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October 31, 2021: Giant Game, entered in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and trained by Dale L. Romans, exercises during the morning training session for Breeders’ Cup 2021 on October 31, 2021 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. Jon Durr/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup
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October 31, 2021: Giant Game, entered in the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and trained by Dale L. Romans, exercises during the morning training session for Breeders’ Cup 2021 on October 31, 2021 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, California. Jon Durr/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup
Mano Dura, the three-year-old colt, has registered his name in the history of Manitoba Derby. The $126,000 prestigious equestrian race saw an underdog causing an upset by winning the race. Mano Dura had 15-1 odds before the race with mostly betting on the favorite Heroic Move.
The 75th Manitoba derby saw Mano Dura giving its rider Antonio Whitehall his first win at the Assiniboia Downs. The Manitoba Derby is one of the first jewels of the Western Canadian Triple Crown. Trained by Jerry Gourneau the colt gave a formidable fight in the last stretch of the race and claimed the title.
Mano Dura wins the prestigious equestrian derby
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Mano Dura arrived at the event after winning his last race, a non-graded Allowance Optional Claiming, just last month at the same track. At the beginning of the race, Heroic Move and Tshiebwe set a quick pace, with Heroic Move taking the lead. Mano Dura, ridden by Antonio Whitehall, strategically maintained a stalking position, staying behind the leaders to time his pace effectively.
Heroic Move completed the first quarter mile in 23.60 seconds and the half mile in 47.64 seconds. Mano Dura settled comfortably into a chase position just behind the frontrunners as they entered the backstretch. Approaching the final turn, Whitehall urged a bit more effort from Mano Dura, and the colt responded. Before reaching the eighth pole, Mano Dura surged past Tshiebwe and then powered past Heroic Move to secure victory by a margin of four and one-fourth lengths in a time of 1:51.87.
#ICYMI #8 MANO DURA ($32.80) rolls down the home stretch @AssiniboiaDowns to take the 75th running of the Manitoba Derby for trainer Jerry Gourneau and owner Henry Witt, Jr.#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/ETOf4dej6V
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 8, 2023
The pre-race favorite, Heroic Move, secured the second position, while Tshiebwe took the third spot. With a total worth of $149,836, Mano Dura, owned by Henry S. Witt Jr., provided his owner, trainer, and jockey with their inaugural Manitoba Derby victory. The 64-year-old retired champion race car driver, Henry, was overjoyed and thrilled with the triumphant outcome. He said, “This was sweet. It felt good”. Henry further said, “Thanks to Jerry, a good trainer, a good horse, and the good people that work for him“. The owners gelled well with the equestrian trainer and this win is the outcome of their positive relationship.
Jerry Gourneau bond with local equestrian industry giant
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Jerry Gourneau hails from Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reserve in North Dakota and has a positive bond with Henry S. Witt Jr. who is considered as the local giant of the thoroughbred racing industry. Speaking on the owner the trainer said, “I struck it big by getting a client like Henry Witt Jr. We met about five years before we decided to run horses together“. They met at Fonner Park in Nebraska and clicked as friends instantly.
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The win of Mano Dura is indeed an incredible one that gave all his stakeholders – the owner, trainer, and jockey their first derby win. Now, the horse and owners’ next aim will be the second leg of the crown race.
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