when asked about Gardipy Jr . “ The results of that approach is another well-deserved trainer title .
“ Tom is a horseman who has a very keen sense of which races to place his horses in to maximize his opportunity for success and that is not a feel of understanding that most trainers have .
“ When he was presented with the trophy as the 2016 leading trainer , it was not lost on us how wonderful it was to hear that he intends to return next year to Assiniboia Downs with an even bigger stable of horses . That ’ s good news for our customers , our business and certainly the economy of Manitoba .”
Witt Six , a four-year-old gelding owned by Texas cattleman and former race car driver , Henry Witt , Jr ., and trained by another First Nation ’ s trainer , Jerry Gourneau from South Dakota , became the likely Horse of the Year at the Downs by winning the Gold Cup Stakes on Saturday as he stalked the leader and beat him to the finish line .
On the horseplayer side , former bank employee Bonnie Simmonds became the first woman in seven years to win one of four horseplayer tournaments that will send her to Las Vegas in March to compete in a continent-wide tournament for big prize money .
In the closing weeks , Winnipeg Beach vegetable grower Al Siwak was the talk of the track when his 20-cent quick-pick ticket on the Jackpot Hi 5 wager won him $ 13,011 .
Racing continues daily at the track and at off-track track betting sites from top tracks in Canada , the U . S . and Australia . The next big event is the Breeders ’ Cup World Championships the first week of November .
Besides racing , Assiniboia Downs is open every day of the year for 140 VLTs , Thursday prime rib buffets , $ 10 buy-in poker Fridays and Saturday , VLT tournaments Friday , Saturday and Sunday nights and all manner of group and corporate activities including banquets , socials , weddings and trade shows . •
Chris Husbands brings home a winner
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