by Bob Gates Most of us know Dr. Norm Elder as the one-time owner of Elder's Equine Clinic, or for that matter some might think he still owns the clinic. In addition, he's recognized as a member of the Manitoba Jockey Club (MJC) Board of Directors, but there's so much...
by Bob Gates Well, now that we have a couple of days of racing under our belt, let's celebrate with some M&M's. Nope, not the multi-coloured, button-shaped chocolates which are the flagship product of Mars, Incorporated. We're talking about milestones and memories...
by Bob Gates The 1970s were a special time for the Sport of Kings. The decade bragged of its three Triple Crown winners Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978). Secretariat's sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes ended a 25-year...
by Bob Gates Horses come and horses go, but have you ever noticed that the ones we think of most fondly are almost always from another era. Pagan Star is one such horse. So, who was Pagan Star and why are we talking about him? It wasn't all that long ago that I...
by Bob Gates For as long as most of us can remember, the first Saturday in May is reserved for the Kentucky Derby, but not this year. The "Run for the Roses" was rescheduled to the fall because of COVID-19. You just knew NBC wasn't going to let an opportunity like...
by Bob Gates Welcome to the second in our five-part series devoted to the 70th Running of the Manitoba Derby. Today we look at more than 40 years of Derby memories, starting with the most recent and working our way back through time. August 6, 2012 - Winner:...
by Bob On August 5, 1967 the stars above Assiniboia Downs aligned perfectly for rider Robert Roy "Bobby" Stewart and his chestnut charge Pool to Market, and the pair put on a fabulous show for the 5,000-plus patrons that filed into the track that evening. The closest...
by Bob If you scan the list of the Downs' all-time leading trainers you'll find that seven of the top 20 never won a single-season training title. How is it that the best of the best were unable to win a training title? The reasons for this are many and varied, but in...
Not a horse was born that he wouldn’t ride! by Bob Perhaps legendary Downs' trainer, the late Don Gray, described him best when he said: “He is outstanding on horses that are a little erratic or nervous. He’s always shown ability. He’s a really strong finisher....
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...