[caption id="attachment_19066" align="alignright" width="1000"] Dean Kutz. Assiniboia Downs Leading Rider 1977-1978.[/caption] by Bob Gates Like a lot of others, jockey Dean W. Kutz got his start at country fairs and riding in the bushes. However, unlike other saddlesmiths, Kutz battled the odds just to get his shot at sitting atop thousand-pound thoroughbreds. Dean was born…
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The Ragens: Born Into Racing
[caption id="attachment_18900" align="alignright" width="1227"] Ed Ragen and Super Twenty.[/caption] by Bob Gates The Ragens were a multi-generational horse racing family with its roots in Ireland. Edward Michael Ragen was one of the original grand old men of racing. “Eddie” spent more than 70 years racing thoroughbreds, until an injury from a 1981 fall forced him…
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Footprints, Hoofprints & Milestones at ASD
[caption id="attachment_18366" align="alignright" width="1000"] Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 1970 Manitoba Centennial-Derby.[/caption] by Bob Gates Can you believe that come opening day, Monday May 22, 235 days will have passed since our four-legged athletes were called to the post here at the Downs last September 28. So, who’s ready for some live racing! If your…
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Eddie Werre Jr. Journeyman Jock From Ashley, North Dakota
[caption id="attachment_16972" align="alignright" width="1000"] Call My Number wins at ASD on July 13, 1977. Ed Werre up for trainer Tom Dodds.[/caption] by Bob Gates Werre? There has to be some of you wondering who Ed Werre is and what's so special about him? This is another one of those blogs where our person of interest…
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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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Live Racing a Go for Second Year in a Row at ASD with No Fans in the Stands
[caption id="attachment_13154" align="alignleft" width="1000"] Readying for Opening Day 2021 at ASD. George Williams photo.[/caption] by Bob Gates The 2021 season gets underway on Monday, May 24. This will be the second year of the pandemic "No Fans in the Stands" season of racing. Sure, it's not what everyone wants, but it beats the blazes out…
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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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Assiniboia Downs Kicks Off Season #63 of Live Racing
Milestones & Memories Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the 1970 Manitoba Centennial Derby by Bob Gates Welcome to the new "normal" as the Downs makes the final preparations to open for its inaugural "No Fans In The Stands" 2020 race meet. We have all lived the events of this spring and heaven knows they…
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2018 Live Racing Season sails into the sunset, but lots going on in off-season at Downs
[caption id="attachment_9277" align="alignright" width="1024"] Ray Stewart, family and friends in the winner's circle at the Downs. September 6, 2015.[/caption] by Bob Gates The end is near! Okay, perhaps that's a little too melodramatic, but this is my final blog story as the season draws to a close on Sunday, September 9. Wow, it seems like…
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