Graham, Asmussen Top Ellis Park Meet Standings

James Graham captured the fourth and fifth races on Ellis Park's closing card to earn his first riding title in Kentucky with 26 wins. 

That was one more than Corey Lanerie, the three-time defending meet leader and five-time champ overall who rode Monday at Parx Racing, where he finished second in the $300,000 Smarty Jones on Ellis Park Derby winner Gray Magician. Winning one race on the final day to tie Lanerie for second was Tyler Baze, a long-time fixture in California who is riding full-time in Kentucky for the first time.

Declan Carroll, who began riding races last fall, had a break-out meet, finishing fourth in the jockey standings with 19 wins after really heating up the last half of the meet to be the leading apprentice rider.

Winning his third training title in four years was Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, whose 24 wins were six more than 2018 meet-leader Brad Cox. Asmussen sent out a total of 149 starters over the 27-date meet (with two days lost to weather), averaging 5 1/2 runners per card. Cox ran 60 horses, second-most at the meet.

Asmussen also captured his first Ellis Park owner's title, winning with five of his own horses. Finishing in a tie for second were Ruis Racing, Racer's Edge and Mike Sisk's M and M Racing.

Ellis Park honored 83-year-old track superintendent Glenn Thompson for 69 years of service, all as part of the racetrack maintenance crew except for his first year at age 15, when he sold lemonade. The vast majority of those years were as track superintendent.