Groom School graduate and former Groom of the Year Skyla Blanchard loves her job. (George Williams) Looking for a hands-on way to get involved in the horse racing industry? The HBPA of Manitoba Inc. is offering a 4-week paid Racehorse Groom Training Program, a chance...
Amber Fehr was a successful participant in the 2025 Racehorse Groom Training Program! For anyone who has ever dreamed of working with racehorses, the HBPA of Manitoba Inc. is offering a unique chance to gain hands-on experience through a 4-week paid training program....
Robert James Speers circa 1940 by Bob Gates, Track Historian Ever notice that time seems to move more quickly than it used to? The Kentucky Derby and Mothers’ Day are now firmly in the rearview mirror. This year’s race meet at Assiniboia Downs will mark several...
ASD 2024 Leading Rider Prayven Badre with his double stakes-winner Blazing Bo in trainer Mike Nault's barn. (George Williams) by G. S. Thompson Jockey Prayven Badrie is back to defend his 2024 riding title, and he's ready! But he’ll have quite a bit of competition for...
Jockey Sachin Parris and trainer Andre Ellis with their longshot winner Orcadian Storm. (George Williams) by G. S. Thompson In the competitive world of horse racing, the partnership of jockey Sachin Parris and trainer Andre Ellis represents a compelling tale of...
One of Carl Anderson's four Gold Cup wins at ASD. Secret Cipher. August 28, 1983. by Bob Gates Carl Anderson was only 13 years old when Assiniboia Downs opened in 1958, but it didn't take him long to find his way to the Portage Avenue track. Right from the get-go...
by Bob Gates Once again, it's that time of year. Yuletide carols echo through the frosty air, while multi-coloured lights twinkle everywhere. Yes folks, its Christmas! For the past 10 years I have been honoured to act as your ambassador to racing's past. To show my...
Secretariat winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby. Photo courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com While most sports are quiet these days, there are major happenings in the horse racing world while it also observes coronavirus safety protocols. In what may be a first at any racetrack,...
by Bob Gates On Saturday, June 29 "The Speers" celebrates its 60th running, but what most don’t realize is that there is more than 90 years of history behind the race that honours Robert James Speers, the "Father of Thoroughbred Horse Racing" on the Canadian prairies....
by Bob Gates Everyone's talking about the Kentucky Derby and Mothers' Day is just around the corner. You know what that means! Live racing is set to return to Assiniboia Downs! After a seven-month hiatus the Downs launches its 2018 season of thoroughbred horse racing...