Downs – Contributions from local residents on opening day of the Winnipeg Free Press

Spectacular thoroughbred horses, extreme sports and hundreds of years of local history will come together on Monday, May 20, when Assiniboia Downs begins its 67th year.^th live horse racing season.

The 50-night straight race begins at 7.30pm with the first of six thoroughbred races featuring the best horses in the field, followed by a strong eight-race card on Tuesday. Live racing is held on Monday and Tuesday evenings in May, followed by Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday evening racing in June, July, August and September.

The highlight of the 2024 season will be the 76th running of the $125,000 Manitoba Derby presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries on Monday, August 5. The Manitoba Derby is also the first leg of the new Western Canadian Derby Series, which includes a $200,000 Canadian Derby. (G3) BC $125,000 Derby (G3) Aug. 24 in Edmonton's Century Mile and Sept. 14 at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver. The series offers a $100,000 bonus to any horse that wins all three races.

For the first time ever, the opening night card will include an Indian horse relay between thoroughbred races in partnership with the Manito Ahbi Festival, which will feature cultural dance and music. If you've never seen an Indian horse relay race, you're in for a treat, as highly skilled local riders fly and jump across the track, relaying the relay to rider and horse for the next lap of the track. Do you think you can do it? Maybe try that first. Get in touch.

Given the history, the land, and the fact that the Downs have been heavily influenced by indigenous people, it seems only fitting that Assiniboia Downs partner with the Manito Ahbee Festival for the Indian Horse Relay.

Two indigenous trainers have won the trainer's title at the Downs an incredible nine years in a row and 11 of the last 15 years – Jerry Gourneau and Tom Gardipy, Gourneau Jr., from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reserve in Belcourt. , will attempt to win his record fifth straight and sixth overall with 50 stables. Gardipee, a native of Saskatchewan's Birdie and Okemisis Cree Nation, has won six training titles at Downs. Both coaches were inducted into the North American Indoor Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF) last year.

On the jockey front, three-time champion ASD rider Antonio Whitehall is back to defend his 2023 title and will have to defend it against former title holders Praveen Badri, Chavion Chow and 18 other talented riders. for the last 60 days, training the horses in search of mountains.

Also in 2024, ASD has a new nightly 50/50 contest, monthly handicap contests, a new Twitter contest, a new handicap-friendly time system (off-duty), and improvements to the graphics presentation package. already considered the best in the business for live racing.

Assiniboia Downs has grown its audience significantly over the past four years, so you can now bet on our races all over the world, from the United States to the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, South America, and many European countries. It now features two ads from Travel Manitoba, which shares Manitoba's history and promotes Manitoba tourism to the world.