Wednesday, August 15 , 2018

Assiniboia Downs The Insider E-Newsletter

Vol. 13 No. 32 (Issue #650)

By Ivan Bigg

 

Weekly Horseplayer Report and Fun Stuff

(If this column looks askew in your email, click here for an online version.)


QUICKIE QUIZ: Thirty-two years ago this week, Assiniboia Downs made its biggest payout ever for a winning ticket. How much? (a) $45,000 (b) $70,000 (c) $85,000 (d) $100,000. See answer at the bottom of this column.

Yearling sale Sunday at 2:30 p.m.; you're invited

How much will the name-the-yearling colt, Bear Me a Moment, fetch?

Bear Me a Moment
How much will he fetch? (Sherisse Ziprick photo)

The colt who was named Bear Me a Moment in Canstar’s “name the yearling” contest will be one of 27 yearlings who will be led into the sales ring Sunday in the annual CTHS yearling sale on the Red River Ex grounds behind the ASD grandstand. The sale begins at 2:30 p.m. and everyone is invited.

What will the contest colt fetch? At last year’s sale, the filly named in a similar contest, Modesty’s Tribute, tied for sales topper at $15,000. Bear Me a Moment is one of six offerings by ZiprickThoroughbreds in Russell, Man.

Sale books are available free at the track.
 

Bullet briefs . . .

  • Tonight's suggested $18 pick-4 ticket
  • How was Saturday's trip-to-Vegas horseplayer tourney won? By whom?
  • Bet you can't figure out who got the lead in this Woodbine race
  • What's the key to winning races on synthetic tracks? (See Marshall's segment)
  • Aussie super mare Winx tries for win #26 at Randwick Racecourse Friday night
 
NEW MAXIMUM PRIZE FOR POPULAR VLT GAME: Note that the popular 5X VLT game can now be played for $2.50 a spin which means a chance to win $2,500. Note also that terminals now accept $50 and $100 bills.
 
QX104 � Today's Country

Official stations of horse racing.
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94.3 The Drive

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DO THE DOWNS

Want highlights for the next 10 days? Click calendar.
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

FREE VLT TOURNAMENTS AFTER LIVE RACING: Enter in the Club West Gaming lounge following live racing. Get into the draw for 10 chances to win $20 in free VLT spins. Top winner from each night participates in a month-end finale for more spins and $250 in prize money.

EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT: $10 buy-in poker in the trackview gallery on the third level. Registration from 7:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Game starts at 8:00 p.m. No late registration. The Royal Flush progressive jackpot for Friday, August 17 is $11,935.

EYE ON LIVE

My suggested $18 pick-4 ticket for tonight

(Coming off a $441 win on Derby Day)

With a positive vibe emanating from Derby Day when The Insider’s suggested pick-4 ticket resulted in a $411 profit from those spending $30 to play the ticket, let’s take a peak at tonight’s offering.

Analysis:

RACE 4: Leading this $5,000 claimer is #5 Lemonford, a class dropper from the barn of Eurico Martens whose horses win 25.5 per cent of their races. #4 Cool Brewski has both a high pace number and speed number two races ago.
RACE 5:
In this $1,500 claimer, #6 Aubin Feathers (15-1) is dropping speed, #8 Hit It Up is another dropper and #5 She’s a Ten is a closer being ridden by hot jock Prayven Badrie.
RACE 6:
The horses that are the best fit to this 7 ½ furlong specialist race are #1 TG’s Quest, #5 Smart Sense and #7 Manitoba Chrome.
RACE 7:
A maiden claimer which means a rule kicks in: Add up where each horse finished last time and his position at the first-quarter of his previous race. The lowest added up numbers are contenders. There are also two “unknowns:” horses who had only one start since racing at Lone Star and Canterbury. Are they worthy? Or is the likely winner the big dropper, Run Jeanne Run, from high-percentage Martens’ barn?

See The Insider’s $18 ticket here.

*       *       *

HOTTIES OF THE WEEK (Fri, Sat):  
Hottest jockey(s): Prayven Badrie, Antonio Whitehall, Renaldo Cumberbatch, Kayla Pizarro and Tyrone Nelson 
(2 wins) 
Hottest trainer(s): Shelley Brown 
(3 wins)
Biggest longshot: Hilda
$22.50 (Saturday race 5) 
Biggest 20-cent superfecta:
$746 (Friday race 7) 
Stakes champion(s): Plentiful 
(Monsoon Rain)

*       *       *

Champion has unfinished business

Plentiful wins three of the last four stakes races; is Gold Cup next?

Plentiful puts away Witt'sdollarnight in the Monsoon Rain Stakes

The 3-year-old colt Murray Duncan bought at Oaklawn Park for $15,000 U.S. in the spring of last year, Plentiful, has made about $115,000 for Murray and the estate of Garylle B. Stewart—including the Monsoon Rain overnight stakes this past Saturday—but unfinished business looms: the Gold Cup on holiday Monday, Sept. 3.

In last year’s Gold Cup, Plentiful finished second to longshot Galitzianer. Will Duncan, Audrey Farol—representing her late father—and jockey Tyrone Nelson make amends this year? The 4-year-old is at the top of his game, having won three of the last four stakes races including the Free Press and the R. J. Speers so watch out!


HANDICAPPING

It was too hot to golf so . . .

. . . Roberts spends two days analyzing race card to win trip-to-Vegas tournament

Jim Roberts wins Vegas trip for a second time

When it’s too hot to golf, what do you do? For the August winner of a trip to Vegas in the monthly horseplayer tournament, Jim Roberts, it meant two days of analysis of the Saturday night live card. What helped put the retired Red River College math prof over the top, though, he told The Insider, was being introduced to Juan Pablo Silva, the trainer of #9 Honey Nugget in the sixth race, whose horse he played and it won at $19.50, $7.90 and $3.50 across the board. (That was handicapper George Williams’ pick in the Free Press, too.)

That gave Roberts five wins and a second on the seven-race card and a closing bankroll of $85.10. Ralph Gelardi was second with a bankroll of $79.60 and Doug Evans was third with $63.40. There were 45 entrants in the tourney. It was Roberts’ second Vegas tournament victory in three years. What did he learn from his first experience in Vegas that he will apply to his play in the Horse Player World Series at the Orleans Hotel Casino March 28-30, 2019? “If you’re not betting longshots, you don’t have a hope in hell.”


*       *       *

I'll bet you get this wrong (as the "big" group did)

Look at this Woodbine race. Who was on the lead?

Weird stuff happens in the world of racing. We all know that. But few could have predicted the result of the final leg of the first pick-4 at Woodbine on Saturday. Certainly not the “I won big” betting group. Top handicappers were asked on Saturday who they thought would go gate to wire. They all got it wrong. Will you be right? See the race program here. To see if you’re right, go here.

“BIG” GROUP TO TAKE A BREAK TO “REGROUP:” The inscrutable result of the above race at Woodbine—which cost the group a $100 win wager and the pick-4—was the final straw for players who have been calling for a break to regroup. So this Saturday will be the final Saturday until after live racing ends Sept 9. One final plunge will take place this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on races 2 to 7 at Woodbine and races 1 to 5 at Saratoga. Ending on a high note—and the anticipation of a bacon treat on the return day--would be nice.


YOU NAMED ME WHAT?
Beach Bumn Foose . When your dad’s name is Foose and mom is Sumbeachincalifornia, Beach Bumn Foose seems perfectly logical for a quarter horse son -- but what gives with “Bumn?” (Note that mom’s name has more characters than is permitted for thoroughbreds which is 18.)


George Williams
His 20-cent pick 3 pays $354

A BIG SHOUT-OUT to Winnipeg Free Press handicapper George Williams who essentially gave his readers a pick-3 that paid $1,770 for $1 ($354 for 20-cents) in races 4 to 6 on Saturday’s card. What a payoff for two thin dimes! The horses were: #4 Par Play $5.10, #4 Hilda $22.50 and #9 Honey Nugget $19.50.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

DUNN DOES A CAMEO: Where else but ASD can the CEO take over the track announcer’s microphone with total comfort?. When regular track announcer Kirt Contois had a “must attend” family function Saturday night, who should patrons hear and appreciate on the public address system? “Double D” Darren Dunn who had called more than 18,000 races before retiring as race-caller seven years ago. Nice to have that kind of back-up! 

THROWN FROM HORSE, GROOM MAKING BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED PROGRESS:
The ASD groom who suffered severe brain trauma when thrown from a horse two months ago at a horse-rescue ranch, Rebecca Fentum-Jones, is making amazingly good progress—although still in the early stages of recovery--according to a published report. K 5 Stables’ manager, Leona Stahl, set up a GoFundMe page that has raised $15,070 for Rebecca.

“THE BIG ONE” IS BIG ON ATTENDANCE AGAIN:
The “big one,” Assiniboia Downs’ second Night Market and Festival of the season on Sunday, once again attracted a big crowd estimated at 8,000.. Where else can you order and eat food right on the race track?
 
HPIBET

Tips ’n’ Tricks

with Marshall Posner



Q: What type of pedigree or characteristics produces a quality synthetic runner?

A:
Let me start by saying that I don’t play synthetic tracks very often but I know a lot of handicappers who do and often get asked what to look for when a horse is trying the surface for the first time. For starters, there are now 13 years of data regarding synthetic racing going back to Turfway’s Polytrack in 2005. So you’d think there would be some hard data on top producing synthetic sires and horse traits that have proven to yield synthetic results. But, there really isn’t.

What kind of horse races best on synthetic surface?

However, here are a few pointers: If the horse has lots of past performances then the basics still apply - recency, form and class. Then, of course, you still have to consider the jockey and trainer filters as well. Lastly, I would suggest referring to a horse’s performance on turf (if relevant) because there’s a strong connection between synthetic and turf. (In Australia and England, horses race interchangeably between the two.) Generally, horses that have performed well on turf will take to the synthetic track while the same can’t be said for dirt horses trying synthetic for the first time.

If you’re handicapping a bunch of first-time starters, it’s worth noting that nine of last year’s top 10 North American synthetic sires by earnings were based in Ontario so definitely pay attention to Ontario-breds if you’re playing tracks such as Turfway, Golden Gate or Presque Isle Downs.


Got a question for Marshall? Email theinsider@ASDowns.com
HISTORY ON THE HOOF with Bob: The Secretariat connection to Gold Cup winner

What $1,500 claimer in 1970—with the same grandfather as Secretariat--went on to win the 1971 Gold Cup? The dark bay gelding was Princequillo’s paternal grandson; 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat happened to be Princequillo’s maternal grandson. Bob explores the fascinating background of that Gold Cup winner here.

Breeders' Stakes goes Saturday at Woodbine

DATES TO CIRCLE
  • Tonight: Live racing 7:15.  
  • Friday, Aug. 17: Live racing 7:15. Phil Kives overnight stakes. Winx goes for win #26 in a row at Randwick Racecourse in Australia
  • Saturday, Aug. 18: Live racing 7:15. CTHS Sale StakesDistaff StakesBreeders’ Stakes at Woodbine, third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown
  • Sunday, Aug. 19: Annual CTHS yearling sale on the Red River Ex grounds behind the ASD grandstand at 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 22: Live racing 7:15. Osiris Stakes
  • Friday, Aug. 24: Live racing 7:15.
  • Saturday, Aug. 25 : Canadian Derby, Northlands Park. The final day of racing ever at Northlands Park (to be replaced by Century Mile.) Live racing 7:15.

ANSWER TO QUICKIE QUIZ:
Correct answer is (d). On Aug. 13, 1986, the Downs paid out $101,412.10 for each of two $1 tickets on the twin triactor. (The twin triactor required players to win the triactor in the first leg as many times as possible. Each winning ticket gave them one chance to play the triactor in the second leg. The pool grew when no winning tickets were sold.)

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