|
|
What was playing on the radio 50
years ago--the year Assiniboia Downs was born?
Get
a Job
The Silhouettes
|
|
|
1958 Chev Impala
|
|
It’s
Chinese New Year and rats rule! Let’s celebrate! The first three readers born in a Year of
the Rat who email me will receive a free all-you-can-eat buffet for two
at a Thursday theme night at the Downs.
The Years of the Rat were 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972 and
1984. You had to be born one of
those years to win the dinner. Email
me at theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com
Okay, rats, are you
back? Actually, don't feel bad
if you're a rat. In fact, you
can feel pretty good about it.
Rats or mice are given the first position on the 12-animal
Chinese zodiac because they are thought to be enterprising and
imaginative. As legend goes, a
contest to see who would lead the Chinese animal order was decided by a
race across a river. The ox
would have been first had it not been for the smart mouse who took up
position on the ox's head and jumped to the shore ahead of the ox, thus
finishing first and getting the lead position in the zodiac.
Oh, sorry, this IS a
horseracing column, isn't it?
But you know how much I love to sleuth out trivia and make the
most of every occasion. Adds
more zest to our lives, I figure.
Tons of stuff on the horseracing scene, including a new Saturday
night game I'm really looking forward to. Also, the countdown to the Kentucky
Derby begins in earnest this week:
the early nomination list of eligible 3-year-olds is now
available, you can future-bet the Derby today through Sunday, you can
watch the horse I predict will win the Derby, Pyro, on Saturday
from the Fair Grounds (who's calling me "premature?") and
much more. Let's go, rats and
the rest of you frisky animals!
EXCITING NEW SATURDAY NITE GAME
Score a "Double Play" and win $$!
A sizzling new
game called "Double Play" will be starting this Saturday
night in the Clubhouse. You win when you correctly answer two
questions:
 (1) Which horse
will finish somewhere in the top three positions in a race--in other
words, to show?
(2) What will
the saddle cloth numbers on the top three horses add up to? (Example: The race finishes this way: 4-1-3. Add them up. The correct answer is 8.)
This game begins
at approximately 7:30 p.m. and will take place on six races--three from Sam Houston
and three from Meadowlands harness.
Enter one race or all six--it's up to you. Programs for the six featured races are free.
PRIZES: $25 in betting vouchers for each race which will be added to subsequent races--and even
subsequent Saturdays--when no one wins.
That means the jackpot this Saturday can grow to as much as
$150!
BONUS: If you enter
all six races, you'll have a chance at winning an extra $25 in betting
vouchers. That's the prize for
correctly predicting the show horse in all six races. Sounds like fun,
eh? I'm sure there will be times
when the jackpot will really grow.
Play "Double Play" every Saturday night!
COUNTDOWN TO KENTUCKY DERBY
My choice, Pyro, races this Saturday
Come out to
another Tour d' Champs
day Saturday and watch the eventual winner of the Kentucky Derby, Pyro,
strut his stuff in the feature race, The Risen Star Stakes from the
Fair Grounds. How's that for Insider
chutzpah? Pyro's performance
last fall in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, moving impressively through
the slop to finish second behind front-end winner War Pass,
makes him a standout in my mind.
Downs clocker Everett Shade is also a believer and, in fact, has strong opinions on that whole race so I asked him to write a guest column. Read his analysis here. And where do you stand?
• Entries are now available for you to enter Triple Crown Challenge for a
top prize of $500.
You have until the end of February to enter as many as five
times--$5 for each entry.
You're required to pick three 3-year-old horses (maybe
Pyro will be one of them?) you think will make it to the Triple Crown races
(Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont) and perform well. Details here.
• A special Daily Racing Form is now available at the track listing 3-year-olds
and their records.
Cost: $3.25 (including
taxes)
• Future betting on the Kentucky Derby and on the female equivalent
race, the
Kentucky Oaks, will be available today through Sunday. Look for
free programs.
WHICH LOGO ABOVE DO YOU LIKE BEST?
VOTE HERE.
The Triple Crown of
racing, the three races that determine the best 3-year-olds in the
world, begin in less than three months and the three tracks that will
be holding those races proudly trotted out their new logos for their
respective race. What design do
you like best? Which logo is the
zinger? Which logo falls flat?
You, as an Insider reader, obviously have good taste so
let me know in my little straw poll.
Add a brief comment, too, if you wish. I'll post the results in the next Insider.
(1) Churchill Downs (2) Pimlico (3) Belmont Park .
ANOTHER BRIDGE JUMPER "JUMPS"
And Stretch is there to catch the money
A five-horse field, a
prohibitive 1-5 favourite finishes fourth and
what do you get? If you're smart
and paying attention--how's $455 for a $50 show bet? Yes, that's what Bettor's Blogger Glen
"Stretch" Sirkis picked up last Saturday because a bridge jumper or two plunked
down $300,000 to show on the overly-hyped Hysterical Lady in the
Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita and Stretch bet another horse, Society
Hostess, which finished second and paid $18.20 to show. "It was a classic play,"
Stretch emailed me. "Horse (Hysterical Lady) coming off a
Breeders' Cup big effort. An almost need-the-lead horse going seven
furlongs. Average to slow works coming in. What were they
thinking?" Indeed! The winner of the Santa Monica, Intangaroo,
paid $32 to show and the third place finisher, Overly Tempting,
paid $16.80 to show. Remember,
you can watch a replay of this race as well as any other race at www.racereplays.com. Cost: under $10 monthly to watch 100
replays. A subscription to that
service should be part of your handicapping arsenal!
BAZE SURPASSES #10,000
But he's not first in world; Ricardo of Brazil is
|
|
vs
|
|
|
Ricardo
|
|
Baze
|
If the Guiness
Book of Records wants to record the winningest jockey of all time, it's
going to have to keep tabs on two careers: Russell Baze riding in
California and Jorge Ricardo riding in Brazil. Baze won his milestone 10,000th race
by the squeakiest of noses at Golden Gate Fields last Friday, but that
was three weeks after Ricardo had already achieved the same
unprecedented feat at his South American track. Both jockeys began riding within two
years of each other: Baze, 49,
won his first race in 1974; Ricardo, 47, in 1976. If each of them continues the same
blistering riding pace until they reach 60--the age of Assiniboia's leading
jockey, Alan Cuthbertson--Ricardo will have won 15,200 races and
Baze "only" 14,400.
One thing's sure: Baze
has no intention of retiring any time soon. "In three years, I should be
standing here again," he predicted after win #10,000 last
Friday aboard Two Step Cat.
Reader alert: The two
jockeys may be competing in a jockey competition at Ascot in England in
August.
"MY MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT"
His horse just won--so why the long face?
|
|
|
Jeff Goy
|
Racing can be a game of
extremes. None more so than in
the summer of 2005 for nice guy Jeff Goy, an insurance executive
and president of the local Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective
Association. His horse, Cindy Embers, stood proudly in the
Winners' Circle after winning the $40,000 Manitoba Distaff stakes. But Jeff and his three partners in
Pain n' the Aces racing stable, were hard-pressed to show any cheer. That's because their other horse in the
same race, Stately Manor, was lying dead in the backstretch
having been euthanized after snapping a knee during the race. "What
a swing of emotions," Jeff recalls. "It was like a shallow win. It exposes both ends of racing. It gives you thrills--and
spills." Adding to his
grief was the fact that the downed horse "was the most friendly
horse. I'd visit her and pet her and feed her oats." And the horse who gave him the glory
was "mean and bitchy."
Fate, unfortunately, has no conscience.
READERS
WRITE: "I was the $31,000 partner"
Ivan: We are
vacationing in Florida this winter but always look forward to our copy
of The Insider. We were very
pleased to see the picture of Al Wiebe and his big day in 1989
("My Most Memorable Moment").
I remember it very well because I was the friend who split that ticket
with him. We each received more than $31,000 that day. I did have
several good payoffs over the year on that particular wager and would
certainly welcome it back to Assiniboia Downs. Incidentally, we attended the
Jai-Alai games in Orlando last week and were very surprised to see that
they are offering a Twin Trifecta (the first I've seen in many years).
Thanks for your fine publication and keeping Winnipeg horseplayers
up-to-date. All the best to our friends in Winnipeg. -- Dave & Corrine Blackmore (Note: Dave is an Assiniboia horseowner)
Hi Dave and Corrine: Happy to save you the
time of emailing your friends separately. Watch out for sharks! (And the ones in the water, too!)
WHO WON? Friday show parlay: Bob Pirson $75.00 in betting vouchers which included $50
carryover. Friday poker: stock keeper Andy Kolodiejchuk
won $100 in betting vouchers. Turning point? "It was just luck; I hit a
river card," he said.
Second: math teacher Rick
Zaretsky. Both qualify to
play in the March 28 finale for $1,000 cash. Saturday
Death by Golden Gate: Zaldy "Zalox" Bauto
lasted until race 7, outfinishing 39 others. He received $100 in betting
vouchers. Now the game moves to
Bay Meadows. Saturday "classy merchandise" draws
(everyone who gets his Tour d' Champs card stamped gets into the
draw): Wanda Lambert, Reg
Pluchinske, Rick Wood. More
draws this Saturday.
TIP O' THE WEEK: How to score a "double play"
The new free "double
play" game Saturday night has a straight-forward element--picking
a show horse--but it also has a tricky element--predicting the added-up
saddle cloth numbers of the top three finishers. Some of you, of course, will simply
guess at a number. But if you're
serious at scoring a "double play," especially when the
carryover pool starts to grow, here's a tip: Ask
yourself this question:
If you were betting a triactor in that race, what horses would
you bet? Then simply add up the
numbers of those three horses.
In other words, if you think #2, #4 and #6 will finish in the
triactor, the number you'd write on your entry would be 12 (2 +
4 + 6 = 12). You might even
consider betting this triactor box at the windows or at least playing a
$1 exactor box. Whatever
happens, don't you think this game will be fun to play?
HULA ON DOWN! Fabulous Hawaiian feast tonight!
|
|
|
|
Ambrosia Salad
|
Curried Shrimp
|
Mango bread, corn chowder
soup, ambrosia salad, curried Hawaiian shrimp with pistachios and sweet
and sour short ribs are just a few tantalizing dishes in tonight's
all-you-can-eat buffet menu from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Terrace Dining Room
for only $14.95. Menu. A nice winter
respite! Next Thursday: Special Valentine's Day Menus: buffet or a la carte menu . Phone 885-3330 to reserve.
CHINESE FOOD SPECIAL: $7.99 special today thru Sunday
Yup, to honour Chinese New
Year's, Director of Food and Beverage Manley Chan will feature this
tasty Chinese combo all day every day through Sunday for $7.99: spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken
balls, pork chow mein, fried rice and a fortune cookie (this IS a
racetrack, after all). Served
with chopsticks. No fingers!
WEEKEND
EVENTS: Action at a glance
• Santa Anita to resume racing with $181,000 pick-6 carryover
after layoff for track resurfacing (You can see what's happening
right now on Santa Anita's livecam at www.santaanita.com. Scroll
down left side)
• Derby countdown stuff: Pick up Daily Racing Form listing
3-year-olds
eligible for Kentucky Derby, future-bet the Derby, enter
Triple Crown Challenge
• Friday: Play free $1,000 poker
• Saturday afternoon: Get your Tour d'
Champs card stamped from noon to 4 p.m.;
win merchandise. Play Magna pick-5. Play Death by Bay Meadows (free)
• Saturday night: Enter new "Double
Play" game.
• Enjoy $7.99 Chinese food special served all day every day
COMING SOON: Horseplayer tourney on the new February long weekend. Saturday, Feb. 16. Usual prizes but note that top three
winners also will be invited to participate in a $1,000 winner-take-all
Tournament of Champions in May. Sign up at the track or at an OTB
before Friday, Feb. 15 at 9 p.m.
Horseplayer
seminar: Same day as the above tournament. 10:30 a.m. in the Finish Line.
Complimentary coffee and pastries.
Downs clocker Everett Shade will lead discussion for
putting together a Magna pick-5 group ticket.
SUPER BOWL POST-SCRIPT: Sorry, Pats
As readers may recall, in my last column I reminded readers about
earlier post times for Super Bowl Sunday "so that most racing
is finished before the Giants take to the grid-iron and scuttle the
Patriots' perfect year." Sorry, Patriots, I hadn't meant to
jinx you. I just thought the Giants were
getting better and better while you hadn't looked very sharp in your
last five wins and that the Giants had the ability to rush and crush
your quarterback. Oh well, guys,
next year . . .
NEXT INSIDER: How to bounce back from a losing streak.
|
