TODAY

Regular race day.  Delta Downs, Penn National and Windsor harness headline tonight's cards.  See full schedule.  

TOMORROW

Regular race day.  Kicks off at 11:25 a.m. with Calder and Tampa Bay in Florida. Schedule.  NOTE:  Boxing Day programs and the Daily Racing Form go on sale.  

THURSDAY, CHRISTMAS EVE

No racing but VLTs are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and you can pick up programs and the Daily Racing Form for Boxing Day.

FRIDAY, CHRISTMAS DAY

Closed.  But the parking lot will be open to those who have the ASD itch and need to get as close as possible. No wheelies or donuts, please.  Okay, donuts with your coffee is okay.

SATURDAY, BOXING DAY

Bedlam.  23 tracks in play.  Doors and VLTs open at 9 a.m.  Racing starts at 11:25 a.m. with Calder, Philly, Tampa Bay and Aqueduct.  First race from Santa Anita where it's opening day: 2 p.m.  Freeroll poker at night as usual at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC. 27:  POKER ALERT!

Regular race day.  But note that since the Downs was closed Friday for Christmas, special freeroll poker games will be held Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM SANTA ANITA:  Two free contests are available on their winter meet this year: The usual Showvivor (for $2,500) and, new, "Winvivor" (for $2,500).  The person who survives the longest picking one show horse or one winner each day gets the moola.  It's free to sign-up at www.santaanita.com and YOU MUST DO SO BEFORE THE CONTEST BEGINS ON JAN. 1.

Now here's what everyone's been waiting for!  The year-end Really Bigg awards!  (If you have other awards and they're better than mine, well, get yourself your own column!  Or send them to me to be published.  Email theinsider@assiniboiadowns.com)

"CHANGING WITH THE TIMES" AWARD:  This award goes to the many of you who quickly adapted to the new WEDFRISAT racing schedule for live racing and flocked out in big numbers to a brand new racing day--Wednesday--as if you had been doing it for years.  Handle (and ribs 'n' wings sales) soared.

"TRAINER COUP OF THE YEAR"  AWARD:  To trainer and half-the-year Texas

Charlie Smith Biggest coup	Tanya Lindsay Best comeback, worst luck

lawyer Charlie Smith, whose three fillies finished first, second and third in the $30,000 Jack Hardy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, led by Morsel.  It's like having your kids compete in the Olympics and having all of them win the gold, silver and bronze medals in the same competition.

"PERFECT PREP" AWARD:  To trainer Tanya Lindsay for giving last year's sprinter of the year, Rock'n USA, some needed R & R, bringing him back to dust the top horses in the $75,000 Gold Cup, then going on to win a $50,000 stakes race at Northlands Park where he paid $20.  She had him peaking at just the right time.

"BEST TRACK MAINTENANCE GUYS IN THE BUSINESS" AWARD:   To ASD track superintendent Bob Timlick and his assistants, Barry Cizik and Ted Jeffrey. The Downs suffered only three horse breakdowns in its 65-day meet or one breakdown for every 22 race days.  I know of no track better than that.  Even Woodbine, with superior horses and supposedly kinder track surface (Polytrack), had 12 breakdowns in their 167-day season or one breakdown every 14 race days.

"BEST ANNOUNCER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE" AWARD:  To paddock host Kirt Contois who easily slipped into the very professional shoes of track announcer Darren Dunn and called Downs races with nary a slip-up in those few days that  Dunn was away.  Celebrity announcers who tried the same thing several years ago did so haltingly, humorously and showed that it ain't easy!

Chubby Checker & Phil Kives: Schemin' 'n' dreamin'

"ALWAYS SCHEMIN' 'N' DREAMIN'" AWARD:  To horse owner and product-development guru Phil Kives for partnering with Chubby Checker to launch the first-ever chocolate bar with alternating tastes, called the Checkerbar.  It will be available to melt in your mouth soon.

"SUPER- KEENER OF THE YEAR" AWARD:  To race fan and Red River College math prof, Jim Roberts, who is always among the first (with family members) to jump in heartily to every Downs promotion and contest--and to contests at other tracks as well.  His beating 2,830 North American players in Hollywood's Show Me the Money contest a year ago to win the $5,000 top prize has made him somewhat of a folk hero among Downs players who know how difficult that feat was.

Jim Roberts Keener of the Year	Richard Shapiro Keyer of the Year

"SANDBOX ANTICS OF THE YEAR" AWARD:   Not even close.  This award goes to the former head of the California Horse Racing Board, Richard Shapiro, who got out of his car again and again in the Hollywood Park parking lot last April to scratch his key along the Jaguar of a horseowner who irritated him, causing close to $7,000 in damage.  As you might know, I'm trying to acquire the surveillance tapes of this mischievous action.

 "ADDING INSULT TO INJURY" SYMPATHY AWARD:   To local horse trainer Tanya Lindsay who watched in dismay as the top quarter horse in her barn, filly Sin City Queen, broke down and had to be euthanized after winning a $17,000 stakes race for 2-year-olds. But then she also had to endure the disqualification of that horse as well as her third-place-finisher in the same race, Snowy Serenade, who were set down to fourth and fifth for interfering with another horse at the start of the race.  The Manitoba Horse Racing Commission upheld the stewards' decision despite the chairman's comment that he "hated double disqualifications." Racing doesn't get more tragic than that.

"MOST ENDURING HORSE-YARN" AWARD:  Still belongs to Carl Anderson who, back in June of 1974, saddled up his mare, Sylvadust, on his farm 11 kilometres from the Downs and galloped her across hill and dale to get her to the track in the nick of time to have her compete in a race--and win.  Best part of the story:  Anderson deadpanning to jockey Ken Hendricks before the race.  "You don't need to warm her up."

"BIGGEST RACE FAN" AWARD:  There are many big fans but historian Bob Gates, a former investigator for the provincial ombudsman, gets the nod because he is tirelessly piecing together the history of racing in Manitoba with a view to writing a book on the subject.  He will make you care about obscure horses and appreciate more than ever the dedication to racing by veteran horsemen.

"DRAG 'EM KICKING & SCREAMING" AWARD:  To Stretch, host of the Bettor's Blog and to Everett Shade, former Downs clocker, who are offering a service designed to challenge players to change bad betting habits into good betting practices to make money.  Problem is, bad habits die hard and theirs is a steep uphill climb.

TRIVIA TEASER ANSWER:  The answer is (a) They were "born" about the same time.  Santa Anita was "born" on Christmas Day, 1934.  Elvis was born two weeks later:  Jan. 8, 1935.  There are 75th anniversary celebrations going on in the coming year for both.