ON THE ROAD WITH THE "ASSINIBOIA ASSASSIN," ESCAPE CLAUSE


It's not her best distance, says trainer, but . . .
. . . she just posted "her best workout ever"

Exercise rider Mike Nault and owner/trainer Don Schnell at Turf Paradise where Escape Clause had her "best ever" workout (Craig Bonn photo)

"It's like Gretzky facing a field of Gretzkies"

That’s how owner/trainer Don Schnell describes the challenge facing Manitoba’s mighty mare, Escape Clause, when she, along with six other fillies and mares, enters Santa Anita's starting gate Saturday afternoon in the Grade 2 $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes. In the toughest test of her 3-year career, she’ll be facing horses with Grade 1 and Breeders' Cup experience.

Although 7-furlongs “isn’t her best distance,” Schnell told The Insider in a recent interview from her stable at Turf Paradise (he’d prefer a mile), the mare posted “her best workout ever” on Saturday. Her 47-second clocking for 4-furlongs was the second-fastest time of 45 horses who worked out that morning on the Turf Paradise track.

In the quiet desert darkness, Schnell will load Escape Clause into a trailer at 4 a.m. tomorrow and away they will head west to a state in which his mare has variously been described as “the darling of Del Mar” and “the Assiniboia Assassin.” The trip to Santa Anita takes seven hours, interrupted by one stop for gas and a “mint break.”

She’s so fond of mints—munching on “40 or 50” a day, Schnell said--she’ll even poke her head into the tack room, knowing that’s where the mint stash is. Good thing they don’t test for mint consumption after a race!

Who will Escape Clause face? See the race entrants here.

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DO THE DOWNS

Want highlights for the next 10 days? Click calendar.
What tracks are running in February? Find out here.
What are today’s $$$ carryovers? See them here.
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HOLIDAY MONDAY RACING
Presidents Day in the U.S.; Louis Riel Day in Manitoba

Great racing, lots of perks

5x player rewards, Derby countdown contest; draws for wagering vouchers

Louis Riel Day commemorates Metis leader whose List of Rights led to the founding of multi-cultural Manitoba in 1870.

• 5x Player Reward points for ALL wagers
• Everyone who attends the “I won bigger” workshop at 10:30 a.m. will receive a $2-off coupon for any breakfast item
• Special “3 for the money” contest
• Five bonus draws for $10 in wagering vouchers from contest entrants
• Countdown to the Kentucky Derby contest begins with the Southwest Stakes prep race at Oaklawn. Set of two “Justify” Triple Crown glasses will be awarded in a draw from contest entrants.

RACING AND EVENT SCHEDULE:

• 10:30 a.m.: Special “I won bigger” betting group workshop on the Clubhouse plaza; $5 top-up for each $20 wagering share; $2 off breakfast items, Group will play pick-5 at Oaklawn (last five races).
• 11:00 a.m.: Racing begins with Saratoga standardbreds
• 11:30 a.m.: Laurel Park
• 11:35 a.m.: Gulfstream Park. See full schedule here.
  

Derek Corbel Heads recruitment drive

ASD adjusts purses again to entice more horsemen to the track

For the second year in a row, ASD race purses have been adjusted upward to entice more horsemen and horsewomen to the Downs—and Derek Corbel, the assistant director of racing, will be taking to the skies later this month to spread the good word at tracks and training facilities in the U.S. and western Canada.

ASD purses range from $18,000 at the allowance level down to $7,700 for $1,500 claimers.

See the full 2019 purse schedule here.

Robertino Diodoro "Can't say enough good things about ASD"

In addition, every horse will be guaranteed at least $200 just for entering a race and the cost of renting a trailer space in the backstretch—including utilities and WiFi—will continue to be just $200 a month.

In making his rounds, Corbel can also point to positive comments about ASD from prominent horsemen such as trainer Robertino Diodoro, who said in the Winner’s Circle last summer after his Sky Promise won the Manitoba Derby: “I can’t say enough good things about Assiniboia Downs. Other tracks should take note.”

Texas lawyer and horse breeder Charlie Smith and Texas cattle rancher and former champion race car driver Henry S. Witt, Jr., both of whom have raced their horses at the Downs for years, have expressed similar sentiments.

FLASHBACK

Full circle

Manitoba Derby horse owner dies 50 years after his win and the moon landing

The late Sam Lima, owner of Fire n Desire, is the suited man second from left. (Gerry Hart photo courtesy of Bob Gates)

It was a half century ago, the day before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, that track historian Bob Gates recalls experiencing one of the most memorable days of his life.

It was Manitoba Derby Day, a day in which Bob recalls sharing a special bonding experience with his father as they watched rags-to-riches Fire n Desire beat Icy Song in a fierce duel. “In my humble view it was one of the best, if not the best, horse race ever run at the Downs,” Bob recalls.

Poignantly, that event has come full circle in this 50th anniversary year with the death of Fire n Desire’s owner, Sam Lima at age 89 in his native Toronto. “Racing lost a valued family member,” Bob says, “and the Manitoba Derby Alumni lost a friend.”

Lima’s long racing involvement which included being “a driving force of the Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club for countless decades” earned him a Sovereign award last year.

Read Bob’s “A Derby Tale Out of this World” here.
(Bob juxtaposes Fire n Desire’s jockey with the moon-walker)

Tips ’n’ Tricks

with Marshall Posner

1. Demand value and wait until the last minute

   Your money will be tied up for anywhere from 2-4 months. This is a unique experience for horseplayers.
   
   
2. Considering that fact, demand value and remember there’s a strong likelihood the horse you’ve bet will not make the actual race and your wager will be lost. The upside is that a horse you bet at 40-1 will win the Derby at 8-1 and you’ll be a hero.
   
   
3. Wait until the last minute to place your bet—especially if your horse is racing that weekend. (The pools open on Friday and run until Sunday night.)
   
   
4. Watch for other horses in the future pool. Case in point: Coliseum ran Sunday at Santa Anita and basically removed himself from Derby contention based on his second dull performance. However, he still finished at 22-1 in the futures pool. Compare that to Global Campaign impressing in his race at Gulfstream on Saturday. He finished at 22-1 as well. Go figure!
   
   
5. Another key point: Don’t take a short price on a favourite from last year such as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner. He closed as the second choice at 5-1 based on last year’s racing. Is he the same horse? Taking low odds on him just doesn’t make sense. If he returns in March and impresses, you’ll be able to play him in the third or fourth futures pools, albeit at a slightly lower price.

See final win odds for Pool #2 here. See possible exactor payoffs here.

THE BEST OF BOB: Abbott & Costello among stars at Winnipeg tracks

First 50-point Kentucky Derby prep race goes Saturday at Fair Grounds

DATES TO CIRCLE

• Tonight: Valentine’s Dinner & Dance on the main level with NuFrequency Light & Sound. $29.95. It features certified Angus prime rib plus Italian-inspired dishes by Chef Gerardo. See menu here. Call Samantha to reserve tickets for tonight at 204-885-3330 ext. 0.
• This Saturday: Two Kentucky Derby prep races (Risen Star at Fair Grounds worth 50 points) and the 10-point El Camino Derby at Golden Gate. Escape Clause races in the Grade 2 $250,000 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita
• Holiday Monday, Feb. 18: Louis Riel Day features perks, perks, perks and a Kentucky Derby Countdown contest begins with a draw after every prep race for a set of two “Justify” Triple Crown glasses. Contest winner receives $200 bankroll to bet the Derby.
• Saturday, Feb. 23: Backstretch diner opens. Handicapper of the Month tournament.
• Friday, March 1: Equi-ciser opens in ASD backstretch.
• Tuesday, March 12: ASD training track opens (weather permitting)

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