Rachel's Trainer Disappointed?

[cpitt84]

Turns out, Steve Asmussen will not comment on Rachel's retirement. Asked three times, he would only comment on Haynesfield's race.

Pretty interesting.

What do you make of it?

http://blog.timesunion.com/horseracing/asmussen-wont-comment-on-rachel-alexandras-retirement/6145/

"Here is what he said the first time I asked him to comment on Rachel’s retirement:

“At the half-mile pole, I thought Haynesfield had a real good chance to win,” Asmussen said.

I asked him a second time.

“I thought Haynesfield ran a great race, it was our third Jockey Club Gold Cup win and I am proud of that,” he said.

And, one more time, I asked him.

“I thought Haynesfield ran great,” he said.

What is going on here?

~~read the rest at the above link~~

[Jasonm921]

I think there is more to this story than we know. All I know is that when Life at Ten cruised home a bunch of us looked at each other as if to say "she should have been here".

[depalma113]

What's going on?

Asmussen is pissed she was retired for no reason, but he knows Jackson is his bread and butter and he isn't going to be baited into making a statement that will cost him millions of dollars in future earnings.

[Fager Fan]

Maybe he thought the questions should be about his horse who just won a major G1. Maybe he was thinking of the owner of that horse.

Seems he was right. Where was the story from this writer about the win by Haynesfield? Instead, he wrote a story about Asmussen not answering his questions about Rachel - a non-story.

[Linny]

Uh, maybe Steve was a bit annoyed at not being asked to comment on the horse that just won a $750k G1 at 10f a month before the BC?

This reporter had all week to ask Steve about RA, but he waits until Haynesfield wins the Gold Cup and refuses to acknowledge the win, instead he sets his focus on RA. As important as RA has been to Steve, right now the focus in his barn is the hundreds that he still has and if I was the owner of Haynesfield, I'd be expecting alot of Steve and his staff in the coming weeks. I would hope that he's not sitting on a hay bale pining over Rachel and it appears that he is not.

The reporter messed up. He shouldn't have waited to talk to Steve about RA. He's in Albany and until Tuesday, the filly is in Saratoga. Why didn't he take care of this issue before. If I'm his editor, I'm pissed at the writer for not having "done" the RA story and put it to bed before the "Super Saturday" coverage.

[joanied]

I agree, the questions should have concerned Haynesfield, not Rachel...besides, it's obvious Assmussen isn't gonna say one wrod about Rachel's retirement... I suppose eventually the whole story will come out...when JJ is good and ready to say something more than rachel deserves this, yadda, yadda, yadda!!

[Robert Fischer]

Maybe he thought the questions should be about his horse who just won a major G1. Maybe he was thinking of the owner of that horse.
Uh, maybe Steve was a bit annoyed at not being asked to comment on the horse that just won a $750k G1 at 10f a month before the BC?
...

The reporter messed up.

on the money

[Stillriledup]

Wouldn't you be?