HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Steve Asmussen raced part of his large stable at Gulfstream Park in 2003 and 2004, but not last year. And he didn't plan on doing so this year, until Hurricane Katrina wreaked its havoc and destruction on New Orleans on Aug. 29.
"We're back in Florida only because Fair Grounds is closed," said Asmussen, who has about 34 horses at the nearby Palm Meadows training center. "The horses we brought, they're some of our best, so we can't have afford to have their training disrupted by the track freezing or having to wait until 10 or 11 in the morning to train."