Erik Asmussen

8th-OP, 110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 5:32 p.m. Windancer Farm went to $1.05 million to acquire SKYFORGE (Gun Runner), the full-sister to MGISW and young sire Cyberknife, at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Dam Awesome Flower, herself an earner of over $556k on track, sold for $1.6 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2022 with Skyforge in utero. She's also responsible for another stakes horse in Bath House Row runner up Tapit Shoes (Tapit). Steve Asmussen will leg up son Erik for the debut. TJCIS PPS

Last year's OBS June topper Feminism (Curlin) became the latest 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' for her super-sire with a professional debut at Oaklawn Park Thursday. A $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling grad turned $975,000 OBS 2-year-old after breezing in :10, Feminism drew outside in a field of nine and broke nicely with the frontrunners to establish position as the pack sorted themselves out through the opening furlong. Sandwiched in a three-wide charge down the backstretch wtih Muskoka Katt (Vekoma) to her inside and Blondie'sincharge (Global Campaign) on the...

Steve Asmussen became the first trainer to win 11,000 races in North American when Beau Soleil won the eighth race at Remington Park Saturday night. Asmussen's night at Remington Park began with two quick victories in the second and third races, putting him at 10,999 North American wins before Beau Soleil clinched the milestone victory in the eighth race. The trainer's son, Erik Asmussen, rode all three winners. "I'm extremely proud and grateful to a lot of great help, great owners and great horses," Asmussen said. Asmussen has won an...

Obliteration (c, 2, Violence--I'mclassyandsassy, by Master Command), one of a debuting pair available at double digits for the reliable Steve Asmussen stable, ran away from a very promising group of 2-year-old males to become the afternoon's second 'TDN Rising Star', this one at Churchill Downs. A $200,000 purchase at this year's OBS March Sale--one of four horses bought out of the auction by the re-engaging Leland Ackerley--the bay colt was in front not long after the start and led for just short of a furlong before being displaced on the...

Towering over this competition on paper, 'TDN Rising Star' Booth dutifully got the job done with a one-length score over Epic Ride in Saturday's GIII Maryland Sprint Stakes. Breaking like a shot, the 4-5 choice was fortunate to get the jump on neighboring Concrete Glory (Bodemeister), who hesitated at the start and never got going as his six rivals raced down the backstretch. Narrowly ahead of a tightly-bunched trio, which headed by 3-2 second choice Epic Ride through an opening quarter in :23.30, the Steve Asmussen trainee was moving under...

In many respects, especially on the racetrack, it was a good year for the sport of horse racing. Controversies weren't the thorny issue they normally are and on the racetrack there were dozens of races that were memorable, some of the best we've seen in some time. That was the theme Thursday night at the 54th Eclipse Awards ceremony. The winners, the losers, and those who were there just to take in the show, made sure this would be a feel-good night about people who loved the sport and their...

Only a courageous runner-up effort behind 'TDN Rising Star' and 3-year-old male Eclipse finalist Fierceness (City of Light) in the GI Travers Stakes this past August stood between Brookdale Racing Inc, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and a perfect season in 2024. But the enormously talented dark bay filly was utterly dominant against her own sex in 2024 and became the first female since Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) in 2011 to take home the coveted Horse of the Year statuette...

Riding professionally since late 2023, Erik Asmussen took home the Eclipse as the nation's leading apprentice in 2024. The young rider collected his first jockey's title at the Grand Prairie, Texas track where he topped the standings with 48 wins. In his early twenties, Erik is the younger brother of fellow Oaklawn-based rider Keith J. Asmussen, but lest we forget that their father Steve rode and so did their grandfather Keith. Cash Asmussen had a celebrated career himself during the 1980s and 1990s, which included being named a five-time champion...

It's an interesting year when it comes to the Eclipse Awards, which will be announced next week. As always, there are the categories that are no-brainers where the winners should be unanimous. But there are several divisions this year that aren't so clear-cut, which will make for an interesting ceremony come Jan. 23. Here's a look at my ballot: Two-Year-Old Male: Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) Became the obvious pick after winning the 2024 GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Scary thing is that he might be no better than the third...

4th-Churchill Downs, $118,875, Msw, 9-26, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.98, ft, 2 lengths. PERFECT MAGIC (c, 2, Maclean's Music--You Asked {MGSP, $245,934}, by Yes It's True) made the most of his first spin on the dirt here at overlaid odds. Off at 10-1 from a 3-1 morning line, the bay colt veered in sharply from gate seven, bothering each of the rivals to his inside to varying degrees, but ultimately set up shop outside of Troubleshooting (Not This Time) through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.38. Narrowly in front passing...

Young jockeys Keith and Erik Asmussen, both sons of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, were each injured Saturday in separate races at Churchill Downs and Lone Star Park, respectively. Keith Asmussen was injured at about 12:47 p.m. ET in the 1st race at Churchill, a $10,000 claimer for fillies and mares three and up. The Equibase chart said his mount, Singsational (Audible) "was jostled between horses and squeezed back at the start, clipped a rival's hind heels and fell at the eleven sixteenths pole, then walked off." Singsational, who...

2nd-Lone Star, $33,000, Msw, 5-12, 2yo, 4 1/2f, :52.58, sy, 5 1/2 lengths. GLEE (f, 2, Honor A. P.--Red Tabby, by Bluegrass Cat), sent off at 9-2 for this soggy unveiling, pressed 2-1choice Big Rasee (Clearly Now) through a :22.36 opening quarter. Edging ahead of that rival after a :46.20 half, the Texas-bred filly gave the boys an education in humility as she rolled home a 5 1/2-length winner over the favorite. Firster Game Runner (Game Winner) was third. With the victory, Glee becomes the second winner for her freshman...