Steven M. Asmussen

Steve Asmussen grew up in a racing family, spent a few seasons as a jockey and in a three-decade career has developed into one of the top trainers in the country. He won the Eclipse Award as the outstanding trainer in 2008 and again in 2009 with a record 622 victories. By the end of 2011, he ranked fifth in both career victories and purse money earned.

Asmussen operates a large stable of some 200 horses with divisions in New York, Chicago, Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana and is a perennial leader in victories in a season. He trained the Horse of the Year for three consecutive seasons: Curlin in 2007 and 2008 and the filly Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Both of those horses were purchased by owner Jess Jackson, who died in April 2011, and transferred to Asmussen's care.

In 2011, his many stakes winners included the unbeaten 2-year-old filly champion My Miss Aurelia. In 2009, he handled the champion male sprinter, Kodiak Kowboy. Asmussen's parents, Keith and Marilyn, are both trainers, and his older brother Cash was a top rider in Europe for many years and now is a trainer.

Asmussen trained 2014 champion 3-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Untapable. In 2016, Steve Asmussen trained a large group of talented 3-year-olds with three fillies in the Kentucky Oaks but it was Gun Runner who was the star of the show. The colt won two of the Louisiana prep races before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and later winning the Grade 1 Clark Handicap and finishing second in the Dubai World Cup. After that Dubai World Cup loss, Gun Runner would never lose again, wrapping up his career with five straight Grade 1 wins including the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic and 2018 Pegasus World Cup.

In 2019, Asmussen campaigned two of the best horses in training in Midnight Bisou and Mitole. The former entered that fall's Breeders' Cup World Championships on the heels of an unbeaten 7-for-7 campaign including three Grade 1 wins and finished second in the Longines Distaff. Mitole won four Grade 1 stakes during the season, highlighted by the Runappy Metropolitan Handicap and the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Asmussen took his place in history on August 6, 2021, when he equaled the all-time record for wins by a North American trainer. He won his 9,445th race with Shanghai's Dream at Ellis Park, tying the mark set by the late Dale Baird.

The next day at Saratoga, Asmussen broke the record, winning his 9,446th race with impressive maiden winner Stellar Tap at Saratoga. 

Asmussen equaled a Saratoga record in 2021, winning five Grade 1 races. He took the Forego Stakes with Yaupon, the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes with Jackie's Warrior, the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Max Player, the Spinaway Stakes with Echo Zulu, and the Hopeful Stakes with Gunite. This matched the all-time record for most Grade 1 wins at a Saratoga meet, shared with Todd Pletcher's 2010 season. Echo Zulu gave Asmussen his eighth win in the Breeders’ Cup when she dominated the Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar on Nov. 5.

In 2022, Asmussen won Grade 1 races with Clairiere, Jackie's Warrior, and Pauline's Pearl and also had a standout 3-year-old on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Resrerve trail in Epicenter. The Not This Time colt won the Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby before runner-up finishes in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. After winning the Jim Dandy Stakes in the summer at Saratoga Race Course, Epicenter delivered a dominant win in the Runhappy Travers Stakes Aug. 27 at Saratoga to secure the elusive Grade 1 win.