Assiniboia Downs is launching something new, quirky and historic this Saturday morning – walking on the race track for fun, fitness and celebrating spectacular races that happened on the very ground they are walking.
“Everyone these days is talking about declining fitness,” said Downs’ track announcer and recently-appointed CEO Darren Dunn. “We thought we’d do our little bit to combine exercise with a fun aspect. No one will even notice the energy they are putting into their walk when they’re imagining some of the top races that took place over the very surface they are walking.”
In fact, Dunn will lead the inaugural walk this Saturday at 10 a.m. and everyone who joins in gets a free bowl of soup and a sandwich for lunch. All participants are invited to attend an 11 a.m. horseplayer workshop after the walk to receive a free $5 share in a group pick-6 ticket at Santa Anita race track where the pools grow to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The track is 13/16th mile in circumference, just over 3/4 of a mile, and participants can go at whatever speed they want or travel round more than once if they wish.
This Saturday’s walk will celebrate the breathtaking last-to-first performance of Prime Time TV in the 2005 Manitoba Lotteries Derby. “My lungs nearly fell out of my body calling that race,” said Dunn. Walkers will get a sense of what it must have been like in the backstretch as Prime Time TV wound up to fly around the field through the turn to win the race by 10 widening lengths.
“Walking around the track will also give participants a new perspective for live races,” Dunn said. “They will now know what jockeys are seeing in the backstretch and what it’s like turning for home when the grandstand and cheering crowds come into view. Everyone will forget about the cold.”
The concept for weekly walks which have been dubbed “Walk and Win” was initiated by the Downs’ weekly racing column, The Insider, which is emailed free to subscribers who can sign up on the Downs website at ASDowns.com.
Assiniboia Downs features gaming action all day every day from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. including Vegas-style simulcast racing from the best tracks in North America, VLT play in a very large casino-style lounge and all-you-can-eat prime rib dinners every Thursday night. Live racing is scheduled to begin on Mother’s Day, May 8.
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