LOUISVILLE, Ky. –  Longtime Churchill Downs spokesman John Asher, who died this summer at age 62, has been posthumously named the winner of the 2018 Big Sport of Turfdom, an award issued by the Turf Publicists of America annually to honor an individual or group who enhances Thoroughbred racing coverage. Prior to joining Churchill Downs, where he became vice president of racing communications, Asher was an award-winning radio journalist in Louisville, where he earned five Eclipse Awards for radio coverage, along with numerous other honors. However, it was his position at Churchill Downs where he became most recognizable, regularly serving as a moderator for Kentucky Derby events. “The TPA’s tagline is ‘telling great stories since 1951,’ and no one told horse racing’s stories better than John Asher,” TPA President Rhonda Norby said in a release. “The Big Sport of Turfdom award is about honoring a person who promotes the sport in cooperation with the media, and there is no one more deserving for this award than John.” The Big Sport of Turfdom will be presented to John’s wife, Dee, at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program’s Symposium on Racing and Gaming in Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, Dec. 4. “The way the racing community has embraced us since John’s passing has been truly humbling, and for him to be honored for doing what he loved so much means a lot,” Dee Asher said. “John would be thrilled with this recognition, especially coming from friends and colleagues in the industry.” The Big Sport of Turfdom, presented annually since 1966, was won last year by Penny Chenery, owner of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat and a two-time winner of the award. Other prior winners include trainers Art Sherman, D. Wayne Lukas, and Jack Van Berg; jockeys Mike Smith, Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Bill Shoemaker, Angel Cordero Jr., Eddie Arcaro, and Gary Stevens; and other individuals prominent in racing, such as announcer Tom Durkin, author Laura Hillenbrand, and broadcaster Jim McKay.