Connie was truly a beacon of community, compassion and caring.
Whether it was adopting and fostering cats and dogs, or raising money for animals in need, Connie was always ready to lend a hand, and a piece of her heart.
It is hard to put into words what the life of one person meant to so many. Connie’s presence, contributions, and highly valued advocacy will be missed dearly, and her memory will live on in every soul she touched.
“She had a very high moral fiber,” said Dolly. “If it went against what she believed, she wouldn't do it. She couldn't go against her ideology. And she really cared for her animals. It was more about them than the racing. I really feel like I want to call her right now..."
"But I can’t.”
Our sincere condolences to Connie’s family, many friends, horses and pets.
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Download a copy of Condition Book #1 here or click on the image above. | |
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Sincere Condolences
Jim Farrell (April 10, 1933 - April 11, 2024)
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Former thoroughbred and standardbred owner Jim Farrell passed away on April 11, 2024, at the age of 91, and many will remember him from some fabulous times with both breeds in the backstretch from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Jim was passionate about horse racing and was a past President of the Manitoba Harness Horsemen Association. A former track announcer at Assiniboia Downs, Jim had a gift of journalistic talent that he used to promote the sport of horse racing whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Born in Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Jim spent an adventurous youth in Nipigon, Ontario. After graduating from the Radio & Television Arts Program at Ryerson Institute of Technology, he embarked on a long career in Winnipeg.
At CJAY TV Jim was a news reporter and co-hosted "Your Government" as well as producing and hosting the live outdoor sports show "Manitoba Sportsman". He was also a news editor/director at CKRC radio, and was best known as the co-anchor of CKND-TV "First News".
Jim loved life and horses, and had the perfect personality to go with his big heart. He will be fondly remembered by all of his friends, family, and backstretch veterans from years gone by, all of whom would recognize his final message.
“It’s been a great life!”
Our sincere condolences to Jim’s family and friends.
Read Jim's full obituary in the Winnipeg Free Press here.
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Bill
Original painting by Tim Cox
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"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe. "Bill" painted by Tim Cox in 1990. See more original paintings from Tim Cox here. | |
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Kentucky Derby
Join us for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4!
ASD Live Kentucky Derby Show: Kirt and Stretch will handicap the Kentucky Derby during a special show that will air on our ASD YouTube channel on Thursday, May 2.
Special Offer: Indulge in our exclusive RazDerby Lemonade served in a classic Kentucky Derby Mint Julep glass for just $9.99! Plus, you get to take the glass home with you!
Free Programs & DRF: Free programs and DRF will be available at Assiniboia Downs and off-track locations (excluding casinos) by Thursday, May 2.
Free Draws: Draws will be made at Assiniboia Downs and off-track locations (excluding casinos) for Kentucky Derby merchandise packages.
Watch & Wager: Catch all the heart-pounding action live at Assiniboia Downs (doors open at 8:45 a.m.), one of our convenient off-track betting locations or HPIbet.com. Place your bets and cheer on your favourite contenders as they run for the roses!
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Looking for a Special Photo of Your Big Horse or...?
Track Photographer Jason Halstead may have just what you're looking for
| Jockey Antonio Whitehall gets a high-five after winning the 2023 Hazel Wright Sire Stakes aboard Mechanic Susie for trainer Elton Dickey and partners Larry Falloon and Tom Payne. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia 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 😊 | Watch and wager on world class racing from the comfort of your private carrel in our race book located on the 2nd level of the grandstand. The race book is open daily at 10 a.m. Can't make it to the track? Visit one of our partner locations listed below or wager at HPIbet.com. Click here for a list of tracks to wager on during the month of April. | When the sun is shining on the dapples and the trees are green... (George Williams) |
- Gulfstream Park (April 26) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $286,080. Mandatory payout Saturday, April 27.
- Golden Gate (April 26) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $82,785. Mandatory payout Saturday, April 27.
- Mohawk (April 26) - Super Hi-5 carryover $204,166. Mandatory payout Saturday, April 27.
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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Trainer Carl Anderson at the rail talking to "Comeback Kid" Tim Tarasenco. (George Williams) | |
"I Won Bigg" Wagering Group | |
Join the "I Won Bigg" wagering group on the Clubhouse plaza this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The wagering group is open to everyone. The group will play Woodbine, Gulfstream and Santa Anita this week. $20 per share. If you would like more information please email Larry. | |
A Snapshot in Time
by Track Historian Bob Gates
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Keen followers of the Snapshot in Time may have noticed that the record-breaking total wins at the Downs didn’t flow naturally from Jimmy Anderson to Irwin Driedger. The history guy messed you up a bit. Jimmy’s record for most wins by a jock at the Downs ran from June 15, 1981 to July 8, 1981, and Irwin held the record from September 9, 1981 to June 3, 1988.
From July 8, 1981 to September 9, 1981, Ken Hendricks had the most wins at the Downs. Pictured above is the man they call "Hank" on one of his 25 winners during this 2-month period. After Irwin left the Downs to ride down east, it took Ken until June 3, 1988 to regain the title. Hendricks' record still stands and it’s highly unlikely that any rider will ever get close to his 1,685 wins at Assiniboia Downs. (Gerry Hart photo)
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Meet the horses for the 150th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 4
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Tampa Bay Derby winner Domestic Product will be ridden by top jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the 150th Kentucky Derby. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA) | |
Whether you are interested in making a couple of bucks on the race or just want to know a little bit about this year’s runners, America's Best Racing has you covered with their 2024 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet. The contenders are listed in order of their accumulated points from the Road to the Kentucky Derby series and they'll have an update on Saturday evening, April 27, with horses listed in post-position order and with morning-line odds added. | |
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The first of 129 racing cards at Woodbine was drawn on Wednesday. Are you ready!
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Thoroughbreds continue to train at Woodbine in preparation for the opening of the thoroughbred race season on April 27, 2024. (Michael Burns) | |
Entries have been drawn for the first of 129 racing dates at Woodbine this year! Adding great interest to the opening weekend for avid racing fans are two stakes races for 3-year-olds, which could have a King’s Plate or Woodbine Oaks candidate or two in their fields. The Star Shoot takes place on opening day Saturday, April 27 and the Woodstock for colts and geldings goes Sunday. More from Jennifer Morrison at the Canadian Thoroughbred here. | |
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How things have changed over the past 150 years
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In 1948, Citation swept the Triple Crown for Calumet Farm, while American households began to become acquainted with a product that would transform social life and usher the country into a new era of mass communication – television. (Blood Horse Library/Wikimedia Commons) | |
On May 4, the most popular horse race in North America celebrates a special anniversary. The Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be run for the 150th time at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., with more than 120,000 fans in attendance under the track’s iconic Twin Spires and tens of millions more watching around the world. Life has changed in some interesting ways since the first Kentucky Derby was run on May 17, 1875. More from America's Best Racing here. | |
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The Road to the Derby, April 22, 2024 – Week 14
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"We have come to the end of the road with our final Derby Rankings in a different format. It has been a wild Derby trail and after 14 weeks we are still left with many questions that won’t be answered until the Derby. Stay tuned next week when we try to sort everything out in our analysis and handicapping strategy." ~ Steve Haskin. Read more at Secretariat.com here. | |
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Best of Bob
by ASD Historian Bob Gates
If you had “Bet a Gray” throughout the 1970s, you would have had lots of winners. What? Bob has the details here (From May 29, 2017).
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Upcoming events at ASD
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Lucky Stars - Monday to Friday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. - more info
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Lucky Spins - Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. - more info
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Kentucky Derby, Saturday, May 4 - more info
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Player's Choice Handicapping Tournament - Saturday, May 11 - more info
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Mother's Day Brunch - Sunday, May 12 - SOLD OUT
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Live Racing - Victoria Day - Monday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. - 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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