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What tracks are running in August? Find out here.
What are today’s $$$ carryovers? See them here.
Want to follow sports in the Race Book? Bombers

1. To see if native Calgarian Robertino Diodoro, who wins races in North America at a 24 per cent clip, will win his third Manitoba Derby in four years

2. Marvel at feather-footed pigeons at the petting farm on Derby Day

   To marvel at feather-footed pigeons, chickens with hairdos, geese with knobby beaks, tiny animals and more at the petting farm. (Plus bouncy castles, pony rides and face-painting for kids)
3. To enter the draw to win a $100 win wager on a Derby horse. That would put you in the Winner’s Circle to watch the Derby with other contestants holding $100 win wagers on other Derby horses.
4. To see Bob Gates’ display of jockey silks from four decades ago worn by riders representing John and June Sifton horses. And to see the cooler blanket worn by Royal Frolic when he became just the second Manitoba-bred to win the Manitoba Derby at the Downs
5. To try to pocket a share of the $20,000 guaranteed pick-4 pool
6. To receive a free historical collector card (first 1,000)
7. To enter the $100 hat contest (most original, most elegant, best fascinator) -- or at least enjoy seeing the elaborate creations of contest entrants
8. To get a big furry hug from Charley Horse or a high-five if you’re too bashful to hug
9. To psyche out the ace of diamonds on the Chase the Ace board with the hopes of having your ticket drawn to have a chance at winning the mega jackpot.
10. To revel in the once-a-year ambience that only Derby Day can produce

Tim Rycroft (left) from Alberta and Robertino Diodoro from the U.S. eye weekend stakes

• Tomorrow’s $30,000 Debutante for 2-year-old fillies: This is no slam-dunk for either of the invaders even though Rycroft’s Edge of Okotoks, who won at Century Mile, is given the edge at 8-5 and Diodoro’s Arizona Sun is at 3-1. Watch out for Murray Duncan’s Be Amazing (5-2) who has the highest Equibase speed figure in the field and shouldn’t the Gary Danelson-trained Happy Happy Happy improve off her first start? Hands up if you’d like to see ASD’s all-time leading trainer win this one.

• Tomorrow’s $30,000 Manitoba Oaks for 3-year-old fillies: Manitoba-bred Hidden Grace should handle these and oddsmaker Dustin Davis thinks you’ll agree, assigning her odds of 6-5. She’s five-for-five lifetime all in stakes races and is being touted as the next Escape Clause. Her biggest challenger is likely to be Rycroft’s Somethingaboutme (2-1) who won a $50,000 stakes at Century Mile in Edmonton. Diodoro saddles Dress Shopping (6-1), a Canterbury horse who finished second in ASD’s Jack Hardy Stakes three weeks ago.

• Saturday’s $30,000 Graduation Stakes for 2-year-olds: Rycroft must have high hopes for B.C.-bred Devils Command despite the gelding finishing seventh at Hastings Park in Vancouver after showing speed in his first lifetime start. Henry S. Witt, Jr. sent an interesting entrant from Lone Star Park in Texas but Manitoba-bred Ultimate Candy can be any kind after winning his first lifetime start with authority.

• Holiday Monday’s $75,000 Manitoba Derby for 3-year-olds: Diodoro is looking for his third Derby win in four starts and has entered two horses to try to make it happen again but his Oil Money,who earned a vaunted 95 Equibase speed figure in the Golden Boy, is second-choice (5-2) to Rycroft’s Call It a Wrap (9-5), not based on speed figures (just a 78) but on his ability to stretch out to a mile in a $50K stakes at Century Mile where he finished second. Oil Money has only sprinted. Restaurateur John Ganas has an interesting $20,000 claimer from Churchill Downs and Keeneland, Moscow Minister, that oddsmaker Davis has given a respectable 3-1--and which former ASD jockey Chris Husbands has come from Toronto to ride.

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Look closely at Irwin Driedger's silks Now go see them this Derby Day weekend in the history display. Those are the silks of famed owner/breeder June Sifiton whose Liz's Pride above was 8-for-8 as a 2-year-old in 1978, winning the Sovereign Award as best in Canada.

• Link John’s gold and brown silks to the two Gold Cups he won in the two years before his death at 43 of throat cancer (about a month before the moon landing.) “Almost unbelievable” is the way trainer Gary Danelson describes Pool to Market’s victory in the 1967 Gold Cup in which John’s horse disposed of three challengers, one by one. In 1968, Clique, a favourite of legendary trainer A. E. “Bert” Blake, brought John one more Gold Cup a year before his untimely passing.

• Link June’s green shamrocks on a pink background with the 2-year-old filly, Liz’s Pride in 1978, the first Manitoba-bred to win Canada’s prestigious Sovereign Award. The filly was 8-for-8 and won the Winnipeg Futurity

See Royal Frolic's 1993 Derby cooler blanket in the history area

• Royal Frolic’s 1993 Manitoba Derby cooler blanket. Includes a photo of Royal Frolic, the second-ever Manitoba-bred to win the Manitoba Derby at ASD.
• 1970 Manitoba Centennial Derby participants cooler blanket. Includes a photo of the July 15, 1970 ASD program cover.
• Tom Dodds’ 1990 cooler blanket which recognizes his record-breaking 78 wins in a single season. Includes a photo of Tom.

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