Assiniboia opens with new schedule, safety precautions

The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the opening of Thoroughbred tracks across Canada. On Monday, Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be the first one to race, albeit without spectators.

Assiniboia’s new Monday-to-Wednesday schedule, with a 7:35 p.m. Central post time and six-race cards each day, is a way to make racing without fans in the stands viable, according to racing secretary Dustin Davis.

“The six races are reflective of the revenue reductions we are currently experiencing and the need to revise expenses accordingly,” Davis said. “The new live race schedule is in place to try and minimize competition for the distribution of our racing signal. We are trying to carve out space to showcase our live product and hopefully increase wagering.”

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Davis said the horse population is good, and he anticipates that races will fill adequately from the outset of the meet.

“We expect to have around 500 horses when we start and shortly after between 550-570, which is the number we’re aiming for considering we’re running six races per day,” Davis said. “We had over 750 stalls apps, which is high for us, so we had to say no to a handful of stables. As for filing races early, I’m quietly confident. It’s a goal of mine that our field size goes up significantly this meet.”

Davis said there are some new trainers on the grounds who raced locally in the past, mostly from Alberta and Saskatchewan, including the high-percentage Tim Rycroft.

“Tim Rycroft will have between 40-50” horses, Davis said. “Two of the biggest stables from Saskatchewan are Courtney Ross [25] and Wendy Anderson” with 15 to 20.

A number of Assiniboia’s perennial jockeys hail from the Caribbean, and assembling a rider colony has been a challenge, according to Davis.

“We’ve put together a modestly sized jockey colony of 12 riders at this point,” Davis said. “Most of our regulars, including our champion jockey from last year, Richard Mairs, are trapped in their home countries with the ban on foreign workers still in place.

“The jockeys who will participate are made up of a few from the Caribbean who arrived in early March, with the rest of the room made up of jockeys from Western Canada. The jockeys were subject to a 14-day quarantine initially. On a live race day, they will receive a temperature check and multiple hand-sanitizing requirements. They will also be wearing a mask at all times, except when they race. The jocks room will be set up with social distancing in place, and no use of the showers, sauna, and whirlpool.”

The 50-day meet runs until Sept. 15. The $50,000 Manitoba Derby, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds, is scheduled for Aug. 3.