by Bob Gates Manitoba was celebrating its centenary in 1970 and the owner of Assiniboia Downs, Jack Hardy, wasn't about to let the occasion pass without taking full advantage. The 22nd running of the Manitoba Derby was the marquee event of the Assiniboia Downs racing...
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 Gates It's been 57 years since Jack Hardy resurrected our Manitoba Derby in 1960 and this year's Derby is the 69th running of what was once touted as the "Run for the Tartan." I've never been a math genius, but those figures just don't add up. The problem...
by Bob Gates In 2015 the Wheat City Stakes was renamed the Manitoba Mile and Friday, July 28 marks the 40th Anniversary of Stuart Polet's "Fud the Stud's" win in the Wheat City in 1977. What? You've never heard of Fud the Stud? Well, I'm just having a little fun, Fud...
by Bob Gates I'm back following a week's hiatus due to one of the ugliest bouts of, well, why don't we just call it a bad case of colic and leave it at that. I'm still on the mend and am writing this from what was a week ago, my death-bed. This week I have a story...
by Bob Gates What can I say? Those of you who know Clayton Gray will see the humour in the title of this week's blog story. Let's face it; you are more likely to see pigs fly than have a 15 minute conversation with the Dominion City native. Clayton's wife, Margaret...
by Bob Gates The August 1, 2016 Manitoba Derby will be one I never forget, and forever remember, as bittersweet. The inclement weather created a dream track if you were a mudder, but it was a less than ideal day for the Manitoba Jockey Club, which was hoping to draw a...
by Bob Gates It's Oscar time folks and this week we recognize some of Assiniboia Downs' finest equine performances. Who in their right mind would even attempt to cross this minefield? Yours truly of course, and why not? I've never claimed to be of sound mind, or body...
by Bob Gates The 2016 live racing season kicks off on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 8, as has become our custom at Assiniboia Downs, and have I got a story for you. It goes like this: An old Cherokee told his grandson, "My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside...
by Bob With less than a handful of live racing dates left, the end of the 2015 season at Assiniboia Downs is almost upon us. It has been a challenging year, like others recently, but that seems to be the norm these days. And I have a confession! I love this sport and...