Page 3 - March 2008 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The Game, February 2008 3 TFort Erie Gearing Up for their 111th Season!
AAssiniboia Downs celebrates 50 years!
ssiniboia Downs, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, will be
he operators of Fort Erie racetrack want was to secure funding from the Ontario horsepeople and racing fans to know that Government to support a proposed $300,000,000
celebrating a milestone 50th season of live thorough- bred horse racing when the rst race springs out of the gate on opening day Friday, May 2, 2008.
racing is alive and well for 2008 at the border oval and that they are looking forward to another exciting season of racing.
new development at the racetrack which is said to include a 350 room hotel, a massive entertainment complex with a water park and a 2500 unit condominium complex.
Assiniboia Downs has been part of the colourful fabric
of Winnipeg since it opened its doors on June 8, 1958 and has brought a large number of Winnipeggers a thrill or
two along the way. And, the season-long 50th anniversary celebration will offer up a number of thrilling moments, not
An 80 day live thoroughbred race meet is scheduled to begin on Kentucky Derby weekend, Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 and will continued with a three day a week schedule of Sunday thru Tuesday beginning May 11
to October 28 with extra days added on
July 19 and October 25.
The development is being proposed to revive tourism in the Fort Erie area and bring new patrons to the racetrack.
only from our four legged friends, but also with a number of promotions to thank the fans for their continued support.
This year’s feature race, the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, will be contested on July 13, slotted in on the traditional day, three weeks after the Queen’s Plate.
Atlas Shrugs
Compadre - Ms. Forum, by Open Forum
Now Standing for 2008!
• Back to back Stakes Winner defeating Vibank in the Woodstock & Edenwold in the Queenston.
• Proven Sprinter winning at 4.5-7f Winner of 6f & 7f Stakes
• Broke his maiden in rst start MSW • Stakes Placed at 2
• Career earnings of $378,180
• Son of Proven Sire Compadre
2008 Fee: $1500 l.f.
Standing at Serenity Stable, Tottenham, Ontario Inquiries to Bob Foster 905-729-2878
Horses will step onto the training track for the 50th season at the beginning of
March and the main track will open in early April. The 70-day race meet from Friday, May 2 through Sunday, Sept. 21 will feature 31 stakes races worth $1.3 million in purse money including the 60th running of the $100,000 Manitoba Lotteries Derby. Fifteen stakes have had their purses increased to $50,000 from $45,000 last year.
2008 will be the 111th season of live racing at Fort Erie Racetrack and owners Nordic Gaming, the Town of Fort Erie and the Province of Ontario are all working very hard to make sure that racing continues for many more years to come.
Celebratory 50th anniversary activities will continue throughout the entire year. A current promotion called Tour d’ Champs invites patrons to come to the track to watch big stakes race days simulcast from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York and other major tracks leading up to the Kentucky Derby. The more day’s patrons attend the more chances they will have of winning a trip for two to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita in the fall. The draw will be made on Kentucky Derby day, Saturday, May 3.
“The meetings are continuing with interest on all sides,” said Fort Erie’s Director of Racing, Herb McGirr Sr., “We are hopeful that the development proposal will come to fruition. It is moving a little slower than we’d like to see but rest assured that progress is being made.”
Assiniboia Downs will also be giving away ve trips to Las Vegas in the Horseplayer World Series Quali ers during the live race meet. Also, an “eye-popping” mega giveaway will be announced just prior to opening day of the live season.
In late summer last year Fort Erie’s Mayor, Doug Martin, along with Fort Erie Racetrack owners Nordic Gaming and the Ontario
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At 49, Assiniboia Downs proved it was “the hottest game in town.” Now, at 50, it is pulling out all stops to make racing and the anniversary fun surrounding it “hotter than ever!” For more information visit www.assiniboia.com
HBPA launched a campaign to help save racing at the historic track.
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Office open inIFebruary
licensing line-ups at the Ontario Racing Commis- sion’s Woodbine of ce there will be two days in February when the ORC of ce will be open for licensing.
n an effort
to ease the thoroughbred
Monday, Feb. 11 and Monday, February 18 from 8:45 am to 2 pm.
The regular licensing hours
at the ORC will begin on February 27, Wednesday to Sunday from 8:45 am to 2 pm.
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