[caption id="attachment_20331" align="alignright" width="1000"] The Room. 2023 Assiniboia Downs Jockey Colony.[/caption] by Bob Gates Deep within the confines of the north end of the Assiniboia Downs grandstand on the lower level is a restricted area where only jockeys, valets and officials are allowed. Of course, this is “The Room,” the place jockeys call home. Thoughts…
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Anatomy of a Track Record
[caption id="attachment_16689" align="alignright" width="1000"] Rangatira sets new six-furlong track record at ASD. May 20, 1973.[/caption] by Bob Gates Does the title of our blog story this week have a familiar ring to it? Hope so. Most of you are probably too young to remember the 1959 American courtroom drama and crime film "Anatomy of a…
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Celebrating 64 Years of the Gold Cup
[caption id="attachment_14051" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Pool to Market sets new track record in 1967 Gold Cup at Assiniboia Downs[/caption] by Bob Gates One of the many challenges facing Jack Hardy when he opened Assiniboia Downs in 1958 was to establish races that would grow into annual contests steeped in tradition. In the first year of…
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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 Golden Age of Horse Racing
[caption id="attachment_13328" align="alignleft" width="986"] 1971 Powder Puff Derby winner Karen (Chysyk) Hendricks (center). Runner-up Joan Phipps to the right of Jack Hardy.[/caption] by Bob Gates The 1970s were a special time for the Sport of Kings. The decade bragged of its three Triple Crown winners Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978). Secretariat's sweep…
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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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It all began with a “Fling” – Island Fling that is…
[caption id="attachment_11973" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Island Fling wins 1979 Labatt's Gold Cup at Assiniboia Downs.[/caption] by Bob Gates More than 40 years ago, the late Philip Kives built his K5 racing empire on the back of Island Fling. Phil couldn't recall how he met up with Don Gray, but Gray was the man he approached about…
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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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Rupert “Chicago” Parker liked hats and a good cigar
by Bob Gates Some and perhaps most of you will consider this week's blog story choice a little obscure. Others will look at the title and wonder, Rupert who? Rupert Parker was a jockey who plied his trade at Assiniboia Downs from the mid 1960s to the mid to late 1970s. He wasn't the most…
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That’s a wrap! Season #59 at ASD draws to a close
[caption id="attachment_6304" align="alignright" width="780"] Mustard family celebrates a win on the latest date for the Downs ever to race on November 11, 1991.[/caption] by Bob Gates This week we put the finishing touches on Season #59 at Assiniboia Downs with a weekend featuring five stake races. The Winnipeg Futurity and Matron kick things off on…
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