The Inside Track | Issue #126 | April 5, 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!
- Trainer Mike Nault Returns With 18
- Sincere Condolences: Lynn White
- Sincere Condolences: Tom Adkins
- 2024 Condition Book #1
- 2024 Shipping Incentive Program
- His Own Heaven by Tim Cox
- Road to Kentucky Derby 150
- Looking For a Special Photo?
- Born on St. Patrick's Day
- Carryover Watch
- Off-Track Betting Locations
- "I Won Bigg" Wagering Group
- A Snapshot In Time: Gary Danelson 1000th Win
- Dark Horse Bets Download
- Santa Anita Derby Cheat Sheet
- Dornoch, Sierra Leone Get Rematch in Bluegrass
- Deterministic Faces 12 in Wood Memorial
- Steve Haskin's Derby Rankings Week 11
- The Best of Bob - Fud the Stud
- Upcoming Events
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Upcoming Handicapping Tournaments
Player's Choice Tournaments:
- Saturday, April 13
- Saturday, May 11
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
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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!
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April 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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Club West Dining Room & Lounge menu
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Daily Happy Hour specials
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Daily Drink Features All Day Long
- Monday - Margarita $6 (lime, peach or strawberry)
- Tuesday - Corona $5
- Wednesday - Wine $4.50 (6 oz. glass of house white or house red)
- Thursday - Beer $4.75 (house pint of beer)
- Friday - Trifecta Tea $6 (Absolut peach vodka, lemonade, sweet tea)
- Saturday - RazDerby Lemonade $6 (Absolut raspberry vodka, lemonade)
- Sunday - Caesar $6
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Daily Evening Chef's Specials | |
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Monday - BBQ Ribs $19.95: Smoky char-broiled ribs with our signature BBQ sauce. Served with french fries and coleslaw.
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Tuesday - Tacos $9.95: Two flour tortillas stuffed with taco beef, chicken or fish, lettuce, green onions, cheese and diced tomato. Served with a drizzle of avocado cilantro lime sauce and taco chips.
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Wednesday - Two Topping Pizza $14.95: Thin crust pizza with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Choose from pepperoni, bacon, ham, spicy beef, chicken, tomato, mushroom, peppers, black olives or onions.
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Thursday - Chipotle Mozza Burger $14.95: Our signature sirloin patty and crispy bacon smothered in melted mozzarella. Topped with fresh sliced tomato, fried onion rings, chipotle mayo and sweet bold barbeque sauce.
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Friday - Steak & Suds $24.95: 8 oz. Sirloin steak charbroiled and seasoned with our smoky dry rub. Served with fresh vegetables and a choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Plus a complimentary pint of ASD Lucky Lager.
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Saturday - Prime & Wine $29.95: Certified Angus Prime Rib (8 oz. cut.) Served with fresh vegetables and a choice of mashed potatoes or french fries, horseradish, and Yorkshire pudding au jus. Plus a complimentary 6 oz. glass of house wine.
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Sunday - Fish & Chips $14.95: Two pieces of beer battered cod with tartar sauce and lemon. Served with french fries and coleslaw.
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Reservations are not required. The above specials are available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Everyone who purchases one of the above specials will receive a coupon to play our free "Pick to Win" game in the VLT lounge for a chance to spin our lucky cash wheel where you can win up to $100 cash!
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At The Post with G.S. Thompson | |
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Trainer Mike Nault Returns
Double stakes winner Commandoslastdance tops 18 horse stable
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Debutante and Buffalo Stakes winner Commando's Last Dance looked better than ever as a 3-year-old on the ASD training track Thursday morning for trainer Mike Nault and owners A2 Thoroughbreds and True North Thoroughbreds. Prayven Badrie up. (George Williams) | |
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The training track rail was packed on a warm and bright Thursday morning as every trainer on the grounds seemed to have their horses on the track at the same time.
No one wanted to miss a chance of soaking up the much-awaited sunshine, and trainer Mike Nault was no exception. Nault had two Manitoba yearling-sale purchases out for exercise, one by Vengeful Wildcat and the other by Speculating.
Nault is back in action at the track now with 18 horses, but his charges have already been in training for a few months at Miracle Ranch on Garvin Road, and all were galloping strongly and looking for more. That included last year’s likely 2-year-old champion filly Commandoslastdance.
The big bay filly by Going Commando-Sweet Tizzy Lizzy by Tiznow owned by A2 Thoroughbreds and True North Thoroughbreds was bred by Keaton and Aiden Ziprick, and won both the Debutante Stakes and the Buffalo Stakes last year before being sent home for a well-deserved holiday.
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Trainer Mike Nault leads Commando's Last Dance back to the barn after exercise Thursday morning. (George Williams) | |
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Commandoslastdance has filled out and matured beautifully, and now looks a lot like her father and other Going Commando stakes winner Hidden Grace and Escape Clause when they were 3-year-olds, both of whom Nault had a hand in when they were youngsters, winning stakes with each.
“Lady Cop and Big Stretch are training really well too,” said Nault, whose main clients are top Manitoba owners True North Thoroughbreds and A2 Thoroughbreds.
The 58-year-old trainer has done exceptionally well with young horses during his career, most recently with Commandoslastdance, Lady Cop, and Diamond Digger. He’ll have five 2-year-olds in his barn this year including the aforementioned pair by Vengeful Wildcat and Speculating, another Manitoba-bred by Nonios, and two that were purchased in the Ontario yearling sale, one by Malibu Stakes (G1) winner Jimmy Creed and another by H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) winner Echo Town.
“I’ve got a very nice stable this year,” said Nault.
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Jockeys Sven Balroop (inside) and Prayven Badrie exercising a pair of youngsters by Speculating and Vengeful Wildcat for trainer Mike Nault. (George Williams) | |
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Nault’s career record to date stands at 140-118-138 from 906 starts for purse earnings of $1,573,670, but his numbers have improved dramatically over the past few years. He had his best year ever in 2023, when he won 25 races at a 26-percent clip and cracked the $300,000 mark in purses for the first time in his career.
The best horse he ever trained?
“Hidden Grace,” said Nault, who was also at Oaklawn Park with Escape Clause in 2019, when that filly finished second beaten a diminishing nose to the best female in the world at the time, Midnight Bisou, in the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).
Can we mention Commandoslastdance in the same breath as the Queens of Manitoba racing? Not quite yet, let’s give her a little time. But right now, she looks…
Powerful.
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Trainer Tiffany Husbands aboard an enthusiastic newcomer on Thursday morning. (George Williams) | |
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Sincere Condolences: Lynn White
Longtime horse owner and racing fan always had a smile
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Lynn White with his wife Marie. The couple were happily married for over 40 years. | |
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We're going to miss his smile.
Longtime horse owner and racing fan Lynn White passed away on March 21, 2024.
Born on July 28, 1943, in Brandon, Manitoba, Lynn grew up on the family farm in the Rivers Municipality of Manitoba and met the love his life, Marie, at Assiniboia Downs.
Lynn and Marie (who passed away in 2023), were married in 1982, and travelled extensively throughout their marriage, with one of their trips including the Kentucky Derby. A big family tradition for Lynn and his family was heading to the racetrack to cheer for a favourite horse, and heading to the winner’s circle for a photo with the winner.
Lynn was well known for his sense of humour and quick wit, and along with Marie, they made many lifelong friends at the racetrack, spending countless enjoyable evenings in the barn with their horse partners and trainers.
Personally, Lynn always had a kind word for me wherever we crossed paths, in the track kitchen, the backstretch, or the grandstand, and he had a way of making you feel good with his big, friendly smile.
Our sincere condolences to Lynn’s family and many friends.
Read Lynn’s Full Obituary here.
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Sincere Condolences: Tom Adkins
One of only 7 jockeys to ride more than 1,000 winners at ASD dies at the age of 66
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Tom Adkins wins the 1997 Canadian Derby aboard Smoky Cinder for trainer John Keegan and local owner breeders Ed and Jim Pawluk. | |
Longtime local race fans will be saddened to hear that jockey Tom Adkins passed away at his home in Fort Erie, Ontario on Friday, March 22.
One of only seven jockeys to win over 1,000 races at Assiniboia Downs, Tom was a major force at the Downs from 1977 until 2000, riding some of the best horses ever to race here and winning numerous stakes aboard stars and champions that included Smoky Cinder, Proven Reserve, One Night Lover, Lord Balcony, Slinkylady, Electric Fever, Buck Domino and more.
An excellent judge of pace, Tom excelled in route races, and the biggest win of his career came aboard Smoky Cinder in the $100,000 Canadian Derby (G3) in 1997 at Northlands Park going a mile-and-three-eighths for local owner/breeders Ed and Jim Pawluk and trainer John Keegan.
Tom started his racing career at Woodbine in 1969 as a hotwalker, but was a natural horse backer and began riding in races in 1976. He won his first race as a jockey with his third mount, Wrinkle Dinkle, on March 23, 1976, at Greenwood Racetrack, and went on to become a hot apprentice on the Ontario circuit before venturing west to Assiniboia Downs in 1977.
Tom rode numerous stakes winners for some of the best trainers on the grounds at ASD including A.E. “Bert” Blake, Gary Danelson and Don Gray among others, and went on to compile a career record of 1,410-1,342-1,298 from 10,089 mounts for purse earnings of $6,173,256.
A Celebration of Life for Tom will be held on April 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Legion at 130 Garrison Road in Fort Erie, Ontario.
Our sincere condolences to Tom’s family and friends.
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Download a copy of Condition Book #1 here or click on the image above. | |
"Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you." ~ George Whitefield. "His Own Heaven" painted by Tim Cox. See more original paintings from Tim Cox here. | |
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Road to the Kentucky Derby
- Wood Memorial (Bel) - Apr. 6 - 100 points
- Blue Grass (Kee) - Apr. 6 - 100 points
- Santa Anita Derby - Apr. 6 - 100 points
- Lexington (Kee) - Apr. 13 - 20 points
2024 Kentucky Derby points standings - here
Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool #6. Thursday, April 4 through Saturday, April 6. The pool closes Saturday, April 6 at 3 p.m. (central). Click here for list of horses.
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Mother's Day Brunch sells out every year so don't be disappointed and order your tickets today! Call 204-885-3330. | |
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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
| Lady Nyla (#1 inside) wins a 4-horse photo in the 4th race on July 18, 2023 for trainer Don Senebald. Shavon Belle up. And she paid $23.50 to win! (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. | Born on St. Patrick's Day | Welcome to the world! A new colt by Vengeful Wildcat-Mairia by Old Forester was born on St. Patrick's Day for owner/breeders Dr. Betty Hughes and Frank Johnson. Does that make him lucky? Well, he is a full brother to Debutante Stakes winner Bankin On Betty. Just might be a pot o' gold here. Thanks to Frank Johnson for the photo! | |
4% Cash Back on Keeneland
Earn 4% cash back on Keeneland on Saturday, April 6 when you wager a minimum of $100. Maximum cash back $50. ($2.10 payouts not included). All wagers must be made on your HPI account. Opt-in at HPIbet.com.
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- Turf Paradise (April 8) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover $208,748
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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"I Won Bigg" Wagering Group Wins Big!
Nails $7,800 Pick 6 with 9-1 shot in final leg at Gulfstream Park
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Creed's Gold (9-1) wins the 11th race at Gulfstream Park on Sunday to bring home a $7,800 Pick 6 for the "I Won Bigg" wagering group. | |
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"There's not much to tell," said I Won Bigg handicapper and ticket-maker extraordinaire Larry Liebrecht after winning the $7,800 Pick 6 at Gulfstream Park on Sunday with the help of group members and fellow ticket-maker Ivan Bigg.
"We asked the I Won Bigg group participants to handicap the last six races at Gulfstream for the mandatory Pick 6 payout. Ivan Bigg and I each handicapped it on our own. Then about an hour before race time, Ivan and I put together a couple of tickets via a phone conversation, based on some feedback from three of the members. We took our must-have horses and hashed out the other horses, before coming up with the tickets, deciding we would spend around $300.
"About 20 minutes before the first leg of the Pick 6, I was re-evaluating the bigger ticket and decided to remove a horse from the second leg (#6, a first time starter) and added #1, Creed’s Gold, in the last leg. The filly was a second-time turfer who got into a bit of trouble in a five furlong dash before closing a little. Now she was stretching out to a mile. She was a Mark Casse-trained horse ridden by Jose Ortiz (not a bad combination!). I touched base with Ivan and he was OK with that move so we played the tickets.
"As it turned out #1 at 9-1 odds found room on the rail in deep stretch to rush to the front and win the race and it was Ivan’s horse in Leg 3, a starter optional claiming race (that he recently had been specializing in), and my fortuitous pick in the last race, a maiden event, that resulted in the winning ticket.
"The group had two tickets. One for $256 and the other for $115.60. Both were alive going into the fifth leg but a key on the smaller ticket missed. But we were in great shape heading into the last leg with five horses on the bigger ticket. We ended up winning $7,802.02 or $195.05 per share for each $9.28 investment. And, ta-dah, this year’s Easter turned into a particularly memorable one!"
Thanks for the update Larry!
Join the "I Won Bigg" wagering group this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The wagering group is open to everyone. This week they will be playing Tampa Bay and Santa Anita. $20 per share. If you would like more information please email Larry.
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A Snapshot in Time
by Track Historian Bob Gates
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Yes, believe it! Gary Danelson has returned for another year of doing what he loves. Gary shown here celebrating his 1,000th win at Assiniboia Downs with the late Harvey Warner on August 10, 2004. Last fall Gary recorded win 1,250. Cheers to the man from Scobey, Montana who has been coming to the Downs since 1959. Wow! (Gerry Hart photo) | |
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Imagination faces seven rivals including Sunland Park Derby winner Stronghold
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Imagination is the morning-line favourite for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on Saturday. (Benoit Photo) | |
Imagination has been listed as the morning-line favourite for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) on Saturday after a determined victory over stablemate Wine Me Up in the $300,000 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes. Among his chief rivals in the 8-horse field are Sunland Park Derby (G3) winner Stronghold, which should make for a great race! Get the rundown on all eight runners from America's Best Racing here. | |
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Fountain of Youth, Risen Star winners, get rematch on Saturday at Keeneland
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Dornoch nips Sierra Leone in the 2023 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct. (Coglianese Photos / Jetta Vaughns) | |
Five months after finishing noses apart in the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, Dornoch and Sierra Leone will get their rematch this Saturday in the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Dornoch is coming off a win in the Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park, while Sierra Leone just won the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds. Time to separate the men from the boys. More from the Blood Horse here. | |
Deterministic has been listed as the 7/5 morning-line favourite for Saturday's $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct. (Chelsea Durand / NYRA) | |
Gotham Stakes (G3) winner Deterministic will be trying to secure his spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1) when he takes on 12 rivals in the 99th running of the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) on a stellar Saturday card at Aqueduct, in a race that offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby points. More from the Paulick Report here. | |
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The Road to the Derby, April 1, 2024 – Week 11
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"As expected, we have a major shakeup in the Rankings with Fierceness zooming back to the top. We are going to a Sweet 16 this week in honour of the NCAA Tournament. There is so little to say about many of the horses who have earned their way into the Derby but really don’t look like they have much of a chance of winning or making an impact, and also the horses who are running this weekend that are difficult to separate. The final three 100-point races should provide enough answers to give us a solid Top 15." ~ Steve Haskin. Read more at Secretariat.com here. | |
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Best of Bob
by ASD Historian Bob Gates
This week Bob celebrates the 40th anniversary of the winner of the Manitoba Mile (formerly the Wheat City Stakes) from 1977. The race winner was Stuart Polet’s Fud the Stud. Who? Bob explains here (from July 30, 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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Player's Choice Handicapping Tournament - Saturday, April 13 - 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 - 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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