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JASON HALSTEAD \/ ASSINIBOIA PHOTO<\/p>\n
Manitoba Derby winner Western Warrior holds the lead on the inside Monday night at Assiniboia Downs.<\/p>\n
Nelson expertly manoeuvered the three-year-old colt through traffic as they approached the final turn, moving from fifth to first in the blink of an eye. Western Warrior then held on as longshot Quarry (20-1 on the morning line) \u2014 who he\u2019d just overtaken for the lead \u2014 had a frantic, final push and nearly passed him at the wire.<\/p>\n
\u201cHad me a little worried there the last few jumps,\u201d assistant trainer Robert Anderson told the Free Press. \u201cBut Dane did a great job. We got a little lucky and got through and had a lane. It was a good race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Western Warrior is all about quality, not quantity, so far in his career. He won three consecutive races earlier this year at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs before the streak was snapped in his last outing back on May 31 when he ran fourth in a talent-heavy stakes race south of the border.<\/p>\n
There was some speculation a lengthy layoff might hurt him, but Monday\u2019s result showed rest trumped rust in this case.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, some nice horses were purchased for this race. It\u2019s just a good feeling that it worked out,\u201d said Anderson, who along with Alberta-based trainer Dino Condilenios flew to Kentucky for an up-close viewing of the horse before the owners \u2014 Gordon Christoff and Lance Giesbrecht \u2014 agreed to purchase him.<\/p>\n
Talk about a solid investment \u2014 including for those who had a wager on the horse, which paid $18.10 to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always great to win,\u201d said Anderson.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately neither owner could witness the victory in person. Giesbrecht was felled by a cancelled flight due to the WestJet strike, while Christoff is dealing with health issues.<\/p>\n
Next up for Western Warrior will be the Canadian Derby at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Alberta.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we\u2019re in good shape,\u201d said Anderson.<\/p>\n
Condilenios, meanwhile, can add this to an impressive resume which includes training Lord Nelson, which earned more than US$650,000 over his career by winning numerous stakes races.<\/p>\n
An upset win by Quarry would have been quite the story and it might have happened in the race was a few metres longer. The horse is owned by eight-time leading ASD owner Henry S. Witt, Jr and resides in the barn of five-time leading ASD trainer Jerry Gourneau, who teamed up with Witt to win the Manitoba Derby in 2023 with longshot Mano Dura.<\/p>\n
They nearly did it again.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t JASON HALSTEAD \/ ASSINIBOIA PHOTO<\/p>\n Western Warrior\u2019s jockey Dane Nelson celebrates winning the Manitoba Derby Monday night at Assiniboia Downs.<\/p>\n Third place went to Gethsemane (7\/2 on the morning line), who shipped in from Saratoga in New York and was trained by Monique Goulet.<\/p>\n Right behind him was Direct Strike (6-1), who is trained by top Alberta trainer Craig Smith, who won the Derby last year with Attack and owned by a syndicate of 13 partners from Alberta who made a significant purchase.<\/p>\n Fifth place went to the lone Canadian-bred in the Derby, Really Ralis (8-1), who was purchased for just $5,000 by trainer Cindy Krasner and owner Dennis Spence. He had won two of his first three lifetime starts, including the $50,000 Derby Trial two weeks ago.<\/p>\n Others in the race included the second and third-place finishers in the Derby trial \u2014 Elston Gunn and Prime Suspect \u2014 along with Complete Overhaul and Forty Twenty, who is trained by four-time Manitoba Derby-winner Robertino Didoro.<\/p>\n His stable appeared to capture last year\u2019s Derby with Forty Twenty\u2019s half-brother, Tale Charge Tom \u2014 only to have the decision overturned by a disqualification, the first in the race\u2019s history.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Fortunately there was no such controversy this time around.<\/p>\n There was a massive crowd on hand for Manitoba\u2019s signature race, which carries a $125,000 purse and features some of the best three-year-olds in Canada, including several which were specifically purchased and imported for this very race. Long-time track announcer Kirt Contois declared this \u201cone of the strongest fields ever assembled\u201d for a local race.<\/p>\n Monday also featured several other notable events, including the $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile (won by Bergheim) and the $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes (won by Dontgiveupthefight).<\/p>\n Live racing resumes Tuesday night at ASD.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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