2020 Eclipse Awards: Steve Asmussen

Having horses for major Saturday races at, say, Saratoga, gives a trainer a chance to win an Eclipse Award. Having horses for minor weekday races in Oklahoma, in Arkansas and Kentucky, in Texas and Indiana, can get a trainer 422 wins in a season. One trainer – and only one trainer – in North America plays both games.

That person is Steve Asmussen, and Asmussen, winning races from the bottom of the class ladder to the very top rung, is an Eclipse Award finalist for 2020.

Asmussen’s far-flung stable not only topped the continent with 422 wins during the season, but it hauled in more than $20 million in purses, tops during the year by more than $1 million.

Asmussen trained five Grade 1 winners to six Grade 1 wins, the crack 2-year-old Jackie’s Warrior, an Eclipse finalist himself, a winner of two such races, the Runhappy Hopeful and the Champagne.

:: Full list of 2020 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

Asmussen’s highest-level runner on the year didn’t win a Grade 1, but Midnight Bisou did travel to Saudi Arabia in February to make a strong run for second in the $20 million Saudi Cup. Midnight Bisou romped in the Fleur de Lis making her first start after the Middle East trip, then lost to Vexatious in the Personal Ensign and was retired.

Asmussen’s 17 graded wins ranked fourth nationally and be sure that none of the three trainers with more victories in that category also won 81 races with claiming horses racing for a tag of $10,000 or less. Asmussen’s stable during 2020 sent out 169 different horses to win a maiden race.

Maybe it was a Thursday at Remington, maybe it was Travers Day – Steve Asmussen continued playing this game like no one else.