"PICK 'EM" CONTEST ENDS TONIGHT!  $100 cash at stake!  My weekly "pick 'em" contest ends tonight with a special twist and a bigger prize! Take careful note: There is no pick-3. But the more winners you pick from three races, the more chances you have of

Tonight's valuable topic: How to bet maidens & 2-year-olds

winning $50 in wagering vouchers (which will be DOUBLED TO $100 CASH) if you are present at the draw for the winning entry Friday at 9 p.m. in the Clubhouse.) Here's the deal: Predict the winners of races 6,7, and 8 at Lone Star. If you pick one winner, you'll have one chance to win the prize. If you're correct in two races, your chances double. If you're right in all three races, your chances triple! Email your picks in the subject line to theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com by 8:30 p.m. tonight. See last week's winners below.

FINAL WORKSHOP TONIGHT!  Compulsory attendance!  Okay, nothing can be compulsory but this is one of those really helpful Climb the Ladder subjects well worth dragging yourself off the couch to see. Topic: "How to bet maidens and 2-year-olds."  Come to the Finish Line Banquet room at 7 p.m. Free to attend. Refreshments served.
 

THREE FOR DA MONEY CONTINUES TONIGHT:  Chow down great food tonight with live music from a Baby Grand. All-inclusive meals only $13.95 served from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Terrace Dining Room. Bonus VLT and horseplaying action afterward. Phone 885-3330 to reserve. Why not combine dinner with your attendance at the Climb the Ladder workshop above at 7 p.m.?

Sweet dreams! The Kentucky Derby is just nine sleeps away, a big splashy Open House at the track is 10 sleeps away and after 11 sleeps you can click on the Downs' website and watch horses working out on a live cam!  Some countdown to the 51st season of live racing, eh?  

Nine sleeps to Derby, 10 to Open House, 11 to live cam

Think about it.  A week from this Monday you'll be able to click on the Downs website first thing in the morning and be in immediate contact with horse activity at the track.  There's nothing like being "right there" to get the heart pumping for the real thing--which begins two weeks from this Sunday.  

And you and your friends will have the run of the place during Open House one week from this Sunday--with perks aplenty including visits to the stables and press box, getting the lowdown on schooling races and betting them with play money to win valuable prizes and enjoying free hot dogs, chips and soft drinks.  Plus a lot more.  But first, these headlines:

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST:  Can you believe another poker player landed the $750 one-eyed jack and king and went bust?  Boo hoo hoo to who?  See below. 

BEST OF THE BEST:  At last Saturday's Tournament of Champions, printer Terry Pagee not only beat, but annihilated, his 20 horseplaying rivals to be anointed the best handicapper at Assiniboia Downs--and he did it after only one hour of sleep!  Excuuuuse me! 

SNEAK PEAK:  Lucky you.  In today's column, the guy who pokes his nose into everyone's horsey business in the backstretch (because that's what he's paid to do) has tidbits of news on the live racing front. He's Darren Dunn, race-caller extraordinaire and director of operations at the Downs.  What's the latest scuttlebutt?  See below.  And now let's go! 

OPEN HOUSE

A true extravaganza set for Sunday, May 3

A favourite word of Downs' general manager Sharon Gulyas is "extravaganza" and now, finally, here’s an event that perfectly fits that word--an Open House at Assiniboia Downs a week from this Sunday.  It’s a kind of kick-off preview of live racing.  A wide array of activities is planned and even longtime players should find something that will appeal to them. The fun takes place from noon to 4 p.m.

--Four schooling races—both for the horses and visitors. Visit the paddock where trainers will talk about horse equipment and lots more and tell you what it all means.  Everyone will receive $40 in play money to bet those races with a chance to win valuable prizes. 

--Visit horses in the stables.  Tour the press box. 

--Enjoy a free hot dog, bag of potato chips and a can of pop!  (For the first 1,000 in attendance.)

--Receive coupons worth $10 for your return visits to the track

--Meet jockeys and trainers.

--Pick up interesting info at the paddock.

--Find out how to buy a race horse

--Take pictures of jockeys, horses

--Kids can enjoy a petting farm and pony rides

ARE ONE-EYED KING/JACK JINXED?

Another poker player bites the dust, misses $750

Dave Brockhill's ace/king (left) snuffed out Ed McKenna's chance at $750

Only two weeks after local horse trainer Blair Miller crash-landed after being dealt the elusive one-eyed jack and king, another player at last Friday's poker game got the cards--worth $750--and also went belly up without collecting the loot.  This time it happened to the reigning poker king, aircraft assemby man Ed McKenna.  He declared "all-in" with the jack and king but, oh-oh, car salesman Dave Brockhill, quickly called with his ace/king.  Another king made an appearance in the "turn" card but that simply gave both players a pair of kings and Brockhill's ace was still the high hand.  McKenna needed either a jack or 10 on the final card, the river card, but didn't get either one. 

So Brockhill played the spoiler and then went on to assume the poker throne as well, collecting $100 in betting vouchers for winning the game.  Meanwhile, the ex-king shuffled out of the Clubhouse, crestfallen. How mean and fleeting fame and fortune can be!  So another $50 is added to tomorrow's pool, making it a hefty $800.  Get into the game by entering the draw or by playing King of the Hill.  Can you end the one-eyed royalty jinx?  Or do jinxes come in three's?  Ouch!

TERRY'S THE BEST!

Highest seed blanks in horseplayer tourney

Terry Pagee splays his winnings after crushing 20 rivals

It took printer Terry Pagee just three plays to bring the hammer down on his 20 rivals in the Tournament of Champions handicapping contest last Saturday.  He caught a $30 horse and a $40 horse: #1 in the first race at Gulfstream (cutting back to sprint from a route) and #10 in Tampa Bay's fifth (erratic horse with the potential for occasional big races).  And his shocked opponents just spun their wheels trying to play catch-up in their 12 plays.  Since it was $500 winner-takes-all, everybody had to go for the gusto or go home.  The player I thought had the best chance of winning, accountant Alan Hampton, who you've read about in previous Insiders, simply blanked.  In other words, he didn't catch a single horse with his $48 bankroll.  But that's what happens when you're forced to go for broke.

For his part, Pagee said he picked those longshot horses during his breaks during the graveyard shift as a printer which ended at 7:30 a.m.  In fact, he said he only slept an hour before coming to the track to play in the contest that began at noon. How did the other contestants fare?  See list here.  Terry had been a fast-starter in past contests, only to shorten his strides in mid-stretch and be beaten by closers.  But not this time!  It must feel good!  Great going, champ!

OTHER CONTEST WINNERS

Three nail pick-3 in last Thursday's pick 'em contest

PICK 'EM WINNERS:  Wow, some effort last Thursday, guys!  Thirteen entrants correctly predicted the $6 winner of race 7 at Charles Town and three predicted the $42 pick-3!  (I hope you played it at the windows or in your account!) The pick-3 winners were Ken Johnson, Rob Dubois and Ian Wright.  Johnson's entry was drawn Friday night and, since he was present, he received $60 in betting vouchers.  Ian Wright's name was drawn from among the 13 entrants who predicted the winner of race 7 so $20 in wagering vouchers is waiting for him in the VLT lounge and a coupon for a racing program is waiting for these consolation winners:  Kathleen Buckoski, Treena Chobotar, Larry Liebrecht, Earl Stopera, Rob Dubois, Glen Miller, Jim Roberts, Barbara Roberts, Roger Jones, Gordon Balanduk, Doug Kowalchuk and Ken Johnson.  Good picking, all of you!  Now get on tonight's contest for $100--the final one.  See top of column.

KING OF THE HILL:  No one predicted all four races so tomorrow's pot is a mega $300 cash!  And playing King of the Hill can get you into poker!  How to play.

DEATH BY GOLDEN GATE:  Teacher Roger Bamburak outlasted other contest players to the fifth race Saturday afternoon where he picked winner Bazzoom.  His prize:  $100 cash.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Still room on Mother's Day