Labor Department sues trainer Asmussen, stable over wages

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Trainer Steve Asmussen is being sued by the U.S. Labor Department, which alleges his stable didn't pay overtime since at least 2012 to grooms and hot walkers who worked more than 40 hours in a week.

The federal lawsuit filed last week in Louisville accuses Asmussen and KDE Equine of violating federal wage law and also says two employees were improperly treated as exempt from overtime. The lawsuit seeks back wages and contends the stable didn't keep proper wage and hour records.

Asmussen's lawyer, Clark Brewster, says his client is confident the regulations were met and no one was underpaid.

The lawsuit says KDE agreed to pay $29,095.97 in back wages in a similar case in New York.

Last year, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission found neither Asmussen nor assistant Scott Blasi violated rules of racing after an investigation by a worker for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

PETA said Tuesday that it filed a complaint last year with the Labor Department and other agencies over the wages issue.

Asmussen has been one of the nation's leading thoroughbred trainers over the past 15 years.