Roast pork partners with Prime Rib tonight

NOT JUST DELICIOUS, HEALTHFUL, TOO!  Roasted means full flavour and healthful so feast away tonight on roast chicken, roasted pork with apple sauce, roasted potatoes, roasted tomato meatballs--all part of Thursday night's roast prime rib of beef buffet.  All you can eat for $14.95.  Full salad bar, too!   Full menu.  And ask your server about tonight's special drinks to complement your meal.  Phone 885-3330 to reserve.

WHY SANTA'S DIRT CAN BE VALUABLE TO YOU: See below.

$2 BILLION TRACK OPENS TODAY: The incomparably grandiose Meydan race track in Dubai, home of the $10 million World Cup at the end of March, has its grand opening today.  Video.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:  I'LL "WALK AWAY" FOR $1 MILLION.   Yes, for only $1 million, 1/30th of the amount Conan O'Brien received for walking away from the Tonight Show, I'll "walk away" from writing The Insider, never to be heard from again.  Unless Fox wants to add a horseracing segment to their news.  The sooner you send your contributions to seebigwalk.com the sooner I will clear out of your lives.

ASSINIBOIA DOWNS IS YOUR OLYMPICS VIEWING HEADQUARTERS Every time--yes, EVERY time--Canada wins an Olympic medal, you get two chances to win these official Olympic mittens and $50 cash. See how here. And win $500 by predicting Canada's medal count!

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You can live ordinary . . . or LIVE LARGE!  What did you do last week?  What did you do three weeks ago?  Does anything jump out at you? Probably not.  That's because we generally live our lives in monotones.  So what can you do to excite your brain, produce memorable moments and LIVE LARGE?  I'm glad you asked. You

If you hate to luge, then . . .

live large by COMPETING. Competing adds intensity to your life.  Competing produces lifelong memories.  I'll bet you still remember little challenges or competitions--or maybe big ones--you had in your life, even in your childhood. You remember them because of the intensity involved.

I assume none of you reading this column will be competing in the Winter Games in Vancouver in two weeks so you're not going to find intensity there.  (Although all of us could probably participate in the luge:  Squeeze into a lycra outfit that outlines every vein  on your body, lie down on a sled that's half your body height, put your arms down at your side, close your eyes and pray a lot.  If you need company, ahem, get someone to lie on top of you.) But there are less frightening ways to add intensity to your life.  If you haven't already signed up, register for this Saturday's Score-a-Grand Horseplayer Tournament.  Win or lose, I guarantee memorable moments. You'll remember stretch drives, you'll remember nose victories, you'll remember your just-abouts.  No monotone existence for you on that day!

If you're brand new to the experience, come early.  As you'll note below, I'll be there early (10:30 a.m.) to answer individual questions.  Then at 11 a.m., you can participate in a seminar in the Terrace Dining Room where I'll go over the 10 contest races.  AND YOU'LL GET A BONUS, TOO:  Every one who attends the seminar gets a FREE SHARE in a pick-6 ticket on Aqueduct races.  (Last time, our group got three firsts and three seconds in our Aqueduct pick-6!  Maybe this is our time to score!) The first race of the tournament begins at about 12:30 p.m.

It costs only $25 to enter and there's a minimum of $700 in prize money you can share in and you'll enjoy a complementary hot lunch.   But--more importantly--you'll turn a monotone day into vivid shades of red, orange, yellow, what have you.  And you'll love the rules. They really give you a chance to shine!  Here's what I mean . . .

TOURNEY HAS NEW LIBERAL RULES

Bet your imaginary $200 win-place-show as you wish

If you've been playing in horseplayer tournaments, you've been hamstrung by bets of $2 to win and place on all your horses.  But that's not the way the real world works. That's not the way you make money at the races.  You should bet big on your favourite horses and smaller amounts on horses you're taking a flyer on.  This new Score-a-Grand Horseplayer Tournament lets you do just that.

You'll receive a $250 imaginary bankroll and, except for compulsory $5 win bets on the 10 contest races, you can do exactly as you please, betting win, place or show in whatever amounts you want on any of the races you want.  There's only one stipulation:  When the last two races come along, neither of your bets can be any higher than an amount bet in any previous race.  The reason for that should make good sense:  That will prevent players from saving all their money until the last couple races, then just betting all their money on longshots with a view to beating players that are ahead in the standings through thoughtful wagering.

NEW OPTIONAL WAY TO SIGN UP

Phone in with credit card number if you wish

By using a credit card, you can enter the Score-a-Grand Horseplayer Tournament right now by phoning 885-3330 ext. 225. That's the mutuel department at Assiniboia Downs which is

Ph: 885-3330 ext. 225 to sign up right now by using any credit card

open well into the night.  The entry fee for this Saturday's contest is $25.  Or you can pre-enter ALL FOUR of the Score-a-Grand contests for a special price of $75, which means you get into four contests for the price of three.  The contests run the last Saturday of January, February, March and April  And, remember, there's a $1,000 bonus to the best overall player!

Or, of course, you can still sign up at an OTB or at the track using cash.  Do so before 9 p.m. tomorrow (Friday) and the entry fee is $25 (or four for $75).  If you wait until the last minute Saturday, the entry fee is $40.  To see  the tournament entry form and review all the rules go here.

COME TO PRE-TOURNEY SEMINAR AT 11 A.M.

Get a free share in a pick-6 ticket!

There are 10 contest races in Saturday's Score-a-Grand Horseplayer Tournament.  I'll be throwing out a few pointers on those races at an 11 a.m. seminar in the Terrace Dining Room.  (After the last tournament, I heard from a number of you--including the tournament winner--that you found the pointers valuable.)  What's more:  Everyone who attends the seminar will receive a FREE SHARE in a group pick-6 ticket at Aqueduct.  You'll also have an opportunity to buy extra shares (at $5 each) if you wish.  That's 11 a.m. Saturday in the Terrace Dining Room.

10:30 a.m.:  If you're new to tournaments, I'll be there early to answer your questions and help you individually.  Just come to the Terrace Dining Room.

FREE PROGRAMS:   Free programs for the tournament will be available tomorrow (Friday) starting at 4 p.m. in the VLT lounge to those who have signed up.  You will also find the 10 contest races (selected from Aqueduct, Gulfstream and Santa Anita) listed on the Downs website--and posted on the bulletin board in the Race Book--by 4 p.m. tomorrow.  Go to www.ASDowns.com.  Look for the Score-a-Grand logo in the right column.

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TYRONE IN RUNNING FOR TOP BUG BOY

Sovereign Awards tomorrow.  Why horse awards are unfair.

Can an Assiniboia Downs jockey win the top prize in Canada for apprentice jockeys for the second year in a row?  Last year, Janine Stianson won the Sovereign Award as top apprentice

Tyrone Nelson Up against it?

jock.  Tomorrow night at the annual banquet in Toronto, Tyrone Nelson--who won 47 races from 315 rides and finished second in the jockey standings--is among three Canadian jocks nominated for the prize. The others are: Fort Erie jockey Melanie Pinto who won 50 races from 334 rides and finished third in the Fort Erie standings.  And Northlands Park jockey Omar Mareno who had 19 victories from 273 mounts.  He was 12th in the jockey standings there.

It appears Nelson is up against it.  His two rivals have also ridden at Woodbine and are better known to easterners.  Northlands' Mareno, in fact, won five races at Woodbine after leaving Northlands at the end of its meet last fall.  And many westerners who should have voted, didn't. "We were very disappointed in western participation," said Jockey Club of Canada executive Carolyn Pullis.  Of  71 potential voters across Canada, only 51 voted, almost all from the East.  Manitobans did vote, however, including ASD race secretary Ray Miller, assistant race secretary Dustin Davis and ASD announcer and director of operations Darren Dunn.

WHY NATIONAL HORSE AWARDS ARE UNFAIR:  When awards are handed out tomorrow night to top Canadian horses, will the results be fair?  The turf results will be because there's a separate category for turf specialists.  But not for the other horses.  Synthetic-track horses are lumped in with dirt horses. It's like putting apples and oranges into the same basket and choosing the best one.  Woodbine synthetic horses are generally not that great on dirt and vice-versa.  I suggest next year there should be separate categories for best synthetic horses and best dirt horses just as there is for turf.  Are you listening, Jockey Club of Canada?   If Queen's Plate winner Eye of the Leopard is named top 3-year-old male, so what?  He looked pretty ordinary on Fort Erie dirt in the Prince of Wales where he finished third to longshot Gallant.

What's happening in the Race Book? YOU'LL LOVE IT! (It's "Olympian" in it's implications.)

HINT OF DIRT RETURN PRODUCES BUZZ

If Santa does the dirty deed, you get a free bet!

The hint by Santa Anita management last week that it is considering returning to a dirt surface has captured the imagination of racing writers, horsemen and players far and wide.  It is a prime

DRF columnist Steven Crist Urges Santa Anita to become greater

topic of discussion among local veteran players, a horseman at Turf Paradise thought it important enough to mention it to a Manitoba racing official and an author and respected columnist in the Daily Racing Form, Steven Crist, has almost pleaded for Santa to follow up its hint with action.  Writing in Sunday's DRF, he said: "Santa Anita used to call itself The Great Race Place and it still is.  Fingers crossed, it's about to get greater (by re-installing dirt)."

And, never one to pass up an opportunity to share in the celebration, Assiniboia Downs will give you A FREE BET AT SANTA ANITA on the day it returns to dirt if you're at the track that day. I expect champagne will be flowing as well because local big bettors can hardly wait to bust out in a big way the day dirt returns. (My last really big scores came at the final dirt meet before it installed synthetics.) Who knew there could be so much riding on a racing surface?  (Pun half-intended.)  As you may know, the storied California track had to cancel three race cards last week when its Pro-Ride synthetic surface failed to drain properly.

NUTTIN' BUT WINNERS

Aces produce happy face; 5-Alive jackpot grows

Karen Makus

Karen Makus had a hard time keeping a poker face at Friday's 10:30 p.m. freeroll poker game as she twice got pocket aces, then lost a huge pot, then careered with quad 4's and rivered a straight to send her to victory, her first-ever at Freeroll Poker.  The cleaning-supplies store owner picked up $50 and $5,000 more in chips at the poker finals in mid-March.  The 7:30 game was won by perennial bridesmaid, retiree Phil Hayden.  Latest standings.

SATURDAY'S FREEROLL:   Guitarist Rick Dow strummed up some decent cards to win the 7:30 p.m. game and veteran pro handicapper Shawn Gorrie outplayed his rivals in the 10:30 p.m. game.

5-ALIVE JACKPOT GROWS!  The second week without a 5-Alive winner means $200 in cold hard cash is awaiting the successful predictor of three show horses, a place horse and a winner at Sam Houston tomorrow night. It's free to play!  Get involved--races 3 to 7 at Sam Houston!  Lumber/hardware business owner Doug Wedgewood and secretary Margaret Ali split the $50 consolation prize. The two winners of 35-second betting sprees pretty much spun their wheels; one blanked and the other scored $18 from $24 in wagers. (C'mon guys, suck it up and get shrewd in your wagers!  Just because it's "free" money doesn't mean you should be taking flyers.  I want to be writing about mastery not misery!)

LADIES' NIGHT FRIDAY--SPA PACKAGE DRAW:  Winnipeg Transit employee Evelyn Stogran will be getting $300 of free pampering courtesy of Fabutan Sun Tan Studios and Finger & Toes Day Spa. 

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  The bad news is:  You're not going to live forever.  The good news is:  You're not going to live forever.

Did you know . . . that they're "aware" of ASD at Golden Gate Fields?  At least, a 3-year-old colt named ASD Awareness was a first-time starter last Saturday in the fourth race at that northern California track.  He raced at long odds and finished well up the track.  Wonder how the owners, Humberto Loma and Johnny Taboada, came up with that name?   Bring the horse up here, guys!  (Thanks to eagle-eyes Everett for pointing that out to The Insider!)

UPCOMING EVENTS:  Exciting hour returns!

If you thought this Saturday was already filled with excitement with the Score-a-Grand Horseplayer Tournament, there's more!  The most thrilling hour in racing, the Magna Pick-5, returns Saturday afternoon.  It's five races at four tracks in one hour where a perfect ticket could pay $100,000 or more.  It starts at about 3:30 p.m. at Laurel and continues at Gulfstream, Santa Anita and Golden Gate.  The Magna Pick-5 bet costs only $1 per combination and programs are free.

SUNSHINE MILLIONS SATURDAY, TOO:  Saturday is also Sunshine Millions Day where Florida-breds compete against California-breds in six races alternating with each other at Santa Anita and Gulfstream.

Live large, amigos!  See y'all Saturday!