Steve Asmussen

Top Associated Horses: Hear No Angel, Hallway, Ocean Colors, Gentle Moment, Sea Gaze, Heliopsis

/xmlfeed.aspx?action=media%26category=8%26id=5042

2009 Record: (2944-650-488-398)

2009 Earnings: $21,876,405

2009 Win %: 22% In-The-Money %: 52%

Born: Nov. 18, 1965, Gettysburg, S.D.
Residence: Arlington, Texas
Family: wife, Julie; sons, Keith James, Darren Scott and Eric Mark
Racing Background: Learned the business from his parents, Keith and Marilyn, both trainers. He helped his parents walk horses and muck stalls by the time he was 5 and lost part of his thumb in a childhood accident while holding a horse through a chain link fence … He took out his jockey's license at age 16. Rode for three years in New Mexico, California and New York before retiring because of weight ... His brother, Cash, was the Eclipse Award apprentice jockey champion in 1979 before becoming a champion jockey in Europe ... The Asmussen family operates El Primero Training Center in Laredo, Texas
Racing Career: Reached the pinnacle of success at the end of 2008 when he earned his first Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer after being a finalist in 2004, 2005 and 2007. For the year, he blew away his own record of 555 wins in a year set in 2004 by recording 622 victories and led Curlin to a second Horse of the Year title … Curlin followed his outstanding 2007 campaign that included the Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Classic with triumphs in the 2008 Dubai World Cup, G1 Stephen Foster Handicap and G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. The win in the Gold Cup pushed the Smart Strike horse past the $10 million mark, making him the richest American-based horse of all-time … Curlin retired to Lane’s End Farm near Lexington, Ky. following a fourth-place finish in the ’08 Classic … For an encore to 2008, Asmussen reached the 5,000 win milestone on September 11, 2009 and led sensational filly Rachel Alexandra through a campaign likely to culminate in Horse of the Year honors. Such an honor would be the third straight for Asmussen and main client Jess Jackson’s Stonestreet Stable … Jackson purchased Rachel Alexandra, in partnership with Hal McCormick, following her 20th length victory in the Kentucky Oaks and turned her over to Asmussen … The filly then set new standards for a three-year-old filly by defeating three-year-old colts twice in the Preakness Stakes and Haskell Invitational and then older males in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga … Other top runners in 2009 were G2 Dwyer and G2 Jim Dandy winner Kensei, G2 West Virginia Derby winner Soul Warrior, who upset Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in that race, G2 Molly Pitcher winner Luna Vega and G3 Iowa Oaks winner Hightap ... Began training Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses in New Mexico in 1986 … First major Thoroughbred was Valid Expectations, a winner of seven stakes races from 1995-97 … First Grade 1 win was in 1999 with Dreams Galore in the Mother Goose at Belmont Park … Trained the now retired millionaire Lady Tak, winner of the 2003 Test (G1) and 2004 Ballerina (G1). Other major stakes winners include 2005 Kentucky Oaks winner Summerly, Appealing Zophie, Cuvee, Real Dandy, He's Got Grit, Quintons Gold Rush, Private Emblem, Effectual, Lunarpal, Bwana Charlie, Chace City, Private Vow, 2008 Louisiana Derby winner Pyro, Z Fortune, G2 Kentucky Cup Classic winner Zanjero and graded-stakes winning sprinter J Be K ... Has won training titles at Lone Star Park, Oaklawn Park, Keeneland, Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Remington Park, Sam Houston Race Park, Ellis Park and Retama Park … Is the all-time leading trainer at Lone Star and was inducted into that track's Hall of Fame in 2007 … Currently has about 200 horses with divisions in New York, Chicago, Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana … Main assistants are Scott Blasi (who took charge of the stable during a six-month suspension Asmussen served in 2006), Kristen Crawford, Darren Fleming, Tony Mathiason and Toby Sheets ... Reached his 4,000th win on Feb. 17, 2008 after saddling J J's Bud at Oaklawn Park ... In addition to Jackson, top clients include Bob and Leland Ackerley, George Bolton, Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, Mike McCarty, Padua Stable, Stonestreet Stables, Vinery Stables, Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Zayat Stables, Bob Zollars and Oceanfront Property Stable, which includes country music superstar George Strait as a principal ... Also see the bio for Scott Blasi for more information.