Take Tom Charge the horse to beat
The fans have been coming out in droves in July and the parking lot looks like a throwback to the '70s, or the '60s. If you were one of the kids running around picking up tickets off the tarmac in those decades, you'll know what we're talking about. I know I was.
The crowds have been loud too, but nothing like they'll be on Monday night when the races kick off at 7:30 p.m. for a stellar card of seven races, bolstered by three stakes featuring the best horses on the grounds.
JASON HALSTEAD / ASSINIBOIA PHOTO
Rasheed Hughes rides Manitoba Derby favourite Take Charge Tom (3) to victory in the 31st running of the Derby Trial Stakes.
The $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes for fillies and mares goes as the fourth race and is led by star filly Burrow Down, the reigning queen of the female set, who is 10-for-13 at the Downs. The $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile goes as the wide-open fifth race with 10 rivals trying to beat favourite Judo, who has won five in a row for leading trainer Steve Keplin, Jr.
The Manitoba Derby goes as the sixth race on the card and is led by Derby Trial winner Take Charge Tom, who outgamed fellow derby entrant Just Trust Me to win the $50,000 Derby Trial two weeks ago for trainer Robertino Diodoro, who holds the record for the most Manitoba Derby wins with four.
One of the top trainers in North America, Diodoro conditions Take Charge Tom for his longtime owner Randy Howg. Diodoro and Howg teamed up to win the 2016 Manitoba Derby with Inside Straight. Interestingly, Howg and Diodoro also teamed up to win three stakes with Take Charge Tom's dam, Gorgeous Ginny, before Howg bred her to multiple Grade II stakes winner Tom's d'Etat, the mating that produced Take Charge Tom.
Take Charge Tom is the logical Derby favourite based on his connections, class, and race record, having won three stakes including the $125,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park at the Manitoba Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles. If he brings his A game there might be no stopping him, but that's why we run horse races, and seven rivals think they can beat him on Monday.
Lined up to face the favourite, who drew Post 7, from inside out are: 1. Border Song, a shipper from Alberta for trainer Robert Van Overschot, who won the Manitoba Derby in 2021 with Uncharacteristic; 2. Acknowledge, who was competitive against some classy rivals at Churchill Downs before arriving in the barn of trainer Wendy Anderson, who won rare back-to-back Gold Cups here at the Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles with Magic Tiger; 3. Mr Jaws, a fresh Texas claim for five-time leading ASD trainer Jerry Gourneau and perennial leading owner Henry S. Witt, Jr., who teamed up to win the Manitoba Derby in 2023 with longshot Mano Dura.
Next we have: 4. Attack, who had been testing very tough horses at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland before arriving in the barn of top Alberta trainer Craig Robert Smith; 5. War Is Hell, a Derby longshot that finished third in the Derby Trial for trainer Jason Homer, whose horses have been outrunning their odds all season here; 6. Maldini, who was routing successfully at Woodbine before being claimed by top local owners Arnason Farms, Olsen and Cristina Belle, and moving to the barn of overachieving local trainer Lise Pruitt; and 8. Just Trust Me, a game speedster who finished second in the Derby Trial to Take Charge Tom, and who has been pointed to this race since this winter by his stakes-winning connections, trainer Dewey Williams and owner Eugene Burns.
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Any horse in the field could post an upset in the Manitoba Derby. They all have reasons and dreams, some of which bettors will be hoping come true in the huge multi-race wagers, which require you to pick the winners of consecutive races on one ticket.
The Derby evening card includes a $100,000 Guaranteed $1 Pick 4 Pool on races 4-7, and a mandatory payout on the 20-cent Jackpot Pick 5, which runs on races 3-7 and features a carryover pool of $465,217 that is expected to grow to between $1-2 million by post time for the third race. If you're the person holding the winning ticket on the Jackpot Pick 5, you get the whole pool. If there is more than one winning ticket holder, you split the pot with them.
When the favourites don't win the races that make up these multi-race wagers the payouts can explode, and in the case of the Pick 5, you can bet a ticket for just 20 cents. Better odds than the 6/49, too.
There will be money and horses flying everywhere on Derby evening, along with a chance to win a $100 wager on a Derby horse, a history display from ASD historian Bob Gates, and family fun like bouncy castles, face painting, and entertainment for the youngsters.
Note, win or lose, the bouncy castles are for kids.
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Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
A week to remember at the Downs
Whew! What a week at the Downs! On Monday, there was the disqualification of unofficial winner Take Charge Tom in the Manitoba Derby. On Tuesday, three-year-old filly Welcometohollywood recorded the largest winning margin in North America for the day. On Wednesday, the same horse that capped off a $6,237.70 Pick 4 in 2024, Captive Kitten, did it again, this time to the tune $22,913.95, and he did it on Girls Night Out to a backdrop of fancy hats, classy outfits and winning smiles. It was the exact opposite of smiles in the camp of trainer Robertino Diodoro after the 77th running of the Manitoba Derby however, when his horse, heavy favourite Take Charge Tom, became the first competitor in the history of the race to be disqualified from the win spot, but the official Stewards really had no choice. Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo N'Rico Prescod (left) rode Attack to victory in a very eventful Manitoba Derby on Monday at Assiniboia Downs. Before the horses had even gone a quarter mile in the 1 1/8-mile race the 'inquiry' sign was posted on the board, meaning something in the early running of the race needed a closer look by the Stewards. Immediately after the race, jockey Brian Boodramsingh aboard No. 1 Border Song lodged a claim of foul against the riders of No. 3 Mr. Jaws and No. 4 Attack. This was followed by trainer objections against the unofficial winner by Jason Homer, trainer of No. 5 War is Hell, and Craig Robert Smith, trainer of No. 4 Attack. The head-on replay that followed was clear. Take Charge Tom and jockey Rasheed Hughes had moved too quickly towards the inside after the horses had entered the main track for the first time, taking the path of No. 5 War is Hell before being clear of that rival, and causing him to clip heels. Take Charge Tom continued to come over and also put the squeeze on the horse to his immediate inside, No. 4 Attack, who then did the same to No. 3 Mr Jaws, to his inside. Those two horses were forced to steady and come over on No. 1 Border Song along the rail, who was forced to check severely. Take Charge Tom was subsequently disqualified and placed seventh behind Border Song, and the official order of finish became No. 4 Attack, No. 6 Maldini, No. 3 Mr Jaws, No. 1 Border Song. The winner paid $14.50, $6.60, $5.30 across the board. 'It's not the way you want to win, but it's racing,' said the 41-year-old Smith after securing his first Derby triumph. 'I've been on both sides of it. I've been on the winning side of objections, and I've been disqualified in big races and getting taken out.' Smith, currently the second-leading trainer in Alberta who has topped those standings in recent years, explained how the objection came about: 'Where I was watching the race, I couldn't see exactly what happened initially. When the Stewards put up the inquiry, I watched it and talked to my rider, and he said he was interfered with. So once I'd seen it again, I said we need to make an inquiry.' The interference was crystal clear. 'All he had to do was keep a straight path and he was going to win the race,' said Smith about Take Charge Tom. 'If he made a straight pass, he still wins the race, and there's no inquiry. That was the difference.' A third-generation horseman whose parents and stepfather Rod Cohen trained horses, Smith grew up on a farm where his parents 'Did everything they could to keep me away from the racetrack. But I'd already spent so much time with horses, and then my mom went back to the track, and you're hooked. 'It's not a career. It's a lifestyle,' said Smith, noting his dedication means 'I'm not married.' Despite the controversial finish, Smith was confident his horse was improving throughout the race. 'The important part was that my horse was getting to Take Charge Tom in the last part of the race. The last 16th of a mile, the last 100 yards, my horse was really coming on.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. That late kick bodes well for the longer $200,000 Canadian Derby on Aug. 23 at Century Mile, just outside Edmonton, the second leg of the Western Canadian Derby Series, which also includes the $125,000 B.C. Derby at Vancouver's Hastings Racecourse on Sept. 13, and offers a $100,000 bonus to any horse that can win all three races. Welcometohollywood dominated the $50,000 Manitoba Oaks on Tuesday with a commanding 15 3/4-length victory for trainer Jared Brown and ownership partner John Ganas. The Omaha Beach filly captured her second consecutive stakes at the track under Antonio Whitehall. Not to be outdone, Captive Kitten created even bigger fireworks at the betting windows on the same night, rallying from last to win Tuesday's finale under Javaniel Patterson for trainer Victoria Morse and triggering a massive $22,913.95 Pick 4 payoff. Fans will note Morse and Captive Kitten also anchored one of the biggest Pick 4s of 2024 at $6,237.70. The week of live racing ended on a stylish note on Wednesday with Girls Night Out, and try as we might… We couldn't find a frown anywhere.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-08-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Plot twists aplenty during Manitoba's biggest horse race of the year
Massive crowds. Record wagering. And no shortage of controversy leading to an unprecedented ruling in the biggest local race of the year. Yes, the 77th running of the Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs was one for the ages. 'Just when you think you've seen it all,' Darren Dunn, the track's CEO, told the Free Press. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Attack (checkered colours) won the 77th Manitoba Derby Monday night after Take Charge Tom (right) was disqualified. In the Derby race, there were four complaints lodged involving five different horses. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Attack (checkered colours) won the 77th Manitoba Derby Monday night after Take Charge Tom (right) was disqualified. In the Derby race, there were four complaints lodged involving five different horses. Late Monday night, the No. 7 horse Take Charge Tom looked every bit the dominant favourite. The Kentucky-bred gelding lived up to his name and bolted out of the gate, grabbed the lead, and never looked back, leaving seven other elite competitors in his wake. It was impressive stuff. Thousands of bettors in the crowd of approximately 8,000 — along with online viewers around the globe who combined for nearly $4 million in total bets on the night — were already counting their winnings. And then came the twist. It started with the connections of the No. 1 horse — which finished fifth — filing an obstruction complaint against the No. 3 and No. 4 horses, which finished second and fourth respectively. Moments later, the No. 5 horse, which finished seventh, claimed interference against the winner. Last, but certainly not least, No. 4 filed its own complaint against No. 7. 'It happens. They're human. It's 45 miles an hour in a big race and things happen quickly.'– Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn To put that into perspective: even a single claim of foul is relatively rare. Four separate complaints involving five different horses? Practically unheard of — and a sure sign something was wrong. While stewards began reviewing video evidence, Dunn stood in the winner's circle ready to present the championship trophy to the victorious group. At that point, only the complaints against Nos. 3 and 4 had been announced, so a snap decision was made to proceed with the ceremony. Photos were taken. Hardware was handed out. Nearly 20 minutes later came the bombshell: Take Charge Tom was disqualified. Replays showed jockey Rasheed Hughes had sharply steered his mount toward the rail shortly after the break, crowding rivals and forcing multiple horses to steady. Stewards ruled that all the subsequent contact — including Nos. 3 and 4 on No. 1 — stemmed from No. 7's aggressive move, which nearly tripped up Nos. 4 and 5 in the process. 'It's just really unfortunate the jockey did not pay closer attention to how he angled over to the rail,' said Dunn. 'It happens. They're human. It's 45 miles an hour in a big race and things happen quickly. But it's still too bad he didn't… until he was more aware of his environment to see that he needed to be further clear on the front before coming over to save ground.' MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Randy Howg (left) hands trophies to Attack trainer Craig Robert Smith, who won after Take Charge Tom was disqualified Monday night at the 77th Manitoba Derby. This was the first time in the running of the Derby the winner has been disqualified. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Randy Howg (left) hands trophies to Attack trainer Craig Robert Smith, who won after Take Charge Tom was disqualified Monday night at the 77th Manitoba Derby. This was the first time in the running of the Derby the winner has been disqualified. The ruling elevated No. 4 Attack — led by jockey N'Rico Prescod — from runner-up to Derby champion, with the Alberta-owned gelding paying a tidy $14.50 in the process. 'First time in 77 Manitoba Derby's the winner has been disqualified. So it was a little bit of a complicated experience,' said Dunn, who hosted a private reception at the end of the night with all of the owners and trainers. 'You know, the owner of the horse that was disqualified was very classy and we raised a glass to the ultimate official winner. But very unfortunate.' Dunn later arranged a do-over in the winner's circle for Attack's team, complete with trophies and photos — though the horse itself was already back in the barn cooling down. 'It was an awkward situation, but they were good about it,' said Dunn. Not as much grace was shown by some bettors who had backed Take Charge Tom and voiced their anger on social media. 'If they feel a horse was impeded, they're empowered to disqualify. And that's what they did.'– Darren Dunn 'Some people lost money out of that, and certainly natural instinct is to be upset,' Dunn acknowledged. 'But the stewards are employed by the Liquor Gaming Cannabis Authority. In the simplest terms, they're the referees of our sport. Not unlike the CFL or the NHL there's going to be times when people agree with the tripping or holding call, or feel one has been missed.' Dunn, who has been working at the track for 44 years, believes they ultimately got it right. 'The stewards have an elevated view from the grandstand. They have access to all the television angles and they are tasked with making sure the race was run clean and fair,' he said. 'If they feel a horse was impeded, they're empowered to disqualify. And that's what they did. I think people, if they didn't have a wager on it, and looked with very unbiased eyes, would feel that made sense and they could understand it.' Dunn also praised the riders for preventing what could have been a catastrophe — singling out 22-year-old rookie Ciera Pruitt, making her Derby debut aboard No. 5 War Is Hell, for keeping her mount upright after getting clipped by No. 7. The Winnipegger kept a steady hand to ensure everyone remained upright. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn praised Winnipeg jockey Cierra Pruitt (seen here on Kate's Princess in the final race of the night) for keeping her mount on War Is Hell after Take Charge Tom clipped the horse early into the Derby race. Dunn said there could have been an accident had it not been for Pruitt. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn praised Winnipeg jockey Cierra Pruitt (seen here on Kate's Princess in the final race of the night) for keeping her mount on War Is Hell after Take Charge Tom clipped the horse early into the Derby race. Dunn said there could have been an accident had it not been for Pruitt. 'We're fortunate that didn't lead to an accident. It could have had an outcome that wasn't positive. It's certainly something that was avoidable,' said Dunn. Following the shakeup, No. 6 Maldini — trained by Pruitt's mother, Lise — moved into second, while No. 3 Mr. Jaws, trained by veteran Jerry Gourneau, took third. In addition to all the drama, Derby night also delivered a tragic reminder of just how dangerous the sport of kings can be. In the second race of the night, a horse named Blackteca pulled away down the stretch for a close victory — then collapsed seconds after crossing the finish line. Jockey Sven Balroop fell to the ground but walked away unharmed as trainer Steve Keplin Jr. rushed to the side of his horse. Medics and the track vet determined the horse could not be saved. 'Unfortunately, he had to be humanely euthanized by the on-site regulatory vet,' said Dunn. 'These horses are reviewed by a vet every morning, every horse gets a pre-race veterinary inspection, they're monitored in the paddock, they're monitored warming up for a race and, of course, after the race.'– Darren Dunn commenting on race horse Blackteca, who had to be humanely euthanized by the on-site regulatory vet. 'Statistically, these occurrences are rare, but they can happen. We trust in the experts. These horses are reviewed by a vet every morning, every horse gets a pre-race veterinary inspection, they're monitored in the paddock, they're monitored warming up for a race and, of course, after the race. But it's still very unfortunate.' The 2025 Derby drew one of the largest crowds in recent memory, with the biggest handle in track history for a seven-race card. The biggest payout came in the form of the Jackpot Pick 5, which began the night with a carryover pot of $465,218 and ended up just north of $2 million for winners to split — a winning 20-cent ticket paid $2,469.46. You have to wonder how many more folks would have cashed in had Take Charge Tom run a clean race. Racing continues at Assiniboia Downs through every Tuesday and Wednesday, and on select Mondays, through Oct. 8. X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg Mike McIntyreReporter Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike. Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-08-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Take Tom Charge the horse to beat
The 77th running of the $125,000 Manitoba Derby highlights the biggest race night of the year on Monday, Aug. 4 at Assiniboia Downs. If current live crowds are any indication, this will be a grand night for horse hawks and people watchers. The fans have been coming out in droves in July and the parking lot looks like a throwback to the '70s, or the '60s. If you were one of the kids running around picking up tickets off the tarmac in those decades, you'll know what we're talking about. I know I was. The crowds have been loud too, but nothing like they'll be on Monday night when the races kick off at 7:30 p.m. for a stellar card of seven races, bolstered by three stakes featuring the best horses on the grounds. JASON HALSTEAD / ASSINIBOIA PHOTO Rasheed Hughes rides Manitoba Derby favourite Take Charge Tom (3) to victory in the 31st running of the Derby Trial Stakes. The $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes for fillies and mares goes as the fourth race and is led by star filly Burrow Down, the reigning queen of the female set, who is 10-for-13 at the Downs. The $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile goes as the wide-open fifth race with 10 rivals trying to beat favourite Judo, who has won five in a row for leading trainer Steve Keplin, Jr. The Manitoba Derby goes as the sixth race on the card and is led by Derby Trial winner Take Charge Tom, who outgamed fellow derby entrant Just Trust Me to win the $50,000 Derby Trial two weeks ago for trainer Robertino Diodoro, who holds the record for the most Manitoba Derby wins with four. One of the top trainers in North America, Diodoro conditions Take Charge Tom for his longtime owner Randy Howg. Diodoro and Howg teamed up to win the 2016 Manitoba Derby with Inside Straight. Interestingly, Howg and Diodoro also teamed up to win three stakes with Take Charge Tom's dam, Gorgeous Ginny, before Howg bred her to multiple Grade II stakes winner Tom's d'Etat, the mating that produced Take Charge Tom. Take Charge Tom is the logical Derby favourite based on his connections, class, and race record, having won three stakes including the $125,000 Mine That Bird Derby at Sunland Park at the Manitoba Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles. If he brings his A game there might be no stopping him, but that's why we run horse races, and seven rivals think they can beat him on Monday. Lined up to face the favourite, who drew Post 7, from inside out are: 1. Border Song, a shipper from Alberta for trainer Robert Van Overschot, who won the Manitoba Derby in 2021 with Uncharacteristic; 2. Acknowledge, who was competitive against some classy rivals at Churchill Downs before arriving in the barn of trainer Wendy Anderson, who won rare back-to-back Gold Cups here at the Derby distance of 1 1/8 miles with Magic Tiger; 3. Mr Jaws, a fresh Texas claim for five-time leading ASD trainer Jerry Gourneau and perennial leading owner Henry S. Witt, Jr., who teamed up to win the Manitoba Derby in 2023 with longshot Mano Dura. Next we have: 4. Attack, who had been testing very tough horses at Gulfstream Park and Keeneland before arriving in the barn of top Alberta trainer Craig Robert Smith; 5. War Is Hell, a Derby longshot that finished third in the Derby Trial for trainer Jason Homer, whose horses have been outrunning their odds all season here; 6. Maldini, who was routing successfully at Woodbine before being claimed by top local owners Arnason Farms, Olsen and Cristina Belle, and moving to the barn of overachieving local trainer Lise Pruitt; and 8. Just Trust Me, a game speedster who finished second in the Derby Trial to Take Charge Tom, and who has been pointed to this race since this winter by his stakes-winning connections, trainer Dewey Williams and owner Eugene Burns. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Any horse in the field could post an upset in the Manitoba Derby. They all have reasons and dreams, some of which bettors will be hoping come true in the huge multi-race wagers, which require you to pick the winners of consecutive races on one ticket. The Derby evening card includes a $100,000 Guaranteed $1 Pick 4 Pool on races 4-7, and a mandatory payout on the 20-cent Jackpot Pick 5, which runs on races 3-7 and features a carryover pool of $465,217 that is expected to grow to between $1-2 million by post time for the third race. If you're the person holding the winning ticket on the Jackpot Pick 5, you get the whole pool. If there is more than one winning ticket holder, you split the pot with them. When the favourites don't win the races that make up these multi-race wagers the payouts can explode, and in the case of the Pick 5, you can bet a ticket for just 20 cents. Better odds than the 6/49, too. There will be money and horses flying everywhere on Derby evening, along with a chance to win a $100 wager on a Derby horse, a history display from ASD historian Bob Gates, and family fun like bouncy castles, face painting, and entertainment for the youngsters. Note, win or lose, the bouncy castles are for kids.
