Dear Race Fans;
We would like to explain our rationale behind the decision to cancel our races on Tuesday, July 24.
First and foremost, our apologies for the inconvenience that was caused to you and your plans for the evening.
The reason that the cancellation was not released until mid afternoon was to allow for the ability to access the most current weather forecasts for the evening. In fairness to all affected parties ( patrons, horse owners, trainers, jockeys, Assiniboia Downs, etc.) we do not take the decision to cancel lightly and therefore do not make a decision in haste.
We contacted environment Canada early in the morning to get an initial detailed forecast, specifically as it related to the estimated temperature and humidex rating for the evening race card.
The initial results were at a level that required serious consideration to cancellation to be humane to the horses and jockeys.
We then consulted a private equine veterinarian, considered to be one of the best in all of western Canada and also consulted the Manitoba Horse Racing Commission Vet ( Provincial Government).
Our efforts were pointed towards as timely and informed a decision as was possible. Additionally, we wanted to make a decision before any horses were to be administered lasix for the evening card (3:00 p.m. start of medication).
We received a weather forecast at 2:00 p.m. and, in conjunction with the veterinary advice that we received that recommended "not to race" we met with the H.B.P.A., an elected organization that speaks for the horsemen, to discuss the issue. The horsemen made the decision not to race and they received our full support.
We then moved quickly to inform all media outlets via an email release and phone calls. Additionally we ran the information on our racing channel on Shaw and MTS television and informed our receptionist who fields our public information calls.
Again, we assure you that we acted in a systematic, detailed and timely fashion to bring forward a decision.
We hope that you can respect that we must err on the side of caution and safety when it pertains to our horses and jockeys.
Again, we do apologize for the inconvenience. However, we hope this information helps you understand the process and the mindset in our cancellation decision.
Assiniboia Downs
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