Asmussen Second Thoroughbred Trainer to Win 9,000 Races

Trainer Steve Asmussen became only the second trainer in Thoroughbred racing history to win for the 9,000th time in his career, bringing home Troy Ounce in Race 2 Sept. 18 at Remington Park.

"It's an awfully significant achievement," said Asmussen. "I'm very proud, but as you know, it takes a tremendous effort from a lot of people who work for me. Will we celebrate? Heck, yeah! Every day from here on out."

Prior to Troy Ounce's victory, Asmussen won a maiden special weight Friday at Churchill Downs with Stayin' Out Late.

He needs 446 more victories to become the all-time winningest trainer in North American Thoroughbred history. The current leader is Dale Baird, who went to the winner's circle 9,445 times in his career. 

Asmussen had 433 wins last year and 400 the year before to put things into perspective. He has won more than 400 times in a year 10 times. His best year was 2009 when he won 650 races.

Asmussen runs multiple strings of horses at multiple tracks around the country, simultaneously. When asked how many people are employed under him he said, "I have no idea."

A member of the National Racing Hall of Fame and a two-time Eclipse Award winner as outstanding trainer, Asmussen won his first race in 1986 at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico as a 20-year-old. He said at that time he had no idea his career would blossom into what it has. 

"Back then I was just worried about getting win No. 2," he said. "That didn't come until the next year at Birmingham in Alabama."

Since then Asmussen has started more than 43,000 horses in races, and his runners have collected over $338 million in earnings. His top performers include Curlin , Rachel Alexandra, and Gun Runner —all named Horse of the Year.

Now he has his eyes firmly focused on the No. 1 spot.

"It would be very significant to be the all-time winningest trainer," Asmussen said. "Been thinking about that ever since they started keeping track of wins. That's why you send them out, to win. If it wasn't important, they wouldn't keep stats."

When he started out, Asmussen was a jockey. He didn't quite win 9,000 however, growing too big to continue that career.

"I won 63 races in 2 1/2 years as a rider," Asmussen said with a laugh. "We've been talking about this 9,000th win in the barn all week and wondering what a graphics map would look like if you marked all the places where horses have won."

Jockey Stewart Elliott was in the saddle for Asmussen, booting home Troy Ounce for the win in the seven-furlong sprint on the dirt with $7,500 claiming rivals, all searching for their third career score. Troy Ounce, the betting favorite at 4-5 odds, won by three lengths and paid $3.60 to win, $2.60 to place, and $2.20 to show. He covered the distance in 1:23.65 on a fast track. The 4-year-old Goldencents  colt, out of the Eddington mare Lazaria Lass, earned $5,502 from the purse for owners L and N Racing of Tulsa, Okla. 

Troy Ounce improved his record to three wins from 18 starts and has now earned $86,472. He was bred in Kentucky by Martha Jane Holland and 3480 Equine.