by Bob Gates With this year's Preakness in the books, Justify and jockey Mike Smith are busy preparing their bid for racing's Triple Crown. For reasons unknown to me the recent Preakness stirred-up a 36 year-old memory of the second leg of the Triple Crown. In 1982 a young Jack Kaenel and his mount Aloma's…
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Robert J. “Boo Boo” Watt – A Racetracker for Seven Decades
[caption id="attachment_8521" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Light Dust wins Tweeworth Plate on June 15, 1957. Trainer Bob Watt accepts trophy platter for his favourite horse.[/caption] by Bob Gates On the evening of Friday August 30, 1946, old Polo Park looked more like Satan's Hell than it did a racetrack. The scene was chaotic. Flames leveled "B" barn…
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Remembering “Hustlin” Hugo Dittfach’s epic journey: From Concentration Camp to Leading Jockey
From World War ll Concentration Camp to 1958 Leading Jockey Title at the Downs by Bob Gates As a young boy Hugo Dittfach spent three years in a Russian prison camp. His journey through life would see him find his way to Calgary, Alberta where he would find work at a bus terminal lunch counter…
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Opening day 2018 beckons at ASD. A little history!
by Bob Gates Everyone's talking about the Kentucky Derby and Mothers' Day is just around the corner. You know what that means! Live racing is set to return to Assiniboia Downs! After a seven-month hiatus the Downs launches its 2018 season of thoroughbred horse racing this Mothers' Day, Sunday, May 13, and Darren Dunn and…
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