Trainer Jerry Gourneau won his sixth trainer title, and the twelfth consecutive title by an Indigenous horseperson, owner Henry S. Witt, Jr. took home his ninth owner title, and Antonio Whitehall won his fourth riding championship at Assiniboia Downs as the 69th season of live racing wrapped up on Wednesday, October 7.
Gourneau, who hails from the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reserve in North Dakota, compiled a record of 54-45-43 from 280 starts (19%) to outdistance the field in 2026, defeating runner-up Mike Nault by 27 wins, followed by Steve Keplin, Jr. (24), Wendy Anderson (21) and Jared Brown (19). Most of Gourneau’s wins came for his main owner, Henry S. Witt, Jr., who won his ninth owner title with a record of 46-41-40 from 242 starts for purse earnings of $535,983.
The highlight of the season for Gourneau and Witt was the performance of Manitoba Derby runner-up Quarry, who went on to win the Canadian Derby (G3) at Century Mile in Alberta and the Super Derby at Louisiana Downs. Claimed for $75,000 on June 26 at Churchill Downs, Quarry started eight times in 2026, compiling a record of 3-2-1 for earnings of US$318,980, most of that for Gourneau and Witt.
Quarry finished a fast closing second in the Manitoba Derby to Western Warrior, who received a perfect ride from jockey Dane Nelson to win by a nose. Trained by Dino Condilenios for owners Gordon Christoff and Lance Giesbrecht, Western Warrior returned $18.10 and earned $76,500 for his victory in Manitoba’s most prestigious race.
Antonio Whitehall won his fourth riding title after a good battle with former Hastings Park jockey Kerron Khelawan. Whitehall compiled a record of 51-36-30 from 235 starts (22%) for US$561,645 in purse earnings, drawing away from the surging Khelawan (44 wins) in the final weeks of the meeting. Sven Balroop (27), Damario Bynoe (25) and Shavon Townsend (25) rounded out the top five in the standings.
There were numerous excellent performances in stakes, which we will highlight in a later issue, but the most impressive win of the meeting for us was by Manitoba-bred Mechanic Susie in an allowance race on September 30, when she exploded away from the field to win by 5 ¾-lengths and recorded an exceptional 91 Equibase Speed Figure. Trained by Elton Dickey for himself and partners Tom Payne and breeder Larry Falloon, the thousand-dollar yearling improved her career record to 14-4-6 for earnings of over $200,000.
On the wagering front, the ASD Pick 4 continued to be one of the best bets in modern racing with pools consistently ranging from $80,000 to over $130,000, and the new $3 Pick 3 wager consistently produced exceptional payoffs, highlighted by a record payoff of $33,738.30 on Sept. 23. The $1 Pick 4, on the same night paid $25,639.70.
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