Mane attraction From backstretch to homestretch to grandstand, it takes a village to keep Assiniboia Downs up and running during race season By: Mike McIntyre Posted: 5:56 PM CDT Thursday, May. 14, 2026

Sunrise is still 45 minutes away, but don’t tell that to the 12 horses inside Steve Keplin Jr.’s barn.

A flick of the light switch at 5 a.m. and, like clockwork, the magnificent animals rise in their stalls and poke their heads out, ready to begin their day.

It’s a big one, too. The start of the 2026 racing season has arrived at Assiniboia Downs, with the first of 50 race nights on tap.

Two of Keplin Jr.’s thoroughbreds — Ceepeegee and Steal Your Soul — are set to compete this evening. And the leading trainer from the 2025 campaign is hoping to pick up where he left off.

It’s not going to be easy. There are approximately 50 other trainers working with more than 400 horses on the grounds with similar ambitions between now and mid-October.

Competition is stiff. The stakes are high.

“You’re always nervous and excited, because you don’t know what the year will bring compared to the years prior. You’re always hoping you’ll win every race, but it doesn’t happen,” says Keplin Jr. “We’re excited and ready.”

Outside the barns, a similar sense of anticipation is in the air. From the backstretch to the final stretch, everyone is raring to go.

The Free Press spent Tuesday at the track, chronicling a day in the life at the Downs and what it takes to get the 69th season of live racing up and running.

 

6:10 a.m.

It didn’t take long for Keplin Jr. to learn a few things about one of the newest members of his stable. Turns out Ceepeegee is not a fan of the horse walker, the motorized machine used for both warm-ups and cool-downs.

And so, on this grey, chilly morning, approximately 14 hours before the horse will make his Assiniboia racing debut, Keplin Jr. is taking a more direct approach than he usually does with his horses.

“He’s a hand-walker,” he says as they spend the next 10 minutes going in circles. “He doesn’t like stuff coming in his face, like the rope thing. We tried it. It didn’t work.”

Whatever it takes to keep the athletes happy, right? They are, after all, the stars of the show.

Keplin Jr., 33, from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Reserve in Belcourt, N.D., has high hopes for his barn.

It consists of 11 new-to-him horses and only one returnee: the 2025 horse of the year, Judo, who is nursing a leg infection and probably won’t be ready to run until June.

Ceepeegee, a five-year-old gelding, was purchased in March from Arkansas. Same with Steal Your Soul, a promising three-year-old filly. Since they will be racing later tonight, Keplin Jr. is careful not to overwork them. It’s all about pacing.

“The main thing is you try to keep them comfortable and calm and ready,” he says. “Hopefully, after today, we’ll know a bit more about them.”

The other horses in his barn will be more active this morning. Depending on their race schedule, some will be taken out for a jog, between one and three laps of either the main track or the training circuit in the backstretch. Others will go for a gallop.

“You’re always trying to map ahead,” Keplin Jr. says.

 

 

6:45 a.m.

As traffic on the Perimeter Highway starts to pick up, morning rush hour is beginning to form on the backstretch. Dozens of horses emerge from the 11 barns to be put through their paces.

There’s also a flurry of activity involving the 21 jockeys, who live on-site in trailers and use bicycles to zip around the grounds to get to their mounts.

One of them is Shavon Townsend, a 33-year-old Jamaican native who is back in Winnipeg for a second season.

“I think I did pretty well for my first time last year. I enjoyed myself and loved being here, so I said ‘Why not come back?’” he says.

“There’s lot of good people here.”

He’s not nearly as fond of the current weather, which he admits can make it difficult to keep his weight in the desired range of about 112 pounds.

“I can’t run here and sweat like I do back home,” Townsend says. “So I have to maintain a steady diet.”

He’ll work out a handful of horses in the morning, some of which he’ll be riding in future races, and then get ready for a pair of mounts this evening.

In between the 5 a.m. wake-up call and the 10 p.m. finish to his workday?

“I have to take a nap to brace myself,” he says, laughing.

 

7:20 a.m.

Prime Suspect wasn’t quite so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when Keplin Jr. flicked the lights on a couple of hours ago, unleashing a few yawns in the process.

“They’re just like us,” he says.

But the sleepy three-year-old gelding has shaken off any sluggishness as he jogs around the training track with jockey Antonio Whitehall, one of the most experienced riders at the Downs, on his back.

Monday was supposed to be a light jog. Prime Suspect had other ideas, breaking into a full gallop. That means today is “a bit more of a mellow day,” especially with his race debut set for Wednesday evening.

Keplin Jr. has learned the importance of being in tune with his horses, as proven by his leading-trainer title a year earlier.

“I don’t know if or when we’re going to have another year like that,” he says.

Keplin Jr. has been coming to the Downs since he was a child, when his father was a trainer at the track. Now he’s into his eighth year running his own show, with a cousin and brother helping him out. At times, his eight- and seven-year-old boys chip in as well, along with his fiancée, who regularly comes up from North Dakota during racing season.

“This place feels like home to me,” he says.

His days usually start with a 4 a.m. wake-up call inside his camper located on the backstretch, with the plan to be in the barn no later than 5 a.m. to make sure everyone is happy and healthy.

Refreshing the water supply, refilling the hay, checking legs, administering medication and feeding his horses twice a day, a high-protein diet that includes oats, mash, nutrients, supplements and electrolytes.

Keplin Jr. won’t go more than a few hours without being present in the barn. Ideally, he’d also grab a few winks in the afternoon, when his horses are typically doing the same.

“He probably won’t today. He’s going to be too excited,” says his cousin, Parker Wallette.

 

8 a.m.

A certified veterinarian begins the process of visiting all the horses racing that evening for an up-close visual inspection, which may also include various tests if required.

Safety is paramount and standards are high.

The result on this day is a pair of scratches, one in the third race and one in the fourth, due to medical concerns.

 

8:15 a.m.

Louise Russell has an order of toast in front of her, but she’s having a hard time digging in with so many people stopping to chat.

The track’s longtime bookkeeper, known affectionately to most jockeys and trainers as “Mama,” is a popular figure.

“I’m part of the furniture here,” she jokes.

This is Russell’s 43rd year at the Downs, with the first 28 spent at the betting windows. Now she dishes out the purse money following each race.

A race day like today means working a split shift: 8 a.m. until noon, and then 6:30 p.m. until the final race is complete.

Her office is located next to the backstretch restaurant, where jockeys and trainers congregate once their morning chores are complete. Although it opens at 7 a.m., things really get busy around 10 a.m. and stay that way until closing at 1 p.m.

The sandwich of the day is turkey. The talk is all about the horses, with a side order of catching up with everyone following a long winter apart.

“This really is like a little town,” Russell says. “I would retire, but I just absolutely love it. I love the people here. Of course, I have their money, so everybody comes in very happy.”

 

9 a.m.

The excitement is written all over Kirt Contois’s face.

“The horses are back,” he says with a huge smile.

Nearly 450 of them, in fact. Contois, the assistant race secretary and track announcer, has been getting to know them over the past several weeks as they arrive and get logged into the computer system, ensuring all provincial and federal regulations are met.

Then it’s on to putting the races together, with Contois and his staff always working several days ahead. This year has been particularly challenging, with a cold spring slowing down training.

That’s why there will only be six races, instead of the usual seven, for the first few nights of the season.

“A lot of the local (Manitoba and Canadian) horses aren’t quite ready. They need another week or two,” Contois says.

Sub-zero temperatures mean a chunky track that can be dangerous to horses who, as Contois points out, “aren’t wearing Nikes.”

 

10:15 a.m.

With morning training now complete, attention in the Keplin Jr. barn has turned to an even more important topic, at least to eight-year-old Kenner Keplin.

“Dad, when are we going to eat breakfast?” he asks.

The young lad has earned it, helping sweep the stalls — a crappy job at times, if you catch our drift — while Keplin Jr. handles some hands-on after-care, including moisturizing hooves and applying rubbing alcohol and compression wraps to legs.

“This job will keep you humble, that’s for sure,” says Keplin Jr.

“Especially if you won’t win any races. You’ll eat a big slice of humble pie.”

Food for the horses comes first. Now it’s time for the humans to grab some grub and enjoy a few hours of downtime. The calm after the storm, but also before the second storm.

 

12:30 p.m.

The prime rib is in the oven.

We repeat: THE PRIME RIB IS IN THE OVEN!

That’s a big deal for executive chef Mike Jones and his kitchen staff of approximately 25, who have been looking forward to this day for the past seven months.

Sure, they serve up delicious food to patrons on a year-round basis. But there’s nothing quite like the adrenalin of a race night, when the signature buffet comes out.

“It’s our premier thing. And it’s just so exciting to have all the fans here and this room full of people cheering. It’s just fantastic,” says Jones.

“And in this day and age, the buffet is super unique. It’s really nice that we can put this on for fans and provide top-quality food.”

While all the focus will be on the races happening on the track, there’s a behind-the-scenes sprint that Jones, now in his sixth year at the Downs, is overseeing to make sure no detail is ignored.

“It’s just so exciting to have all the fans here and this room full of people cheering.”

“We try to stay pretty organized. If you’re not organized, you’re not going anywhere,” he says. “But we have a really good core staff. Our core people have been here year after year, and then we hire a lot of young people, university students, to round out our staff.”

Jones calls the food-and-racing environment “the ultimate dinner theatre,” and the curtain is about to rise on the first performance of the year.

 

4 p.m.

Proud father or nervous groom? Darren Dunn has a touch of both as he walks through the empty clubhouse concourse.

The longtime CEO of the Downs has a massive mental checklist of things to oversee. Among them: greeting guests on their way in, patrolling the dining room, checking in on corporate partners in the private suites, monitoring concession lineups, and popping into the jockey’s room and paddock to ensure everything is running smoothly.

At the top of the list is making sure a workforce that has essentially doubled in size almost overnight is happy and helpful.

“We have about 125 to 135 employees during the off-season. But we bulk up to about 250 for the race season,” he says.

That includes everyone from trainers to popcorn makers.

Dunn also keeps a constant eye on the bottom line. This is a track that now routinely pulls in more than $1 million in nightly wagering, with the majority coming online.

Yes, business is booming, with a 21 per cent rise in total wagering during the 2025 season that Dunn hopes to exceed once again.

 

6 p.m.

The buffet is hot and ready to be served. The bouncy castles are being inflated on the infield beside the track. Guests are starting to arrive. Betting windows are opening. And the cutting of the track — essentially chopping up the hard-packed, watered-down surface to get it ready for racing — is now underway.

“You can just feel the vibe. The place comes alive,” says Dunn.

The fan education centre begins to draw a crowd as novice gamblers look for tips. Several children peruse the gift shop, with stuffed animals of Charley Horse, the official mascot of the Downs, drawing plenty of interest. The real-life version is making the rounds as well, leading to plenty of high-fives, hugs and photographs.

Mother Nature is doing her part, too. A frosty, cloudy start to the day has given way to a sunny, warm evening.

“It’s just the excitement of being here again and getting to watch them run,” says Winnipegger Jeremy Williams, who is joined by his daughter, Arieana.

“We’re not big bettors or anything. We just play for fun, try to see if we can win a buck or two. We just love the vibe of everything.”

 

6:40 p.m.

Kirt Contois and Glen Sirkis are exchanging playful barbs as they prepare to go live around the world. The duo are the faces and voices of the Downs through the handicapping show they host every race night beginning at 6:45 p.m.

“It’s tons of fun for me. I’m playing the races anyways. And I get to make fun of Kirt on a bad pick. It’s a win-win situation,” says Sirkis, a well-known Manitoba golf professional who goes by the nickname of “Stretch.”

Their broadcast is seen by an international audience, with a significant footprint in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico and Australia. Singapore, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea have been added to the distribution list this season.

The math is simple: more eyeballs equals more wagering. It’s a major reason the Downs continues to operate every Tuesday and Wednesday, with some occasional Mondays sprinkled in. There’s far less competition from other tracks on those nights, especially major players in the industry who tend to dominate weekends.

“We used to do $200,000 to $250,000 in betting a day. Now it’s $1.5 million,” says Contois, who credits the work of Dunn and vice-president of finance and gaming Sharon Gulyas in building the brand coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contois has worked in some capacity at the Downs for more than 40 years, including the past 15 as the play-by-play announcer. Contois tours other tracks around the world during the winter and is often recognized by people who’ve heard his race calls and back-and-forth with Stretch on their broadcasts.

“We’re trying to give people information they can’t read on the program,” says Contois. “And we try to make it fun and informative, but not too horsey. So the average person can listen to us.”

No sense trying to appeal to the hardcore gamblers — “they think they know everything anyways.”

“My enthusiasm, my love for racing is in my blood,” says Contois. “The thrill has never been lost.”

 

6:50 p.m.

There’s plenty of buzz inside the jockey room as anticipation builds.

Mandatory weigh-ins and breathalyzer tests are administered to ensure everyone is in compliance. Ciera Pruitt, the Winnipeg-born daughter of legendary retired rider Jerry Pruitt, is sitting alone in her private room as the lone woman at the track for a second straight year.

Her rookie season was a huge one, as she took home apprentice jockey of the year honours after winning 12 times along with 17 places and 25 shows in 125 starts. The 23-year-old, whose mother, Lise, is a trainer at the track, is hoping for an even better sophomore season.

 

7:20 p.m.

A large crowd of fans has gathered around the paddock as the four horses competing in the first race of the year are saddled up, mounted by their jockeys and taken for a few laps before the parade to the post beckons them onto the track.

That’s the cue for assistant director of racing Derek Corbel to jump behind the wheel of a retrofitted sheriff’s van, which he’ll drive around the track to the starting gate located in the southeast corner for all of the night’s five-furlong races.

He’s got a group of young men wearing flak jackets with him. They are members of the gate crew, who will help load the horses into their starting positions.

It can be a dangerous job. Sometimes these animals get a bit finicky and decide to pull the plug at the last minute.

 

7:35 p.m.

They’re at the post — and they’re off! Race No. 1 is officially underway.

 

7:36 p.m.

Everyone at the gate has piled back into the van and is heading toward the paddock. A couple members of the gate crew are watching the race live on their phones as Contois calls what turns out to be a thrilling photo finish.

Fleet of Hoof, ridden by Javaniel Patterson, wins by a nose over Golden Buck.

A clean start. A safe, competitive race. What more could you ask for?

 

8:01 p.m.

If Keplin Jr. is feeling any stress, he’s doing a great job of hiding it.

And as he stands by a picnic table near the finish line watching the second race unfold, there’s no sign of panic when his horse, Ceepeegee, makes the final turn in second place.

Jockey Sven Balroop quickly makes up the ground, passing Just Trust Me shortly before the finish line.

“Couldn’t get any better than that,” says Keplin Jr.

“Honestly, I thought we were going to be on the lead the whole way around. But the No. 4 horse (Just Trust Me), he out-popped everybody and was looking pretty good in the lead there by himself for a while. We just had a little bit more horse in the end to get by him. It feels good. It feels really good.”

He won 40 races a year ago to grab the title. Just 39 more to go.

 

8:20 p.m.

As the third race is about to get underway, Keplin Jr. has sprinted back to his barn for two quick tasks.

First, he has to take Ceepeegee to the test lab, where blood and urine samples will be collected by federal officials to ensure no cheating has occurred. The entire process can take up to 45 minutes.

He also has to grab Steal Your Soul for her upcoming race, No. 4. She is the picture of calm in her stall, as easy-going as they come.

With a few moments of downtime, Keplin Jr. quickly lays down some fresh hay for Ceepeegee, who is being kept company by Wallette, and fills his water bucket to help him wind down comfortably after the big win.

 

8:34 p.m.

Race No. 3 shows just how unpredictable live racing can be.

The No. 1 horse, I’m All Shook Up, is scratched by stewards after thrashing around in the starting gate. There’s a reason the crew members wear those flak jackets. Fortunately, nobody is hurt.

Meanwhile, the race is filled with controversy, as the jockey aboard second-place finisher, Please the Court, files an objection against the race winner, Rockets Red Flair, for some alleged shenanigans down the stretch.

A lengthy review by the race stewards ensues, leading to the disqualification of Rockets Red Flair for drifting in front of and essentially cutting off Please the Court, who is now deemed the official victor.

 

8:40 p.m.

A piece of history has come back to the Downs.

Dunn is standing in the winner’s circle with Darryn Armstrong, whose father, affectionately known as Dickie Armstrong, rode at the track from 1958 to 1969. Among his 470 wins and four leading-rider titles were victories in the first-ever race at the Downs and the 1969 Manitoba Derby.

Dunn is thrilled to accept two artifacts from the late jockey’s son: a silver tray commemorating that inaugural victory and the winning statue from Fire N Desire’s Derby triumph.

 

9:06 p.m.

Keplin Jr. can’t believe what he just witnessed.

Steal Your Soul didn’t just win the fourth race. She crushed the competition.

“Wow. Impressed the (expletive) out of me,” he says. “I was not expecting that.”

You couldn’t have scripted a better start for the reigning trainer of the year. Two horses. Two races. Two victories.

(The good times would keep rolling one night later as Keplin Jr. recorded the rare “hat trick.” Emirates Affair won Race No. 2, Prime Suspect took Race No. 3 and Taillights was the upset winner of Race No. 5.)

His barn may be smaller than some others — Jerry Gourneau has 40 horses, for example — but Keplin Jr. is showing he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.

 

9:59 p.m.

Classico, ridden by Whitehall, crosses the finish line first as the sixth and final race comes to an end.

A handful of excited wagerers jump for joy on the tarmac.

 

10:40 p.m.

Ceepeegee and Steal Your Soul have finished their feasts. While the other 10 horses ate dinner around 4 p.m., a race night means waiting a little longer.

You don’t want to run on a full stomach, of course.

They’ve started to wind down for the night, with Ceepeegee the more animated of the two. He looks like he’s ready to hit the track for a nightcap.

“It can take about an hour or two to (calm down), depending on the horse,” says Keplin Jr.

There’s plenty to do after a race, including washing their feet and legs and applying medicated overnight bandages to help keep their legs cool and tight.

Meanwhile, Keplin Jr. has been visited by plenty of trainers and riders congratulating him on his strong start. He also fields a congratulatory call from his father, Steve Sr., back home in North Dakota.

He cracks open a cold beer from his office fridge and, with nearly 30,000 steps under his belt for the day, is finally able to take a deep breath and relax.

This truly is a labour of love.

“You’ve got (owners) who have invested their money in me and their animal, who are trusting me with their animal, and you want to do the best you can for them and the horse, especially,” says Keplin Jr.

“That’s how you keep your business going.”

 

11 p.m.

The lights in the barn are turned off. A long day is over. It’s time for everyone to get some well-deserved rest.

 

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