By Scott Taylor (@staylorsports)
Presented by:
2024 Jockey Champion Prayven Badrie at the Backstretch Kitchen at Assiniboia Downs, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (SCOTT TAYLOR PHOTO)
WINNIPEG — At the start of the 2024 Assiniboia Downs live racing meet, Prayven Badrie made it clear that he was going to do everything he possibly could to be named Champion Jockey.
A few weeks ago, it was obvious that Badrie was well on his way and on Tuesday night, he officially claimed the crown.
“In 2022, I decided to come back to Winnipeg, because Assiniboia Downs feels more like my home,” Badrie said. “I’m comfortable here and it’s been good. I won 27 races in 2022 and then won 28 races last year. I could have done better, but I lost focus. It was my fault. My agent David Brockhill was getting me live horses, but I lost focus.
“This year, I got my focus back and I was committed to keeping my focus 100 per cent this year.”
Badrie’s laser focus paid off. After Tuesday’s final night of racing, Badrie claimed the 2024 title with 53 wins, 37 seconds, 34 thirds and $594,751 in earnings for his owners in 197 starts. Damario Bynoe was second with 43 wins and $463,634 in earnings while defending champion Antonio Whitehall was third with 40 wins and $472,947 in earnings.
Badrie, the 34-year-old veteran rider from Trinidad, who won the jockey title at ASD in 2018 and then missed a season because of COVID, re-committed himself to his profession and the results were reflective of the work he put in.
Meanwhile, Lee Delaronde, who took over the stable of Jerry Gourneau this season, won the 2024 trainers’ title. Delaronde finished with 40 wins, 40 seconds and 28 thirds to go with winnings of $435,086 to go with 253 starts. Jared Brown and Michael Nault were tied for second with 24 wins each. It’s interesting to note that Badrie recorded many of his wins riding for Nault and Delaronde.
“It was a phenomenal jockey race,” said Downs CEO Darren Dunn. “Prayven Badrie rode lights out. He came here originally over a decade ago and I’ve never seen him ride better. Antonio Whitehall was as hungry as I’ve ever seen him in an effort to defend his title. Damario Bynoe was riding top shelf. It’s a great colony and a close colony and congratulations to Prayven for winning his second title.”
Henry S. Witt, Jr. continued to retain his multi-year crown as the leading owner, topping every other owner and ownership group in both wins and purse earnings.
As Dunn often explained this summer, it was “an exciting and challenging 2024 racing season at ASD.”
“We are delighted with the results,” Dunn said. “We had a great start to the season and had to make some pretty significant changes to ensure the highest quality product we could deliver was put forward for our valued customers. We are so thankful to all of the fans, horse people, and staff that adjusted with us and delivered a season to be proud of, setting another near-record wagering year in the process.”
As Dunn pointed out, the 2024 meet began on a high note but then came the unexpected challenge of a precautionary 45-day quarantine due to an equine virus found in a single horse. That led to a revised racing calendar but the Downs did fulfill its commitment to a 50-day meet. Despite that near-overwhelming challenge, the track set a record for wagering on the Manitoba Derby card on August 5 just as the quarantine lifted with $3,743,784 wagered.
As well, the local track implemented another wave of horseplayer-focused initiatives including full one percent takeout reduction on the Exactor, Double, Triactor, Superfecta, Pick 3, Jackpot Pick 5, and the Classic Hi-5. Rolling Doubles were also introduced on every card. Assiniboia Downs also became one of the first tracks in North America to eliminate the run-up to the start on all distances and races, utilizing the Equibase GPS System, in partnership with Total Performance Data and Gmax Technology Ltd., providing more precise timing and distances.
However, it was the wagering handle that once again stood above all else.
“We finished with a total wagering handle of $62,130,464 over the 50 days of racing,” Dunn said. “This marks the second-highest wagering total in the track’s storied history.
“The final day of racing was highlighted by a mandatory payout of the ASD Jackpot Pick 5, which had a $236,529 carryover heading into the program. The wagering public responded strongly, adding $1.235 million in new money to the pool. The $1 payout for the Pick 5 was $1,765 for those holding the winning combination. Total wagering for the day reached $2,613,033.
“The 2024 meet has been such an unusual ride, but I’m used to it and we have a team that can adapt. We band together, we focus and we all do the best we can under trying circumstances. I’m proud of every one of them.”
