Among the major outfits that will be stabled at Ellis Park this meet is new Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
 Asmussen’s 7,338 career victories through Friday trail only the late Dale Baird’s 9,445 among trainers. His $234.7 million in purses ranks No. 4 all time. The trainer’s 158 victories this year — No. 2 nationally behind Karl Broberg’s 205 — includes the Belmont Stakes and Arkansas Derby with Creator and the Louisiana Derby with Gun Runner. Asmussen had 15 horses entered at five tracks in four states Saturday, though he scratched one of two running on Ellis’ opening card.
 The 50-year-old Texan in recent years has had a larger presence at Indiana Grand and would ship horses over from Churchill Downs to run at Ellis. But the more lucrative pots Ellis is offering this summer is a game-changer, with most of his 30 Ellis-bound horses already on the grounds. Many came from Indiana Grand.
“It’s been 10, 15 years or better,†Asmussen said of the last time he had a division stabled at Ellis. “I don’t want to date myself, but it’s been awhile.
“Obviously supplementing the purses is attractive. I’ve got several horses that are ready to run, and it’s a pretty good financial opportunity for them at Ellis. The higher purses will help the better races fill.â€
Asmussen headed into Saturday night’s closing Churchill Downs card still mathematically in the hunt to win the training title, his 14 wins through Friday five behind co-leaders Mike Maker and Mark Casse. But Asmussen, who was to run six horses at Churchill, easily leads for the most seconds at 25, the next highest being Maker’s 15.
Playing those runners-up will be a big betting angle wherever they run next, though you probably won’t get much price.
“I cannot believe the 25 seconds I have, and 20 of them are by a half-length or less,†Asmussen said. “It’s just ridiculous. I mean, we had six horses the week before last that I guarantee you were less than a neck back.
“I will have had a great meet no matter what, especially also winning the Belmont,†said Asmussen, who on April 25 was announced as being inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. “If we win the Bashford Manor (with Tip Tap Tapizar) and Debutante (Tricky One), it will be an almost-perfect meet.â€
The almost reference? He was third in the Kentucky Derby with Gun Runner.
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Another prominent Churchill Downs-based trainer expecting to have a sizable presence is Brad Cox, who ultimately expects to have 15 or 20 horses at Ellis in addition to full strings in Louisville and at Saratoga.
“We paid the stall rent at Keeneland (for off-season training), so we’re going to utilize that until we can’t anymore,†he said. “But we’ll take some down there in a few weeks.â€
Shots fired!: Coady Photo sponsoring contest for a cause
 It started out with a tweet announcing that Joe Kristufek will make daily selections for Ellis Park on Brisnet.com: “To play @EllisParkRacing without @JoeyDaKRacing picks is a handicap, not handicapping.â€
“Unless you’ve got my picks,†came the quick response from Megan Devine (@MissMeganDevine), new paddock analyst for the Ellis meet that began Saturday and runs through Sept. 5.
 “Shots fired!†chipped in C.J. Johnsen (@CeeJayJohnsen), racing manager for Kentucky Downs, which markets Ellis’ simulcasting product.
Thus was the inspiration for Coady Photography to sponsor the Ellis Park Independence Day Smackdown, a charity competition whose first three recruits were Kristufek, Devine and Johnsen. They’ll be joined by Ellis Park president Ron Geary, Ellis announcer Jimmy McNerney (@JimmyMcNerney) and Horse Racing Radio Network’s Jude Feld (RaceHorseReport).
The six handicappers will make selections for a $2 win and place bet on one horse in each race on Monday’s special July 4 card. Their selections will be posted early Monday morning at facebook.com/CoadyPhotography and @CoadyPhoto on Twitter, with standings updated throughout the day.
Coady Photography, America’s leading track photographer whose 29 client tracks include Ellis Park, will pay $500 to the charity of choice for the handicapper ending the day with the largest mythical money.
“C.J. is the one who started it by saying ‘shots fired,’†said Kurtis Coady, the third-generation track photographer who has been president of the family-owned Coady Photography since 2007. “And if there’s one thing Coady Photography knows something about, it’s taking shots. We just decided to create a light-hearted smack day, like a battle royale of handicappers going into Ellis Park, making a fun event for a good cause.â€
The charities potentially benefitting are: Aubrey Rose Foundation (Jimmy McNerney), Ellis Park chapter of Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy (Ron Geary), Kosair Children’s Hospital (Joe Kristufek), Old Friends (Megan Devine), Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (C.J. Johnsen), and Race for Education (Jude Feld).
Former Ellis champ Borel visits Churchill Downs
Retired Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel, whose two Ellis Park riding titles are one fewer than his Kentucky Derby triumphs, has been in Louisville the few days visiting friends and staying with trainer Buff Bradley.
Borel, whose 5,146 victories rank No. 27 all-time, retired suddenly in late March, telling his agent it was just time in a career that began in 1983 and included fracturing almost every bone in his body at one time or another. But Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, between saying hi to old friends and ponying horses for Bradley, Borel did not discount that he might ride races again some day.
“I’ve just been chilling, taking my time, relaxing,†he said. “Eating. I’m feeling good. Sometimes I want to come back and ride, sometimes I don’t. I’ve got to give it six months, relax, and see what I want to do. And I’ll go from there. I’m just mingling around here. Same thing I did back home (in his native Catahoula, La.). I was home like three months with the family. And I’ve got so many friends here, from the last 20, 30 years.â€
Borel won riding titles at Ellis in 1995 and 2011. He won the Kentucky Derby aboard Street Sense (2007), Mine That Bird (2009) and Super Saver (2010), the only jockey to win America’s most famous race three times in four years.
Being Borel, his relaxing includes working. In fact, Bradley put him on a tractor to mow paddocks at his Franklin County farm. Upon hearing this, trainer Ron Moquett tweeted: “Calvin Borel mowed Buff Bradley’s grass yesterday. Problem was only the INSIDE got cut. #bo-rail #3timeDerbywinninyardman #stillhardworker.â€
