Steven M. Asmussen

Asmussen grew up in a racing family, spent a few seasons as a jockey and in a 25-year 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. At 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.