AND DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME: The opening day crowd last Sunday was the biggest in more than 10 years.  Handle was up 19 per cent over last year's opener. Will that become a trend?

Five questions for you to puzzle over as the long weekend approaches...

(1)  Is Mine That Bird a one-trick pony or can this 50-1 Kentucky Derby winner also win the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness stakes, Saturday at Pimlico?                 Yes ....... No ........ Mine the what?  ......

Carl Anderson 999 wins

(2)  Will someone finally win the $950 poker side pool tomorrow because three poker tables will be in play? 
             Yes ........  No ....... What's in it for me?  ..........

(3)  Will live racing continue to generate big crowds as it did for open house and crazy-busy  opening day last Sunday when more than 4,000 jammed the place?  
              Yes ......  No .......  Crowds annoy me ........

(4)  When will local trainer Carl Anderson lodge his 1,000th career win?  (He's at 999.) 
            Friday  .........  Saturday ...........  Monday .........                       Wednesday ...........  Never ............. 
(C'mon, rival  trainers, be nice!)

(5)  Will the first night of Wednesday live racing next week reach the goal of attracting $50,000 in bets from players at other race tracks?  
                   Yes  .........  No ..........    What's in it for me?  ............ 

Congratulations, you may already be a winner--of the "Sourpuss of the Year" award--if you chose the last answer for every question.  But racing loves everybody.  When you to go the windows, your money only has a colour, not an attitude.

But who doesn't like long weekends?  And now you have a list of timely "homework" questions that just may be the excuse you're looking for to wiggle out of the task of digging the dandelions out of your lawn.  

Now, to flesh out the week a bit more ....

SHAKY START

But trackside live cam still a hit

Have you visited the new trackside live cam at www.ASDowns.com?  There have been growing pains as some of you noticed. But the feedback has mostly been positive led by Jeff Goy, president of the local chapter of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. He said absentee horse owners love the opportunity to look in on their horses from wherever they happen to be.  And many casual viewers are fascinated by the close-up look at morning workouts.      

What's more important, I think, is the “you are there” feeling you get with a live cam.  When I was watching Saturday morning at 7 a.m., I could feel the chill in the air as snowflakes fluttered down on riders as they took their horses through various degrees of workouts--some galloping at a good pace along the rail while others cantered in the centre of the track. Hopefully, at this point, all bugs have been worked out of the system.  Drop in and let me know what you think at theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com

                       Pictorial: Opening day 2009

Hey world, ASD is racing! (R Lumber wins race 8)		Time to Act wins race 7 (viewed from infield)
Do you think it was Mother's Day?		Rohan Singh after winning race 7
Gary Baze wins race 5 on Wonforrosie		Alan Cuthbertson wires the field on Fourth Top in race 3

GET SERIOUS!

Are you playing to win?

If you're not really serious about making money at live racing this season, then move along.  No triflers, please.  But, if you're still paying attention--glad to hear it.  Because pools are going to grow and Insider readers might just as well be the ones to capitalize on them.   After all, shouldn't YOU know more about local horses than someone in Chicago playing them for the first time?

Okay, Mr. Bigg, you say, what should I do to pocket the dough?  Glad you asked, ma'am, or sir, or ....  I'll tell you what I did:  I bought a good set of binoculars so I can watch a couple things.  First, I’m looking for horses properly changing their lead leg after the turn-- changing from the left  to the right.  It adds a burst of energy to their performance.  Think of it as hopping on one foot then switching to the other.  Feel the energy boost?

The second thing I'm watching is horses galloping out after the race.  If they gallop out well, then the race didn't tire them out completely and they become good plays next time, especially if the race is longer.

A few other things:

1.  Watch replays and keep notes on horses that, with a better trip, might have won.  Especially note horses that got in a big early pace duel.  If one of those horses has no speedy opposition in its next race, it has an excellent chance of going all the way

2.  Read the Bettor's Blog.  Stretch is providing very thorough coverage of live racing and even a contest for you to bet a fictional $20 on your best horse this month.

3.  Go to At the Races each Friday on the home page of www.ASDowns.com.  It’s the place I give my community papers readers my best play for Friday night.  And don't forget to drop in on my "secrets" presentations at the stage just inside the main entrance to the Downs a half-hour before races begin.

CONTEST CORNER

Hail King Rob; prop pool grows to $950

Friday poker winner:  Rob Atras, an assistant trainer working with legendary horseman Bert Blake is now also poker's King Rob, thanks to a pair of aces that crushed Merv Pilkey’s queen high last Friday.  Rob received $100 in betting vouchers

King Rob

for his feat. He’ll never have to defend his trainer status but 29 players will be seeking to wrestle him from his throne at the poker tables tomorrow night.  The competition will be fierce.  I'll be dressed in a full suit of armor--just to watch. But then again, that will leave me open to rust problems as players drool over the $950 in cash that will be awarded to the first person who wins a hand with a one-eyed king and jack.  

How to get into the game? Enter the Triple Q Challenge.  The 19 entrants with the best selections  will get a seat at the three tables as will ten names that will be drawn out of a hat. The prize tomorrow:  $100, $50 and $25 cash to the top three players and a seat in a final game that will send someone to Las Vegas to play in a World Series of Poker event.

Show Me the Roses winner:  Retired airman Bob Pirson vaulted from eighth to first place on the strength of picking Mine That Bird for his show horse in the Kentucky Derby. It paid $24.60.  He wins $500 cash for accumulating the most imaginary show earnings: $48.20.  Data processor Reg Pluchinske finished second with $42.80 in show earnings, the only other contestant to take Mine That Bird.  See full final results here.

HORSEPLAYER TIP O' THE WEEK:  Watch "gallops-out"

Don't stop watching a race at the wire.  Keep on watching to see what horses still have energy left after a race, called "galloping out."  They could become good plays next time, especially if the race is longer.  (See "Get serious" above.)