by Bob Gates There are times when the past begs to be remembered. To hear her story, you must listen carefully, because sometimes it comes to you in unusual ways. The most recent case of nostalgia-like-symptoms came courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press. This year on...
A cancelled date with Princess Anne. by Bob Gates Like a Timex watch, the Downs takes a licking and keeps on ticking. The most recent peril began with the following announcement on March 18, 2020: "With the intent to be proactive and to do our part to pull...
Milestones & Memories Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the 1970 Manitoba Centennial Derby by Bob Gates Welcome to the new "normal" as the Downs makes the final preparations to open for its inaugural "No Fans In The Stands" 2020 race meet. We have all lived the...
Secretariat winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby. Photo courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com While most sports are quiet these days, there are major happenings in the horse racing world while it also observes coronavirus safety protocols. In what may be a first at any racetrack,...
by Bob Gates This year's Winnipeg Futurity marks the 90th running of the prestigious race for 2-year-olds, which makes it the oldest continuously run race in western Canada. Yeah, I know, you'll hear a lot about the recent Canadian Derby's 90th running, but those...
by Bob Gates Where does the time go? June 10, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the death of John Wright Sifton. The upcoming running of the J. W. Sifton Memorial on September 7 honours Mr. Sifton’s memory and it will be the 50th time that 3-year-old Manitoba breds...
by Bob Gates Life in Saskatoon grew to be a bore and at times even a nightmare for young Joan Phipps. School work couldn’t hold a candle to competing in the Saskatoon-Regina-Prince Albert light horse show circuit where she rode jumpers and barrel raced. Horses became...
by Bob Gates Not even Looney Tunes with its wascally wabbit has anything on thoroughbred horse racing when it comes to the zany and unusual. From the annals of Winnipeg turf lore, few stories rival the wondrous happenings at Assiniboia Downs or at Jimmy Speers' old...
by Bob Gates Marge and Victor Clare ran one of those typical "Mom & Pop" stables. Their story is a good one, except for the part that it took me seven years to get it done. Marge and I "met" via Facebook in 2012, traded emails and lost touch. Fast forward to this...
by Bob Gates On Monday, August 5, 2019, the Queen's Cup trophy will make her way to the Assiniboia Downs winner's circle to be presented to the Derby champion. Don’t worry she knows the way, it's a trip she's made many times, but this one's special. This is the 50th!...