Rachel Alexandra in 4F Move at Fair Grounds
In her second work of the week, reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra breezes four furlongs in :50 3/5 Feb. 6 in New Orleans.
Steve Asmussen
News, Articles, Videos and other content about Steve Asmussen
No Catching Friesan Fire in Louisiana 'Cap
Favored Friesan Fire scored his first victory since romping in last spring's Louisiana Derby (gr. II) when he led all the way to take the $72,750 Louisiana Handicap at Fair Grounds by 1 3/4 lengths Jan. 23.
Eclipse Awards: Event Full of Grace, History
Rachel Alexandra gets the main prize, but partisan crowd shows admiration for both at the 2009 Eclipse Awards.
Rachel Alexandra Named Horse of the Year
Super filly Rachel Alexandra tops Zenyatta in Horse of the Year balloting.
Champion Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Back-to-back Eclipse Awards for trainer of Rachel Alexandra and grade I winner Kodiak Kowboy, Hot Dixie Chick; led nation with $21.8 million in earnings
Champion 3YO Female: Rachel Alexandra
- By Esther Marr
After trouncing her own division, filly stepped out to beat the boys in the grade I BlackBerry Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward Stakes.
Champion Male Sprinter: Kodiak Kowboy
Son of Posse won the Carter, Vosburgh, and Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile (all gr. I) for Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm
Rachel Wins NYRA 'Story of the Year'
Rachel Alexandra's extraordinary victory in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga has been voted by fans as NYRA's 2009 "Story of the Year."
Girl Power: Females Rule 2009 Earnings List
For the first time, female Thoroughbreds occupy the top two spots on the list of leading North American earners in 2009, according to final statistics released today by Equibase Company.
FG Creates Race to Lure Rachel Alexandra
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has put together a $200,000 stakes race for older fillies and mares in hopes of luring Horse of the Year candidate Rachel Alexandra for her 2010 debut.
Pyro to Join Darley's Japan Stallion Roster
Godolphin Racing's Pyro, winner of the Forego Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga, has been retired and will enter stud in 2010 at Darley Japan where his fee will be ¥2 million (about US$22,100).
Asmussen Surpasses His Own Season Win Record
Trainer Steve Asmussen eclipsed his own North American record for number of wins in a single season when Poppin won a claiming race at Woodbine Racecourse on Dec. 6.
Friesan Fire Third in Fair Grounds Allowance
Friesan Fire, sent off as the favorite in this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), finished third in a Fair Grounds allowance contest in his first race back since the Preakness (gr. I).
Rachel Alexandra Pointed to Spring Return
Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick's Rachel Alexandra arrived in Louisiana Nov. 27 but probably won't race until March or April.
Friesan Fire Returns to Races at Fair Grounds
Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farm's Friesan Fire, who finished 18th of 19 as the 7-2 favorite for this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), is one of six horses entered in the Dec. 3 feature at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Super Win in Kentucky Jockey Club
WinStar Farm's Super Saver romped to a five-length victory over William's Kitten in stakes-record time to win the $191,250 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs Nov. 28.
Kodiak Kowboy KO's Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile
Ridden patiently by Shaun Bridgmohan, Kodiak Kowboy swept past Bribon and Vineyard Haven in deep stretch to win the $300,000 Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct Nov. 28.
Haynesfield Impressive Discovery 'Cap Winner
Racing in graded stakes company for the first time since disappointing in the Gotham (gr. III) this spring, Haynesfield looked like a completely different 3-year-old this time around, as he took over approaching the quarter-pole and easily repelled odds-on favorite Gone Astray to win the $103,500 Discovery Handicap (gr. III) by 4 1/2 lengths Nov. 21 at Aqueduct.
Iroquois Opens Up for Thiskyhasnolimit
Overlooked Thiskyhasnolimit drove four wide through the homestretch under Shaun Bridgmohan to register his first stakes win by one length in the $120,800 Iroquois (gr. III) for 2-year-olds at Churchill Downs Nov. 1.
Dominguez Bags Four Stakes at Belmont
Ramon Dominguez rode four stakes winners Oct. 24 at rainy Belmont Park, including a three-quarters of a length victory by Haynesfield in the $250,000 Empire Classic.
Rachel Alexandra Back at Churchill Downs
Leading Horse of the Year candidate Rachel Alexandra returned to her home base at Churchill Downs Oct. 7 and settled into familiar surroundings in trainer Steve Asmussen's Barn 38 following a long van ride from Saratoga, where she spent much of the summer and the early days of fall.
Soul Warrior, Regal Ransom Duel in Super 'D'
Soul Warrior has been installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite for the 30th running of the $750,000 Super Derby (gr. II) Sept. 19 at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City.
Asmussen Collects 5,000th Win
Trainer Steve Asmussen got his 5,000th training victory when Passion Rules won the 7th race at Woodbine Sept. 11
Countdown to the Cup: Rachel Rocks the Spa
Rachel Alexandra provided one of the great moments in the history of Saratoga when she scored a courageous head victory over older male rivals in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes Sept. 5.
Rachel Doing Well Day After Woodward
Standing outside his barn at Saratoga the morning of Sept. 6, trainer Steve Asmussen was still basking in the glow of Rachel Alexandra's historic victory in the $750,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) as he reported the filly came out of the race in good shape.
Hot Dixie Chick Makes Bold Statement
Odds-on favorite Hot Dixie Chick served notice that she is among the elite 2-year-old fillies in the land, as she put away a pair of rivals in upper stretch and glided home for a 1 3/4-length score in the $300,000 Spinaway (gr. I) Sept. 6 at Saratoga.
Rachel Holds Off Macho Again in Woodward
Rachel Alexandra cemented herself as one of the best fillies of all-time in a race for the ages, as she set a suicidal pace and then was all out under Calvin Borel to hold off a bold charge from Macho Again to win the $750,000 Woodward Stakes (gr. I) by a head in electrifying fashion Sept. 5 at Saratoga.
Western Smoke Wins Sapling, Just Like Sire
Western Smoke repeated a feat accomplished by his daddy 13 years ago, winning the $150,000 Sapling (gr. III) at Monmouth Sept. 5 for his third consecutive stakes score. Now, if the 2-year-old colt can go on to do what Smoke Glacken did in his sophomore season, he will really be in business.
Hot Dixie Chick the One to Catch in Spinaway
Rachel Alexandra will steal all the headlines, but she won't be the only heavily-backed filly Steve Asmussen sends out in a grade I race this weekend at Saratoga. The nation's leading trainer also has Grace Stables' Hot Dixie Chick going in the $300,000 Spinaway (gr. I) on Sept. 6, and the daughter of Dixie Union figures to receive much of the attention at the windows.
Luna Vega Runs Away With Molly Pitcher
Luna Vega overcame Spritely in the homestretch to post a mild surprise in the $223,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 30 for her second win in as many starts on the Monmouth Park main track.
Wiggins to Retire After Churchill Meet
After training horses for more three decades and having his career peak this year with the success of the sensational filly Rachel Alexandra, Hal Wiggins will ride off into the sunset of retirement at the end of Churchill Downs' fall meet in November.
'Earnest' Discussions on Rachel's Next Start
Rachel Alexandra breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.37 on a foggy Monday morning on the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Race Course, after which trainer Steve Asmussen said discussions would begin "in earnest" on where the filly would make her next start.
Quality Road Works, On Schedule For Travers
Quality Road, expected to be among the favorites for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I), turned in his first work since his record-setting victory in the Amsterdam (gr. II) Aug. 16 at Saratoga, covering six furlongs in 1:13.19.
Asmussen, Albarado Star at Charles Town
With his superstar Rachel Alexandra waiting to make her next start, another 3-year-old filly punctuated a big night for trainer Steve Asmussen when Four Gifts took the $250,000 Charles Town Oaks by a half-length over Royal Card. Four Gifts' win provided Asmussen and jockey Robby Albarado their third stakes win on Charles Town Races & Slots inaugural Race for the Ribbon night Aug. 15.
Four Gifts Takes Center Stage at Charles Town
Multiple graded stakes winner Four Gifts headlines the inaugural running of the $250,000 Charles Town Oaks, the feature race on Race for the Ribbon night to be held Aug. 15 at Charles Town Races & Slots.
Summer Bird Gallops; 'Rachel' in Great Shape
Looking ahead to a possible start on the grass in the fall, trainer Tim Ice had Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summer Bird galloped the morning of Aug. 12 over the Oklahoma turf course as part of his preparations for the $1 million Shadwell Travers (gr. I) Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course.
'Rachel' Breezes at Spa; Next Start Unknown
Preakness-winning filly Rachel Alexandra put in her first work at Saratoga Race Course the morning of Aug. 11 in preparation for her as-yet-to-be-determined next start, covering a half-mile in :50.72 under exercise rider Dominic Terry.
Rachel Back On Training Track at Saratoga
Stonestreet Stable's Rachel Alexandra was on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track Aug. 6 for a gallop and will return to the work tab next week, most likely Aug. 11, trainer Steve Asmussen said.
Countdown to the Cup: Three, two, one...Phht
A story about Rachel Alexandra seems out of place in a column about the Breeders' Cup, but who cares. That's between Jess Jackson and the Breeders' Cup decision makers. Even though there will be no launching of the Rachel rocket on Nov. 7, it's still fun to "count down" to the imaginary blast off.
Jim Dandy, Diana Stars Come Out in Good Shape
Stonestreet Stables and Gulf Coast Farms' Kensei, who powered home to a 2 1/4-length victory over Warrior's Reward in the Aug. 1 Jim Dandy (gr. II) came out of the race in good shape, according to trainer Steven Asmussen's assistant Larry Ulrich.
Kensei Much the Best in Jim Dandy
Kensei notched his second straight grade II score Aug. 1 in the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, as he pulled away from Warrior's Reward in the stretch for a convincing victory under Edgar Prado.
'Rachel' Heads Field of Seven in Haskell
Although Rachel Alexandra has been installed as the 4-5 favorite for the $1.25-million Haskell Invitational (gr. I) Aug. 2, she could face stiff competition from several of the six 3-year-old colts entered against her.
Hot Dixie Chick Romps in Schuylerville
Favored Hot Dixie Chick showed she was more than a speed freak in the $111,000 Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III), rating patiently just off the pace before grabbing the lead and then pulling away to a 6 1/4 length victory July 29, the opening day of the Saratoga meeting in upstate New York.
Attendance, Wagering Down at Lone Star Park
Lone Star Park ended its 2009 spring Thoroughbred meet, which was run from April 9 through July 26, with decreases in both attendance and handle.
Rachel Alexandra in Bullet Work at Saratoga
BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (gr. I) winner Rachel Alexandra worked five furlongs in 1:01.38 over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Racecourse July 13.
'Zero Tolerance' an Issue in Asmussen Case
Even after an eight-hour hearing July 7, the arguments still aren't over concerning a May 2008 drug positive for one of Eclipse Award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen's horses.
Rachel Alexandra Breezes Over Oklahoma Track
BlackBerry Preakness (gr. I) winner Rachel Alexandra breezed July 6 over the Oklahoma Training Track at Saratoga Race Course in her first workout since her record-setting victory in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) eight days ago.
Closeout Wins Locust Grove to End Downs Meet
Glen Hill Farm's homebred Closeout coasted to a three-length victory over Gloria Goodbody to win the 28th running of the $114,900 Locust Grove Handicap (gr. III) to close out the 45-day Spring Meet at Churchill Downs.
Rachel Takes Up Summer Residence at Saratoga
Scarcely 12 hours after her record-setting victory in the Mother Goose (gr. I) June 27 at Belmont Park, Rachel Alexandra stepped onto a van that carried her up the Northway to Saratoga Race Course, which will be the base for her summer campaign.
'Rachel' Sets Stakes Record in Mother Goose
Rachel Alexandra faced only two opponents in the $300,000 Mother Goose (gr. I) June 27 at Belmont Park but the sensational filly put on a dazzling display anyway, setting a stakes record while romping by nearly 20 lengths under Calvin Borel.
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