Hazel Bochinski - November 24 1942 - October 21, 2021 (Bochinski Family) By Track Historian Bob Gates Whether she was teaching young minds at Shaughnessy Park or Lord Nelson Schools, or training race horses at Assiniboia Downs, Hazel was a natural. She was able to...
L'Enjoleur on the cover of the 1976 Stakes Book highlighting stats from 1975. By Track Historian Bob Gates Let’s see, where were we? Oh yeah, 1975, the year of leisure suits, PEZ candy and heaven forbid, Disco. Events of the time included: Movies: One Flew Over the...
Jim Wright with General Manager Bill Clubb (Gerry Hart) By Track Historian Bob Gates If you remember Mood Rings, Rubik’s Cubes or Pet Rocks then you were a graduate of 1975. News events of the day included: Jimmy Hoffa disappears from a restaurant parking lot in...
June 9, 2017 Overnight Stakes Honouree - Merry's Jay (Gerry Hart) By Track Historian Bob Gates This season, the Assiniboia Downs Overnight Stakes Series has ten burning candles on its birthday cake. Credit for the creation of the Overnight Stakes goes to the Manitoba...
Queen's Cup (Jason Halstead) By Track Historian Bob Gates The Manitoba Derby, Winnipeg Futurity, Gold Cup and R. J. Speers combine for more than 300 years of memorable races. This week our story is about the hardware that’s up for grabs, and not so much the history of...
H. Bruce Boreham, Downs Director of Public Relations. (Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame) By Track Historian Bob Gates On June 1, 1959 Assiniboia Downs General Manager, A. G. “Scotty” Kennedy announced that the Downs had appointed its first Director of Public Relations....
Winnipeg Futurity Announcement - Manitoba Free Press, March 19, 1928. by Track Historian Bob Gates As the end of June isn’t far off, we can look forward to seeing the “babies” (two-year-olds) make their way to the races. The stakes races for the youngsters include the...
Mike in the paddock with Souvenir Zone in September 2009. (Bob Gates photo) By Track Historian Bob Gates The news came via social media: Mike Olito had passed away on April 25th. As the date for his celebration of life on May 19th approached, I found myself thinking...
By Track Historian Bob Gates When you walk through the main entrance at the Downs and make your way to the Guest Services area, don’t be surprised if you start to feel a tad nostalgic. Cue Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone music—for you have just entered the “history zone.”...
Jockey Ciera Pruitt (#9) scores her first lifetime win aboard longshot Mineral Rights ($41.60) in the seventh race on Tuesday for trainer Jason Homer, triggering a huge Pick 4 payoff. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia photo) By G.S. Thompson Two huge Pick 4 pools and a...