Asmussen jnr landed his 64th career victory at Oaklawn Park on Saturday – one more than his dad, who trained the go-ahead winner Hern … and brother Erik was also riding in the same race
USA: Jockey Keith Asmussen recorded his 64th career victory in Saturday’s opener at Oaklawn, eclipsing the total achieved by his father, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, during his own brief riding career.
Keith Asmussen, fittingly, reached the milestone on a horse trained by his father, Hern, a 4-1 shot who won the a mile-and-a-sixteenth claimer by 2¼ lengths. “Couldn’t be more excited for today and the rest of the meet,” said the jockey, who did not wait long before adding another victory as he won the seventh race on 21-1 longshot Billy Jack – also trained by his dad!
A new Asmussen rides into town: aspiring jockey Keith is the latest in a famous racing dynasty
According to Equibase, Steve Asmussen rode 63 winners in 1982-1984. He turned to training after he became too heavy to ride.
Keith Asmussen, 25, launched his full-time riding career in late 2022 after earning a master’s degree in professional accounting earlier in the year from the University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business.
Hern represented Keith Asmussen’s 57th victory this year. He rode six winners in 2020 and one in 2022; he rode 25 winners to finish ninth in the 2022-2023 Oaklawn standings. Asmussen’s younger brother, Erik, 21, made his Oaklawn riding debut in Saturday’s first race and finished sixth aboard What A Country for his father. It was his fifth career mount.
“It was awesome to get to ride with my brother,” added Keith Asmussen.
Steve Asmussen, Oaklawn’s all-time leading trainer, conditions Hern for Oklahoma-based L & N Racing (Lee Levinson, et al).
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