Assiniboia meet opens with lower takeout rates, healthier horse population
?q=100)
Winnipeg’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets have taken the city by storm as they advance through the National Hockey League playoffs. Racing returns to the Manitoba capital on Tuesday when Assiniboia Downs commences a 50-day meet that goes to Oct. 8, filling a void for sports fans after hockey season ends.
Racing will be conducted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until June. Mondays will be added to the schedule on June 2, June 23, July 14, Aug. 4, Aug. 25, and Sept. 15. Post time is 7:30 p.m. Central.
Assiniboia has lowered the takeout on a host of wagers and will have many of the lowest rates in Canada this year. Win wagering is 14.65 percent, and place has been lowered by 2 percent to 17.95 percent. Daily double, exacta, pick three, and the ASD Jackpot Pick 5 are all down 1 percent to 19.95. The popular pick four remains at 15.95 percent, and show betting stays at 19.95 percent.
“We have consistently worked on this process over many years to now achieve across-the-board rates that are only 19.95 [percent] or lower,” Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn said. “We also tiered the win, place, and show levels to reward risk-taking. We believe that we needed to do everything we can to create churn, while also trying our best to compete in the hyper-competitive gaming environment in which we exist – especially against the backdrop of the growing sports-wagering markets.”
Dunn said the local horse population is healthier than at this point in 2024.
“Our horse population is tracking to modestly exceed 2024 levels, which is a real positive,” Dunn explained. “In addition, our local CTHS has worked hard and collaboratively to put incentives in place to achieve growth in the area of breeding for years to come, with early returns already looking very positive. We had a mild winter by Manitoba standards, and our expectation is for strong entry support right out of the gate from the horsepeople participating here.”
As usual, the Manitoba Derby highlights the meet. Scheduled for Aug. 4, the $125,000 event is the opening leg of the Western Derby Series for 3-year-olds. The series moves to Century Mile on Aug. 23 for the $200,000 Canadian Derby and concludes with the $125,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 13 at Hastings. There is a $100,000 bonus for any horse who wins all three legs, along with $25,000 in owner-trainer bonuses.
“We are so pleased to see this series return and to once again be participating, as we had to step aside in 2024 because of a temporary and untimely horse quarantine,” Dunn said.
Many familiar names in the jockey colony are back at the Downs, including last year’s top three riders – Prayven Badrie, Damario Bynoe, and Antonio Whitehall – and several apprentices.
“Solid and competitive,” Dunn said of the jockey colony. “With multiple [past] champions and a significant amount of apprentices or ‘draft picks,’ as I like to call them, that will have the opportunity to show their developing skills if the per race field sizes achieve the numbers we expect.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.