by Bob Gates The 2021 season gets underway on Monday, May 24. This will be the second year of the pandemic "No Fans in the Stands" season of racing. Sure, it's not what everyone wants, but it beats the blazes out of seeing the local racing scene fade into obscurity. I...
Opening day 2018 beckons at ASD. A little history!
by Bob Gates Everyone's talking about the Kentucky Derby and Mothers' Day is just around the corner. You know what that means! Live racing is set to return to Assiniboia Downs! After a seven-month hiatus the Downs launches its 2018 season of thoroughbred horse racing...
Assiniboia Downs celebrates Diamond Jubilee as dark, mysterious stranger lurks
by Bob Gates Have you seen him? His slicked-back black-as-night hair high atop the 60-year-old Assiniboia Downs grandstand. For the last couple of months his signature morning screams have echoed throughout the grounds as the Downs prepares to kick off Season...
Paralyzed Canadian jockey Alyssa Selman faces long road to recovery but…
by George Paralyzed Canadian jockey Alyssa Selman was told by doctors this week that she has only a five percent chance of ever walking again, but she bubbled with talk of a dream house and horses on Thursday night in the Rehabilitation Ward at Winnipeg's Health...
Sly Gold rebounds off tough-trip loss to win 51st running of Osiris Stakes
by George Sly Gold rebounded off a tough-trip loss in the Graduation Stakes to wire his field in the $30,000 Osiris Stakes for 2-year-olds on Wednesday night at Assiniboia Downs, and in the process turned the tables on Graduation Stakes victor Spider's Alibi. Taking...
Live racing canceled for Friday May 9, continues Saturday and Mother’s Day Sunday as scheduled
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Due to a lack of entries, live racing at Assiniboia Downs Race Track has been officially canceled for Friday, May 9. Live racing will continue as originally scheduled on Saturday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. and Mother's Day...
The Rob’s, Questions Answered, Questions Posed
by Rob The 2013 race meet was highlighted by a group of horses that dominated their respective divisions. It was an absolute honour to watch these horses dominate each group. The memories roll back of Balooga Bull’s comeback, of Zdeno’s Futurity and of Portales’ big...
A Total Eclipse of the (Gerry) Hart? No.
by Bob Track photographer Gerry Hart retiring? No, but while this may not be Gerry’s final season at the Downs, it will probably be the last year that he operates on his own. Maybe we should think of his work cut-back as more of a “partial eclipse.” Gerry has...
Balooga Bull wins second consecutive Assiniboia Downs Gold Cup, silences critics
by George Paul Brandt’s Balooga Bull silenced all naysayers with his second consecutive victory in the $50,000 Assiniboia Downs Gold Cup on Saturday night, becoming only the sixth horse in 56 years to win the prestigious race in back-to-back years. Trained by...
Divine Wisdom wins J. W. Sifton, Balooga Bull takes on Manitoba Derby winner in $50,000 Gold Cup Saturday
by George Off 2 Win Stable’s Divine Wisdom probably had to work a little harder than he would have liked to win the $50,000 J.W. Sifton Stakes on Friday night, but he was up to the task when it counted. Ridden by leading rider Paul Nolan, the Manitoba-bred...