The biggest day of horse racing in Manitoba takes place on Monday and Assiniboia Downs has put together a doozy of a Derby card that will attract cash like it’s falling out of the sky. Will you be there to catch it?
The 76th $125,000 Manitoba Derby drew a strong field of nine three-year-old local stars and shippers that will be the pinnacle of a 64-horse, eight-race card loaded with courage, class, speed and power.
“It’s one of the most wide-open competitive fields we’ve had in a long time,” said Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn. “I’m so heartened to have nine horses go in the race, especially when we didn’t have the opportunity to return to the Western Canadian Derby Series this year, though next year is high on our list.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham holds the Queens Trophy on Friday while Assiniboia Downs Derby Belle Francine Fournier looks on following the draw for Monday’s big race. 
“The medley of horses from the United States, Western Canada and locally, is such a competitive blend, it lends itself to a true any-horse-can-win-this-race opportunity. Sure, there’s a heavy favourite, but I wouldn’t take any other horse in this race lightly. There’s value to be had at the windows for those who want to bet on the race.”
Post time for the first race on Monday’s card is 7:30 p.m. The Derby goes as the seventh race and follows the 65th running of the $50,000 Harvey Warner Memorial Mile for older horses, which goes as the sixth, and the fifth running of the $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes for fillies and mares, which goes as the fifth race.
All three stakes attracted ultra-competitive fields of nine, as did the final race of the day, an allowance/optional $10,000 claiming affair that is also loaded with heart. In other words, no matter what horse you bet on Monday, you’ll get a good run for your money. These are all tryers.
While the horses will be competing for big money, there will be much greater sums available to punters chasing the mandatory payout on the 20-cent Jackpot Pick 5, which currently has a carry-over pool of $444,576 that is expected to swell to at least $1.5 million at post time.
The Jackpot Pick 5 requires you to pick the winners of five consecutive races from Race 4 through Race 8. If you hold the only winning ticket, you collect the whole jackpot, if not, you split the pool with other lucky winners, but for 20 cents, you have a chance at the whole shebang. Monday’s card at Assiniboia Downs also features a $100,000 guaranteed $1-Pick-4 pool and a Classic Hi-5 carryover of $20,571. Money everywhere.
Local champions Spitten Kitten and Burrow Down will face off against each other and seven additional rivals in the Escape Clause, while recent R. J. Speers Memorial Stakes winner Blazing Bo takes on eight rivals including 2023 Speers and Gold Cup winner Magic Tiger in the Harvey Warner Memorial Mile. In the Manitoba Derby, we’ve got four tough shippers from Alberta, Minnesota, Texas and Kentucky meeting five local rivals, any one of which could improve enough to win.
Awesome Road (7/5) has been listed as the morning-line favourite for trainer Rick Wise and the ownership connections that helped trainer Robertino Diodoro win a record four Manitoba Derbies. A $600,000 yearling sale purchase, Awesome Road defeated subsequent Santa Anita Derby winner Stronghold in his first lifetime start, and his company lines include Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan.
Three-time leading ASD rider Antonio Whitehall will be aboard Awesome Road for the Derby, and is expected to take him out for a spin on Sunday morning after he arrives from Canterbury Park in Minnesota.
“I’m just thankful to the owners, the trainer, and all the connections for giving me the opportunity,” said Whitehall, who won last year’s Manitoba Derby with longshot Mano Dura.
Can he win the Derby two years in a row?
“Yes sir,” said Whitehall. “We drew the same post. Eight. That’s a sign. And he’s a very nice horse. The races he’s been running in have been very tough.”
Rounding out the field from the inside out are: 1. Derby Trial third-place finisher Magnolia Speed (30-1); 2. Derby Trial fourth-place finisher Lucky Appeal (50-1); 3. Canterbury Park allowance winner Bricklayer (5-2), who has won two in row at a route since being claimed for $30,000 at Churchill Downs; 4. Frank Arnason Memorial Sire Stakes winner No Show No Call (20-1), who has won three in a row locally; 5. Back-to-back local allowance winner McEwen (15-1); 6. Derby Trial runner-up Lt. Norm (12-1); 7. Alberta Premier’s Futurity winner Itsallgoodman (8-1); 9. Roussette (9/2), who has been campaigning his royal pedigree exclusively in route races at Fairgrounds, Keeneland, Churchill Downs and Ellis Park.
The Manitoba Derby card will be bet extensively online, with attractive wagering offers from HPIbet.com, TwinSpires, Xpressbet and more. The full program will also be featured on FanDuel TV, with all races broadcast live on YouTube as well. ASD’s popular X account @AssiniboiaDowns will be very active throughout the program, engaging fans around the world with handicapping content, fun, and chances to win merchandise.
While they catch the money.
