Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Assiniboia Downs The Insider E-Newsletter

Vol. 12 No. 33 (Issue #601)

By Ivan Bigg

 

Weekly Horseplayer Report and Fun Stuff

(If this column looks askew in your email, click here for an online version.)


NIGHT MARKET SUNDAY

 

Watch "wow" highlights of Canada Day display at night market


You loved Canada Day fireworks so much . . .

. . . that highlights will be featured at Sunday's night market

Ready for a fun-filled Labour Day long weekend?

Here's what's up:

  • No live racing Friday
  • Racing Saturday 7:15 p.m.
  • Night Market Sunday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. (no live racing)
  • Holiday racing Monday afternoon 1:15 p.m.

The Downs' first night market in mid-July was such a huge success, with more than 8,000 attending, that organizer Cory O'Grodnik has put together another program with even more bells and whistles:

  • There will be "wow" highlights of the Canada Day fireworks show that was universally applauded as "the best I've ever seen"
  • Free shopping spree giveaways throughout the show from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
  • Twenty-two food trucks on the Downs' race track
  • More than 100 exhibitors indoors and outdoors, many with intriguing products or services. See "Did you know" items interspersed throughout this column.
  • Live bands and a spectacular fire dancer show
  • Local fresh produce and meat
  • Kids' fun: pony rides, bouncy castles, tattoos, face painting
  • Beer garden and more

Admission $5. Parking $5.

Did you know . . . antioxidants in Ceylon tea help prevent wrinkles? Visit Chizma Tea at ASD's Night Market Sunday.

Bullet briefs . . .

  • $30,999 carryover in tonight's 20-cent Jackpot Hi 5 in the last race
  • Assiniboia Racing Club hopes for a speed-favouring track tonight. Why? See below.
  • 40-cent ticket wins $260,000! See Shout Outs of the Week
  • Filly fetches record price for Manitoba-bred in England sale
  • Players who bet all favourites on Friday at ASD had a very, very good night
  • What ASD horse broke his maiden at 5, then went on a tear? See Bob's blog.
LAST CHANCE TO BECOME AN AUGUST SPREE FINALIST: Tonight's your last chance to become the 60-second spree finalist for August (which would get you an extra $60 and a race night buffet for two plus a chance to win the $600 bonus on Sunday, Sept. 10). Your first step is to enter, the second is to be drawn and the third is to beat $215 which is the current high in August set by Shannon Bain. Take care of step one tonight—and who knows? Good luck!
 
QX104 � Today's Country

Official stations of horse racing.
Click to listen

94.3 The Drive
Did you know . . . Artel Studio has won rave reviews for picturing Winnipeg in ways you may never have imagined? At ASD's Night Market Sunday.

Click to expand

DO THE DOWNS

Want highlights for the next 10 days? Click calendar.
What tracks are running in August? Find out here.
What are today’s $$$ carryovers? See them here.
Want to follow sports in the Race Book? Jays - Bombers

AFTER LIVE RACING: Free VLT tournaments. Get into the draw for 10 chances to win $20 in free VLT spins. Top winner from each night participates in a month-end finale for more spins and $250 in prize money. Plus Crazy Hour. Beer, shots and wine only $2.95 plus half-price appetizers (nachos, chicken fingers, chicken wings and gyoza.)

EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT: $10 buy-in poker. Registration 10 p.m. Game starts at 10:30 p.m. New Royal Flush progressive jackpot is at $355! Entry fee to play the jackpot is an additional $5. Click here for new features!

Manitoba-bred filly fetches record price in England

K-5 Stable horse sells for $310,110

Daddy's Daughter
Fetches $310,110 (Erika Everatt photo)

The 2-year-old Manitoba-bred filly pictured at right looks like a million bucks and was purchased for one-third of that at a sale in Suffolk, England – which, according to K-5 Stable manager Leona Stahl is an all-time record price paid for a Manitoba-bred filly.

K-5 Stable, the stable of the late Phil Kives, bred the filly, named Daddy's Daughter, in 2015 (mom: Golden Stripe, dad: Scat Daddy) and sold her last September at the Keeneland yearling sale for $150,000 U.S. The Irish buyer subsequently sold her this year at Tattersalls' Craven Breeze Up 2-year-old Sale for $310,110 U.S.

Some achievement! Phil would be the proudest since Goldencents, the offspring of another Manitoba mare, won the Breeders' Cup Mile two years in a row. How will Daddy's Daughter perform?


Did you know . . . Joyful Project has taken exploited women off streets of India to produce proud-to-wear clothing? At ASD's Night Market Sunday.

EYE ON LIVE

 

Just six days remain in tight jockey/trainer race

Singh leads jockeys; Schnell heads trainers

The leaders: Rohan Singh leads jockeys by four, Don Schnell leads trainers by two

So Rohan Singh, the winner of the jockey title in 2000, 2001 and 2005, is now in the lead by four wins to capture another title this year. Will he hang on? Current standings:
  • Rohan Singh – 40 wins
  • Adolfo Morales – 36 wins
  • Christopher Husbands – 32 wins
And Don Schnell has pulled away by two wins in the trainer category. But this race has become tighter than ever, with three other trainers knocking on the door. Current standings:
  • Don Schnell – 31 wins
  • Elton Dickey – 29 wins
  • Tom Gardipy, Jr. – 28 wins
  • Shelley Brown – 27 wins

*        *        *

$30,999 carryover in tonight's Jackpot Hi 5

Biggest pool of the race meet up for grabs for 20-cents tonight

Serious money is at stake in tonight's Jackpot Hi 5 pool in the last race. There is a $30,999 carryover which means the pool should grow beyond $35,000.

Remember, 20-cent quick-pick tickets are available. It was a quick-pick ticket last year that netted a Winnipeg Beach vegetable stand operator $13,011 in the Jackpot Hi 5. He had spent $4 on quick-pick tickets.

*        *        *

Assiniboia Racing Club hopes track is speed-biased

Their horse, This Cat's Awesome, is likely pacesetter in race 5

Jared Brown
Looks for win #3 by 'Cat tonight

The Assiniboia Racing Club is hoping tonight's track is playing to speed. Their This Cat's Awesome is the morning line second-choice at 5-2 in race 5 and it appears from his pace numbers that current leading jockey Rohan Singh will be attempting to wire the field.

Since being claimed for $3,200 U.S. for them by trainer Jared Brown at Turf Paradise in March, the 6-year-old Awesome Gambler gelding has run five times at the Downs. He won two races and finished second, third and fourth in the others for a total of $16,350 in earnings.

Thirty-nine Club members bought 41 shares in the Club at $500 apiece and obviously have had a banner year. A win tonight would be the icing on the cake.

Trying to play the role of spoiler will be the 2-1 morning line favourite, Smart Copy, a Rick Wise trainee who was disqualified to fourth after winning his last race. Third choice is Murray Duncan's String Puppet who was squeezed by Smart Copy in his last race, resulting in the Smart Copy DQ.
Did you know . . . "biscotti" means twice-baked and Angie's Biscotti is a must to visit and taste at ASD's Night Market Sunday 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.?

BETTING

 

Tonight's best bets at ASD

Rob's $15.80 horse wins; Kirt and Marshall play catch-up tonight

  • Rob's pick, Vidira, wins Debutante

    Kirt's best (post-Derby record 3-1-1-0): Race 4 -- #4 Triple Sevens (5-2)
  • Rob's best (post Derby record 3-2-1-0): Race 7 -- #3 Painted Honey (2-1)
  • Marshall 's best (post Derby record 3-1-1-0): Race 6 -- #1 Cruzcat (5-2)

LAST WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS: Rob's Vidira won the Debutante, paying a handsome $15.80 while best bets from Kirt and Marshall finished out of the money. Rob liked Vidira, trained by current leading conditioner Don Schnell, because the filly had a very troubled trip in her first lifetime start.

A $20 PLACE PARLAY PAID
$0. So I've lost $40 in my parlay plays. I'll go with another $20 place parlay tonight. Time for a Bigg win!

*        *        *

Baby watch at Woodbine

Spearman makes two picks in his specialty races tonight--the babies

Lorne Spearman, a former jockey agent at the Downs and Woodbine, has been making picks recently at Woodbine – but not in his specialty races, the babies, the 2-year-olds. Pre-synthetic Woodbine, I had so much confidence in his baby knowledge, I had bet as much as $1,000 on a first-time starter—and won. Now let's see if he still has the touch:

TONIGHT AT WOODBINE
(middle two legs of the pick-4):
Race 5: # 8 SAFE TO SAY
Race 6: # 2 AHEADBYACENTURY

"The old adage ‘you get what you pay for' could come into play here as these big (bigg!) price yearling sale grads seem to have a big shot in these sales stakes."
Did you know . . . you can turn old silverware into fine jewellery pieces? Visit Silver Wear Collections at ASD's Night Market Sunday.
  • THE BIGGEST SHOUT-OUT goes to the New York player who turned a 40-cent ticket on Gulfstream's Rainbow 6 wager into $259,573 two Saturdays ago. The player keyed the first five legs and took two horses in the last race. His ticket (1-2-7-7-8-3,14) was the lone ticket with the correct horses. The horses paid $4.80, $23, $59, $132.60, $39.80 and $4.20. Legs 2, 3 and 4 were maidens and maybe the player specializes in those. More likely, he/she played numbers or names. What it essentially shows is that taking a shot at big pools could be worthwhile and it's much cheaper than buying lottery tickets. You get 10 tickets for a toonie. What can beat that?
  • Witt's Town upsets C J's Flair

    A BIG SHOUT-OUT to horse owner Henry Witt, Jr. and his trainer Jerry Gourneau who became giant killers in the Nocalero Stakes last Wednesday when their 7-1 Witt's Town, a 3-year-old filly, beat C J's Flair, the Murray Duncan 4-year-old filly who had won four straight races including three stakes since being claimed at Oaklawn Park. Witt's Town paid his backers a handsome $17.90. C J's Flair went off at 1-5 and carried a ton of bridgejumper money. It was the first of two wins in a row for Rohan Singh who is looking to capture the jockey title for a fourth time.

  • Trainer Ardell Sayler (right) and jockey Rohan Singh meet Rob's parents, Keith and Nancy MacLennan

    A BIG SHOUT-OUT to 12-time leading trainer Ardell Sayler for capturing his first stakes of the season on Friday and is it any wonder he did it in the Osiris, a race for 2-year-olds? He's been the baby specialist at the Downs for years. The filly, Cheertothenewyear, fathered by New Year's Day, won handily and paid $4.70. The trophy presentation was made by long time supporters of Assiniboia Downs and paddock host Rob MacLennan's parents, Keith and Nancy MacLennan.
Did you know . . . "Reiki" (well-being through touch) is hot and Brie's Botanicals can transform your life at ASD's Night Market Sunday?

HOTTIES OF THE WEEK (Wed, Fri, Sat):
Hottest jockey(s): Rohan Singh (5 wins)
Hottest trainer(s): Tom Gardipy Jr.  (4 wins)
Biggest longshot: Witt's Town $17.90 (race 1 Wednesday)
Biggest 20-cent superfecta: $336 (race 3 Wednesday)
Stakes champion(s):
Witt's Town (Nocalero), Cheertothenewyear (Osiris), Vidira (Debutante)

SUGGESTION: Check out the Path of the Champions board on the main level or in the Clubhouse to see how we got to where we are on the path to the Big Five Stakes on Sept. 9 and 10: The J.W. Sifton, the Winnipeg Futurity, the Manitoba Matron, the Gold Cup and the Buffalo. See? Now all the stakes races through the season make sense, don't they?

Did you know . . . all fish sold by the Walleye Wagon food truck (on track at the Downs Night Market Sunday) comes fresh from the lake to your plate and is breaded just before the Night Market to retain freshness and quality?

THE WEEK THAT WAS

IF YOU BET ALL FAVOURITES FRIDAY, YOU HAD A GREAT DAY: The first six races in Friday's seven-race card were won by the favourite. So, if you were in a bet-the-fav mood, you had a very good day. To wit:

  • Race 1 – Dreamcastle $6.30
  • Race 2 – Shelley Bear $4.90. Daily Double $30.
  • Race 3 – Cheertothenewyear $4.70. $1 pick-3 paid $129.
  • Race 4 – Fablus $6.30. $1 pick-3 paid $25.70.
  • Race 5 – Sintalena $5. $1 pick-3 paid $51.50.
  • Race 6 – Sorcerer's Wildcat $9.40. $1 pick-3 paid $92.90.

DINK GETS A SHARE: Fans of Dink of the Year at least got the thrill of a possible win when she took the lead in the stretch in the seventh race last Wednesday under Rohan Singh but had to settle for place when the favourite, Canadian Rose, passed her. Still, her place price was $5.20 and the exactor with the favourite on top paid $26.70. Dink has back-to-back seconds. Is she sitting on a win if she gets one more race before live racing ends on Sunday, Sept. 10?

Mike Smith turns tide on West Coast (Getty photo)

BAFFERT AND SMITH IN A FUNK? THINK AGAIN. If trainer Bob Baffert and his go-to jockey Mike Smith were feeling snakebitten the past few weeks, you couldn't blame them. Their best horse, Arrogate, finishes fourth and second; then Mike Smith aboard Songbird (but trained by Jerry Hollendorfer) loses for only the second time in her 15-start life and, the final humiliation--in the grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar, Smith falls off Baffert's top sprinter, Drefong. Not to mention the millions of dollars bettors lost on those usually reliable horses.

But, suddenly, Travers Day at Saratoga on Saturday righted their errant ship. West Coast wins the $1.25 million Travers Stakes and Drefong wins the $600,000 Breeders' Cup “win and you're in” Forego Stakes. Smith is always jubilant in the Winner's Circle after his wins but did I detect even more jubilation on Travers Day? And their legion of fans heaved a big sigh of relief. That's racing.

 
Did you know . . . Norwex microfibre cloths last 10 or more years and just adding water cleans surfaces more thoroughly than bleach and saves the environment and money? At Sunday's Night Market.

HISTORY ON THE HOOF: Breaks maiden at 5, then goes on a tear

Is it even possible for a 5-year-old maiden to win at first asking -- and then win half of his lifetime starts?  It must be or is Bob pulling our leg?  Does anyone remember the most consistent and capable horses to ever run at the Downs ? See them here.

NEW INSIDER SCHEDULE: The Insider will now be published Thursdays since there is no live racing next Wednesday and the regular publication date for The Insider after live racing ends is Thursday.

Remember, fresh local produce and meat
will be available at Sunday's night market

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3975 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3K 2E9
Ph (204) 885.3330 • Fax (204) 831.5348

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