[caption id="attachment_12105" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Fire N Desire wins the St. James-Assiniboia Handicap. July 11, 1969.[/caption] by Bob Gates Following an 11-year absence (2009 -2019) the Downs 2020 stakes race calendar features the return of the Derby Trial. Jack Hardy resurrected the Manitoba Derby in 1960 and since that time 60 Derbies have been run at…
Read more
Stars of the Western Canada Handicap
[caption id="attachment_10418" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Possibly the best of the best, Light Dust won the Western Canada Handicap in 1954 and 1956. Shown here setting a new track record on February 5, 1957 at Sunshine Park.[/caption] by Bob Gates Polo Park racetrack played host to some of the most historic races in Western Canada including the…
Read more
Polo Park, “America’s finest racing plant”
[caption id="attachment_424" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Victory Gift in the Polo Park Winner's Circle"][/caption] by Bob Polo Park, the “father” in our family tree analogy, was a 6 furlong oval that opened on June 12, 1925. R. James Speers was given credit for building Polo Park, but he was not the driving force behind the idea to…
Read more
Memories of Whittier Park, Grandfather of Assiniboia Downs
[caption id="attachment_331" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Whittier Park Program"][/caption] by Bob If horse racing were going to flourish in Winnipeg it was clear that River Park would not be the answer. A new track had to be built. The idea for Whittier Park was hatched in 1923 by R. James Speers, construction began the same year, and…
Read more