Fire N Desire wins the St. James-Assiniboia Handicap. July 11, 1969.
by Bob Gates
Following an 11-year absence (2009 -2019) the Downs 2020 stakes race calendar features the return of the Derby Trial. Jack Hardy resurrected the Manitoba Derby in 1960 and since that time 60 Derbies have been run at the Downs. During this same period, the Downs has carded 25 Derby Trials.
The Trial was first run in 1979 and with the exception of a 5-year hiatus (1984 to 1988) the race was held annually until 2008. A total of six Derby Trial winners have gone on to win the coveted Manitoba Derby.
- Rough Catch 1989
- Reancy 1990
- Royal Frolic 1993
- P.C.’s Bluff 1994
- Northernprospector 1996
- Wafare Warrior 1999
Northerprospector wins the Derby Trial. July 21, 1996.
Trial winners haven’t always taken home the big prize on Derby Day. Two memorable second-best efforts include Breaker, the 2000 Trial winner, who put on a real show in the Derby. He made a classic 5-wide move at the top of the lane and lost by a neck to Scotman. In 2006 The Max gamely tried to parlay his Trial triumph into a Derby victory. In mid-stretch the Bert Blake-trained colt had the lead, but his Derby dreams were dashed when Lord Kipling got up to nose him at the wire.
Royal Frolic wins the Derby Trial. July 11, 1993.
Prior to the inaugural run of the Trial there were many stakes races that served as a “prep” for the Derby. Some of the more notable ones and their winners include:
Kirkfield Park Handicap (1960 – 1965)
- Mistaken Bid 1960
- Galindo 1961
- Already Dia 1962
- Silver Beau 1963
- Phantom’s Flower 1964
- Top Cote 1965
Of this group only Galindo faired well in the Derby, finishing second to Windspray.
Municipality of Assiniboia Handicap (1966 – 1968)
- Wily Waltzer 1966
- Charming Blue 1967
- Pete N’ Repete 1968
Wily Waltzer also came close in the Derby, finishing second to Carodana by a neck.
St. James-Assiniboia Handicap (1969 – 1974)
- Fire N’ Desire 1969
- Turn to Nacelle 1970
- Coco La Terreur 1971
- Gentleman Conn 1972
- Wing Span 1973
- Icy Child 1974
Fire N’ Desire was the only champion from this Derby prep race. His win here set him up to be the odds-on favourite in the Derby. Downs’ patrons adopted the Sam Lima and Morris Rose colt as their own on the strength of his win in the Handicap prep and the fact that he was being ridden by one of the Downs top-notch riders “Dickie” Armstrong.
Harry Jeffrey Handicap (1975 & 1976)
- L’Enjoleur 1975
- Merry’s Jay 1976
Both of these bluebloods won the Derby, with Hugh Jackson’s Merry’s Jay becoming the first Manitoba-bred to win the classic since Jack Hardy brought the Derby back in 1960.
Merry’s Jay wins Harry Jeffrey Handicap. July 25, 1976.
Harry Jeffrey Stakes (2009 – 2019)
- Hilton’s Cherokee 2009
- Cherokee’s Goal 2010
- Hammer’s Bullet 2011
- Pleasant Closing 2012
- It’s All Here 2013
- Edison 2014
- Witt Six 2015
- Primary Factor 2016
- Witt’sdollarnight 2017
- Candy Giant 2018
- Senor Friday 2019
In 2009 the Harry Jeffrey once again served as the Derby “prep” and held that honour until last year. In this 11-year period Hammer’s Bullet was the only horse to successfully repeat his Jeffrey win in the Manitoba Derby, while Cherokee’s Goal (2010) and Witt Six (2015) had credible second-place finishes in the Derby.
Hammers Bullet wins the Harry Jeffrey Stakes. July 9, 2011.
There was a time when the Derby Trial or one of the other “tune-ups” was used to familiarize “shippers” with the racing surface. Local punters delighted in seeing Derby contenders like Willy Waltzer, Fire N’ Desire, Gentleman Conn, Wing Span and L’Enjoleur stretch their legs prior to the Derby.
These days it has become more common for ship-ins to make Derby Day their one and only start at Assiniboia Downs. Will this year’s Derby Trial winner become the 7th horse to capture both titles? Will a local hopeful steal the show, or will the winner’s share of the $25,000 purse be heading out-of-province? Your guess is probably better than mine, but either way…
It’s great to have the Derby Trial back!