[caption id="attachment_13929" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Clarence Marzolf paddocking Astral Moon. 1982 Inaugural Handicap at ASD.[/caption] by Bob Gates Clarence and Sue Marzolf were a husband-and-wife duo that made the backside of Assiniboia Downs their home for 40 years. Theirs was one of those partnerships that was envied by many and admired by all. We lost Clarence…
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Lawrence Greenberg: Master of Big Boy Stable
[caption id="attachment_13854" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Beausejour Boy and Lawrence Greenberg in 1978.[/caption] by Bob Gates "Lawrence was bigger than life. He was what I pictured a big owner to look like, just the way he carried himself. The stable name suited him to a tee." -- Irwin Driedger on Lawrence Greenberg You hear phrases like "bigger…
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Carl Norman Anderson. Old School Professional Horseman.
[caption id="attachment_13802" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] One of Carl Anderson's four Gold Cup wins at ASD. Secret Cipher. August 28, 1983.[/caption] by Bob Gates Carl Anderson was only 13 years old when Assiniboia Downs opened in 1958, but it didn't take him long to find his way to the Portage Avenue track. Right from the "get-go" young…
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1998 Manitoba Derby: A Milestone Event
by Bob Gates The historic Manitoba Derby is a treasure-trove of milestones. The 2021 edition will be yet another in the storied legends that contribute to its mystique. This season's Derby will take place with a tarmac filled to capacity with anxious spectators after a one-year covid-induced "no fans in the stands" hiatus. Let's begin…
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Tommy Stadnyk – The kid from Winnipeg’s North End that done good, real good.
[caption id="attachment_13676" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Bocage wins Manitoban Handicap at ASD. July 28, 1962. Tommy Stadnyk up. Mrs. Jack Hardy on the right. Mrs. John McDiarmid, wife of former Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, on left.[/caption] by Bob Gates Jockey Tommy Stadnyk "… has broken his legs twice, has broken both wrists, his collarbone 'many times' and…
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Walter Brian Hutcheon – The Legend that is “Hutch”
[caption id="attachment_13630" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Victor's Pride wins record 4th straight Agassiz Stakes for "Hutch" in 1979.[/caption] by Bob Gates "Long time horseman, Walter Brian Hutcheon, better known as “Hutch” at Assiniboia Downs, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Winnipeg on September 2, 2001. He was 59." ~ George Williams, Manitoba Thoroughbred…
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Tom’s Triactor – Family, Horses and Golf
[caption id="attachment_13567" align="alignleft" width="1000"] Trainer Tom Dodds wins the 1994 Manitoba Derby with P. C.'s Bluff.[/caption] by Bob Gates After researching 50 years of newspaper articles and the like, you'd really think there would be a captivating headline regarding a Derby or an award-winning horse that would stand out over all others. No sir! Oh,…
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August 20, 1976 – A Dashingly Special Memory!
[caption id="attachment_13528" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Dashing Demon draws away! August 20, 1976.[/caption] by Bob Gates This year marks the 10th season that the history blog has been recalling racing memories. Back in 2012, I was asked to write a weekly historical blog that would run during the Downs live thoroughbred race meet. Fast forward to the…
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Karen Chysyk – The Powder Puff Queen with the Million Dollar Smile
[caption id="attachment_13474" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Karen Hendricks and Sir Double. March 17, 1981.[/caption] by Bob Gates Yet another fair lass from Saskatoon who called Assiniboia Downs home. Sound familiar? It should, as Karen Hendricks, nee Chysyk, started her journey with Joan Phipps, whose story was told here in August 2019. Karen grew up a stone's throw…
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The Great Cull of ’62
[caption id="attachment_13427" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Royal Ghost. Three wins as a 10-year-old at the Downs in 1960. Double-digit payoffs every time. Bobby Stewart up.[/caption] by Bob Gates "Cull - to remove an inferior animal from a herd." The definition sounds sad, doesn't it? However, following Assiniboia Downs' 1962 race meet that is exactly what took place…
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