Tyrone Nelson, seen here in the 2011 Manitoba Derby post parade, recalls the night he rode four winners. (Stewart Family)
By Track Historian Bob Gates
Recently, we gathered to take the annual jockey colony photo. As we dispersed to go our separate ways, Tyrone Nelson approached me and mentioned a four-bagger he rode a number of years ago.
At first, I didn’t really understand where he was going with this. Don’t get me wrong—four wins is a good night’s work, but in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t carry the allure that comes with a five- or six-win night. Not to mention, it falls short of Jim Sorenson’s record of seven wins on the June 23, 1976, nine-race card.
Tyrone must have thought I was thick as a brick because I didn’t catch on to his point. When it finally hit me, I realized he wasn’t talking about just his four wins. As it turns out, he had company that night. June 2, 2010, was indeed special. Fellow rider Vicky Baze had herself an equally good night at the races.
Vicky Baze won the 2010 leading jockey title. It was the first and only time a female rider accomplished the feat. (Gerry Hart)
The pair split the eight-race card. Tyrone won the first, third, fifth and eighth races, while Vicky won the second, fourth, sixth and seventh. I’m no mathematician, so I can’t tell you what the odds are of two jockeys sharing all the wins on an eight-race card, but it was special and has to be a rare occurrence.
Tyrone got the ball rolling by winning the first race aboard Critical Choice. (Gerry Hart)
A search of the Downs record books reveals that we are reasonably sure it has never happened here before, nor is it likely to happen very often anywhere else. We will leave it to you to decide how Tyrone and Vicky’s achievement ranks among other multiple-win performances on a single race card.
Vicky, seen here getting her first win of the night aboard Get Your Shinebox in Race 2. (Gerry Hart)
Need some help thinking of other race cards where everything clicked for a “hot” rider who could do no wrong on that special day? Here are a few from the record books, not counting Sorenson’s seven-win evening on June 23, 1976:
Six Wins:
Bobby Stewart: June 16, 1971
Salvador Rodriquez: May 18, 1983
Tom Adkins: August 8, 1984
Alan Cuthbertson: July 15, 2008
Five Wins:
Tom Stadnyk: June 23, 1961
Dick Armstrong: July 18, 1964
Vicky Warhol: May 4, 1984 (Opening Day)
Chris Husbands: May 20, 2016
Sheldon Chickeness: September 1, 2021
Lastly, on July 8, 2011, three female members of the Downs jockey colony combined for a record seven wins on the eight-race card. Jocelyne Kenny had a hat trick, Janine Stianson scored a double, and Jennifer Reed and Alyssa Harder each recorded a victory.
So, our grateful thanks go out to Tyrone for bringing his unique and rare 2010 horse racing record to our attention.
As a bonus, we reached out to Vicky Baze through social media. Vicky explained that she and her husband, Gary, have fond memories of their time here at Assiniboia Downs. They rode here in 2009 and 2010. Vicky had 39 trips to the winner’s circle in 2009, while Washington Hall of Famer Gary had 25. In 2010, Gary rode 44 more winners, and Vicky narrowly edged Larren Delorme and Janine Stianson for the riding title by recording 71 victories.
Vicky was the first and remains the only female jockey to top the seasonal leading rider standings. They are both retired now but fondly remember their time at the Downs, where they made many lifelong friends.
Vicky scores her fourth win aboard Gary Danelson’s E Harner. (Gerry Hart)
As you all know, Tyrone returned to the Downs this year following a three-year absence. He first came to the Downs in 2006 and, according to Equibase, had registered 419 victories at the Portage Avenue track as of the end of 2025.
Tyrone edges both Bazes in the nightcap when he boots home the 17-1 shot Ms Barb Wire to complete his four-bagger. (Gerry Hart)
When you consider the various records, the riders of the “Room” over the years should all be proud. The statistics mentioned above have a stand-alone quality in that it doesn’t really matter whether the season consists of 50 race days or, like those of 40 years ago, routinely ran anywhere from 75 to more than 100 days. A night’s work is a night’s work.
June 2, 2010, was a day to remember for Vicky and Tyrone as they split the eight-race card, scoring four wins apiece. Well done…
And our thanks to you both for the amazing memory!