Racing returns to the Downs May 12, 2026 (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
By Track Historian Bob Gates
“Good times never seemed so good.”
– Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
So good, so good… Well, at long last, live thoroughbred racing returns to the Downs. There was a point this spring, if we can call it spring, when it seemed that opening day was never going to get here. Yes, May 12 marks the opening of season #69, and that means this coming June 10, the Downs will celebrate its birthday with 68 candles on its cake.
Who Knew: In the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Horse, more specifically the Fire Horse. How apropos is that!
This year is also a personal milestone of sorts for me. 2026 will be my 15th year of writing the history blog. As of the end of last year, I have 268 stories under my belt. Needless to say, I am honoured to have had the opportunity to bring them to you. I only hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as I have writing them.
Well, another Kentucky Derby is on the books, and kudos to the year’s winner, Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux, who is the first female conditioner to win the historic “Run for the Roses.”
Who Knew: For what we believe is only the second time, a jockey who rode at the Downs had a mount in this year’s race. Edwin Maldonado, who rode here (as Edwin Alicea) in 2002, got the ride on longshot Pavlovian. The only other Downs jockey who rode in the Derby was Bobby Stewart, who was aboard Ocean Roar in 1969.
Ocean Roar and Bobby Stewart in the 1969 Kentucky Derby (Stewart Family)
The Downs enters the new season on a high of highs, having set a new wagering record last season when the handle surpassed $75 million, bettering the previous record by more than $12 million. It is truly amazing how, year after year, the “little track that could” finds ways to excel amid the trying times for horse racing.
Barry Anderson and Ross McKague (L to R) (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
Let’s take a moment to honour two original members of the Manitoba Jockey Club Board of Directors who retired in the off-season. Our sincere thanks and gratitude for their service goes out to Barry Anderson and Dr. Ross McKague. Many thanks, gentlemen!
It has been our custom to remember and pay tribute to the members of our racetrack family who passed during the off-season. Opening Day won’t be the same without: Rick Ball, Bill Bochinski, John Clement, Donna Johnston, Jenepher Kell, Karen Kubinec, Ingrid Lee, Dr. Joe Meek, Jack Robertson, Mike Olito, and Spencer the barn cat. Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of all those we lost.
The 2026 season will feature some special stakes race runnings, as the Manitoba Matron has its 45th running and the Golden Boy Stakes celebrates its 50th.
Gary Danelson, Antonio Whitehall and Bonnie McCrory celebrate a win in the 2025 Winnipeg Futurity (left). Carberry's Murray Duncan (right). (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
My friend Gary Danelson, who turns 89 this August, reports that by the time you’re reading this, he should already be in his usual spot in the Downs trailer park. The other day, I ran into Carberry’s Murray Duncan, a veteran of almost 50 years in the biz, who announced he is officially retired. We will miss you more than you’ll ever know, Murray!
And that, my friends, is a wrap for this week. Opening Day is Tuesday, May 12, so mark those calendars. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m., and as always, the Don Gray Memorial is the first race of the season.
It has been a long wait for racing to return—way too long—so let’s pack the grounds and show just how much we appreciate the efforts of Manitoba Jockey Club Board Chair Dr. Norm Elder, Downs Chief Executive Officer Darren Dunn, and the rest of Team ASD.
See you trackside on Tuesday evening.