Trainer Brian Phillips Pulls 39-1 Upset, Triggers Lucrative Pick 3 Payoffs, Khelawan, Knights Score Hat Tricks

Nu Soup for Baby (#2 inside) and jockey Kerron Khelawan on their way to a 39-1 upset in the third race on Wednesday for trainer Brian Phillips. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)

Former Hastings Park trainer Brian Phillips pulled off a major upset this week with a huge longshot, triggering some very lucrative $3 Pick 3 payoffs, jockeys Rachaad Knights and Kerron Khelawan scored hat tricks, and trainers Steve Keplin, Jr. and Jerry Gourneau kept rolling at the top of the standings.

Phillips, who originally started out with horses at Assiniboia Downs working for John Cizik in 1972, only brought one horse with him from Hastings Park, but Nu Soup for Baby ($79.30) proved plenty good enough when he dueled two rivals into submission in the third race on Wednesday night, opened up into the stretch and held on to win by 1 ¼-lengths under Kerron Khelawan.

That made it a hat trick on the week for Khelawan, who also won on Sherlynn Go Go ($5.00) for trainer Wendy Anderson, and Really Ralis ($2.50), for another former Hastings Park trainer, Cindy Krasner, on Tuesday.

Nu Soup for Baby’s longshot win resulted in three big $3 Pick 3 payoffs of $2,285.10 in the third race, $905.55 in the fourth race, and $1,479.45 in the fifth race. The $3 Pick 3 was thought of as a novelty by some punters when it first came to be this year, but it has quickly proven itself to be one of the best bets in North America. One longshot or three medium-priced horses in the three-race sequence can quickly send the payoffs skyward.

Jockey Rachaad Knights started to get rolling with a hat trick of his own this week, winning aboard Dreamin Out Loud ($11.70) for trainer Judy Hunter on Tuesday, and following up Wednesday with wins aboard Northvale Road ($4.60) for trainer Jerry Gourneau, and Jacks Spring Break ($4.70) for trainer Steve Keplin, Jr.

Keplin also won with Judo ($12.00) on Tuesday to give him two victories on the week and add to his amazing 2026 record of 11-4-3 from 24 starts, good for second in the standings behind only Jerry Gourneau, who actually crossed the finish line first twice this week, but one of his horses was disqualified. Gourneau leads all trainers with a record of 22-18-14 from 91 starts and will be very tough to catch.

Jockey Sven Balroop (12 wins) was aboard Judo for his win, and that victory allowed him to maintain a one-win lead over Antonio Whitehall (11) in the standings, followed by Javaniel Patterson (10), and a logjam in fourth between Shavon Townsend, Tyrone Nelson, Kerron Khelawan, and Rachaad Knights, each with five victories.

On the handicapping front, Jane Baxter won the ASD Handicapping Challenge for the second time since 2022. The tournament took place last Wednesday.

Baxter built her bankroll to $82.80 in the tourney to finish $4.80 in front of both Maggie Van Eerd ($78.00) and Rick Zaretsky ($78.00), who tied for second place.

Baxter took home $3,500 in cash and a trophy for her victory, while Van Eerd and Zaretsky split the second and third place prize money, winning $375.00 each.

“I have no strategy for picking horses,” said Baxter. “Other than liking a name or the way the horse looks in the paddock. Sometimes you just get lucky and they just come in. Thank you to ASD for the exciting times!”

The line-dancing and bull riding moved outside for Western Wednesday thanks to some welcome sunshine, and the best part was watching some of the wild rides. It looks easy enough, but once he gets cranked up…

This bull can buck!