Blog
Mike Smith. Good guy. Done too soon.
by Bob If this was a tale about the old west, Michael Somerset Smith would have been one the guys wearing a white Stetson. You know -- the one the good guys wore in westerns. Simply put, Mike loved horses, and as a youth he spent as much time as he could at Max...
Glen Royce Ball, the man they call “GB”
by Bob Originally from Edmonton, GB came to Winnipeg with his family when he was a youngster. Glen always loved to be around horses and got his start with show horses. Horses were his passion, but he made his living as a "car guy." GB operated a White Rose service...
The day that shaped the face of Assiniboia Downs, September 25, 1957
by Bob If it is possible to single out a date that marked the "birth" of Assiniboia Downs, Wednesday September 25, 1957 would be that day. On that historic Wednesday Jack Hardy, President of James Enterprises Ltd. announced the appointment of Alexander Gardner...
Bobby Q, The Horse that Jack Built
by Bob This week's image in our historical rear view mirror belongs to Bobby Q and veteran horseman Jack Robertson from Amaranth, Manitoba. Bobby Q first popped up on the radar screen with his performance in the 10th running of the Minnesota Derby in 1983. Sent...
Mellow moments and memories of Albert and Eileen Blake
by Bob This past Sunday I woke up early, very early, and poured myself a coffee. I retreated to our deck to enjoy the morning sunrise. The only other living creatures awake at that time were a few chirping song birds. The air was still and all was calm as I fell into...
Dane Nelson dominates ASD card with four wins, Compton loses both horses via claim
by George Jockey Dane Nelson won four races including the Hazel Wright Sire Stakes on Saturday night, overshadowing a hat trick by former leading rider Rohan Singh, and trainer Jim Compton lost both horses he ran in claiming races. They both won. Nelson started...
A DQ, a hurt jockey and a $61,664.19 Super High Five Jackpot Winner
by George Apprentice Rasheed Hughes was denied his first winner after a DQ, jockey Dane Nelson was hurt when a horse broke through the gate in the third race, the $2 Pick-4 paid $1,964.90, and a single bettor went home $61,664.19 richer after selecting the only...
Birthdays, Birthdays, Birthdays! Wife, daughter, cat and the other woman!
by Bob The month of June has special significance for me. Four of the most important women in my life celebrate birthdays in the month of "leaves and roses," my wife, Kathy, our daughter, Deena, the cat, Kopy Kat and the "other" woman in my life. Yes, you heard it...
Remembering Jim Sorenson, record-setting mystery man
by Bob It's been almost 40 years since 22-year-old Jimmy Sorenson lit up the tote board under a star-lit sky at Assiniboia Downs. Patrons in attendance on the evening of Wednesday, June 23, 1976 will not soon forget the riding exhibition put on by the young man from...
Raymond Stewart, The Pride of Gladstone — Reflections on a Life Well-Lived!
by Bob It's been more than 75 years since Ray Stewart scored his first win as a jockey on the old western prairie circuit. I recently had an opportunity to sit down with the 93-year-old Stewart and reminisce about his horse racing past at his home in Brandon where he...