A spectacular Canada Day Celebration, three more million-dollar-plus handles, the highest-price winner of the meeting, and stellar stakes performances highlighted the past week at Assiniboia Downs.
To reward fans, the track is raising its Pick 4 guarantee again to $50,000 every night – double where it started the year – beginning Monday, July 14.
“We are only a third of the way through the season and the fan engagement has been amazing,” said Darren Dunn, CEO of the Winnipeg, Manitoba racetrack. “We have been focusing on the player this year and they are responding in spades. This is just another way of saying thank you!”
Wagering on Assiniboia Downs during the first 16 days of the meet is comparatively up over 64 percent.
The growth in handle also has provided opportunities in other pools such as the Jackpot Pick 5, which begins nightly on race 3, and has a carryover of $295,000 going into Monday’s program.
Also, the Jackpot Hi-5, which is always featured on the last race of the card, was won by a player who took home over $38,500 by having the single winning ticket last week.
The track introduced significant reductions in takeout across the board this year and has introduced a free player portal on its website featuring betting information and tools in one place. All of these initiatives are believed to be contributing to the success of the meet so far. (Read more here.)
A crowd of over 10,000 were treated to spectacular fireworks on Friday, July 1 which led into the Assiniboia Downs race week beginning on July 4.
Right off the bat there were plenty of happy bettors who cashed in on the longest-priced winner of the meeting. Bella Galina ($103.80) went off at 50-1 in the seventh race on Monday and rallied late to set off some fireworks of her own in the form of huge payoffs.
Not only did the 8-year-old mare trained by Tom Gardipy, Jr. pay over $100 to win, she also topped off a 20-cent Jackpot Hi-5 that paid one local bettor a monstrous $38,513.66, a $1 Exacta that paid $578.50, a $2 Quinella that returned $714.40, a $1 Triactor that paid $4,364.35, and a 20-cent Superfecta that returned $4,257.29
On Tuesday night, fans got a glimpse of a brewing battle between the top two Manitoba-bred 3-year-old males as Bettermakethattwo and Bearly Regal went at it in the 35th running of the $35,000 Frank Arnason Memorial Stakes. Bettermakethattwo came out the victor by 2 ¾-lengths this time, but Bearly Regal gave it a great try considering he stumbled at the break.
Bred by Jean McEwen, Bettermakethattwo (Going Commando-Two Dorcas by Two Punch) is trained by Larry Cizik for Janice Braiden and was ridden to victory by Stanley Chadee Jr. A big, beautiful chestnut gelding, Bettermakethattwo is now a perfect 3-for-3 and has also earned over $30,000.
In the fabulous bargain department, on Monday, $1,800 Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale purchase Meabear (Kentucky Bear-Takara Cove by Bold Executive) romped by a widening 13 lengths in the 15th running of the $35,000 Hazel Wright Sire Stakes. Trained by Fred Rawson, owned by Dunworken Stable and ridden by Prayven Badrie, Meabear was bred by Kelly Halliday. The good-looking bay 3-year-old filly has now earned over $30,000!
On Wednesday night trainer Murray Duncan was doing more of what he always does, winning stakes with his sharp Oaklawn Park claims. Duncan saddled former $30,000 claimer Burrow Down (Connect-True Endeavor by After Market) to win her second local stakes in a row in the 29th running of the $35,000 Jack Hardy Stakes, and it wasn’t close. Ridden by Stanley Chadee Jr., the big bay Kentucky-bred filly bided her time to the final turn in the 7 ½-furlong race and drew off to win by 12 ½-lengths.
Burrow Down recorded a 70 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
-with files from Inside Track newsletter
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