LAST CHANCE: The 2009 live race season ends Sunday afternoon with a feast of customer appreciation perks including a $4,000 games-room package giveaway. (Photo: Another Rob Bye beauty!)

Soak it up!

There you have it, a final weekend of live racing full of promise and potential memories--all neatly wrapped up for you. 

And, if my fingers were less frisky, I'd end the column right there.  But they keep flying over the computer keyboard looking for ways to flesh out the weekend and give you other things to think about.  So here goes ....

WHO'S GONNA BE TOP TRAINER?

Four still battling hard

Leading trainer title.  It's like a Super Bowl ring; trainers want it badly.  Some more than others.  The current standings, with three days to go, are listed above.  Ardell Sayler has dominated the trainer standings; he's had nine titles over the years.  But the other three, Tom Gardipy Jr., Carl Anderson and Jared Brown are so close they can taste it.  Expect them to throw everything they have at the last three days of racing.  The trainer who appeared to want it most earlier in the season, Jared Brown, may have the least chance of getting it and that may be a bit of a heartbreaker since he dominated the standings until late in the season.  But, as they say, it's not over until it's over. Who are you rooting for?

LEADING RIDER TITLE

Delorme coasts but did Cuthy get last laugh?

The leading rider title was no contest this season; the talented Larren Delorme, 24, had it wrapped up five weeks ago. He has almost doubled his closest rivals.  But three-time leading jockey Alan Cuthbertson, 62, may have got the last laugh.  After he

Larren Delorme Coasts to top jock title

deserted Winnipeg for two weeks to ride at Hastings, he returned with a vengeance last weekend to ride in three stakes races worth $200,000 and won two of the races (the $75,000 Matron and $75,000 Gold Cup) and finished second in the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity.  He collected $10,000 as his share of the purses and headed back to Hastings to continue riding despite unfavourable things to say about the 5/8th mile bullring track.  "At the Downs, you get a chance to relax to figure out what you're going to do. At Hastings, you never get a breather," he said.  Even so, he's a big-money rider wherever he's riding.  Last week at Hastings, his 24-1 longshot missed beating a prohibitive 1-9 favourite by a whisker in a $50,000 stakes race. Never count Cuthy out when the big money is on the line!   Expect him to be back at the Downs next year.

REFLECTIONS ON THE SEASON

Is it my imagination or were the vibes special?

For some reason, and I'm not too sure why, live racing this season has been more fun than any previous year in recent memory.  What do you think?  I'm trying to figure out why.  I'm thinking the separation between race days.  With racing previously being held on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, everything seemed too jammed together. Now, there's time to regroup between race days.  The competition level has been good.  Maybe the fact that Assiniboia Downs is on a mission, being re-branded as ASD, has something to do with it.  The red starting gate, all staff wearing those attractive red golf shirts, the revitalized TV graphics where ASD pops from the screen compared to logos from other tracks that look tired and are hard to read. The atmosphere seems to be charged up most days.  Just watching people diving into their baskets of ribs and wings on Wednesday night has been fun.  Do you agree? Did this season have better-than-usual vibes?   Email me at theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com and I'll run a cross-section of your comments

I'M SORRY, BLUE BOMBERS

It was a joke!

When four Blue Bombers players were making a Winners' Circle presentation last Friday, I thoughtlessly made the comment:  "Enjoy handling the hardware, guys.  It's the

Patrick Chama Wins autographed football and more

only hardware you'll get your hands on this year."  But you know I meant it as a joke, guys, A JOKE!  And, when I was at the microphone on the secrets stage while you were signing a football and jersey and I said "Go, Green, go!"  it was also a joke, A JOKE!  If I had any idea my words might somehow put the kibosh on your performance against Saskatchewan Sunday (108-10), you know I would have never said those things.  As penance, I'm going to throw darts at a picture of the Montreal Alouettes, the team you're facing this Sunday.  Let's see if I can make up for my insensitivity for last week.

And while I'm at it, a SINCERE congratulations to Patrick Chama, a leasing company broker who, in a draw Friday night, won the autographed football and jersey and received Blue Bombers tickets.  Go, Blue, go!

CHUBBY CHECKER UPDATE

"Checkerbar" commercials just posted on You Tube

Recall my "world exclusive" three weeks ago when I told you that Chubby Checker had partnered with local horseowner and TV gadget innovator Phil Kives to create the

Chubby Checker (at right with jockey Vicky Baze) in the Winners' Circle last month with trainer Emile Corbel (left) and horseowner/chocolate bar partner Phil Kives.

first-ever checkerboard pattern chocolate bar with alternate flavours in each square?  Well, the commercials they were producing in Winnipeg at the time are out--and you can watch them on You Tube here.

I especially like the one aimed at kids.  Tell me you don't find it wonderfully endearing.  Chubby launched his musical career with the twist in 1960 and, at 67, he still has what it takes to charm the pants off anyone who watches this video.  He wrote the music and lyrics, Phil Kives wrote the script and the creative geniuses at Mid-Can Productions in Winnipeg produced interesting and refreshingly simple graphics.  Chub's facial expressions win you over.  The bars, which are being manufactured in Baltimore, Maryland, are at least six weeks away from mass production, Phil said.  In the meantime, he's trying to shoehorn his way onto store shelves which isn't easy, he said, because the chocolate business is dominated by three major manufacturers. If anyone can make it happen, though, it's Mr. K-tel. 

______________________________________________________
 

WINNERS' CORNER

Crunch time:  Your chance at Vegas runs out tomorrow

Vegas trip #1:  Tomorrow (Friday) night is your final chance to play in a poker tournament in which the top three players will earn a seat in Sunday's finale when someone will win a trip to Vegas and entry into the World Series of Poker.   

Vegas trip #2:  9 p.m. Friday is the deadline to pay the entry fee of $50 to get into the Viva Las Vegas horseplayer tournament that will be held the next night.  The person who accumulates the biggest fictional bankroll on Saturday night's live race card wins the trip to Vegas. (Your entry fee is $25 if you prequalified for the tournament by picking three winners on any Saturday card over the past six weeks.) 

Triple Q:  Friday, Saturday and Sunday are your final chances to play the free Triple Q Challenge game with big money on the line.

Games room package:  Friday, Saturday and Sunday are your final opportunities to enter the draw for a lavish $4,000 games room package that will be given away Sunday.

Last week's winners:

King Al

POKER KING:  Accountant Alan Hampton won $100, a seat in the finale and the title of king.  His pair of kings became a set of three.  Runners-up:  professional handicapper Shawn Gorrie ($50), warehouseman Todd Allard ($25).

TRIPLE Q CHALLENGE:   $50 consolation winners:  Farmer Ron Irwin, legal assistant retiree Lila Stein, air force retiree Dexter Starks

CNIB DRAW:  Car or $20,000:  Isabel Dowbiggin.  $1,000:  Nita Humby.  $500:  Bill and Betty Thomas.

SUPER SPIN in the VLT lounge:  Retired Thunder Bay paper maker Mel Altenburg won $100 as the finalist in the $1,000 super spin after Saturday's races.

IS THIS YOU? If one of these is your name, produce I.D. at Guest Services tomorrow or Saturday or Sunday and $25 is yours. Gwen Aubertin, Edgar Carriere, Grant Siemens, Jean Rankin  (Four names were drawn each week from people who entered a quiz on Derby Day.  This was the final draw.  Thanks to all who entered on Derby Day!)______________________________________________________

BLUE BOMBERS POINTS CONTEST

Low predictions looking pretty good

Blue Bombers head gear	Fans' head gear

Those of you who predicted low total points for the Blue Bombers in my points prediction contest must be feeling pretty good, even if the football team isn't.  In the first three contest games, the Bombers scored 34, 17 and 10 points for a total of 61 or an average of 20 per game.  But I'm thinking the average might be a little lower and predictions in the 170 or lower range could be the ultimate winner of the four Breeders' Cup brunches and $100 on Breeders' Cup Day Nov. 7.  Go here to see the entrants and the range of predictions.

IN CASE YOU'RE INTERESTED

Why is Friday's $50,000 race named for J. W. Sifton?

Depending on your age, you may have no idea why this Friday's $50,000 stakes race for Manitoba-bred 3-year-olds is named for J. W. Sifton.  Here's why: John Sifton, who

Leo Mol sculpted J.W. Sifton trophy

died an untimely death at the age of 43 in 1969, was the president of the Winnipeg Free Press who had an international reputation for breeding and handling horses including race horses, hunters and jumpers. "His home in Oakbank, Stoneacres Farm," reads an obituary written at the time, "is one of the showplaces in Western Canada for horse lovers."  He had apparently developed an adoration of horses while writing about them as a reporter early in his life. His widow, June Sifton, continued breeding and racing horses until 2004. Famed Manitoba sculptor, Leo Mol, produced his likeness on the beautiful race trophy that carries his name.  Seven horses will be competing in the seventh race on Friday to be added to that trophy.  

Did you know . . .  that harness horses are an incredible 10 seconds faster (50 lengths better) than they were 50 years ago?  In 1959, a harness horse pacing in the famed Little Brown Jug stakes race in Delaware, Ohio was the first to break the two-minute mark in the annual running of that race. Last year, Shadow Play from Charlottetown, PEI paced the same famous mile race in under 1:50.  Will we see a new world record at this year's Little Brown Jug next Thursday?

TIP O' THE WEEK:  Use common sense in final days

Use your common sense on the final days of the Downs' 2009 meet.  In case you're common sense-challenged, here's what I mean.  Trainers and owners are emptying their barns for one last start.  Common sense should tell you some horses aren't ready to give their best performances.  Give precedence to horses that looked "game" in their recent race, even if they raced at a lower class level.  Cheaper can beat classier at the end of a race meet.  Also, look for horses from other tracks:  You don't spend money to ship in a horse unless you have something live.  Also, spread your bets around in races written for non-winners of two races lifetime.  This is one of the trickiest races to handicap and you could luck into a big payoff.  Twenty-cent superfecta boxes could offer a bonanza payoff.

COUNTDOWN:  Six weeks to Melbourne Cup, Australia's biggest day of racing.  Seven weeks to Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Little Brown Jug next week

HARNESS ALERT!  Next Wednesday and Thursday are two of the biggest days of the year in harness racing:  The Jugette on Wednesday and the Little Brown Jug on Thursday from Delaware Park in Ohio.  Note special post times of 10 a.m.  Each day features preliminary betting heats leading to the crowning of the top 3-year-old filly (Jugette) and 3-year-old colt (Little Brown Jug).  Enjoy this video from last year when Canada's own Shadow Play from Charlottetown, PEI set a world record.  Fun to watch even if you're not a harness fan.

COMING SOON:  The most important tree in Manitoba racing history. Where is it?  Also .... look at what I found!