The ‘Queen,’ ‘Kings’ and ‘Prince’ rule the Downs

The “Queen” is back, the “Kings” aren’t far behind, and the “Prince” is running away with the Gold.

The “Queen,” Burrow Down found her best form again in the $50,000 Manitoba Matron on Tuesday night at the Assiniboia Downs. Three races later, the “Kings” — five-time leading trainer Jerry Gourneau and seven-time leading owner Henry S. Witt Jr. — won the $50,000 Gold Cup. And for the first time in at least 40 years — if ever — jockey Damario Bynoe, the “Prince,” racked up a rare triple-triple, scoring hat tricks on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday that included a long, determined rally aboard the “Queen” to win the Matron.

Burrow Down earned her royalty status locally from a record of 11-1-2 in 16 starts, all stakes, and the six-year-old mare has now won the Manitoba Matron for the third consecutive year. In her four starts this year for trainer Mike Taphorn, she’d finished second in the La Verendrye Stakes, won the Canada Stakes, finished third in the Escape Clause Stakes, and run an uncharacteristically dull fourth in the Miss Imperial Overnight Stakes in her start previous to the Matron.

“We didn’t do anything different with her for the Matron,” said Taphorn, who conditions the horse for owner Gerald Babchishin. “ The only thing we did was make a rider switch.”