Jockey Prayven Badrie returns aboard Sharp Likeness after winning the fifth race on Tuesday for trainer Jason Gourneau. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
by G.S. Thompson
Jockeys Praven Badrie and Damario Bynoe stole the show this week at ASD! Badrie won four races on Tuesday and Bynoe battled back with four wins on Wednesday to take a one-win lead over last year’s leading rider.
Badrie won the first race on Wednesday with Highlander Honey ($2.80) for trainer Jason Gourneau, the fourth aboard Bee La Soul ($3.20) for leading trainer Steve Keplin, Jr., the fifth with Sharp Likeness ($2.50) for Gourneau, and the sixth race on Freed by Magic ($8.60) for trainer Lorne Fraser ($8.60).
Prayven Badrie wins the sixth race on Tuesday aboard Freed by Magic for trainer Lorne Fraser. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Gourneau scored a hat trick on Tuesday, also winning the seventh race with longshot Big Walk ($31.60) and jockey Renaldo Cumberbatch, while Bynoe kept within striking range of Badrie at the top of the rider standings with a win in the second race aboard Casually Classy ($11.30) for trainer Lise Pruitt.
On Wednesday evening, it was Bynoe’s turn to shine. He won the second race aboard Load Abroad ($2.30) for trainer Mike Nault, the fourth on Red Road Runner ($7.30) again for Mike Nault, and the fifth aboard Twolefttoload ($5.00) to give Nault the hat trick. He then won the sixth race aboard Diamond Concerto ($24.90) for trainer Wendy Anderson and almost won the last race when he finished second aboard Designated Hitter for trainer Carl Anderson.
Trainer Mike Nault gives assistant trainer Brittany Bergen a hug after winning the fifth race on Tuesday with Twolefttoload. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Bynoe’s five wins on the week brought his total for the season to 15, one ahead of Badrie (14), followed by Sven Balroop (13), Antonio Whitehall (11), and Rachaad Knights (9).
Leading trainer Steve Keplin, Jr. increased his lead in the standings with a pair of wins on the week, the first with Bee La Soul on Tuesday and the second with Blackteca ($4.20) in the final race on Wednesday. While Nault and Gourneau each had a hat trick, Keplin’s two victories kept him on top of the standings with 13 wins, five more than Nault (8), followed by Tom Gardipy, Jr. (7), Lise Pruit (7) and Wendy Anderson (6).
Damario Bynoe (#8) gets his fifth winner of the week aboard Diamond Concerto for trainer Wendy Anderson in the sixth race on Wednesday. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Jason Gourneau’s hat trick gave him five victories on the season, and his uncle, five-time leading trainer Jerry Gourneau was in town to see them all. Jerry is still conditioning a string of 32 horses at Lone Star Park in Texas, but he will now also be taking over the stable here from Jason. Can the 63-year-old Chippewa from Belcourt, North Dakota win a sixth training title?
Groom Jaydean Lamothe leads Diamond Concerto back to the barn after their win in the sixth race on Wednesday for trainer Wendy Anderson. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Wagering remained strong with total handles coming in at $1,652,584 on Tuesday and $1,763, 097 on Wednesday, both bolstered by huge Pick 4 pools of $181,834 and $170,414, respectively. And the on-track summer crowds continued to grow and show…
That Manitobans and tourists from far and wide love their live horse racing!