Jim Wright with General Manager Bill Clubb (Gerry Hart)
By Track Historian Bob Gates
If you remember Mood Rings, Rubik’s Cubes or Pet Rocks then you were a graduate of 1975. News events of the day included:
- Jimmy Hoffa disappears from a restaurant parking lot in Bloomfield Hills Michigan.
- Patty Hearst is arrested after a year on the FBI Most Wanted List.
- The Edmund Fitzgerald sinks during a storm, taking all 29 crew members to the bottom of Lake Superior.
The local horse racing community, together with its loyal race fans were all awaiting the highly anticipated 1975 season out at Assiniboia Downs.
In the fall of 1974 a group headed by Jim Wright had bought Assiniboia Downs racetrack for somewhere upwards of $5 million. Wright and major shareholder Bory Margolis had grandiose plans for the Downs. These plans included the installation of escalators, expansion, remodelling and air conditioning of the clubhouse, as well as concession stands improvements. It was an exciting time for the west end track. Wright dearly wanted to make sure that his patrons enjoyed themselves when they went to his racetrack.
This week we take a look at season #18 of our Downs. The meet had been extended to 70 days, which was an increase from the usual 56 days of racing that had been offered under Jack Hardy. The racing schedule was to run from May 16 to September 2.
A lot happened in those 70 days, so this time around we cover the first 35 days which takes us from May 16 to July 9. We’ll finish the balance of the season next week. Meanwhile, buckle-up and enjoy the ride as we look at racing from, can you believe it, a half-century ago in 1975.
ASD Program - August 9, 1975
The season got off to a bumpy start when Syd Halter, Chairman of the Manitoba Horse Racing Commission (MHRC) tendered his resignation because of what he felt was “political interference” when the MHRC offices were moved to Assiniboia Downs.
Wright’s renovations fell behind schedule as a result of a strike by carpenters and sheet metal workers and the most dreadful spring weather Mother Nature could conjure. The track was going to start the meet as planned on May 16, but Wright cautioned that fans may have to wait before for all of the renovations were completed.
22-year-old Richard Grunder replaced Frank Roberts as the new “Voice of the Downs.” Tommy Sumner, Scotty Kennedy and Dave Sommerville were the stewards for the meet with Craig Macdonald serving as racing secretary.
The Downs jockey colony included: six-time Downs leading rider Bobby Stewart, 1974’s Downs leading rider Kenny “Hank” Hendricks, Tommy Adkins, Jimmy Anderson, Larry Bird, Dave Burns, Ray Correa, Lambert Croaker, Bobbie Dimma, Betty Dunham, Tommy Hinojosa, Roger Jensen, Norm Jewell, Gary Marsolais, Robin Neilson, Joan Phipps, Sandra Roteliuk, Joe Selyem and Scott Woodley.
Now, let’s get to the regular season, shall we:
Opening Day – May 16: A crowd of 4,909 wagered a record opening-day handle of $227,855. Jockey Kenny Hendricks served notice that he was looking to repeat as leading rider when he won the first race of the season aboard Fisherman’s Bowl.
The always popular Inaugural Handicap drew 18 entries and was run in two divisions. The first division was won by filly, Runaway Bandita who beat Marcel Chartier’s, master of Wescana Stables, $22,000 winter purchase and potential star of the stable, Macale. The second division was taken by Glen Ball’s longshot Teddy H, who upset the less than even money favourite Turn to Rule and paid $42.20 for a $2 “straight” ticket.
Trainer Glen Ball with Macale (Gerry Hart)
May 21 – Day 4: Joan Phipps, the blonde saddlesmith from Saskatoon, rode in seven of the eight races and “hit the board” in all her starts. She won the 2nd and 6th races, finished second in the 4th, and got the show position in races 1, 3, 5 and 7.
May 23 – Day 6: Wescana Stables’ Macale won the feature race of the day in superior fashion, proving he was going to be a classy competitor in the allowance and stakes races.
May 31: The Winnipeg Free Press’ Mike Mooney reported that Boss of All, who ran third to Federal Ruler the night before had been claimed for $6,500 by Wescana Stables – “the highest claim ever at the Downs.”
By the end of May the Wrights had a pretty good idea they had made a sound investment, when it was reported that attendance was up by 25%, while the handle was up 20% compared to 1974.
Come the beginning of June, track photographer, Gerry Hart had left the black & white winner circle photos in his darkroom and was now shooting “in colour.”
June 4 – Day 13: A promising 2-year-old by the name of Michael Magee made the first start of his career, finishing a credible second. The Clayton Gray-trained colt was the namesake of CBC Sports horse racing analyst/commentator, Michael Magee of course. In his prime, Magee – the horse – ran against some of the best stakes runners the Downs had at the time, including Mood E Me, Icy Welcome, Persian Memories, Sunraysed and Merry’s Jay.
June 7 – Day 15: Come 1975, six-time Downs leading jockey Bobby Stewart was in the twilight of his career, but on this day Bob once again showed flashes of greatness. The Saturday night card had Bob ride five winners (races 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8). This wasn’t Stewart’s best showing at the Downs though, on June 16, 1971, Bobby had a 6-bagger.
June 11 – Day 17: It was a lucky night for 12 ticket holders who held the #7 and #10 exactor combination. Chads Champ #7 (36 to1) crossed the finish line first and Stevie’s Wonder #10 (8 to 1) ran third. So? The second place finisher Ole Miser had interfered with Stevie’s Wonder and had his number taken down and Stevie was awarded second place and voila a $1,249.20 exactor was born. It bettered the previous record of $823.40 set on August 14,1962.
June 15 – Day 20: On this day Jim Wright’s Assiniboia Downs celebrated its “Official” grand opening. The Downs took the opportunity to honour eight men for their contributions to the sport. Honoured were Maurice Smith, Jim Coleman, Ed Ragen, Tom Sumner, Dick Armstrong, Lee Williams, Lou Davies and Max Freed.
Bert Blake's Bargain Maid, June 18, 1975 (Gerry Hart)
June 18 – Day 21: Downs patriarch, the late “Bert” Blake saddled his first winner of the meet, when Bargan Maid won race #2.
June 29 – Day 28: Trainer Peggy MacLeod’s Final Major won Race #2. Why was this so special? Well Ms. MacLeod’s first win as a trainer had come 35 years earlier. MacLeod has the distinction of being the first female trainer on the prairies when she received her licence in 1940!
Lorne Spearman's Flag the Trayne, July 1, 1975 Manitoba Stakes (Gerry Hart)
July 1 – Day 30: A young Lorne Spearman won the 6th running of the Manitoba Stakes with his Flag the Trayne (FTT). This is the same Spearman who would become Irwin Dreidger’s agent. Lorne owned Flag the Trayne in partnership with his grandad, Elias Johns. Eventually the colt would find his way to the Richardson family and in time, the barn of Michael Gobuty. Lorne gets full marks for his research on FTT, which supported that he was going to be a runner. If Flag the Trayne’s name sounds familiar, you’re probably not going to be surprized to know that in 1977 he hit the winner’s circle eight times in the 123-day meet and is one of the winningest horses ever at the Downs.
July 9 – Day 35: Jockey Jimmy Anderson rode his 1,000th winner, Barb’s Last. Yet Jim didn’t consider this his biggest thrill in racing. Jim reserves that honour for his first ever win, which came at the Downs in June 1963 aboard Moms Bomb.
As we wind down our review of the first-half of the 1975 season, there are many great memories from the first year that Jim Wright ruled the Downs. It truly was a memorable time for racing in the Peg. Horse racing under the Wrights had found its stride and Assiniboia Downs was relevant once again. While the Downs popularity was on the rise with its ever increasing fan base, the sport of kings suffered a profound loss that same year.
Jane Schwartz Book - Ruffian - Burning from the Start
And while I’d rather end this piece on a positive note, I must pay tribute to one of the greatest fillies of all-time. On July 6, Ruffian met Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure in the much publicized match race at Belmont Park.
Not that anybody asked, but for my money that day we lost the greatest filly ever and we’ll never know just how much better the dark bay daughter of Reviewer and Shenanigans was going to be. Like 50,000 spectators who were at Belmont Park that day and the estimated television audience of 20 million, I watched in disbelief …
And wept!