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.”

Babchishin did, however, have his star filly out eating grass and enjoying life before the race, and had to bring her in a little early because she was feeling so good.

Grass, sunshine, and a new rider were all Burrow Down needed to become her old self, and she came with a not-going-to-lose rally in the Matron to catch Welcometohollywood late, improving her career record to 12-6-6 from 35 starts for earnings of over $400,000.

Burrow Down was the fifth winner of the week for Bynoe, who added another win on Tuesday and three more on Wednesday to take a commanding 49-41 lead in the jockey standings with only six live racing days left over three-time leading rider Antonio Whitehall.

Trainer Gourneau and owner Witt played their roles perfectly over the course of the week, with five wins including the $50,000 Gold Cup, but it didn’t turn out the way they expected with two horses in the race.

“Mr Jaws was supposed to go to the lead and take care of the speed, and Malibu S S was supposed to rally and win,” said Witt, a former champion race car driver who watches races like he’s still in a race car.

“Malibu SS went four-wide on the turn and that cost him,” said Witt, reminiscing about his driving days. “Everyone knows the shortest way around is the best way to win.”

Witt won 258 feature races, eight straight regional championships, six consecutive state championships, and one national championship from 1988-2007 on the ICMA Modified circuit. Talking to him is like watching Ford vs Ferrari or F1.

But Mr Jaws forgot to follow the instruction manual. He took care of the other speed alright, putting away numerous outside challengers including the two favourites in the race, Judo, and his stablemate Malibu S S, but then he was passed on the inside by longshot Riverside entering the stretch. That’s a no-no in car racing and horse racing — allowing someone to beat you by letting them through on the inside.

And all the way down the stretch it looked like Mr Jaws and jockey Dario Dalrymple were going to lose. Mr Jaws dug in gamely and tried to get by Riverside four times through the stretch, and every time the longshot turned him back. Until the final jump.

The photo says Mr Jaws won by a head. It looked a lot closer than that. And if you watched the race live, there’s no way you could tell who won. Even more amazing is the fact that Gourneau and Witt claimed Mr Jaws for just $7,500 at Lone Star Park in Texas on May 18.

Since then, he’s won three races for the “Kings” and finished third in the Manitoba Derby. He has easily paid for himself, and to top it all off, Witt noted that both Mr Jaws and his stablemate Malibu S S are eligible to run in the Claiming Crown races at Churchill Downs on Nov. 15, for purses that range from $100,000 to $200,000.

Gourneau came back to the local training fray late this year and promptly won with his first starter on June 23. He’s been steadily climbing in the trainer standings since then and is now third with 26 wins, nine back of leader Steve Keplin, Jr. It seems unlikely that Gourneau can catch Keplin with only six racing days left but, like his horses, you can never count him or his owner out.

Despite the drive to win, Gourneau appeared more satisfied than jovial after his Gold Cup victory. We found him sitting quietly by himself with his trophy on a bench in front of the north end of the grandstand after the race.

At peace with himself.