[caption id="attachment_3624" align="alignright" width="270"] Elite Mercedes wins Gold Cup. September 24, 2006.[/caption] by Bob The success that owner Larry Carter enjoyed with Elite Mercedes was unprecedented, but two short years later he further established himself as a dominant and influential force in the Downs' stakes schedule with Monsoon "The Machine" Rain. While the Downs has…
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Brian Bochinski lived his dream at the track, every day
[caption id="attachment_3588" align="alignright" width="270"] Nephrite sets new track record at ASD with Brian Bochinski up. Oct. 8 1989.[/caption] by Bob Brian Todd Bochinski's riding career started long before his first mount at Assiniboia Downs in 1986. In a way it had been a work in progress for years. It was always his life-long dream to…
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Women who rocked the Powder Puff Derby
[caption id="attachment_3570" align="alignright" width="270"] Eileen Blake, winner of the first Powder Puff Derby at ASD in 1960.[/caption] by Bob I'm guessing the name "Powder Puff" was created by a male of our species. Certainly there aren't many women these days that would come up with such a sexist sounding name for a horse race featuring…
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The Winner’s Circle at Assiniboia Downs, a history of hallowed ground
[caption id="attachment_3538" align="alignright" width="270"] Dick Armstrong. Original Winner's Circle. Chain link fence. June 10, 1958[/caption] by Bob Arguably the most hallowed piece of real estate at any race track is the Winner's Circle, also sometimes referred to as the winner's enclosure and the charmed circle. Oddly enough, ours is not, and never has been, a…
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Naigo: A rare and special horse, he was
[caption id="attachment_3502" align="alignright" width="270"] Patti Ross, Irwin Driedger and Naigo find the ASD Winner's Circle. June 16, 1979.[/caption] by Bob Naigo had the kind of class that most other horses can only dream about. After all, he was a son of the great Northern Dancer, and his owner, Bud Willmot's Kinghaven Farms, expected a lot…
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The Gang of Seven
[caption id="attachment_3450" align="alignright" width="270"] Albert Edward Blake. One of the best trainers ever at Assiniboia Downs.[/caption] by Bob If you scan the list of the Downs' all-time leading trainers you'll find that seven of the top 20 never won a single-season training title. How is it that the best of the best were unable to…
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Tiny Broad Zone – Guts and Glory at 2 1/4-miles
[caption id="attachment_3414" align="alignright" width="270"] Broad Zone wins 1961 Winnipeg Free Press Handicap at ASD. Going 2 1/4-miles![/caption] by Bob Most of you have probably never heard of Broad Zone, and for good reason. His story began back in June 1956 at old Polo Park race track and climaxed at the "new" Assiniboia Downs in August…
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June 6, 1976 – The day the mighty Thor ravaged the Downs
[caption id="attachment_3368" align="alignright" width="270"] Thor was angry on June 6, 1976 at Assiniboia Downs.[/caption] by Bob In the world of Norse mythology, Thor is recognized as the God of Thunder, but he is also closely associated with lightning and storms. On Sunday, June 6, 1976 Assiniboia Downs was the victim of his wrath! The day…
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Remembering Turn to Rule, the little blazed-faced chestnut, that could
[caption id="attachment_3333" align="alignright" width="270"] Turn To Rule in the Winner's Circle at ASD with Linda Wedge. July 20, 1980. Larry Bird up.[/caption] by Bob Turn to Rule's Jockey Club registration papers described his distinctive blaze as "a large irregular star and connected stripe," but what really differentiated the multiple stakes winner from so many of…
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Robert Joseph Franklin, the quiet man from Iowa
[caption id="attachment_3305" align="alignright" width="270"] Bob Franklin. Good for horse racing.[/caption] by Bob Bob Franklin was only 72 when he was called to heaven's backstretch on May 1, 1990, but he crammed a lot of living into his time on this earth. Much of it at Assiniboia Downs. Bob was a simple, quiet, black man from…
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