Assiniboia Downs (official site) in Winnipeg is the home of Thoroughbred racing in Manitoba, and every race card from the track is available to bet online at Bet365. With evening post times, low takeouts and big guaranteed pools, the “Downs” has become a favourite for horseplayers across the country. This guide walks you through how to bet on Assiniboia Downs step by step, using Bet365 for every example.
How to Bet on Assiniboia Downs Horse Racing
Placing a bet on an Assiniboia Downs race at Bet365 takes only a few minutes. The process is the same across Canada, but the betting screens look a little different in Ontario than in the rest of the country, so we show both below.
Step 1: Open a Bet365 Account and Make a Deposit
Sign up at Bet365 and complete the account verification process. Once your account is approved, head to the cashier and make a deposit using one of the available Canadian payment methods, such as Interac, debit or credit card. Your funds are available to bet as soon as the deposit clears.
Ontario residents sign up through Bet365’s Ontario platform, while bettors in the rest of Canada use the standard Bet365 site. Read our full Bet365 review for more on the sign-up process and to learn more about the sportsbook.
| Sportsbook | Offers | Visit |
|---|---|---|
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See Website for Details | Visit |
Step 2: Go to the Horse Racing Section
From the Bet365 home screen, open the sports menu and select Horse Racing (labelled Horses on some versions of the app). This takes you to the main racing lobby, where you will see upcoming races from tracks across North America and around the world.
Step 3: Select Markets and Choose Your Assiniboia Downs Race
Tap the Markets tab at the top of the Horse Racing page, scroll to the North America section and select the correct race day. Assiniboia Downs is listed with every race on the card numbered in order, along with a countdown showing the time remaining until post. Multi-race wagers such as the Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5 and Daily Double are listed at the end of the row.
Tap the race number you want to bet on to open that race.
Step 4: Select Your Bet Type
Once you open a race, the bet types you see depend on where you are in Canada. Bettors outside Ontario get fixed odds, while Ontario bettors wager into Woodbine’s parimutuel pools.
Rest of Canada: Fixed Odds
On the standard Bet365 site, each race opens on the Win / Each Way market by default. Every horse is listed with its fixed decimal odds to win, and the price you take is locked in when you place your bet. The line above the field shows the each-way terms for that race.
An each-way bet is two bets of equal size: one on your horse to win and one on it to place. In the race shown above, the terms are 1/4 odds for 2 places, so the place half pays at one quarter of the win odds if your horse finishes first or second. For example, a $10 each-way bet on #3 Delvecchio at 2.75 costs $20 in total. If Delvecchio wins, both halves pay. If it finishes second, the win half loses but the place half returns $14.38.
If you prefer traditional win, place and show bets, select the Win, 1-2, 1-2-3 tab. This shows separate fixed odds for each horse to win, to finish in the top two (place) or to finish in the top three (show). In the example below, a $10 bet on Delvecchio returns $27.50 to win, $16.10 to place or $13.00 to show, including your stake.
The other tabs across the top of the race offer extra markets, including Top Finishes, Either To Win and Money Back specials, a Pools tab for parimutuel wagers and More Markets for additional options.
Ontario: Parimutuel Pools
On Bet365.ca, Assiniboia Downs races are operated by Woodbine Entertainment Group, and you will see a note confirming this at the top of each race. Each race has two tabs:
- Pools – Win, Place and Show buttons for every horse in the field.
- Exotics – exactas, trifectas, superfectas and other wagers on the order of finish.
Because these are parimutuel pools, there are no fixed prices. The odds move as money comes in, and your payout is based on the final tote odds when the race goes off.
Step 5: Add Your Wager to the Bet Slip and Place Your Bet
Tap the odds or bet button for your selection to add it to your Bet Slip. For exotic wagers, make your selections and tap Add to Bet Slip. Open the Bet Slip, enter your stake amount and double-check the horse numbers and bet type. When everything looks right, click Place Bet to confirm your wager.
Each-way bets, boxed exotics and multi-race wagers all cost more than the stake you enter, since they cover more than one bet or combination. The Bet Slip shows the total before you confirm.
Fixed Odds vs Parimutuel Betting at Assiniboia Downs
| Rest of Canada (Bet365) | Ontario (Bet365.ca) | |
|---|---|---|
| Odds type | Fixed odds | Parimutuel tote odds |
| When your price is set | When you place your bet | When the race goes off |
| Default market | Win / Each Way | Pools (Win, Place, Show) |
| Win, place and show | Win, 1-2, 1-2-3 tab | Pools tab |
| Each-way betting | Yes | No |
| Exotics and multi-race bets | Yes | Yes |
New to horse racing bets? Our guide to betting on horse racing in Canada explains every bet type in more detail.
About Assiniboia Downs
Assiniboia Downs opened on June 10, 1958, replacing the old Polo Park racetrack, and is operated by the Manitoba Jockey Club. The track sits on the western edge of Winnipeg near Portage Avenue and the Perimeter Highway, and it runs Thoroughbred racing on a 6 1/2 furlong oval.
The 2026 meet is a 50-day season that opened on May 12 and runs through October 7. Racing is held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights along with select Mondays, with first post at 7:30 p.m. Central (8:30 p.m. ET). The evening post times make Assiniboia Downs one of the few tracks you can bet live after the workday ends.
The highlight of the season is the Manitoba Derby for three-year-olds, which dates back to the early 1930s and is now the first leg of the Western Canadian Triple Crown. The Assiniboia Gold Cup and the Winnipeg Futurity are the track’s other signature races.
Tips for Betting Assiniboia Downs
- Take advantage of low takeouts. Assiniboia Downs offers takeouts below 20 percent on every bet type, averaging 18.34 percent across all pools in 2026. That is among the most competitive in North America and means more of the pool goes back to winning bettors.
- Look at the multi-race wagers. The $1 minimum Pick 4 carries a $50,000 guaranteed pool, and the new $3 Prime Pick 3 is offered in both an early and late sequence on every card.
- Shop fixed odds against the tote. Outside Ontario, you can compare the fixed price on the Win, 1-2, 1-2-3 tab with the Pools tab. Fixed odds let you lock in a price early, which can be valuable on a horse you expect to be bet down before post.
- Use each-way on longer prices. Each-way betting gives you a return if your horse runs second, which suits horses at bigger odds in competitive fields.
Is It Legal to Bet on Assiniboia Downs Online in Canada?
Yes. In Ontario, Bet365.ca is licensed through iGaming Ontario and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and through its partnership with Woodbine Entertainment it is the only regulated Ontario sportsbook offering major horse racing. Ontario bets are processed under Woodbine’s federal parimutuel licence. You must be 19 or older and located in Ontario to bet.
In Alberta, Bet365 joined the province’s regulated online market in July 2026 under the oversight of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) and the Alberta iGaming Corporation. Bettors in Manitoba and the rest of Canada can use the standard Bet365 site, which offers fixed-odds horse racing betting. Always check the legal gambling age in your province before signing up.