I know what the first guy to comment at the bottom of this will be saying: "Christine, have you been smoking your socks? Asmussen is the most successful cheating trainer of all-time, and for that he deserves the Hall of Fame? Who else do you have in mind, Tony Ciulla and Ernie Paragallo?"
While I voted against Asmussen for one Eclipse Award, I can't penalize him for a lifetime. Only four trainers--Dale Baird, Jack Van Berg, King Leatherbury and Hollendorfer--are ahead of him in wins, and only four--Wayne Lukas, Frankel, Pletcher and Bill Mott--have more purses. I have a friend named Kelly in Florida who says, "Never say never," but I'm still going to say that Baird and Leatherbury will never be enshrined because they were career claiming trainers. Pletcher isn't eligible until 2020, the year all eye doctors will savor. All the rest are in the Hall of Fame save Hollendorfer, who's now on the threshold.
The process works this way: All of the voters, about 180 strong, can offer suggestions on horses and horsemen to the 16-member nominating committee. The committee fills out a preliminary ballot, then meets for a lengthy conference call to determine who makes the final cut. Complicating the process is that the rules keep changing. For the second straight year, 10 are on the ballot--the three trainers; the jockeys John Velazquez, Garrett Gomez, Calvin Borel and Alex Solis; and the horses (all fillies as it turns out) Open Mind, Safely Kept and Sky Beauty--and voters can vote for as many as they want, mixing and matching any of the eligibles. But only the leading four vote-getters, regardless of category, can be enshrined. My 75-cent guess is that the three horses will get in, followed by a tossup for the final spot, with Hollendorfer and Velazquez the morning-line co-favorites.
Wheeler and Jones would seem to be in on a pass this time, having landed on the ballot at Asmussen's expense. Jones ranks 37th on the money list. His list of important horses is short--Best Pal, Turkoman and a few others. Combined, Wheeler and Jones won 2,800 races, about 1,800 fewer than Asmussen. Wheeler trained Silver Spoon, the filly who won the Santa Anita Derby, along with Track Robbery, Tompion and Bug Brush.
I e-mailed all 16 committee members, asking them about the absence of Asmussen. Of the three who responded, two requested anonymity. "Committee members are not asked to explain (their) vote," said Ed Bowen, former editor of The Blood-Horse and committee chairman, "so I cannot comment on why some (candidates) were nominated and some were not. . . There is no stated policy to give or deny preference to individuals who have come eligible for the first time."
Another committee member said that because of the 10-candidate restriction, others besides Asmussen were excluded. Other eligible horses that belong on the ballot include Ghostzapper, Ashado and Estrapade. It has been suggested to the Hall of Fame that the ballot be greatly expanded and that voters be allowed to vote, up or down, on all candidates, but a committee member said that the hall "wouldn't even listen to us on that one."
A committee member said that during the committee's long discussion about candidates, "No one brought up the number of suspensions Asmussen has had over the years. It was the feeling of some that Jones and Wheeler should be given one more chance, that Asmussen would have many chances down the road to get in."
I don't get the waiting business for someone who figures to be a first-ballot winner. Did I mention that besides his top-heavy numbers, Asmussen trained Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, who combined for three straight Horse of the Year titles? Since 2002, the far-flung Asmussen outfit has won 400 or more races every year, and twice topped 600, including the record 650 in 2009. Asmussen wins with horses at every level. On my ballot, I'd write his name in if I could.
05 Apr 2011 at 06:07 am | # If Steve Asmussen ever makes into the HOF, it will signal that ethics don't matter at all in horse racing and it should be scrapped as a sport. I know what all the horse players will say - it's not a sport, it's a gambling opportunity. But when you gamble, shouldn't you be able to do it with at least some idea that, while the trainers are looking for an advantage, they aren't stacking the deck illegally? To reward someone who has the history of violations that this trainer has is to say not only do we not care about the horse, but we don't care about the ones who support the sport either. There has to be a point when quantity doesn't count and if he isn't the poster child for that, other than Rick Dutrow, who is? And as far as training Curlin and Rachel, the years that those horses did so well, Mr. Asmussen inherited the job the previous trainers had done for them. They weren't as good after he had them for a while.
05 Apr 2011 at 07:07 am | # Don't interpret this comment as an endorsement for Steve Asmussen, because it is not. If he was on the ballot this year he would not get my vote. I'm also well aware not all improper drug/medication use can be caught by tests, so save the angry rebuttals. However, facts are facts, and ought to be known and considered by open-minded people. If you divide the number of starters Asmussen has had over his career by the number of medication positives adjudicated by various racing venues, his rate of violation per number of starters is almost identical to the entire body of Thoroughbred trainers in America. In short, Asmussen gets no more positive tests than the average trainer. As Casey Stengel used to say, you can look it up.
05 Apr 2011 at 07:40 am | # Change the rules, including barn security, or leave the guy alone; he has paid his dues, and continues to pay his debt to society for offenses, he may or may not have committed. My E.Q.U.I.N.E Rating system is devoid of the human factor, but all I know is it is comforting when I come up with a horse he is training. As President of H.A.P.P.Y (Horseplayers Against Pathetic Platitudes of Yesteryear), I urge everyone to never say "Never say Never." TTT
05 Apr 2011 at 08:25 am | # And the myth continues to be perpetuated by turf writers, supported by 'Racing's turf authority', Daily Racing Form. It is humanly impossible for Asmussen, Hollendorfer, and Pletcher to have trained the horses given credit for, as well as receiving the credit for purses won; they probably trained ten percent, if that! Yet, they can send divisions (a term used by turf writers) to other racetracks, the horses trained by assistants, and be given credit for the win and the purse. And, us lowlifes, who purchase the past performances are informed that Asmussen or Pletcher is the trainer of the horse in the current race, though they are thousands of miles away, and have been for months. There is one truth, though: the jockeys on the Hall of Fame ballot actually did ride the horses, and their number of rides and wins as shown in the past performances are correct. And the bias continues: "Baird and Leatherbury will never be enshrined as they are claiming trainers,". At the local OTB joint today, the topic of discussion no doubt will be the Hall of Fame selections, as was the topic awhile back about the Eclipse Awards, as the claiming horses go to post at Philly.
05 Apr 2011 at 09:17 am | # Nick, That said, why wouldn't you vote for Asmussen. Dick
05 Apr 2011 at 10:16 am | # Mr. Christine wrote: > Pletcher isn't eligible until 2020, the year all eye doctors will savor. ______________________ LOL very well. What should be eye-popping is that fact that Equibase continues to report (and credit) a singular person for training that is taking place all around the country. It is the local assistants that either produce the results or not. Why shouldn't Equibase be reporting under a nom-de-course the way they do with owners such as Team Valor or Repole Stables? Mr. Christine wrote: > Since 2002, the far-flung Asmussen outfit has won 400 or more races every year, and twice topped 600, including the record 650 in 2009. ________________________ When the past performances imply that "Steve Asmussen" is training the local barn at Delta Downs, Sam Houston, Santa Anita, Aqueduct, Fair Grounds this winter, well that is completely bogus. Statistics should reflect the actual training ability. In this case it does not. Therefore these tallies should not be used to bolster one's argument for voting on / against a trainer.
05 Apr 2011 at 10:33 am | # Not only does Asmussen not train the bulk of his "stable", I'd venture to guess he's never laid eyes on some of the horses listed as being under his care. But he does hire good assistants because his training "program" clearly works based on his high percentage at most every track where his stable competes.
05 Apr 2011 at 10:35 am | # Wendell. It's Parx. Not Philly
05 Apr 2011 at 10:49 am | # O.K., granted that his violation average is the industry standard (not sure if that's a plus for him or a minus for the industry), it is a valid point about the assistants. What Mr. Asmussen's record does show is that he is a good manager, along with Mr. Pletcher and all the other mega-trainers mentioned. What is being in the Hall of Fame supposed to mean? Is it supposed to mean that someone did a superb training job, even if that only had 10 horses at a time and trained them personally or mainly handled claimers or is it about the money and races won, even if the 'trainer' never even looked at some of those horses? To me, Hall of Fame should mean excellence - examples of the very best qualities, people or horses who have accomplished extra-ordinary feats. Does hiring a bunch of assistants and managing a large outfit fit that criteria?
05 Apr 2011 at 11:30 am | # Mr. Asmussen has at least 74 medication violations on record, including the use of clen Buterol (Ventipulmin), Ketovolec, Mepivivaine, acepromazine and hydroxylidocaine. The Vinery removed it's entire stable from him in 2008 due to medication issues. Even Mr. Jackson forbid him from using steroids on Curlin when Curlin was at the top of his game. I don't think it would be in the best interest of racing to let Mr. Asmussen obtain Hall of Fame status at this time.
05 Apr 2011 at 02:16 pm | # Gary Walker: It will always be 'Philly' to me. As I once informed Mr. Christine, everyone has a story to tell, or two, or three, or ten. About 1980, I was wheeling it home, midweek about 2:00 PM, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in a driving rain storm when out of the corner of my eye I saw a racetrack, Keystone. I had passed the exit but I hit the brakes. Today, thirty plus years later I think you can still see the tire marks just beyond the exit, going west to east; had to back up about a quarter mile. BTW, you horseplayers confined to stake races, trained by the usual suspects, did you all lower your standards and wager at Philly today? Have cash on the pick three at Philly (3rd - 5th). You all stick with your stake races please, while Pletcher, Mott, Dutrow, Zito, and Baffert laugh all the way to the bank; and, racetrack management, coast-to-coast, can't wait to provide them with another stake race with a six figure purse.
05 Apr 2011 at 04:14 pm | # gotigers1968, I'd be interested to know where you got those figures. I don't believe the ARCI has him for anywhere near that number. Dick, Because there are better candidates ahead of him.
05 Apr 2011 at 09:33 pm | # Nick Kling, The figure I referred to was from The Paulick Report, dated July 8, 2008. "According to the Association of Racing commissioners International database, Asmussen has a total of 74 rulings involving him, including a number of medication violations back to 1990." I stand corrected, and your are probably right about the actual number of medication violations, so thanks. Gotigers1968
06 Apr 2011 at 12:14 am | # Why all the fussin’ ‘bout Assmussen? Sounds like another ballot cycle is underway, but before we get to the phase where we consider who we don’t get to vote for, we have to go through the one where we discuss who we didn’t get a chance to not vote for. Horses belong in a Racing’s Hall of Fame. They can’t buy or luck their way in. They have to run their way in. Owners, trainers, and jockeys are only as qualified as the horses they’re connected to. I’m not saying they don’t reflect expertise and talent. I’ll even concede there’s justification for leading trainer/jockey/owner eclipse awards. But when the first qualification of a hall of famer is that he/she is not a hall of shamer, I think we can safely move on.
06 Apr 2011 at 11:36 am | # So if you want Steve Asmussen in the HOF - what about Rick Dutrow when he becomes eligible, will you write a pro - Dutrow column? How about Scott Lake? Probably not, for the same reasons as Asmussen shouldn't get in - drug positives. King Leatherbury deserves the call from the 'Hall' so much more than Asmussen.
07 Apr 2011 at 05:44 am | # Welcome to America, nation of drug addicts; people and horses. Wish the industry would just say no. If you don't know by now, I'm not one of those guys who throws around statistics, but if I told you the percentage of commercials that involves trying to peddle drugs, you might be shocked. Ban all drugs for horses, and commercials on TV designed to indoctrinate our society to take a pill when they burp, and make fat housewives, who really run the world, think it is the right thing to do. Barn security so tight you know when a farrier farts. Lip tatoos and pre-race drug screening for trainers, along with horses. I've said enough, and it is time for my Zoloft. TTT
15 Apr 2011 at 08:29 pm | # Great post, thanks for sharing.By the way, i would like to share other good website: http://www.bags-seach.com/ These are from the latest styles and fashion trends handbags, top level quality and reasonable price, welcome to visit it.