Asmussen thrilled by son Keith's college graduation

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Steve Asmussen was still riding a wave of emotion Monday morning on the Churchill Downs backside, and it had nothing to do with horse racing.

Asmussen had returned to Louisville the previous evening from Austin, Texas, where on Sunday the oldest of his three sons, Keith, had taken part in graduation ceremonies from the University of Texas. Keith Asmussen now has a bachelor’s degree in finance.

“I attended my first-ever college graduation,” said his beaming father. “It was so great, so nice, so exciting.”

Keith Asmussen, 22, already has outgrown his brief riding career, having won six races from 61 mounts before he stopped last August. Although he’s still spotted occasionally at a racetrack near you, he will mostly keep himself busy the coming year when seeking to complete ongoing work on a master’s degree.

Meanwhile, Steve Asmussen is plotting his next waves of success in a Hall of Fame training career that through Sunday had him just 101 wins away from tying the late Dale Baird’s all-time record of 9,445. He’ll have plenty of action at Churchill and Lone Star Park this coming weekend, and then it will be on to Belmont Park, where he’ll run stable stars such as Jackie’s Warrior in the Woody Stephens and Silver State in the Metropolitan Mile on the June 5 Belmont Stakes undercard.

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As for other Asmussen standouts, Mighty Mischief, winner of the Chick Lang on Preakness Day at Pimlico, won’t run again until the Quick Call or Amsterdam at Saratoga. Super Stock, the Arkansas Derby winner, runs Monday in the Texas Derby after finishing 16th in the May 1 Kentucky Derby. And no specific race has yet been decided for the 4-year-old sprinter Yaupon, who now has had three recent works at Churchill after “being a little off his feed out of quarantine” upon returning from the March 27 Dubai Golden Shaheen, said Asmussen.

The New York-bound Asmussen contingent is set to leave Churchill by van on Tuesday, June 1.

◗ Tyler Gaffalione has surged to the top of the Churchill jockey standings after riding 10 winners here last week. Gaffalione, who won riding titles at six different meets on the Kentucky circuit in 2020, holds a 23-18 lead over Florent Geroux.

◗ Eddie Kenneally is just two away from reaching the 1,000-win milestone after Black Kettle was an easy winner here Saturday for the veteran trainer. Kenneally ran his first winner in 1993.

◗ Masqueparade breezed Friday in his first work since earning a career-high 97 Beyer in a Kentucky Derby Day allowance romp. The Upstart colt goes next in the June 26 Ohio Derby, said trainer Al Stall Jr.

◗ Brian Lynch wore a stylish hat for a pre-race television interview Sunday prior to Town Avenger ($9) rallying to win at first asking under Drayden Van Dyke. “That’s my betting hat,” Lynch joked Monday.