Racing records just keep falling at Assiniboia Downs. Two Fridays ago, it was wagering that hit a record when the Canada Day total was $461,000, double that of the the previous year.
And this past Friday it was having seven of the eight races being won by female jockeys. That’s a first.
This achievement is made even more remarkable by the fact that there are only four female jockeys in the 20-member jockey colony and each woman won at least one race.
Jocelyne Kenny hit with three winners with horses paying $6.20, $11 and $18.30, Janine Stianson, who is second in the jockey standings with 24 wins, notched two victories with horses paying $5.90 and $12.30. And two women jocks got one win apiece: Jennifer Reid scored with the biggest longshot of the night, Angelic Fiddler, in the eighth race, which paid $32.20 and apprentice rider Alyssa Harder brought in a horse that paid $6.90.
“If anyone in this day and age thinks there’s anything second-rate about female riders, well, this should dispel any of those thoughts once and for all,” said CEO and track announcer Darren Dunn. “And, if you look at the prices, most of these horses were not among the favourites. These riders worked hard to achieve their victories.”
The only female jockey record that comes close to this was in 1984 when Vicki Warhol won five races on opening day.
Last year was the first year in the 53-year history of Assiniboia Downs that the leading jockey was female: Vicky Baze.
The first female jockey ever to win a race at the track was Barbara Jo Rubin who rode a horse to victory on opening day 1969. Before that, female riders only participated in exhibition races. The Powder Puff Derby in 1960 was one such race which was won, incidentally, by Eileen Blake, wife of horse owner/trainer A. E. “Bert” Blake who celebrated his 92nd birthday recently. That appears to be another record: the Downs having the oldest active trainer.
The Downs had the oldest full-time jockey, too, Alan Cuthbertson, who was 62 when he was riding at the Downs and might still be riding had he not suffered an untimely death from cancer a year ago at age 63. He had been leading jockey from 2006-2008.
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