Winnipeg Free Press Newspaper Archives Sep 12 2015, Page 65

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 12, 2015, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE C8 C 8 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 SPORTS winnipegfreepress. com F O O D / D R I N K / D E B A T E SEPT17 Free Press Cafe 7- 10pm Come to the Winnipeg Free Press Café on Thursday, September 17th to watch the federal party leaders duke it out over the economy in a televised debate. Enjoy our $ 10 local craft beer and our legendary baguette pizza special plus a debate themed bingo, with a chance to win some great prizes. Hosted by Mary Agnes Welch and Shannon Sampert of the Free Press, and Royce Koop of the University of Manitoba. Bring your party signs, campaign brochures and strong opinions. Come early, space is limited 237 McDermot Ave. 204.943.0682 DEBATE NIGHT BINGO T HUR SD A Y T HE 58th live racing season at Assiniboia Downs wrapped up Monday with a touching moment in the winner’s circle, as paralyzed jockey Alyssa Selman presented trophies to leading rider Chavion Chow and co- leading trainers Tom Gardipy Jr. and Tanya Lindsay, after one of the most successful race meets ever. Per- race wagering on the 49- day meet increased six per cent from $ 18,086 in 2014 to $ 19,170 per race in 2015, and crowds were “ through the roof,” said Assiniboia Downs CEO Darren Dunn. “ While there are still challenges to overcome in our sport, such as horse supply and field size in each race, we were pleased to show some positive progression in our wagering stats.” Fans did indeed fill the grandstand on many a night and enjoyed some very competitive racing. Especially notable was the number of people who would move to the fence to get a close- up of horses breaking from the starting gate during seven- furlong races. “ They’re so fast!” said one fan in wonderment. Gardipy Jr. was winning his third trainer title at the Downs, but it was Lindsay’s first, and only the second in Assiniboia Downs’ history to be won by a female trainer. Lindsay entered the final day one win ahead of Gardipy Jr., but Gardipy Jr. won the second race to tie Lindsay with 30 wins. Trainer Jared Brown also came close with 29 wins, winning the final race of the meet with Tom Kha. Lindsay almost pulled off a rare triple in the trainer standings. Not only did the petite powerpack from Argyle finish tied atop the standings, she also finished first in the win percentage category among all trainers with 20 starts or more, scoring at a 31 per cent clip. Lindsay barely missed the final part of the triple with total purse earnings of $ 223,837, second only to trainer Don Schnell, who racked up $ 234,749 in purses. Schnell bolstered his purse earnings late with a stellar stable of two- year- olds, capped off by wins on the final weekend in the Buffalo Stakes with Langara, owned by Barry Arnason and True North, and the Winnipeg Futurity with Heber, coowned by himself and Barry Arnason. A large portion of Lindsay’s purse earnings were a result of her work with Assiniboia Downs Gold Cup victor Magic D’ Oro, who won the final three stakes of the meeting for older horses, for owners Arnason and Martin Yeroschak, and looked like a monster doing it. Former jockey Ray Stewart, who won the first Gold Cup at Assiniboia Downs in 1958, made this year’s Gold Cup extraspecial when he arrived to present the trophy to this year’s winner. On the female side, Go Go Lolo returned to her gutsy championship form with three stakes wins including the Matron on the final weekend for trainer Murray Duncan and his ownership partner Garylle Stewart. Flashy Jewel was the highlight among the three- year- old set with his game victory in the 67th running of the Manitoba Lotteries Derby for owner Lothenbach Stables Inc., jockey Adolfo Morales and trainer Clay Brinson. Also of particular note among trainers was Cole Bennett, who became the youngest trainer to win a race only a few days after his 18th birthday. Bennett ended the season with a strong record of 6- 8- 4 from 24 starts, an excellent performance in his rookie year. Veteran trainer Lorna Gray reached a career milestone, winning her 400th race. Jamaican jockey Chow won his first local riding title with 63, eight more than veteran Rohan Singh, who had won it three times in the early 2000s — and Chow earned it. He came out every morning to work horses, often when others wouldn’t. It was nice to see a deserving winner. The new Festival of Racing Weekend concept and free concerts sponsored by Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries were a hit among the fans. On the flip side, the injury to Selman, who lost the use of her legs after an accident in which her horse clipped heels, “ will always be a sobering reminder of the risk in our sport,” said Dunn. “ However, her spirit and attitude, combined with the incredible outpouring of support we received in fundraising efforts for her, really brought into focus how a community can rally for a fallen competitor.” The outpouring of support for Selman came from everywhere. Influencer and grassroots support was magnified by social media and local media, resulting in hundreds of donations, including the halter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. The local fundraising social was attended by more than 800 people, and to date more than $ 120,000 has been raised for Selman. There were only about 30 horses left on the grounds Thursday morning, three in the care of Lindsay, who is getting ready to take Magic D’ Oro to Northlands Park in Edmonton for the $ 50,000 Harvest Gold Plate on Oct. 12. Has he got a chance? You bet. Downs’ season ends on high note By George Williams Injured jockey Selman presents trophies to top trainers, rider at windup LAS VEGAS — A lawyer for O. J. Simpson said Friday they’ll decide their next step after the Nevada Supreme Court rejected the imprisoned former football star’s latest appeal of his 2008 kidnapping and armed robbery conviction. Attorney Patricia Palm said she needed to talk with Simpson at Lovelock Correctional Center about the Thursday ruling by a three- member panel of the state high court, and whether he wants to appeal to federal court. The Nevada justices issued a detailed 16- page decision saying they found there was no reason to overturn Clark County District Court Judge Linda Marie Bell’s findings in the case and give Simpson a new trial. The court said Simpson failed to show his notoriety following his 1995 acquittal in Los Angeles in the deaths of his ex- wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, tainted his trial in Las Vegas, and he failed to demonstrate that his lead trial lawyer, Yale Galanter, had a conflict of interest. “ We... conclude the district court did not err in denying these claims,” justices Ron Parraguire, Michael Douglas and Michael Cherry said. Simpson’s lawyers filed the appeal in May 2014, arguing Bell should have granted the former athlete a new trial on charges related to a botched hotel room heist. Simpson was sentenced to nine to 33 years. Palm and attorneys Ozzie Fumo and Tom Pitaro argued that Galanter mishandled the case in an effort to continue to represent Simpson at trial and in his initial appeal so he could reap attorney fees and fame. The Supreme Court in September 2010 rejected a previous Simpson appeal filed by Galanter. “ Simpson has demonstrated only one error: Appellate counsel’s failure to provide a complete, accurate record on appeal,” the justices said Thursday. Galanter denied he had conflicted interests and mishandled Simpson’s defence. Friday, he called it gratifying to have the state high court review his work in the case. Simpson, 68, is serving his sentence in a northern Nevada prison after a jury found him guilty of multiple felonies for leading five other men in a September 2007 confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas hotel. Two of the men with Simpson testified they brought guns, at Simpson’s request. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson called the Simpson case closed. “ It’s clear that the Nevada Supreme Court believed that Judge Bell conducted a thorough and exhaustive hearing exploring all the allegations brought by the defence,” he said. Simpson didn’t testify at his robbery trial in Las Vegas. Galanter and co- counsel Gabriel Grasso claimed Simpson was just trying to retrieve items stolen from him more than a decade earlier, after his acquittal in the Los Angeles case. Simpson’s appeal argued his multiple convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and robbery with use of a deadly weapon constituted doublejeopardy and that Galanter should have challenged his multiple convictions and punishments, among other things. — The Associated Press Simpson mulls next move after latest appeal rejected By Ken Ritter GEORGE WILLIAMS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tom Gardipy Jr., jockey Alyssa Selman, trainer Tanya Lindsay and leading jockey Chavion Chow in the winners’ circle Monday at Assiniboia Downs. O. J. Simpson C_ 08_ Sep- 12- 15_ FP_ 01. indd C8 9/ 11/ 15 7: 41: 40 PM