"GUESS THE HANDLE" CONTEST: The total for Tuesday and Wednesday was $366,361. Did anyone win? See bottom of column.

Rarest race horse in Canada
Proudly displaying his unique colouring in the morning sunshine on shed row with trainer Emile Corbel and groom Effiean Ricketts, Ellusive Spell casts a spell on all who look at him in the (blue) eye. See if you can resist his spell on Canada Day.

I'm in love--with a horse. A colt, if you must know. When trainer Emile Corbel and groom Effiean Ricketts led him out of the stables and into the morning sunshine on Sunday, it was love at first sight. He's the rare thoroughbred with

Blue-eyed beauty
unusual colouring, Ellusive Spell, who finished fifth in his first lifetime start two weeks ago. His "painted" white and black coat was simply stunning. But what tugged at my heart strings was the blue eyes--apparently called "walleyes"--eyes that seem to look right through you. I think it was the first time I saw the soul of a horse--and I liked what I saw.

You think I'm going overboard? Well, hold your tongue until you see him yourself--up-close--on the July 1 Canada Day holiday next Wednesday. Corbel and company will have him on the track during the second annual Track Invasion following the races, "all decked up," Corbel said. If you don't think he's special and aren't at least a bit smitten by those big blue eyes, well, you can at least objectively agree you've never seen such colouring in a thoroughbred race horse before.

It's the result of a rare gene called Frame Overo, passed on by his father, Ellusive Quest. His grandfather was Sunny's Halo who won the 1983 Kentucky Derby. Jean McEwen of the McEwen Brothers landscaping family owns the horse. She bought him as a yearling from a veterinarian in Phoenix, Arizona, where his father had raced.

As you notice, I've added a couple pictures of Ellusive Spell to this column and, if you must know, yes, I plan to add him to my wallet next to last year's heartstring tugger: Miss Missile.

Quite seriously, I've been around race horses since I was 11 and this one did leave me quite breathless.

Okay, getting a grip and moving on ....

FLASH! Oh, I see Ellusive Spell is entered to race Saturday. So you'll have a chance to see him race before your up-close visit on Canada Day! That's Saturday in the fourth race. His odds are 10-1.

VEGAS BECKONS

Are you worthy?

It's two sleeps to the last Saturday of the month and that means "earn a trip to Vegas" time. Have you signed up? You have until tomorrow (Friday) at 9 p.m. Then if you pick horses during Saturday night's live card better than other entrants, you and a companion will be flown to las Vegas next February to participate in the $1 million Horseplayer World Series. Other details here. Questions? Direct them to tournament coordinator Allan Gray at agray@assiniboiadowns.com

WHY CANADA DAY WILL ROCK

Racing, invasion, pageantry. Post time: 1 p.m. Wed.

1. The rarest race horse in the land will be there for you to ogle (see story above)

2. Classy horses will be there to duke it out in the $30,000 Canada Day Stakes

3. Cute and cuddly farm animals and rideable ponies will be there for kids to pet and purr over.

4. Jockeys will be there to chat and and autograph pictures of themselves

5. The brilliant red starting gate will be there for you to line up in and race! Go, two-legged horseys, go!

6. Little containers will be available there for you to fill with bits of the track as a souvenir

7. Eggs benedict, slow-cooked maple-kissed ham, decadent desserts and so much more will be there for you to munch at the brunch. (Almost sold out. Call 885-3330 quickly.)

8. Bugler Bob and award-winning singer Heather Kozak will be there to add pomp and pageantry

9. I'll be there.

LOTS O' LOOT: Mark Letain scoops $750
Triple Q pool

Poker King Tom

CONTEST CORNER

Veteran player scores Triple Q knockout

Triple Q Challenge winner: Welder Mark Letain said he's been coming to the track since 1972 and averages about $1,000 in winnings each year. Well, this year he got a nice bump in winnings thanks to analytical prowess: he correctly predicted the top two horses in races 3 to 5 at the Downs last Saturday in the Triple Q Challenge game and scooped the $750 in carryover cash. The pool has started to grow again. And don't forget that entering the contest could lead to other perks: on Fridays, the top 20 players get to play poker, on Saturdays, the top 20 get to spin the Wheel of Fortune, on Wednesdays there is a draw for the InstaFrame Fantastic Fan and a draw to play the Memory Game.

Friday's free poker: A deep bow to sales manager Tom Papaioannou who won the poker kingship last Friday in a chip count following a long game. He won $100 and a guaranteed seat at tomorrow's game. And he and the two runners-up--office manager Laurel Ferraton ($50) and retired civil servant Bill Bartlett ($25)--earned seats into the poker finale in September when someone will will a trip to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. PROP POOL GROWS: Winning a hand with a king and queen of diamonds tomorrow will be worth $350!

Pigskin 'n' Ponies June 17: (Shared $200) Douglas Gerrard, Arlene Ireland, Christine Borden, Allen Munro, Mark Borden.

WOODBINE'S LARGESSE CONTINUES

Will pump another $150,000 into Sunday's pick-6

Determined to be recognized as a major player in the North American race scene, Woodbine Entertainment will continue giving away very big money: It will seed this Sunday's Turbo-charged Pick 6 with $150,000 again after last Sunday's pool of $203,000 (U.S.) was won by a single ticket purchased in New Hampshire. "We are still in the gifting mood," said wagering vice-president Sean Pinsonneault. "We are looking at building some momentum on this once a week and are prepared to hold our breath for a little while to see if we can get it to carry(over) a few days. I think we are talking at least three weeks of trials before any decision is made about continuing it further."

Last week's pick-6 pool on the 150th anniversary of the Queen's Plate grew like this: Woodbine ponied up $150,000, players bet $140,000 and there had been a $4,000 carryover from Saturday. A consolation payoff for five of six paid: $550.90. Pinsonneault said more than 20,000 attended the races and the handle was about $5.8 million, a six per cent increase over last year's Queen's Plate Day.

POLY PLATE IS HISTORY

Now attention turns to dirt "plate"

The Queen's Plate told us which Canadian-foaled 3-year-old is best on Woodbine's Polytrack (Eye of the Leopard). But who's the best 3-year-old racing on dirt? That question should be answered at the $500,000 Prince of Wales stakes race at Fort Erie two weeks from this Sunday. That race is the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown which is vastly tougher than the U.S. Triple Crown where horses all race on dirt. To win the Canadian title, a horse must be able to handle three distinct surfaces: (1) Woodbine Poly (2) dirt and (3) turf. (The turf leg, the Breeders' Stakes, will be run at Woodbine in August.)

Because of the surface differences between Woodbine and Fort Erie, the glory days of multiple great horses winning back-to-back races are probably gone. Remember 1989 to 1993 when four of the five horses won both the Queen's Plate and the Prince of Wales? With Approval, Izvestia, Dance Smartly and Peteski. Remember last year when Harlem Rocker was unbeaten on four different dirt tracks (including the Prince of Wales at Fort Erie) but finished fourth on Woodbine's Poly in the Plate Trial? How should the greatness of a horse be judged? It you wish to weigh in, write to me at theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com

NEW! SUPER-SPIN SATURDAY

Win 10 times the prize Saturday at midnight

Craziness in the VLT lounge is ramped up each Saturday at midnight with someone

Win 10 times these amounts Saturday
at midnight
getting to spin the Wheel of Fortune for ten times the normal prizes--which means a top payoff of $1,000. Last week, as a kickoff to summer at 12:45 a.m., Lori Kidd of West Jet saw her spin stop, agonizingly, right next to the $1,000 prize. She received $50, 10 times the normal $5 prize. How to share in the excitement? Enter the Triple Q Challenge. The top 20 players will intially spin for a prize up to $100, then there will be a "spin-off" for a bonus spin for up to $1,000. Also, 10 people will be drawn at random in the VLT lounge after the races to share in Super-Spin Saturday.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Barn tour on first Saturday

If you haven't gone on the barn tour yet, the next one is coming up next week--Saturday at 9:30 a.m., the first Saturday of the month. It's interesting, informational and delicious! You get to visit the press box, jockey's quarters and hob-nob with horses and horsemen and have a hearty breakfast in the horsemen's kitchen. Only $5. Sign up at Guest Services. A very enjoyable and memorable way to spend a Saturday morning! Bring out your friends!

BIG HARNESS NIGHT SATURDAY: Mohawk will feature the North America Cup. Post time: 6:10 p.m

NEXT WEEK'S INSIDER: The big reveal: Why you'll want to wear your Winnipeg Jets T-shirt or jersey to the races on Saturday, July 11.

"GUESS THE HANDLE" CONTEST: Tuesday's handle was $181,570 and Wednesday's handle was $184,791 for a total of $366,361. There was no winner so next week's pool will double to $100 plus $50 if the winning entrant is present when the two-day handle is announced. Did anyone come close to the correct answer? The closest were guesses of $362,200 and $369,000. Better luck next week!