Chasing 10,000: Where will Asmussen reach milestone?

Photo: Robert Simmons / Eclipse Sportswire

It is not a matter of if. There is a little mystery about the when. The bigger question may be where. As in where will Steve Asmussen get his 10,000th training victory?

Almost exactly 1 1/2 years after he broke the North America record for career wins, Asmussen is on the verge of being the continent’s first trainer to reach five digits.

Asmussen had 9,992 victories going into Thursday, when two of his horses were entered in maiden races at Delta Downs. Another who was drawn into a maiden test at Fair Grounds was scratched.

He conceivably could reach the milestone Friday, when he had 13 horses entered at four tracks, six at Sam Houston, five at Oaklawn, one at Fair Grounds and one at Turfway.

With at least 15 more horses drawn onto Saturday cards and no fewer than six more Sunday, it seemed more likely Asmussen might reach the 10,000 plateau before the end of the weekend.

Since Asmussen broke Dale Baird’s North America record of 9,445 on Aug. 7, 2021, he has added 546 wins in the last 550 days. At that rate of almost exactly one per day, he would reach 10,000 late next week. But Asmussen clustered six wins into two days of racing Saturday and Sunday to raise his strike rate, so this weekend might not be out of the question.

Asmussen still trails Juan Suárez Villaroel for the world record in training wins. Suárez Villoroel, who is based in Perú, had 10,317 victories through Wednesday, according to the Página de Turf website that tracks international racing superlatives. If they were to keep winning at their current rates, Asmussen would break the world record in the summer of 2027.

These are the upcoming entries for Asmussen as reported by Equibase:

DayTrackRaceTypeHorseJockey
Thu.DeD  1Mdn clmgPratherJoel Dominguez
Thu.DeD  7MSWBelle ElenaJoel Dominguez
Fri.HOU  1Alw OCVillage WayStewart Elliott
Fri.HOU  2Mdn clmgIffy Asset ClassStewart Elliott
Fri.HOU  4MSWWithout a SongStewart Elliott
Fri.HOU  6MSWA Little Good NewsSahin Civaci
Fri.HOU  6MSWWish ItStewart Elliott
Fri.HOU  7ClmgJesuitStewart Elliott
Fri.OP  4MSWGold BaronKeith Asmussen
Fri.OP  4MSWTulsanIsaac Castillo
Fri.OP  7ClmgSono GratoKeith Asmussen
Fri.OP  8AlwChilenoRicardo Santana Jr.
Fri.OP  9Mdn clmgThorn CrownIsaac Castillo
Fri.TP  6Mdn clmgTexcocoJoseph Ramos
Fri.FG  7Alw OCSilver GalaxyRey Gutierrez
Sat.OP  3AlwBig CountryRicardo Santana Jr.
Sat.OP  4Alw OCLucky DeputyRicardo Santana Jr.
Sat.OP  7Alw OCSuper StockKeith Asmussen
Sat.OP  7Alw OCSilver ProspectorRicardo Santana Jr.
Sat.OP  8AlwClassic MomentKeith Asmussen
Sat.OP  9Dixie BelleTwirledIsaac Castillo
Sat.OP10MSWMontasticalRicardo Santana Jr.
Sat.HOU  3AlwCadeau de PaixGerardo Mora
Sat.HOU  3AlwOutliningStewart Elliott
Sat.HOU  4MSWAmaryllis KissStewart Elliott
Sat.HOU  8Alw OCFast TrackStewart Elliott
Sat.HOU10Alw OCPrincess PaulineStewart Elliott
Sat.FG  7Alw OCGet On the BusRey Gutierrez
Sat.FG  8Alw OCSonnemanBrian Hernandez Jr.
Sat.TP  7Alw OCPhantom RideWalter Rodriguez
Sun.OP  1Mdn clmgStay FabulousRicardo Santana Jr.
Sun.OP  6ClmgShip ItKeith Asmussen
Sun.OP  6ClmgMartique MissRicardo Santana Jr.
Sun.OP  7Mdn clmgDiscovery PeakRicardo Santana Jr.
Sun.HOU  2MSWSpoilerStewart Elliott
Sun.HOU  7AlwEagle ExpressStewart Elliott
Wed.DeD  6ClmgThoughtsandprayersJoel Dominguez

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