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Asmussen Gobbles Up Five Thanksgiving Day Wins At Churchill Downs

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen found another way into the record books.

Asmussen, the 56-year-old who collected win No. 9,446 on Aug. 7 at Saratoga to become North America's all-time win-leader among trainers, saddled what is believed to be a record five winners on a single card at Churchill Downs on Thanksgiving Day.in Louisville, Ky.

Records prior to 1991 are incomplete and no trainer had ever won more than four races in a day at the Louisville track since then. There have been eight four-win days since 1991 including five by Asmussen: Asmussen (July 4, 2004), Todd Pletcher (May 5, 2006), Asmussen (June 16, 2007), Asmussen (July 7, 2007), Kenny McPeek (Oct. 26. 2008), Mike Maker (June 2, 2013), Asmussen (May 4, 2019) and Asmussen (June 27, 2020).

On Thursday, Asmussen won with Generator ($5.60), Front Street ($2.80), Regal Retort ($6.60), Treaty of Paris ($21) and All in Sync ($5.80). He had a chance to add to his record in Race 10 but Dr. Jack finished sixth as the 2-1 favorite.

Asmussen, who is atop the Fall Meet trainer standings with 18 wins, is Churchill Downs' all-time win-leader with 819 victories and he is poised to collect his record-extending 25^th Churchill Downs training title when the 21-day meet concludes Sunday.

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Marc Holiday Appointed Interim Chair Of NYRA Board As Michael Del Guidice Retires

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the retirement of Michael Del Giudice from the NYRA Board of Directors. The Executive Committee of the NYRA Board has appointed Marc Holliday to serve as interim chair in advance of a full meeting of the NYRA Board scheduled for December 16.

Michael Del Giudice joined the NYRA Board in 2003 and was appointed Chairman in 2017. From 2015 to 2017, he acted as Chairman of the NYRA Reorganization Board of Directors. During his tenure, NYRA returned to sound financial footing and improved the quality, safety, and integrity of its racing operations. Under the leadership of Mr. Del Giudice, NYRA completed a series of significant capital improvement projects to improve the fan experience and modernize racing, training and backstretch facilities at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

Beginning in 2013, NYRA embarked on a multi-year campaign to upgrade residential facilities for the backstretch community at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. The level of investment, made to transform existing residential spaces and design and construct new buildings, was unprecedented in NYRA's history. The commitment of Mr. Del Giudice and the NYRA Board of Directors has allowed for the construction of new dormitories at Belmont Park and the renovation of more than 100 residential buildings at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

Appointed to the NYRA Board in 2014, Marc Holliday has chaired the NYRA Equine Safety Committee since 2015. He is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SL Green Realty Corp (NYSE: SLG), which is New York City's largest owner of office properties. Holliday has served as the SLG CEO since 2004 and became Chairman of the Board in 2019. A graduate of Lehigh University, Mr. Holliday earned a master's in real estate development from Columbia University.

A prominent horse owner and breeder, Mr. Holliday founded Blue Devil Racing Stable in 2006. Most notable among a number of Blue Devil stakes winners is the homebred Come Dancing, who won the Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina, Grade 2 Ruffian, Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap and Grade 3 Distaff Handicap in 2019 on the NYRA circuit. The popular mare added the Grade 2 Honorable Miss to her ledger last year and is now retired as a broodmare in-foal to Into Mischief.

The organizational structure of the NYRA Board of Directors was established in 2017 according to legislation enacted through the FY 2018 New York State budget, which returned majority control of NYRA back to the not-for-profit organization and dissolved the temporary NYRA Reorganization Board established by the New York State Legislature in 2012.

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Brad Cox Named Winner Of Big Sport Of Turfdom Award

The Turf Publicists of America (TPA) announced Wednesday that the 2021 Big Sport of Turfdom award, which recognizes a person or group of people who enhances coverage of Thoroughbred racing through cooperation with media and racing publicists, will be presented to trainer Brad Cox.

A Louisville, Native, Cox, grew up a few blocks from Churchill Downs and his father began taking him to the track when he was four or five. He got his first job as a hot walker at 13, then worked as a groom for trainers Burt Kessinger and Jimmy Baker. He was an assistant trainer to Dallas Stewart for five years before starting his own stable at age 24.

Cox's star has risen in recent years and the 41-year-old trainer was voted Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Trainer for 2020, and as an encore won the 2021 Belmont Stakes (G1) with Essential Quality and the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) with Knicks Go, and as of this writing he leads all North American trainers in earnings with nearly $30 million in purses.

“What a year it's been for Brad Cox. Whenever there was a big race to cover, it was odds-on that a horse from his barn would be one to talk about,” TPA President Wendy Davis said. “Brad's generosity with his time, allowing his story, as well as his horses' stories to be shared with the fans of our sport is the epitome of what the award stands for. We congratulate Brad on his incredible 2021 racing season that includes the victory by Knicks Go in the Breeders' Cup Classic as well as being chosen by the members of the Turf Publicists of America as the Big Sport of Turfdom.”

The Big Sport of Turfdom award will be presented to Cox at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program's annual awards luncheon on Dec. 7. The luncheon is part of the 2021 Symposium on Racing & Gaming at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Ariz. As there was no Symposium held in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions, 2020 Big Sport winner, trainer Tom Amoss, will he honored at the same time

“I am honored to receive this award,” Cox said. “It is especially meaningful given the list of previous winners.”

The luncheon is included in registration fees for the symposium. Additional information about the luncheon may be obtained by contacting TPA Secretary/Treasurer Dave Zenner.

The Big Sport of Turfdom has been presented annually since 1966. This is the first time Cox has won the award.

Previous winners include jockeys Mike Smith, Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Bill Shoemaker, Angel Cordero Jr., Eddie Arcaro and Gary Stevens; trainers Art Sherman, D. Wayne Lukas and Jack Van Berg; and other individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport, such as Secretariat's owner, Penny Chenery, a two-time winner; announcer Tom Durkin, author Laura Hillenbrand, broadcaster Jim McKay, Turf writer Joe Hirsch and actors Tim Conway and Jack Klugman.

A complete list of past Big Sport of Turfdom winners can be found online at http://www.turfpublicists.com/awards.html.

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Edgard Zayas’ Nine Wins Earn Jockey Of The Week Title

Edgard Zayas put an exclamation point on Gulfstream Park's Inaugural Fall Meet with another leading rider title earning him Jockey of the Week for Nov. 15 through Nov. 21. The honor, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

Zayas began the week extending his lead in the standing with a 4-win day on Thursday. Zayas swept the early double for trainers Eddie Plesa, Jr. and Saffie Joseph, Jr. He went on the post wins in races four and six also for Saffie Joseph, Jr. who won the leading trainer title at the Fall Meet.

Zayas continued accumulating wins on Friday for trainers Antonio Sano and Saffie Joseph, Jr. in races six and eight respectively. Saturday, trainer Darien Rodriguez gave a leg up to Zayas in race nine and on Closing Day Sunday, the Saffie Joseph, Jr. and Zayas duo combined to win two races.

A 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Zayas dominated the standings finishing with 43 wins, 14 more than his nearest rival and more than $1.2 million in purses. Zayas also won the leading rider title during Gulfstream Park's Spring/Summer Meet.

“I'm really happy and blessed. I'm really appreciative of all the opportunities I get from the owners and trainers,” Zayas said to the Gulfstream Park media. “The quality of horses in South Florida this time of year is getting better and I've been getting on some nice horses. Hopefully there are some big things coming up.”

Zayas is looking to improve on last year's 5th place finish during the Championship Meet at Gulfstream which begins on Friday, Dec. 3.

“I'm looking forward to the Championship Meet. I'm super, super excited,” said Zayas.

Zayas's weekly statistics were 26-9-3-5 for an in-the-money percentage of 65.3 and $228,750 in total purses.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were David Cabrera also with nine wins, Sonny Leon who posted the most wins with 10, Joel Rosario who won the G3 Chilukki at Churchill Downs and Pedro Terrero with an in-the-money percentage of 64.7

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