Henry S. Witt Jr. has been the most successful owner at Assiniboia Downs for an impressive five consecutive years, topped with his first triumph in the esteemed Manitoba Derby in 2023 with the unexpected longshot, Mano Dura.
Witt's journey to success has been a remarkable one, starting from his humble beginnings on a farm in Texas to his triumphs in car racing championships and, ultimately, his victories at Assiniboia Downs.
Growing up on a farm in Axtell, Texas, Witt was instilled with a strong work ethic from a young age. He toiled tirelessly, from early morning cow milking sessions to summer days spent hauling hay. This dedication seamlessly transitioned into the world of sports, where he excelled in football, basketball, and rodeo, earning all-state honours at Hill College in Texas.
While Witt always harboured a fondness for horses, his passion for these majestic creatures had to be momentarily set aside as he pursued his initial love for car racing while simultaneously building his business, Affiliated Auto Glass, in Waco, Texas, which he established in 1983.
Transitioning from rodeo to race car driving, Witt swiftly rose to fame in the IMCA Modified racing scene, accumulating a remarkable record of victories and championships during a decade of sheer luck and success.
"I was racing cars when I first started the business," Witt recounted in an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press after his Manitoba Derby triumph. "I'd drive out to the track at night, which was 4 1/2 or five hours away. I'd return, park the truck at the glass shop, lay a little pallet down on the office floor, sleep until around 6:30, and then get ready to open up."
Witt's glass business thrived, eventually expanding to include depots in Waco, Temple, Copperas Cove, and Gatesville. With 14 trucks and a team of 24 or 25 dedicated individuals, they now install 400 windshields every week. However, Witt acknowledges that it wasn't always smooth sailing, reflecting on the humble beginnings of his enterprise.
Between 1988 and 1997, Witt secured multiple IMCA Modified championships, followed by an impressive period of driving for the 701 Racing Team in 1998. During this time, he achieved an unprecedented feat by winning a number of feature races in a remarkably short period, surpassing any previous records in the history of IMCA racing. Witt notched up an astounding 258 feature wins, eight consecutive regional championships, six consecutive state championships, and one national championship. He retired from car racing in 2007 after his last victory.
"I quit racing cars on July 21, on my birthday," Witt revealed. "During a race, I fell a lap behind but managed to regain the lead. They tried to place me in the first position, but I declined. I knew I was a lap down."
Following his retirement from car racing, Witt ventured into the world of thoroughbred horse racing, embarking on a new and illustrious chapter in his life. It was during this time that he crossed paths with trainer Jerry Gourneau in Nebraska, and their partnership would go on to yield unprecedented success at Assiniboia Downs, where they have dominated the scene for an impressive five consecutive seasons.
Between 2019 and 2023, Witt joined forces with accomplished trainer Gourneau, achieving a remarkable record of 180 wins, 175 second-place finishes, and 177 third-place finishes out of 1,014 starts, accumulating purse earnings of $1,769,306. This exceptional performance does not even encompass their achievements from 2015 to 2018. Witt consistently ranked among the top three owners at Assiniboia Downs in 2015, 2017, and 2018, while claiming the leading position in 2016. His passion for winning never leaves him.