Hats off to this amazing Derby Hat creation!
Kristen McKinney, 18, worked for a month to create an intricately-designed racetrack on a straw hat including wire-stylized jockeys. And look at the cameramen--one positioned in the Winner's Circle, the other hanging over the fence at the right. Amazing work, Kristen! She won $100 for best horse-theme-hat--which is on display in a display case at Guest Services. See other winners below.

Put a line through the Derby Day invaders and what local horse trainer looms large? Wiley veteran Clayton Gray. And deservedly so.

Stroke off the winner of the Manitoba Lotteries Derby, Smuggler's Hold who came up from Canterbury Park, and the second place finisher, Tease the Tiger from Northlands Park, and it was Gray's longshot Celtic Thane who was a fast-closing third. And whose horse won the $30,000 Graduation Stakes for 2-year-olds? It was the Gray-trained Honorable Lady. The Woodbine horse, One to Ponder, finished last in that race.

Trainer Clayton Gray Every reason to smile

I say "deservedly so" for the long-serving Gray because throughout the season he's been taking shots from horseplayers and horsemen alike for using an apprentice rider, Alyssa Harder, for his mounts when more experienced riders had been available. Even when he was riding a 20-race losing streak, he stuck by the young woman for many of his mounts. After all, how is a rider to learn? And she started to come through for him: In the first baby race of the meet on June 28, it was Alyssa who stormed to victory on a Gray-trained filly--the very horse, in fact, that won the Graduation Stakes on Derby Day, Honorable Lady. The horse was a 10-1 longshot in that first lifetime start.

And what about the Gray-trained Celtic Thane that finished third in the Derby? Alyssa had been the rider who had primed the gray gelding for his big effort. She had been the rider in all seven of his starts this year.

On the big day itself, Gray opted to use riders with more experience--Alan Cuthbertson on Honorable Lady and Carlos Marquez on Celtic Thane--but no one could begrudge the trainer turning to veteran riders when the big money was on the line. Alyssa's time would come.

As he piled finger food onto his plate in the post-Derby celebration in the Terrace Dining Room after the races, the lanky horseman was obviously enjoying himself, even allowing a rare half-smile when I aimed my camera in his direction. And why not? Against the backdrop of lots of naysaying, he had both groomed an up-and-comer and achieved more success than any other local trainer on the Downs' biggest day. Well done, Mr. Gray!
* * *

Rob Bye
Now excuse me as I grab a coffee to try to shake myself out my post-Derby brain-freeze..... Okay,

after a coupla pieces of heavily-buttered toasted pumpernickel and a strong cup o' java, I'm back and marvelling at the beautiful photography of veteran sports photog Rob Bye who has taken a lot of motorsport pictures over the years but this summer has been smitten by horse racing action. Good choice, Rob! His exceptional work is obviously worth showing off to the world so I'm going to start featuring his fave shots. I'll dub them Rob Bye's Beauties. Let's start with this remarkable picture Rob shot on Derby Day . You can visit Rob's website here.

Another "Rob Bye" Beauty
With a large Derby Day crowd in the background, photographer Rob Bye captured the entire field of eight horses on the first turn of a mile-race, the fourth race on the card, which produced an upset winner, NY Butterfly, #6, with Mark Anderson in black silks aboard. Anderson won three of nine races on Derby Day Monday.

Christopher Weight and Ainsley Gretchen sport $225 Triple Q winning smiles
Poker King Rick

WINNERS' CORNER

Lucky draw matches horseowner with her trainer

How coincidental is this? On Wednesday's race card last week, horseowner Margaret Crocker happened to have her name drawn from Triple Q Challenge entrants and she was matched with the horse, Canadian Idol, in the fifth race as part of the InstaFrame Fantastic Fan Sweepstakes. The horse happens to be trained by Crocker's own trainer, Lorna Gray. And, wouldn't you know it, Canadian Idol won! What a perfect alignment of the stars for that to happen!

TRIPLE Q CHALLENGE: Last Wednesday was also the last time anyone predicted all three quinellas to win the Triple Q Challenge. Furniture manufacturer Christopher Weight and recent University of Manitoba science grad Ainsley Gretchen split the $450 pot. Other consolation winners: Charles Scotlend ($50), Norm Fraser ($50), Sandra Prince ($250--special Derby Day promo).

FARM MANAGER WINS AT POKER: Friday night's free poker game was won by farm manager Rick Ball who pocketed $100 and added Poker King to his C.V. His unremarkable hole cards (8 & 3) turned into triple 8's, more than enough to beat teacher Lionel Bernhard who received $50. Financial rep Troy Nakamura was third $25. The trio advance to the September finale when a trip to Las Vegas and entry into a World Series of Poker event will be awarded. Next game is tomorrow night.

Tara Lee Bouchard
Best kid's hat
DERBY DAY DRAW: Retired farmer Everett Morrow knew that the Downs is open every day except Christmas and he received $250 cash for being correct when his contest entry was drawn on Derby Day.

DERBY SWEEPSTAKES (Triple Q entrants matched with Derby horses): Rehab consultant Des Hathaway ($200), accountant Amanda Kinnell ($100), Melanie Smith ($75).

DERBY HAT CONTEST: Best horse theme (shown at the top of column): student Kristen McKinney. Best Manitoba theme: groom Olga McKinney. Most elegant: Janet Sayler, county treasurer in Rapid City, South Dakota. All won $100. Best kids' hat: Tara Lee Bouchard, 11-years-old ($50)

WIN A FAT $400!
Play Pigskin 'n' Ponies tomorrow (Friday) night. Predict the winners of two races and the winners of the two CFL games.
A fat $400 is on the line!

YOU NAMED ME WHAT? Linda Lovelegs. Yes, that's the name of a 2-year-old filly who raced in a trotting race at Mohawk Sunday. The name is an obvious play on Linda Lovelace, a famous porn star in the 1970's known for possessing a special talent. Consult Wikipedia for any further elaboration.

READERS WRITE: Whoops, I got it wrong!
Thanks to alert readers for pointing out a couple mistakes I made in last week's Insider. For one, jockey Rohan Singh is seeking his 1,000th win AT ASSINIBOIA DOWNS! And a reader had this to say about another oversight:

Ivan: According to your write up of James Speers, he was only 10 years old when he opened Polo Park. What a go-getter! See you at the track. -- Jaret Olford

Thanks for this, Jaret. Yah, that would make him very precocious. Got his birth date from the Horse Racing Hall of Fame--which obviously got it wrong--but I should have thought it through. On further investigation, I found his birthdate to be 1882 so he was actually 43 when he helped build Polo Park race track. You guys are sharp!

STRIKE GOLD THIS WEEKEND: The $20,000 Gold Strike Mile for Manitoba-bred 3-year-old fillies will be featured tomorrow at ASD. Saturday, it's the $20,000 Gold Strike Mile for Manitoba-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Where next for wonder filly?

After she destroyed the boys by six lengths in the $1.25 million Haskell Invitational for 3-

Rachel Alexandra after Haskell win
year-olds last Saturday, the question on horseplayers minds everywhere is: When will wonder filly Rachel Alexandra race next? Will it be in the $1 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, Aug. 29, where she would likely face Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and the Belmont Stakes winner, Summer Bird, whom she beat last Saturday---or will it be the $500,000 Woodward the following Saturday where she would face older males, a more difficult task? One thing seems sure: For the third time, her owner, Jesse Jackson, who hates synthetic tracks he dubs "plastic" tracks, says he will not enter her into a Breeders' Cup race on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface in October.

ARLINGTON MILLION ON SATURDAY: The biggest day of Arlington Park's meet this Saturday features the $1 million Arlington Million, 1 1/4 mile on the turf, plus other turf spectaculars. At Saratogo, where racing handle is up slightly from last year, it's the Grade 1 $750,000 Whitney Handicap at 1 3/8 mile on the main track.

OSTRICHES AND CAMELS: On a day they're calling "extreme," Canterbury Park in Minnesota is featuring demonstration ostrich and camel races this Sunday. No side wagering!

SERIOUS ABOUT VEGAS? The next simulcast horseplayer tournament is a week from this Sunday. The two tracks: Saratoga and Del Mar. Earn points to become the Horseplayer of the Year who will win a trip to Las Vegas! Find out more.