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Blog
Past, Present and Future
September 14, 2023
by Bob Gates The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is…
The Levesque Family – Friends of Assiniboia Downs
September 8, 2023
by Bob Gates How do you pay tribute to the father/son duo of Jean-Louis and Pierre-Louis, who were important…
The Room
September 1, 2023
by Bob Gates Deep within the confines of the north end of the Assiniboia Downs grandstand on the lower level…
Assiniboia Downs – Concert City Extraordinaire
August 25, 2023
by Bob Gates In the late 1970s and ‘80s Assiniboia Downs developed quite the reputation for hosting concerts as part…
Mr. and Mrs. Racing Had All the Wright Stuff!
August 17, 2023
by Bob Gates Jim and Hazel Wright are the ultimate example of one of those husband/wife partnerships in our Assiniboia…
Derby Wrap-Up and a Historical Potpourri
August 10, 2023
by Bob Gates Wasn’t that a Derby! A record-breaking $3,708,804 was wagered on Manitoba’s most prestigious race, making the historic…
Assiniboia Downs Celebrates 75th Running of the Manitoba Derby
August 4, 2023
by Bob Gates It has been more than 90 years in the making but on Monday August 7, the Manitoba…
The Legend of Ten to Ace
July 27, 2023
by Bob Gates As you know, the history blog has a soft spot for the early days of racing in…
Memories of the 1973 “Run for the Tartan”
July 21, 2023
by Bob Gates In a little more than two weeks the Manitoba Jockey Club will present the historic 75th running…
The Manitoba Centennial Derby – July 15, 1970
July 14, 2023
by Bob Gates Let’s take a short break from the usual fare you find on these pages and go…
Mr. Amazing
July 7, 2023
by Bob Gates Lawrence “Mr. Amazing” Anonychuk trained thoroughbred racehorses at Assiniboia Downs for more than 30 years. If we…
A Starter’s Nightmare
June 30, 2023
by Bob Gates The place? Old Polo Park Racetrack, right here in River City. The date? Thursday, June 16, 1955.…
Dean Kutz: Two-Time Downs Leading Rider Defied the Odds!
June 22, 2023
by Bob Gates Like a lot of others, jockey Dean W. Kutz got his start at country fairs and riding…
The Ragens: Born Into Racing
June 16, 2023
by Bob Gates The Ragens were a multi-generational horse racing family with its roots in Ireland. Edward Michael Ragen was…
Secretariat’s Triple Crown: A Half Century Later
June 9, 2023
by Bob Gates As the opening passage starts, “In the beginning…” One of the greatest horses in the history of…
Memories of Hall of Famer Irwin Driedger
June 2, 2023
by Bob Gates One of the many rewards of writing the history blog is meeting a lot of good people…
Last Breaths and Forever Fred
May 26, 2023
by Bob Gates Fred was a thoroughbred who only knew one racetrack, Assiniboia Downs. His first start came as a…
Footprints, Hoofprints & Milestones at ASD
May 18, 2023
by Bob Gates Can you believe that come opening day, Monday May 22, 235 days will have passed since our…
From His Bench in the Shadow of the Grandstand, the Old Man says Au Revoir to Live Racing for 2022
September 22, 2022
by Bob Gates With only three days of "Live" left in 2022 Season, the 65th at ASD, we caught up…
“Doc” Elder reflects on the Captain, the Colonel, a Close Encounter and more…
September 16, 2022
by Bob Gates Most of us know Dr. Norm Elder as the one-time owner of Elder's Equine Clinic, or for…
Bob Crockett, Owner, Breeder of Thoroughbreds. A 50-Year Adventure.
September 9, 2022
by Bob Gates Quiet and unassuming, that's Robert "call-me-Bob" Crockett. And this friends, makes his story challenging to tell.…
Eddie Werre Jr. Journeyman Jock From Ashley, North Dakota
September 2, 2022
by Bob Gates Werre? There has to be some of you wondering who Ed Werre is and what's so special…
Lumberjack Ron: Memories of Secretariat, Northern Dancer and Assiniboia Downs
August 26, 2022
by Bob Gates Ron Turcotte was 14 when he left school to work as a lumberjack with his father. He…
Balooga Bull: Simply the Best
August 14, 2022
by Bob Gates There's a common thread that links books written to honour champions of the past and our humble…
Anatomy of a Track Record
August 11, 2022
by Bob Gates Does the title of our blog story this week have a familiar ring to it? Hope so.…
Secret Weapons and Other 50-year-old Memories of Nice Dancer
August 5, 2022
by Bob Gates Well another Manitoba Derby is on the books and congratulations go out to the winner Red Knobs…
The History of the Manitoba Derby in Photos
July 29, 2022
by Bob Gates A few weeks ago we tried something different. The traditional blog story was replaced by an array…
Beginnings, Endings and Thank You
July 22, 2022
by Bob Gates Who's kidding who, you're being short-changed this time around. Our weekly history blog isn't about a historical…
Light Dust: Champion of the Prairie Racing Circuit and Proudly a Manitoba-Bred
July 14, 2022
by Bob Gates Last winter, during a covid-induced research binge, the name Light Dust jumped off the pages of the…
The Kid from Bellavista Crescent who Dared to Dream
July 7, 2022
by Bob Gates In a 1989 interview Darren Dunn told Paul Turney of the Daily Racing Form (DRF) that he…
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Past, Present and Future
The Levesque Family – Friends of Assiniboia Downs
The Room
Assiniboia Downs – Concert City Extraordinaire
Mr. and Mrs. Racing Had All the Wright Stuff!
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