WANTED:  A young newbie (teens, 20's) to shoot a short fun video entitled "My Day at the Races" in the style of Matt G. (see Matt G's videos on You Tube).  Email theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com if you're interested or pass this on to someone whom you think will enjoy shooting such a video. 

 

Chubby Checker congratulates winning jockey, Vicky Baze, who rode Phil Kives' horse, Star Power in the seventh race last night. He's pictured at right with Phil Kives in the Clubhouse where they revealed a bombshell project to produce the first-ever checkboard-pattern chocolate bars.        Chubby Checker surprises fans; reveals new "twist" Fans stopped talking and did a double take last night when track announcer Darren Dunn said Chubby Checker, the originator of the twist dance craze in the 1960's, was in the Winners' Circle with horse owner Phil Kives when Phil's horse, Star Power, won the seventh race.  But the biggest surprise came when the twist king revealed to me for the first time anywhere that he and Kives--the mastermind of TV product innovation--are partnering to launch the first-ever checkerboard-patterned chocolate bars this winter with a massive TV ad  campaign. "I was frustrated with everyone stealing the twist," said nice-guy Chub.  "So we've spent a lot of money on patents to protect the checker design." Each bar will contain two different flavours in a checkboard sequence:  milk chocolate and white chocolate, yellow vanilla and chocolate, peppermint green and chocolate, etc.  "This could be my best product ever," said the ever-effusive Kives, whose Vegomatic, Paddystacker, Rock 'em Sock 'em videos, Pet Glove and many more K-Tel products are the stuff of TV huckster folklore.  When Phil speaks, people reach into their pockets!

Could you imagine the chairman of the Manitoba Horse Racing Commission slashing the tires of someone who criticized him and the commission?  It would be a scandal.  Well, something close to that happened in California.  The

Richard Shapiro Former race head gets probation for vandalism

Look but please don't "key"

former chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, Richard Shapiro, 56, pleaded "no contest" in a California court last week to "keying" the Jaguar of wealthy horse owner Jerry Jamgotchian, 58, who has been harshly critical of Shapiro and the board since they forced California race tracks to install synthetic surfaces. Jamgotchian, a shopping mall developer, hates synthetic tracks, calling them "inconsistent" and has shipped all 140 of his race horses out of the state to other tracks. "As an owner, I won't race on them. As a bettor, I won't bet on them," he has been quoted as saying about artificial surfaces.  

The judge placed Shapiro, who had resigned his chairmanship in December, on three years probation on the vandalism charge and ordered him to pay $6,800 in restitution for damage to the Jaguar plus whatever amount a civil court assesses. Video surveillance apparently caught Shapiro keying Jamgotchian's car in the Hollywood Park parking lot after a board meeting in April. 

Jamgotchian is the second highly visible California horse owner to lambast California's artificial surfaces.  Wine-producing magnate Jess Jackson dismisses California tracks as "plastic" and vows to keep superstar filly Rachel Alexandra out of the Breeders' Cup races which run on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface in November.  He says whatever track replaces the defunct Bay Meadows in Northern California should be permitted to have a dirt surface.

ANOTHER FACELIFT:  Speaking of California's synthetic tracks, the two major ones are undergoing another facelift.   Despite refurbishing its track with 20 tons of material imported from England before its last meet, Hollywood is back at it, closing its Cushion Track for about a month while it removes the top nine inches, "washes" the sublayer, then remixes the surface in a bid to give the track more bounce.  Santa Anita, site of the Breeders' Cup in November, is adding polymers and binders to its Pro-Ride surface. 

BREAKDOWNS CONTINUE DESPITE POLY:   Race tracks installed synthetic surfaces at great expense ($10 million or more) in a bid to decrease horse breakdowns but there is no evidence that it's working.  In the opening week of the current Del Mar meet on Polytrack, 12 horses were vanned off the track and seven had to be euthanized.  Arlington Park in Chicago, which installed Polytrack after experiencing 12 and 16-horse breakdowns in a two month span, has pretty much the same number, 14, with Polytrack.  (Interestingly,  Assiniboia Downs sees minimal breakdowns on its dirt track. Last season there were four, the year before saw four.)

A synthetic track consists of rubber bits, synthetic fibres and sand, all of which are coated in wax.  One sample I saw looks like chocolate chip cookie mix or something you'd clean from under your 'fridge.

THIS CHARLIE NEEDS NO ANGELS

His horses are burning up the track

TV's Charlie used to have his angels.  But Downs' owner-trainer Charlie Smith--who kinda looks like the legendary U.S. sheriff and gunslinger Wyatt Earp--has something

Wyatt Earp Loaded his gun with bullets	Charlie Smith Loads the gate with winners

just as good if not better.  He's got his horses.  And they've been burning up the track for him, winning about half the time and finishing in the money about 80 per cent of the time.

Last Saturday he almost needed a wagon to transport all the hardware from the Winners' Circle  Not only did Charlie and his partner/horse owner Terry Propps win the $30,000 Jack Hardy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with Morsel but Charlie's horses also took second and third place.  Then, three races later he and Terry were back picking up the trophy for the $30,000 Osiris Stakes for 2-year-old which was won by Ruby's Big Band.

Sure, it's great winning, Charlie said, but the attitude of the people at every level at the Downs also makes it a special place to race.  (He practices law in Texas in the off season.)  "Everybody's friendly, very easy to get along with."  he said. He compares that with a couple tracks in the deep south he raced at.  He found one of them "cutthroatish" and the other "cliquey."  As an example, he said horsemen at the Downs would go out of their way to assist in an emergency shoeing before a race but at other tracks horsemen would be hoping you couldn't get the job done so you'd have to scratch your horse.

And players appreciate what he brings to racing: style, class and great horses that add to the competitive thrills that are the hallmark of racing.  Fans know--if it's a Charlie horse, watch out! 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  "Smith, Smith, Smith! It's the Charlie hat trick!" -- Track announcer Darren Dunn describing the action at the finish line in last Saturday's Jack Hardy Stakes. The first three finishers were trained by Charlie Smith, a rare accomplishment indeed.

Poker king a Bon Jovi guitar techie?

Was Andy Tomasson putting Chelsea on when he listed "guitar tech for Bon Jovi" as his job description after winning Friday night's poker game?  You be the judge.  But he

Poker King Andy

did luck into a beautiful hand--a full house--to crush a mere pair of 8's held by salesman Tom Papaioannou.  Andy, of course, is the new king, and collected $100 and a seat in the Sept. 20 poker finale for a possible trip to Vegas (Bon Jovi gigs permitting).  Tom received $50 and retired farmer Harold Wiens $25.   Poker returns tomorrow night after the races.  Only four Fridays left to qualify for the finale!  Top three players get in!

TRIPLE Q CHALLENGE WINNERS:  Maintenance manager Bob Bruce pocketed $75, computer network consultant Ron Dallneisis $50, Canadian forces retiree Joe Lysak $50.

SUPER-SPIN IN THE VLT LOUNGE SATURDAY:  Veteran race handicapper Charles Scotlend scored a nice $200 on the $1,000 super spin.  Thirty free spins will be won again Saturday night!  Be sure to enter Triple Q Challenge or be playing VLTs when Diane and Allan pick spinners at random after live racing!

INSTA-FRAME FANTASTIC FAN:  Sherri Wojcik (last week, Wednesday)

CANADIAN DERBY SWEEPSTAKES WINNER:  Manitoba Lotteries security employee Andy Haines popped into the Race Book Saturday afternoon while his car was being repaired at Pointe West Auto.  Good move!  He correctly predicted the first two finishers in the Canadian Derby from Edmonton (Tommy Danzigger/Scorewithcater), the best of 23 entrants, and picked up $100.  Shrewd picks, Andy!  Hope you played it at the windows for a $98.60 exactor!

IS THIS YOU?  Here are the four winners of $25, drawn from entries to a quiz held on Derby Day: Cameron Caldwell, Colleen Hailley, Allison Forgie-McClurg, Nicholas McClurg.  Identify yourself at Guest Services during live racing tomorrow or Saturday night and $25 is yours!  Congrats!

Wish you could change your entry?

Okay, by a show of hands, how many of you who entered my Blue Bombers Points contest last week would like the opportunity to change your prediction?  I thought so-- quite a few of you.  Few of us could have predicted the Blue Bummers could suddenly look like world-beaters Friday night in B.C. after such a lethargic start to their season.  (The score was:  Bombers 37, B.C. 10, thanks to running back phenom Fred Reid).  If they keep up that pace, they'll score 370 points in 10 games and the highest predictor in my contest (Warren T.) would win $100 and a buffet for four on Breeders' Cup Day. However, keeping up that exciting pace is unlikely.  But who knows?  Here are the contest facts:

Entries: 64

Lowest prediction: 87 (by Tiptoe Ann).  Highest: 287 (by Warren T.)

Most predictions:  From 170 to 235    In football terms, the Bombers would need to average two or three touchdowns and a field goal each game.

Winner of first weekly Friday night draw for $25 in betting vouchers:  Murray Chaban.  Draws continue at 8 p.m. each Friday for nine more weeks.

I'll post all predictions on the Downs website before the next Bomber game which is the Labour Day classic in Saskatchewan. Thanks to everyone who entered!  It'll be fun to watch the Bombers' progress!  

TIP O' THE WEEK:  Discount Woodbine races

The $300,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park last Saturday proved once again that bettors should be very cautious betting Woodbine horses racing on dirt for the first time, regardless how well those horses performed on Woodbine's synthetic Polytrack surface. Fans installed Woodbine's Stylish Citizen as the 5-2 favourite, a sizeable chunk of the $300,000 bet on the race, only to watch the horse finish a distant fourth, seven lengths behind the third-place finisher. The upside for you is this:  By discounting heavily-bet Woodbine horses, you'll get fatter prices on proven dirt horses

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Saratoga's big race goes Saturday

TRAVERS FEATURES BELMONT WINNER:  The $1 million Travers Stakes which will be run at Saratoga Saturday is usually the climax of Saratoga's summer meet. Yes, it's big, featuring Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird and Florida Derby winner Quality Road.  But the following Saturday will feature what will possibly rank as The Race of the Century. That's when superstar filly Rachel Alexandra attempts to vault into history by being the only female horse ever to beat older males in the 56th running of the $750,000 Woodward Stakes. But both Saturdays obviously are special not-to-miss days.

LIVE STAKES RACE TOMORROW:  The $40,000 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) Sales Stakes will be a highlight on tomorrow's live card.  It features horses purchased at the annual yearling sale (which, this year, will be held on Sunday, Sept. 6--the day after The Race of the Century and the day before Extreme Day at the Downs).  You're invited to attend the sale which begins at 2:00 p.m.