Special horse made headlines during summer of '67 at ASD while Winnipeg hosted Pan-Am Games by Bob It was Canada’s Centennial and Winnipeg was playing host to the Pan American Games, yet a young racehorse, Wake Island, found a way to make headlines in the local...
Bobby Stewart and Dick Armstrong had different styles, but got similar results. They won. by Bob From 1962 to 1972, two jockeys dominated the leading rider standings at Assiniboia Downs. In that 11-year period George Richard “Dickie” Armstrong and Robert Roy...
Fond memories of opening day at the Downs by Bob It’s hard to believe that seven months have passed since we put a wrap on the 2012 live racing season. The winter was a tough one and spring posed more challenges for the Manitoba Jockey Club than Chair, Harvey...
by Rob The 2012 racing season drew to a close, leaving memories and moments that were incredibly exciting. Balooga Bull dominated over all comers, Portales nailed Tigger Town at the wire in the Winnipeg Futurity and Miss Victoriana made it three years in a row in the...
by Bob “The Buffalo” -- What a great name for a stakes race dedicated to Manitoba-breds! Is there a name that better represents our Province? This Sunday marks the 50th running of this prestigious race for the “babies,” Manitoba-bred 2-year-olds, who will be...
by Bob The 43rd running of the $50,000 J. W. Sifton Memorial for Manitoba-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings takes place this Friday at Assiniboia Downs. The race is named in honour of a very special "Manitoba" horseman who died much to young. John W. Sifton may have...
by Bob What more can be said about two men – brothers who dominated the leading trainer standings at Assiniboia Downs from 1970 to 1980? Clayton Gray won seven training titles (1970, 72, 73, 74, 76, 79, 80) and older brother Don Gray won three titles (1975, 77, 78)....
by Bob Gary Danelson, son of Henry and Hazel, and a native of Scobey Montana, is the all-time leading trainer at Assiniboia Downs. He entered the 2012 season with 1,115 wins and has now added 12 more to sit atop the all-time leader board at the Downs with 1,127 wins....
by Bob Let’s take a time out from our usual activities this week and remember James C. Hardy, the founder of Assiniboia Downs. The year was 1957, R. James Speers had been dead for two years, Polo Park race track had closed its doors in July 1956, and the demise of...
by Bob Have you ever noticed that when the subject of Manitoba breds comes up, it almost sounds like you find yourself having to apologize for the breed? To varying degrees, many of us have done that, but when you think about it, there have been some very good...