Keith Dangerfield has been involved in the horse racing business for three decades, acting as an investor, which also means he’s more than just a casual observer.
In Monday’s 76th edition of the Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs, Dangerfield is about to enjoy an experience he’s never had before.
Dangerfield, Kevin Gill and Cory Ricard represent the local ownership of No Show No Call, a three-year-old chestnut gelding that is one of nine horses in the field for Manitoba’s marquee horse racing event.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
The owners of Manitoba Derby entrant No Show No Call, Cory Ricard (left) Keith Dangerfield, Kevin Gill and Mike Taphorn have high hopes their horse can end the lengthy drought of Manitoba owned horses winning the Manitoba Derby.
Entering the weekend as a 20-to-1 shot, No Show No Call drew the fourth position and will try to become the fourth Manitoba-owned entry to find the winner’s circle in the Manitoba Derby — and first since 1993 when Royal Frolic crossed the finish line first.
“This is the first time ever at the Manitoba Derby after 30 years of buying horses and being invested,” Dangerfield said after the press conference on Friday. “It’s 30 years of investing and finally getting a return. I guess that’s what you might say.”
The field includes Awesome Road, Bricklayer, Itsallgoodman, Lt. Norm, Lucky Appeal, Magnolia Speedy, McEwen and Roussette.
The trainer of No Show No Call is Mike Taphorn of Saskatoon and he’s confident the horse will be able to adapt to the distance on Monday night.
“He’s pretty calm, laid back and knows his job,” Taphorn said of the horse. “He’s a closer. He can come from behind and keep running. There are some tough horses (in the field), but I think we’re tough as well.”
The horse was purchased by the Winnipeg contingent for $17,000 at the 2022 Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale on a bit of a whim.
Admittedly, the horse was a bit green but oozed potential and had strong genetics from Kentucky Bear and She’s Regal by Going Commando.
“We just really liked the pedigree of the horse and took a flier and bought the thing,” said Gill, who is a close friend and a neighbour of Dangerfield.
Ricard was an agent for five years and one of the jockeys he worked with, Rocco Bowen, rode She’s Regal previously.
So when Ricard saw No Show No Call on the program for the Manitoba Yearling sale, he figured if the son ran with anything close to the same amount of heart as its mother, that it would be well worth the investment for Staffmax and Club 3 D Stable.
It’s tough to argue with the results so far, as No Show No Call is one of the leading horses at Assiniboia Downs this season and has already racked up four wins — including a 12-length triumph in the Frank Arnason Memorial Sire Stakes.
Could a fifth victory be on the horizon on Monday?
Only time will tell.
“It’s going to be super exciting. I’m looking forward to having a lot of friends and family out here too,” said Gill, noting that Ronald Ali will be the jockey for No Show No Call. “Having a horse (in the Derby) was something that when we first got going, it was really just a hope at one time. This is just a special race horse. The way he carries himself, the way he handles himself.
“Fingers crossed and we’ll see what happens. We recognize we’re not the favourite, but we’ve got a solid horse and I would not be totally surprised if it wins.”
While there are other horses with more experience in the field, No Show No Call won’t be intimidated when he steps into the starting gates.
“It’s been a glorious story so far,” said Ricard. “It’s a dream come true for all of us. Right now, it’s kind of like floating on a cloud and you’re looking down and going, ‘This could be our day.’ It’s a horse race and anything can happen.”
Having a horse with local ownership with a genuine shot at finding the winner’s circle only adds to the excitement of what figures to be a fantastic night of racing Monday in what is the signature event for Assiniboia Downs.
“It’s a sense of pride. It’s rare and it’s hard to do,” said Darren Dunn, who is the longtime CEO of Assiniboia Downs. “I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to get into the Manitoba Derby, period. You really have to have a lot of things go your way. The right horse, the right time, the right health, the ability to run a distance that is unusual to Assiniboia Downs and if everything comes together, you get this one spot in the sun — and maybe the only time in your horse racing career.
“I’ve known people who have been in this industry for 50 years hunting for a Derby horse and have never had that opportunity. For a lot of people in this industry, it’s on their bucket list and it’s one bucket that doesn’t usually get filled.”
In addition to the Manitoba Derby, the Downs will hold the $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile and unveil the Harvey Warner Memorial Park to honour the longtime Manitoba horse racing advocate, who passed away in March of 2022.
“It still pulls at the heartstrings to the people who knew him and it’s still sometimes hard to talk about. It might be two years ago, but it’s still very fresh,” said Dunn. “He gave his heart and soul to this industry. Recognizing him with an annual stake race, he’d be proud of and recognizing him with a backstretch park area for the horse people and the visitors to Manitoba to annually come in and out of, I can see the smile on his face already. And the word coming out of his mouth is, ‘Welcome.’”
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Ken Wiebe
Sports reporter
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
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