Trainer JERRY GOURNEAU won his fourth straight title (and fifth overall) as Assiniboia Downs completed its 2023 racing season this week.
Gourneau won 41 races with 44 seconds and 42 thirds from 275 starters (106 more than second-place Wendy Anderson). He had a winning percentage of 15 and an in-the-money mark of 46 per cent.
Wendy Anderson won 35 times in 169 starts while Jared Brown had 27 wins in 126 starts. Shelley Brown had 25 wins in 206 starts.
Jockey ANTONIO WHITEHALL led all riders and his main client was Gourneau. Whitehall won his third title by finishing with 56 wins, 42 seconds and 53 third-place finishes. Dimario Bynoe was second with 41 wins.
Gourneau and Whitehall combined to win the track’s biggest race, the Manitoba Derby, with Mano Dura.
HENRY WITT JR., owner of Mano Dura, was the leading owner by wins and purses. Witt had 31 wins and purses of $370,295.
Ontario-bred DROP A CARIBOU was the meeting’s winningest horse with six wins in seven races. The four-year-old by Where’s the Ring was trained by Shelley Brown for All For One Stables when he won in early September. He was claimed that day for $7,500 by Elton Dickey.
Assiniboia Downs had another big wagering season in 2023. Track manager Darren Dunn told Scott Taylor for ChrisD.ca, “This meet will be remembered as one of the most extraordinary seasons in the track’s storied 65-year history. The 2023 racing season at Assiniboia Downs witnessed a phenomenal accomplishment as fans wagered $60,962,674 over the course of the 50-day meet. The average wagering per race was $174,179 which is a 9.87 per cent increase over last year. This remarkable wagering represents the second-highest in the track’s history, reaffirming Assiniboia Downs’ incredible growth over the past few seasons.”
For more on the 2023 Assiniboia Downs 2023 season, check out:
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