[caption id="attachment_11973" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Island Fling wins 1979 Labatt's Gold Cup at Assiniboia Downs.[/caption] by Bob Gates More than 40 years ago, the late Philip Kives built his K5 racing empire on the back of Island Fling. Phil couldn't recall how he met up with Don Gray, but Gray was the man he approached about…
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Judge George W. Schilling: His Word was the Law on the Canadian Prairies for Three Decades
[caption id="attachment_11900" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Judge George Schilling (right) with Scotty Kennedy[/caption] by Bob Gates George Schilling was a senior racing official in Mexico, the United States and Canada and among the most respected figures in the sport. Schilling had a keen mind, was scrupulously honest and stern but fair. He was born on January 17,…
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The Greatest Race That Never Was
[caption id="attachment_11846" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Man O' War. How good was he?[/caption] by Bob Gates For as long as most of us can remember, the first Saturday in May is reserved for the Kentucky Derby, but not this year. The "Run for the Roses" was rescheduled to the fall because of COVID-19. You just knew NBC…
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That was Then. This is Now.
[caption id="attachment_11811" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Love the animal first and the sport second.[/caption] by Bob Gates There are times when the past begs to be remembered. To hear her story, you must listen carefully, because sometimes it comes to you in unusual ways. The most recent case of nostalgia-like-symptoms came courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press.…
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Assiniboia Downs Survives Foreclosure, Press Box Inferno & Global Pandemic
A cancelled date with Princess Anne. by Bob Gates Like a Timex watch, the Downs takes a licking and keeps on ticking. The most recent peril began with the following announcement on March 18, 2020: "With the intent to be proactive and to do our part to pull together with our fellow Manitobans to assist…
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Secretariat to race on Saturday — virtually speaking
Secretariat winning the 1973 Kentucky Derby. Photo courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com While most sports are quiet these days, there are major happenings in the horse racing world while it also observes coronavirus safety protocols. In what may be a first at any racetrack, Assiniboia Downs -- which is closed to the public-- is broadcasting morning workouts…
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