Jockeys Keith James Asmussen and Erik Asmussen were both named on horses Saturday at Oaklawn – and they’re not the first members of their family to ride on the same card. Back in the 1980s, their father, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, and their uncle, France’s five-time champion jockey Cash Asmussen, had mounts in the same race at Aqueduct. “It was the winter of 1982,” recalled Steve Asmussen, who had a brief riding career. “Cash was already in Europe. He came in and we actually rode in a race against each other. I’m just going to throw it out there he was mounted much better than I was!” :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Steve Asmussen, who would transition to training and go on to become the all-time leading trainer by wins in North America, is excited for his sons, who take after their father’s tall physique. “I thought they were too big early,” he said of riding careers. “They’ve shown a huge amount of discipline to maintain a rider’s weight at their height when they had options. It’s just love of the game.” Keith James, 25, has a Master’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas. Erik, 21, has been an owner of racehorses. Erik just recently started riding, with his first mounts coming in Kentucky, where he also rode on the same card as Keith James. “Erik will spend the first couple of weeks here and is considering going to Sam Houston,” said Steve Asmussen, who in addition to Oaklawn has a division of horses at the Sam Houston meet that opens Jan. 5. Oaklawn opened on Friday, and Keith James is back for a second season of riding at the meet after being based last season in Arkansas. Keith James is named for his grandfather Keith Asmussen, who also was a jockey. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.