Churchill Downs unveils statue of Grayson Co. native John Asher

A statue of the late John Asher and Matt Winn was recently unveiled at Churchill Downs.

Churchill Downs Racetrack honored the legacy of Asher with a statue of the Grayson County native on the north side of the saddling paddock in the Plaza area.

The statue, sculpted by Louisville artist Raymond Graf, depicts Asher sitting on a horseshoe bench and talking with Matt Winn, who oversaw the early growth of the Kentucky Derby into America’s greatest race and died in 1949.

“For more than 40 years, Asher was the voice and face of horse racing and radio broadcasting in Kentucky,” Churchill Downs said in a statement. “He joined the Churchill Downs family in 1997 and served as Vice President of Racing Communications until his untimely passing on August 27, 2018.”

Asher graduated from Clarkson High School and got his start in media at the WHKG-WMTL studios. He later graduated from Western Kentucky University and was honored by the university with his induction into The Hall of Distinguished Alumni last year.

After joining Churchill Downs, Asher became the face of the legendary racetrack in his role as vice president of racing communications in 1999. Prior to that, he won five Eclipse Awards while providing horse racing coverage for radio stations in Louisville. He was also awarded the Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year award in 2006, and was bestowed the Charles W. Engelhard Award for excellence in media coverage from Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders.

He was working as the vice president of racing communications for Churchill Downs at the time of his death at age 62.

A stretch of Hwy 259 north from the William Thomason Byway, extending to the Breckinridge County line, was named in his honor in 2019.