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Tag Archives: Ardell Sayler

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Balooga Bull: Simply the Best

[caption id="attachment_16726" align="alignright" width="800"] Jockey Paul Nolan and Balooga Bull after winning the 2014 Gold Cup.[/caption] by Bob Gates There's a common thread that links books written to honour champions of the past and our humble blog stories. Both remember special equines from the early days of the Winnipeg racing scene who have long since…
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Assiniboia Downs: Eight Decades and Counting

by Bob Gates "And Now for Something Completely Different" was a catchphrase from the British television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus, and it just happens to be perfect for this week's blog. This isn't your typical history story, at least it's not what you've grown accustomed to. What we have this week is an…
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M&M’s: Sweet Treats for the Soul

[caption id="attachment_15472" align="alignright" width="1000"] Coherence. August 29, 1959. Trainer Gary Danelson's first win.[/caption] by Bob Gates Well, now that we have a couple of days of racing under our belt, let's celebrate with some M&M's. Nope, not the multi-coloured, button-shaped chocolates which are the flagship product of Mars, Incorporated. We're talking about milestones and memories…
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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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The Big Man from South Dakota is Gone

[caption id="attachment_10101" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Trainer Ardell Sayler with his Champion Balooga Bull.[/caption] by Bob Gates Sunday, May 26 was a typical afternoon on the backside at Assiniboia Downs, after all, horses don’t do weekends. But this Sunday, Death came calling, and when he left the Sayler family was stricken with grief. Ardell Sayler had been…
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62nd Season at Assiniboia Downs in the starting gate! Milestones and Memories.

[caption id="attachment_9884" align="alignright" width="1024"] Eye Catching wins 89th running of Winnipeg Futurity in 2018 for trainer Ardell Sayler. Chavion Chow up. Historical 90th running in 2019![/caption] by Bob Gates The crazy Kentucky Derby is in the books for another year, so you know live racing at Assiniboia Downs can't be far off. Season #62 at…
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Gone but not forgotten, two promising apprentices from 1967

[caption id="attachment_3910" align="alignright" width="270"] Bobbie Dimma aboard Norway House. June 29, 1968.[/caption] by Bob This week we remember two promising young apprentices who got their start at Assiniboia Downs in the 1960s, Bobbie Dimma and Vernon Sayler. Most of us are familiar with "Bobbie". Yes, that's how his name appeared on his birth certificate, Bobbie…
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Chalky Pick-4 results in many winners, but losers impress

[caption id="attachment_3406" align="alignright" width="270"] Desert Lightning (5) gets up to defeat a gutsy Media Contact (4) in the 7th race on Friday night.[/caption] by George Three favourites and a second choice made for slim pickings in the Pick-4 on Friday night at the Downs, but there were some excellent horse and jockey performances to take…
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