Blog
Miko Siah Seeks to be Remembered
by Bob Gates Who was Miko Siah? Equibase stats have the multiple stakes-placed stallion with $10,892 in career earnings from 74 starts. He compiled a record of 8 wins, 10 seconds and 13 thirds from 1948 to 1956. Respectable considering his level of competition, but...
Remembering Dick Armstrong and His Family’s Home Away From Home
by Bob Gates Let's celebrate a Diamond Jubilee, shall we? This year marks the 60th anniversary of jockey George Richard "Dickie" Armstrong's first leading-rider title (1962) at Assiniboia Downs. The Maple Creek, Saskatchewan native would go on to top the Downs...
Assiniboia Downs: Eight Decades and Counting
by Bob Gates "And Now for Something Completely Different" was a catchphrase from the British television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus, and it just happens to be perfect for this week's blog. This isn't your typical history story, at least it's not what...
Downs Honors Contributions of Manitoba Duo with Hall of Fame Nominations
by Bob Gates R. James Speers and "Bobby" Summers are getting awful lonely over at 145 Pacific Avenue, home of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (MSHOF). This past March, Assiniboia Downs took steps to address this situation by filing Hall of Fame nomination papers for...
M&M’s: Sweet Treats for the Soul
by Bob Gates Well, now that we have a couple of days of racing under our belt, let's celebrate with some M&M's. Nope, not the multi-coloured, button-shaped chocolates which are the flagship product of Mars, Incorporated. We're talking about milestones and memories...
A Toast: To the Dearly Departed and Season #65!
by Bob Gates How about a game of "Jeopardy," Assiniboia Downs style? Answer: September 16, 2021, to May 30, 2022. Question: What is the "off season" for the 2021 - 2022 Downs race meets? In case you're wondering that's 257 days. Whether that seems short or long...
A Salute to Assiniboia Downs
by Bob Gates "The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes - and ships - and sealing-wax - Of cabbages and kings - And why the sea is boiling hot -...
Celebrating 64 Years of the Gold Cup
by Bob Gates One of the many challenges facing Jack Hardy when he opened Assiniboia Downs in 1958 was to establish races that would grow into annual contests steeped in tradition. In the first year of operation the only signature race with "tradition" was the...
Tommy & Wayne Elias, the father and son team behind Question Mark Farm
by Bob Gates For those of us who go back far enough, few would debate that Question Mark Farm was one of the more iconic stable names to have ever graced a barn at Assiniboia Downs. Owner, trainer, breeder and Master of Question Mark Farm, Tommy Elias named his...
Clarence Marzolf: Let’s hear it for the “Little Guy” who ran his horses with the big boys!
by Bob Gates Clarence and Sue Marzolf were a husband-and-wife duo that made the backside of Assiniboia Downs their home for 40 years. Theirs was one of those partnerships that was envied by many and admired by all. We lost Clarence this past April and the Downs is...