One of the most iconic personalities in horse racing and a man that helped transform the face of the industry over the past half a century, D. Wayne Lukas passed away at his home in Louisville Saturday night from complications from a severe infection. He was 89.
Lukas is survived by wife Laurie, grandchildren Brady Wayne Lukas (Dani) and Kelly Roy (David) and great grandchildren Johnny Roy, Thomas Roy, Walker Wayne Lukas and Quinn Palmer Lukas.
A statement from Lukas's family released Sunday, read, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, grandfather, and great-grandfather, D. Wayne Lukas, who left this world peacefully yesterday evening at the age of 89, surrounded by family.
“Wayne devoted his life, not only to horses, but to the industry–developing generations of horsemen and horsewomen and growing the game by inviting unsuspecting fans into the winner's circle. Whether he was boasting about a maiden 2-year-old as the next Kentucky Derby winner or offering quiet words of advice before a big race, Wayne brought heart, grace, and grit to every corner of the sport.
“His final days were spent at home in Kentucky, where he chose peace, family, and faith. As we grieve at his passing, we find peace in knowing he is now reunited with his beloved son, Jeff, whose memory he carried in his heart always.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from all corners of the racing community–from racetracks across the country to lifelong friends and respected rivals, and from fans who never missed a post parade when 'Lukas' was listed in the program.”
A private service will be held for immediate family, with a larger celebration of life to follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Oaklawn or Churchill Backside Chaplaincy or the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
Lukas registered his final career victory on at Churchill Downs June 12 with 4-year-old Tour Player, who was quite fittingly transferred to Lukas by his close friend and fellow Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, whose wife Jill owned the son of American Pharoah.
During his meteoric ascent through the 1980s and 90's, the public became very well acquainted with Lukas's celebrity image–highlighted by his trademark aviators, expensive suits and his legendary silver tongue. He held court with the rich and famous, presided over the press like a seasoned politician and at times, turned that silver tongue into a bull whip, lashing back at the often all-consuming and singularly-motivated media. But while he was taking the racing world by storm, flashing that thousand-watt smile after systematically dismantling the nation's toughest competition, Lukas also faced some of the greatest adversity a person could face. Through the highest of highs and most abysmal of lows, Lukas always appeared to move with intensity and purpose.
Among his numerous accomplishments, he collected 15 Classic victories–including four Kentucky Derbies (he won six straight Classics; won all three Classics in 1996 with a different horse). Only behind Baffert (17) in number of Classic wins, Lukas recorded his most recent Triple Crown victory in last year's GI Preakness Stakes with Seize the Grey (Arrogate).
Additionally, Lukas holds a record-equaling 20 Breeders' Cup championships victories, and has trained 26 Eclipse Award winners including three Horse of the Year winners–Lady's Secret (1986), Criminal Type (1990) and Charismatic (1999). Earning four Eclipse Awards as leading trainer (1985-87 and 1994), Lukas surpassed fellow Hall of Famer Charlie Whittingham as the all-time leading money winner in 1988, and was the first trainer whose horses earned more than $100 million (and later $200 million) in purse money. To date, he amassed over $300-million in earnings, in addition to having garnered 4,967 wins, ranking him sixth behind earnings leader and former assistant, Todd Pletcher. The leading North American trainer in earnings on 14 occasions, he was inducted into the National Museums of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1999.
Lukas's roster of past Thoroughbred champions, Classic heros and Grade I winners includes a veritable who's who of racing's elite: Effervescing, Terlingua, Codex, Althea, Capote, Tank's Prospect, Serena's Song, Landaluce, Thunder Gulch, Timber Country, Tabasco Cat, Winning Colors, Lady's Secret, Criminal Type, Charismatic, Grindstone, Twilight Ridge, Family Style, Life's Magic, Capote, Success Express, Sacahuista, Open Mind, Is It True, Gulch, Steinlen (GB), Flanders, Boston Harbor, Cat Thief, Cash Run, Commendable, Spain, Orientate, Folklore. While Lukas's horsemanship, discipline and dedication gave his contemporaries something to respect and, even fear, it was the early lessons learned along the bush tracks of Wisconsin that molded him into the man that would eventually change the modern face of racing.
Lighting the Fire
Born on Sept. 2, 1935, Darrell Wayne Lukas grew up on his family's 10-acre farm, located just outside of Antigo, Wisconsin. Lukas didn't appear to be poised for a career in the horse racing industry, much less a place in racing's Hall of Fame. With no ties to the horse industry within at least five generations of his family tree, he was the second of three children to, Ted Lukas–a son of Czechoslovakian immigrants– drove heavy construction equipment and delivered milk, and his mother Bea, descended from English and Irish ancestors who had migrated to Wisconsin from Lexington.
Honing his skills as a future entrepreneur, the young Lukas delivered papers aboard his white pony, Queenie, and sold rabbits on Antigo's Main Street and planted (and harvested) string beans on land leased from his uncle. His passion for the four-legged creatures flourished, and by the time he was nine years old, he was buying and selling horses at local auctions. During his teenage years, Lukas and childhood friend Clyde Rice continued to develop their skills in sales' ring, buying wild horses brought in the Dakotas that were destined for the slaughter house, and reselling them for a profit after getting them sales ready.
While attending the University of Wisconsin as a young man, Lukas became a serious student of basketball, spending weekdays studying toward a degree in Physical Education, and hitting the road on weekends in search of more horses to buy.
Wayne Lukas as a young man with his pony, Queenie | Lukas Family Photo
Following his graduation, he taught for two years before returning to the University of Wisconsin to get his Master's Degree. He later became the head basketball coach at Logan High in la Crosse, Wisconsin, while continuing to trade and train Quarter Horses. During his summer breaks, Lukas would travel to Park Jefferson racetrack outside Sioux City, Iowa, and quickly rose through the Quarter Horse ranks, ultimately developing 24 Quarter Horse champions, including AQHA Hall of Famer Dash for Cash. In addition to his staggering success in the Quarter Horse world, Lukas began simultaneously training Thoroughbreds in the early 1970s, and by 1978, decided to make a complete transition to Thoroughbreds. Lukas is the sole trainer to be in both the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.
“I came over from Los Alamitos with four horses,” the trainer previously told the TDN. “Two were maiden claimers, one of which I made into a stakes winner–Effervescing–whose career was supposedly over and was sold as a stud. I also had a 2-year-old filly named Terlingua.”
For Lukas, Effervescing won the grassy GII American H. on July 4 in 1978, and came back five days later to win the GI Citation H. on the dirt. Terlingua went on to collect three graded stakes while under Lukas's tutelage, including the GII Del Mar Debutante S. and GII Hollywood Lassie S.
Best of the Rest
Once the die was cast, Lukas proved unstoppable. The next two decades furnished Team Lukas with a long list of Thoroughbreds, and people, who would propel Lukas to unprecedented heights. Famously known for his success with the fairer set, he would go on to condition five fillies who would ultimately make it into horse racing's Hall of Fame–Lady's Secret (Horse of the Year and Ch. Older Female in 1986; inducted in 1992); Winning Colors (Ch. 3yo Filly in 1988; inducted in 2000); Serena's Song (Ch. 3yo Filly in 1995; inducted in 2002); *Azeri (Horse of the Year in 2002, Ch. Older Horse 2002-04; inducted in 2010) (*Previously trained by Laura deSeroux. Michael Paulson's Azeri joined Team Lukas for the 2004 season. For Lukas, she added wins in the GI Apple Blossom H., GI Go for Wand H. and GI Spinster S. for Lukas); and Open Mind (Ch. 2yo and 3yo Filly in 1988 and 1989; inducted in 2011).
It was only fitting that a pair of his famous fillies would achieve two of racing's highest honors. Lukas collected his first Horse of the Year trophy with Lady's Secret, who won 25 of 45 starts for earnings of $3,021,425 through her career, including 15 graded victories–the GI Whitney H. against the boys, GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, GI Beldame S. (2x), GI Maskette S. (2x), GI Shuvee H., GI Santa Margarita Invitational H. and the GI La Canada S.
Only two years later, Lukas would hoist the blanket of roses for the first time after Winning Colors–a strapping daughter of Caro–wired the 1988 renewal of the Kentucky Derby. Unlike Lady's Secret who took time to round into her championship status, the roan inspired tremendous hopes from the onset.
“She was an eight; that's really up there,” said Lukas, who employed a grading system of 1-10 when rating sales' prospects. “Seven is a buy, eight you have to have, and nine you give up your first born and all your possessions.”
Dubbed 'The Amazon' by the press, Winning Colors won the GI Santa Anita Oaks before crushing the boys in the GI Santa Anita Derby.
“Of all the Kentucky Derby starters I've had, and I've had four of them, that was the most confident I ever was heading into the race,” said Lukas. “I was really confident. And we didn't make any bones about it, we said, 'Look, we're going to the lead, if anybody wants to go with us, just get in there and see how we get along.”
Making good on that claim, jockey Gary Stevens took Winning Colors to the front early in the 10-furlong affair, and the duo made ever pole a winning one as the filly became the first to prevail since 1980 Derby winner Genuine Risk and only the third in history.
In recent years, Lukas remained adamant that a sixth maiden should have joined the others in the Hall of Fame and that was the ill-fated Landaluce, a brilliant daughter of Triple Crown hero Seattle Slew who won all five lifetime starts, including the GI Del Mar Debutante and GI Oak Leaf before succumbing to a viral infection and ultimately died in Lukas's arms on Dec. 11, 1982.
Trainer D Wayne Lukas with Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors prior to the 1988 Preakness Stakes | Horsephotos
While the quality stock wasn't the same in the last decade as it had been in the preceding ones, Lukas proved that he could still train with the best of them, winning the 2022 edition of the GI Kentucky Oaks with Secret Oath (Arrogate).
Lukas recognized the importance of his top fillies to the overall success of the Lukas empire over the past five decades.
“I think it is significant, and it said a lot about our program,” said previously Lukas. “It said a lot about what we were able to achieve. They were all special and all made an impact in where we went and what we accomplished. The clientele that came in behind them; they were certainly influenced by those horses. After the successes of Lady's Secret and Winning Colors, another group of owners came in. The fillies were very significant to us.”
Not to be outshone by the Lukas-trained damsels, the colts that represented Team Lukas also proved a powerful force to be reckoned with. Among Lukas's most notable runners are 1990 Horse of the Year and Ch. Older Horse Criminal Type; Charismatic, who won the 1999 Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. enroute to a Horse of the Year and 3-year-old championships; and Classic scorers Thunder Gulch (1995 Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S.; '95 Ch. 3yo Colt) and Timber Country (1995 Preakness; Ch. 2yo Colt '94).
Also included among the long list of stalwarts that the Hall of Famer felt ranked among his very best is Saratoga Six. Named for the six investors in the $2.2-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling graduate, the son of Alydar won four straight, including the Balboa S. and GI Del Mar Futurity, but was injured soon after that career high victory.
Lukas recalled that Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. thought equally high of the colt.
He recalled, “Cordero once said Saratoga Six did things he couldn't believe a racehorse could do.”
The Team behind the Man
Among the most colorful characters involved in Lukas's ascension was Eugene Klein, former owner of the San Diego Chargers. For Klein, Lukas conditioned Hall of Fame starlets Lady's Secret, Open Mind and Winning Colors. Klein, a founding partner of the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics and one-time chairman of the insurance and entertainment company National General Corp., owned the San Diego Chargers from 1966 through 1984.
Several other owners also helped Lukas scale the heights of success over the years, including W.T. Young's Overbrook Farm, Bob and Beverly Lewis, and Michael Tabor, owner of Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Thunder Gulch. For Overbrook, Lukas campaigned champion juveniles Timber Country (1994), Flanders (1994), Golden Attraction (1995) and Boston Harbor (1996). He was also responsible for Eclipse Award-winning sophomore filly Surfside and Classic winners Tabasco Cat (owned in partnership with David Reynolds), Timber Country (owned in partnership with the Lewises and Gainesway), Grindstone and Editor's Note. Among the standouts conditioned by Lukas on behalf of the Lewises were Hall of Famer Serena's Song, Derby and Preakness hero Charismatic and Belmont winner Commendable. For the couple he also trained Breeders' Cup winners Folklore and Orientate.
Famously known for his meticulous nature and his desire to mentor subsequent generations, Lukas was never one to look back unless it served to yield a better result in the future. 'The Coach' was arguably best known his penchant for organization and unyielding discipline.
“The days of the guy sitting outside a stall whittling and spitting tobacco are gone,” Lukas reflected. “And what's wrong with getting a three-piece suit and a sharp tie, and dealing with these corporate guys and having the barn look like a million bucks?”
And it was the supporting crew that held ranks under Lukas that fanned the flames of the operation's wildfire success. Very few Thoroughbred trainers have been as closely identified with the people who have emerged from their camps as has Lukas and his former assistants. Chief among them is Lukas's son, Jeff, who sustained severe head injuries in December of 1993 after the fiery-tempered Tabasco Cat (Storm Cat) broke loose after a morning work out on the Santa Anita backside, and knocked down the then 36-year-old horseman. He was in a coma for a month and was never able to fulfill the promise he demonstrated as an assistant to his father.
“Jeff Lukas is the best trainer that is not in the Hall of Fame,” Lukas told TDN.
Fittingly, things appeared to come full circle for the program when Lukas's 1987 record of 92 stakes wins was broken by Todd Pletcher (assistant from 1989-95) in 2006. Pletcher also surpassed his former mentor in lifetime earnings in 2014 and became the first Thoroughbred trainer to attain the $300 million mark in 2015, and subsequently became the first trainer to attain the $400-and $500-million marks. As of June 22, Pletcher led all active trainers with over $504,909,070 in lifetime earnings.
“They were all great young guys,” Lukas said. “I chose a lot of good racehorses, but I think my legacy in life will be that I chose a lot of very good people.”
Lasting Legacy
While the names and the number of championships, the titles and awards may fade with the passing of time and the emergence of new generations, Lukas believes his legacy will continue through what he believes to be among his most significant of accomplishments–the former assistants who apprenticed under him. Led by Pletcher, the enviable roster included Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, Mike Maker, Mark Hennig, Randy Bradshaw, George Weaver, Mike Marlow and Will B. Van Meter. All the horses under Lukas' care have been transferred to his veteran assistant Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl, it was announced Sunday.
D Wayne Lukas at Saratoga | Sarah Andrew
“We tried to raise the bar a little bit,” Lukas offered. “Many gave us credit for changing the game. We showed people you can have horses coast to coast, run them everywhere and get them to perform where they fit best. Also, after being a basketball coach for 10 years, I couldn't help myself but teach.”
Lukas retained many of the hallmarks that have become entrenched in racing lore throughout the decades, however, a closer look at the man behind the shades revealed a deeper dimension. While famously known for his meticulous nature and his desire to mentor subsequent generations, Lukas also demonstrated an unwavering positivity and enthusiasm for a business that he spent a lifetime supporting and more importantly, defining.
“I like to think that I imparted something of value to those young people,” he said. “Having said that, I think [my former assistants] were going to be successful if they had never met me, but maybe I pushed them along a little quicker. It was the appearance of the barn and the horses, a lot of the little things that go unnoticed, that helped make a difference. But I also tried to change those kids' lives.”
The post Hail to the King: Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas Passes at 89 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
