Steve Asmussen has won everything but the Kentucky Derby. Could Epicenter end the drought?

Winless in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Steve Asmussen says he briefly experienced the thrill of victory.

It came in 2011, when Nehro took the lead from Shackleford entering the stretch and Asmussen thought he was home.

“I didn’t see Animal Kingdom coming,” Asmussen said of the eventual winner. “I literally know what it feels like to think you’re going to win the Derby, but it didn’t happen.”

Asmussen has been chasing the Kentucky Derby crown since 2001 and is 0 for 23. It’s a dubious record for futility and has put Asmussen at or near the top of the conversation of “Best Trainer Never to Win the Kentucky Derby.”

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In August, he became the all-time winningest trainer in North American history and ranks No. 1 all-time at a handful of tracks, including Churchill Downs. He’s won the Preakness, the Belmont and several Breeders’ Cup races and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2016.

The garland of roses is about all that’s eluded him in a 36-year career as a trainer.

“It’s a big hole; he wants to fill it,” said horse owner Ron Winchell, a longtime partner of Asmussen’s. “We’ve come here eight times together, and he’s come here a bunch of other times. He’s won pretty much every other race … so this is one you definitely want to win. If you’re in the business, this is it.”

Epicenter may be Derby favorite

Winchell owns Epicenter, the horse he believes can finally end Asmussen’s Kentucky Derby drought May 7 at Churchill Downs.

A son of Not This Time, Epicenter won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 26 and is expected to be the Kentucky Derby favorite — a status never achieved by an Asmussen trainee.

“I’m not looking to change places with anybody,” Asmussen said. “I feel Epicenter, up to a mile and 3/16, is as fast as any horse going in, if not fastest.”

Epicenter was bought by Winchell for $260,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He broke his maiden last November at Churchill and then spent his winter at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, winning three races and finishing second in another.

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Asmussen calls Epicenter “a beautiful mover.”

“He’s just a really attractive horse that’s very physical,” Asmussen said. “He takes everything he does with a great amount of ease. He’s always maintained a very forward step. From last fall to him arriving here (in the spring), you can tell the difference in his confidence level and demeanor. … He looks a lot more mature and confident.”

Others have taken notice.

“Nice horse; he’s done nothing wrong,” said rival trainer Brad Cox, whose Zozos finished second to Epicenter in the Louisiana Derby. “He had an incredible winter, huge résumé with running in four races (at Fair Grounds). … He’s definitely one of the top 3-year-olds this year heading into the Derby.”

'We're going to keep at it'

Asmussen, 56, took out his license in 1986 and first competed in the Kentucky Derby in 2001, finishing ninth with 43-1 shot Fifty Stars.

The majority of his 23 starters have been long shots, but he has enjoyed a handful of top contenders. Curlin went off as the 5-1 second choice in 2007 but finished third behind Street Sense.

“Curlin gave you so much confidence,” Asmussen said. “You just try to temper your excitement and not say anything ridiculous, but I never dreamed he’d get beat. It felt like the walk over for Curlin’s Derby took three strides, and the walk back felt like the Sahara Desert.”

There was the near-miss with Nehro in 2011 and with 33-1 shot Lookin At Lee, who rallied up the rail to finish second behind Always Dreaming in 2017. Gun Runner, who would become Asmussen’s most accomplished horse, hadn’t fully developed in 2016 and finished third in the Kentucky Derby.

Both Asmussen and Winchell noted Epicenter’s numbers are better than Gun Runner’s at this point of their careers.

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“It’s hard to compare anything to Gun Runner,” Winchell said. “Over time, Gun Runner got better and better and better. We hope Epicenter does a little bit of the same. I think he’s in a great spot.”

Whether its karma or a nod to the “racing gods,” Asmussen often talks about race outcomes being “meant to be.” He said becoming the all-time leading trainer in North America forced him to reflect and better appreciate his success.

Whether it’s meant for Asmussen to win a Kentucky Derby, who knows. Perhaps Epicenter will be the one to give him more than a fleeting sense of victory.

“I’m good at getting here,” he said. “Some of them weren’t fast enough. I’ve had horses it wasn’t meant to be. Who knows what all of the reasons are, whether they didn’t run their best races that day or they were never good enough. I do love being a part of it and enjoy and appreciate every opportunity we’ve been given.

“I’m a horse trainer. We’re not smart enough to give up. We’re going to keep at it.”

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2022: Can Epicenter end Steve Asmussen's drought?