29th Annual Manitoba Thoroughbred Awards

Ardell Sayler receives Assiniboia Downs 2012 Horse of the Year Award for Balooga Bull

  The 29th Annual Manitoba Thoroughbred Awards were held on April 20, 2013 at Assiniboia Downs and attendance was excellent! The ceremonies were kicked off with a rousing speech by Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn and all in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners and best of luck for [...]

Rob’s Picks, Opinions and more for the Final Weekend of 2012 Live Racing at ASD

Jennifer Reid, Rohan Singh, Paul Nolan

by Rob This last weekend closes the door on another live race meet at Assiniboia Downs. Just for something a little different, I’d like to give my opinion on a few things before I get into what everyone wants, the picks and analysis. Most Impressive Performances of the Meet NOT by a horse sired by Flashy [...]

Speed and class prevail in championship stakes at ASD

BaloogaBullSmilesGoldCup

by George There’s no question that the highlight of the past weekend at Assiniboia Downs was Balooga Bull demolishing his opposition in the 55th running of the $50,000 Gold Cup on Saturday night.  The time for the race wasn’t fast, 1:51.80 for the 1 1/8-miles, but he did it the hard way and he still laid [...]

Balooga Bull highlights Championship Weekend at ASD

Note the #6 horse.

by Rob The second last weekend of live racing will highlight four of the final five stakes races of the year. These four races will determine divisional honors and will stamp some of our equine athletes as horses for the ages. These $50,000 races are the Matron, the Gold Cup, the Winnipeg Futurity and the J. [...]

Balooga Bull Knocks Out Competition in 2012 Manitoba Lotteries Derby

BaloogaPat270

by George Williams If it were a fight they would have stopped it 46.20 seconds into the first round. Balooga Bull had his rivals reeling early in the 64th running of the $75,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby after a sizzling first quarter in 22.20 seconds. He then delivered the knockout punch on the final turn, opening [...]

Balooga Bull – Comeback Kid – 2012 Manitoba Derby Contenders

Balooga Bull - Comeback Kid - 2012 Manitoba Derby Contenders

by George Williams Balooga Bull~ Comeback Kid Pedigree: Flashy Bull-Proud Crusader by Crusader Sword Owner: Paul Brandt Trainer: Ardell Sayler Jockey: Paul Nolan Can one of the fastest 2-year-olds ever seen at Assiniboia Downs bounce back from his only career loss in the biggest race of his life? There’s good reason to believe he can. [...]

Lucky Number 3 Pays Off in Pick-4

Quarter horse in car. Whould you ride one?

by George If you’re a numbers player AND your lucky number is 3, you probably did alright on the Pick-4 Wednesday night. If not, you can always take another shot at the pool on Friday. It’s usually in the $5,000 range. Just use a different set of lucky numbers. Kidding! Maybe. The winning combination of [...]

Balooga Bull Wins $30,000 Golden Boy to Stay Perfect at 6-for-6, Belmont Stakes Saturday

Balooga Bull wins 2012 Golden Boy at ASD

by George Balooga Bull made it 6-for-6 with a display of natural speed that made his competition look slow in the $30,000 Golden Boy Stakes at Assiniboia Downs on Friday night as he continued his march towards the $75,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby on Monday, August 6. It was thought there might be enough speed in [...]

Friday’s Feature Race at ASD Wide Open, Hazel Wright Sire Stakes Saturday, Maintenance Man Longshot

Maintenance Man - Longshot in the 5th Race at ASD

by Rob The live racing season is off to an exciting start and it will only get better as the first stakes race of the year, the Hazel Wright Sire Stakes, takes place on Saturday night. That’s a good reason in itself to come out to the races, but there’s also more to look forward [...]

Balooga Bull Delivers Under Pressure to Stay Undefeated on Victoria Day, New Jock Simpson Impresses

Jockey Trevor Simpson ASD

by George Reigning Horse of the Year Balooga Bull delivered when it counted on Victoria Day at ASD to keep his perfect record intact, and in the process helped jockey Paul Nolan score a hat trick. Secondarily impressive on the card was 5-time Jamaican jockey champion Trevor Simpson, who scored his first win of what [...]