Churchill: A man and his horse

I think its fair to say that some people see trainer Steve Asmussen in a negative light. Asmussen does have a temper, and he can be harsh. But just so you know: Looking down onto the racetrack after the La Troienne, I watched as Asmussen approached Rachel Alexandra, just defeated after another performance nothing like her 2009 peak. You could see his eyes give her a once over to make sure nothing was amiss, and then he approached the filly. Asmussen patted her between the eyes, caressed her head, and then leaned down and kissed her. Who knows - maybe he was just thinking of the eyes on him, maybe it was all for show. Granted, I was six floors up. But it seemed real. Rachel walked off, back toward the stables, her head held low. She looked tired. It was hard not to feel a littel sad.