Wayne Lukas, Reflections of a Legend
With the passing of D. Wayne Lukas, which came as a shock even nearing his 90th birthday, racing lost a lot more than a great trainer, arguably the greatest of all time; it lost a driving force that propelled the sport to new heights beginning in the 1980s. So lofty were those heights even future empire builders such as Bob Baffert, Steve Asmussen, Todd Pletcher, and Jack Van Berg with their mega stables have been unable to reach the summit that Lukas scaled over the past five decades. ~ Steve Haskin
Wayne Lukas, Reflections of a Legend
By Steve Haskin
I am not here to eulogize Wayne Lukas. He would not want that. If he were to eulogize himself he would no doubt keep in character and rattle off a series of Don Rickles-like one-liners and deliver them as quick and polished as a veteran stand-up comedian. But when the occasion called for it he could be extremely profound and articulate, and the coach/teacher in him would surface.
It is the many sides to Wayne Lukas that we will recall in what will be more about our memories of him through behind-the-scenes experiences than a resume of his remarkable and vast accomplishments, which are well-known by now. One of my prized possessions is the lead photo of this column that was given to me by Wayne, which says, “To Steve, I value your friendship.”
A good part of Lukas’ success can be attributed to his willingness to venture where no one had gone before. He always exuded confidence in himself and was willing to accept the consequences of being wrong. And he maintained that philosophy even in his final years when he no longer had the resources, the owners, and the horses to dominate the sport as he did for so many years.
No one realizes it, but Lukas’ impact on the sport was actually felt in this year’s Triple Crown when Sovereignty captured the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
With that said, we will begin our journey back to Lukas’ glory years at the 2000 Belmont Stakes and one of his more unheralded stars Commendable, who had finished 17th in the Kentucky Derby. The son of Gone West had won his career debut by four lengths, but had since finished out of the money in his next six starts, culminating with his 26-length defeat at Churchill Downs.
So what does Lukas do? He announces that Commendable would make his next start in the Belmont Stakes. Not only was this a head-scratching move even for Lukas based on Commendable’s record, but no horse had ever won the Belmont coming straight from the Derby. The colt’s owner Bob Lewis, who had never questioned him before, asked him, “Wayne, are you sure you want to do this?” Even Lukas’ wife at the time, Laura, asked him, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Are you being realistic?”
Lukas had analyzed the race and even though Commendable had shown early speed only once in his career, he felt the colt had enough natural speed to control the pace going a mile and a half and possessed the stamina to keep going. So he responded to his wife by simply saying, “We’ve made a living running where we don’t belong.”
The morning of the race I saw Lukas and when the subject came up regarding his reason for going in the Belmont he took me to his car, opened the trunk and handed me a transcript of a lecture he had given in 1998 to the University of Louisville as the recipient of that year’s John Galbreath Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship in the Equine Industry.
He said it was all off the cuff and that I should read it. In it he said, “You have to have confidence in what you’re doing. You always have to believe you’re going in the right direction and then focus right on that target and go for it. People will tell you that you’ll never make it and it’s just pipedream. We have a plaque on the wall of all our stables that expresses the matter of luck: “Success is a matter of luck. Ask any loser.”
He went on, “Don’t ever let them outwork you. If you have to crawl, if you’re tired, you get back in there. If they beat you down, come back at them. They might be smarter, they might have better resources and more assets, but don’t ever let them outwork you.”
Later that afternoon, Commendable made history by winning the Belmont wire-to-wire just as Lukas had foreseen. He had gone against the odds and proven that a horse, even one who had run poorly in the Derby, could come back five weeks later and win the Belmont.
Commendable wins the 2000 Belmont Stakes
It was unheard of at the time, but since the 2000 Belmont, Lukas’ unorthodox move has become a routine game plan for many trainers. One by one they followed, going straight from the Derby to the Belmont, despite finishing out of the money at Churchill Downs. Birdstone in 2004 won the Belmont directly after finishing eighth, beaten almost 16 lengths, in the Derby. Jazil in 2006 won the Belmont after finishing fourth, beaten more than nine lengths, in the Derby. Summer Bird in 2009 won the Belmont after finishing sixth, beaten 13 lengths, in the Derby. Union Rags in 2012 won the Belmont after finishing seventh, beaten 7 ½ lengths, in the Derby. Palace Malice in 2013 won the Belmont after finishing 12th, beaten 13 ½ lengths, in the Derby. Creator in 2016 won the Belmont after finishing 13th, beaten more than 18 lengths in the Derby. Tapwrit in 2017 won the Belmont after finishing sixth, beaten more than 10 lengths, in the Derby.
They were followed by Essential Quality in 2021, Mo Donegal in 2022, and Dornoch in 2024. And now in 2025 we have Bill Mott taking it one step further by going straight to the Belmont with the Kentucky Derby winner. And it all started 25 years ago when Wayne Lukas defied the odds and having his decision questioned by his owner and his wife, and believing in himself and his horse. That is how history is made.
The last image I remember from that Belmont was Lukas walking over to Commendable’s stall before leaving and giving one final check on the horse. “He’s right in that feed tub,” Lukas said. “Bless his heart.”
Lukas’ willingness to share his knowledge was evident later in 2000 before the Breeders’ Cup when, despite having the previous year’s Classic winner Cat Thief back for another try, he assisted Coolmore by taking their Classic hopeful Giant’s Causeway to the track in the morning on his pony to help get him and his young trainer Aidan O’Brien used to Churchill Downs and American methods of training,
“Wait until they get my bill,” Lukas joked from atop the pony, as he led Giant’s Causeway to the track. Lukas trained a few horses for Coolmore and felt it was “the sporting thing to do.” He had met with O’Brien and filled him in on the shoeing process, the medication rules in Kentucky, and had introduced him to starter Roger Nagle.
After the colt’s gallop, O’Brien dashed after Lukas, who told him Giant’s Causeway “wasn’t a bit concerned about my saddle horse, but I would definitely send a pony with him in the post parade. On the turns, he had a tendency to look at things in the infield, but he’ll be better tomorrow.”
And better he was, almost pulling off a historic victory, getting beat a neck by Tiznow.
Speaking of Cat Thief and the previous year’s Classic, that is when we saw the Lukas corporate image stripped clean by a flood of emotion not associated with Team Lukas. When Cat Thief dug in gamely to win by a neck, Lukas flung his program in the air. He had been cheering so hard his voice became hoarse and would still be the following day. Owner William T. Young’s “legs buckled,” as his entire family came together in one massive hug. Lukas picked the 81-year-old Young up and hugged him so hard he thought he had hurt him. Lukas described the scene as “bedlam.”
Several boxes away, Lukas’ son and assistant Jeff, who had nearly been killed by a runaway Tabasco Cat in late 1993 and was in a coma for two months, watched the race with assistant Todd Quast. “I leaped in the air and lawn chairs went flying,” Quast said, “I thought Jeff was going over the railing, he was so excited.”
In the tunnel, watching on TV were Lukas’ assistants Randy Bradshaw and Mike Maker, who “went nuts,” according to Bradshaw, hugging each other and high-fiving, along with assistant Yvonne Azeff and foreman Jose Meza. “The people around us thought we were wild maniacs,” Bradshaw said. Even far from the action in Lukas’ barn office, Barry Knight, who ran the Gulfstream stable, and exercise rider Joanne McNamara got so excited McNamara pounded the filing cabinet so hard she almost knocked over the television. She then ran to the track with tears running down her cheeks. This hardly was the business-like image that had branded Lukas and his team for years.
Lukas had been known for his $3,000 suits, shades, perfectly coiffed hair, and his ability to sell himself, as much as he was for his unprecedented success. But as Cat Thief’s jockey Pat Day said after the Classic, “It’s unbelievable the way Wayne can get inside horses’ heads and bring out the best in them, and the way he communicates with them. I’ve seen him do remarkable things with unruly horses. They just respond to his touch. He obviously has a God-given ability to handle horses and an intimate knowledge of them.”
That was not the way he was portrayed in a 1996 Louisville Courier-Journal article the day before the Kentucky Derby, in which he was called a marketer and his horsemanship questioned. When Lukas won the Derby with Grindstone for his incredible sixth consecutive victory in a Triple Crown race, I needed an angle for my story in the Daily Racing Form, so I decided to do the unthinkable, which was beating Lukas to the barn the following morning. To assure that happening I had to be there before Lukas’ normal arrival time of 4:30. To be sure of making that happen I was there just before 4 and waited while the help went about their morning chores.
Enjoying one of my many barn visits with the Coach.
When Lukas arrived at about 4:20 he explained he had been delayed at Dunkin Donuts by the number of people congratulating him. But his demeanor was not what I expected. Rather than be in a joyous mood as one might expect, he took this opportunity to spill his guts about the Courier-Journal article, something he would never do in a group setting.
It just came pouring out of him; feelings he no doubt had suppressed for years. This was a Wayne Lukas I had never seen before. I doubt anyone had, “What did I ever do to deserve this?” he said. “The quotes they got were very unkind. I really had to bite my tongue at the press conference in respect to Mr. Young (who owned Grindstone). I stand out here for four or five hours a day and try to do my job, and they’ve got me as some Barnum and Bailey guy that doesn’t know a thing about a horse.
“I can’t be somebody I’m not. Am I supposed to come here and wear a different type of clothes and change my whole makeup? I’m not supposed to be competent? I’m not supposed to be a good speaker or give my OK if someone wants to put my name on a label of clothing? The quotes from the other trainers were very damaging and I’m having trouble handling that. I’m proud of my staff and proud of what we’ve accomplished. That’s what we are; deal with it. If that offends you and you think I’m obnoxious just say ‘I don’t like that guy’s personality.’ But don’t keep hammering us all the time.”
This is when I realized there were many faces to Wayne Lukas – who he was, who people thought he was, and who he wanted people to think he was. When he referred to the media one year as cockroaches we knew it was mostly in jest, but also that a part of that was based on past experience.
True reflections of the legendary Wayne Lukas at Saratoga.
In 1995 I had the privilege to fly with Lukas from Louisville to New York with Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch, Preakness winner Timber Country, and the great Serena’s Song. Like everything with Lukas, it was so well-organized and run so smoothly, and the horses so well behaved it was like taking a drive around the block. It was no surprise that the motto given Lukas for his many successful strikes all across the country was, “D. Wayne off the plane.”
I began covering Lukas’ races for the newly founded Thoroughbred Times in 1986 when he ran superstar Lady’s Secret and the less-regarded Roo Art against Precisionist in the Iselin Handicap. The two favorites ran each other into the ground in the slop and Roo Art rallied to beat both of them. But my fondest memory of Lukas was covering the 1999 Kentucky Derby. That is when I witnessed almost every facet of who Wayne Lukas was.
Lukas’ big hope was the previously mentioned Cat Thief, who had placed in four stakes that year. But his main project was the powerfully built and handsome Charismatic, who he ran in a pair of claiming races to help boost his confidence. The son of Summer Squall finally began to mature and scored an impressive victory in the Lexington Stakes. At Churchill Downs, Lukas would take Charismatic to a small grassy area outside his barn, near the gap to the track, and graze the colt. And each day he could see him blossom and get stronger. One afternoon in particular, Charismatic grazed contentedly, searching out dandelions and ripping them out by the root, as the sun illuminated his chestnut coat, emphasizing his powerful muscle lines.
“Would you believe this horse just ran and almost broke the track record?” Lukas asked, as he rubbed his hand against the colt’s neck down to his shoulder. “Look at him; there are no stress lines at all. He carries his weight like Secretariat. I guarantee you if he were to win this thing, and I know he’s probably nobody’s pick, watch out in the next two, because he’s one of those horses who will come back in the Preakness with a vengeance.”
Wayne Lukas and dual Classic winner Charismatic.
With Lukas’ confidence running high, he wasn’t about to back down from his nemesis Ronnie Ebanks, agent for Vicar’s jockey, Shane Sellers. Ebanks knew how to push Lukas’ buttons and knew the trainer would never turn his back on a wager if you challenged him. Vicar had won the Florida Derby and was one of the most consistent 3-year-olds in the country. By the time Ebanks was through getting Lukas’ goat by knocking Charismatic, he had coaxed Lukas into a $2,000 bet, Vicar vs. Charismatic, horse for horse.
The following morning, Ebanks stopped by Lukas’ barn to remind him of the sucker bet he had made.
“I’m sure you came to your senses this morning and realize you’re in a financially bad situation,” Ebanks said to Lukas.
“No, no,” Lukas replied. “I don’t catch a soft touch like you every day.”
Ebanks was not about to let up. “I led you right into my trap,” he said. “I got you fired up, and I know if you get fired up, that’s the best time to get you in a bad bet. Let’s get it straight. We’ve got a $2,000 bet, horse for horse, whoever finishes in front of the other. Vicar against…how do you say your horse’s name?”
“Don’t worry,” Lukas shot back. “It’ll be a household name by Saturday night.”
The Wednesday before the Derby, Lukas’ training chores had just ended when Louisville veterinarian Kurt Oliver and his 12-year-old daughter, Libby, paid him a visit.
“Libby thinks Wayne hung the moon and swung the stars, “Oliver said.
Libby had a knack for finding four-leaf clovers and immediately went searching for one behind Lukas’s barn. A few minutes later she came running back clutching one and handed it to Lukas. All she said was, “Good luck.”
Lukas, amazed at the find, tucked it away in his wallet. Just before bringing Charismatic and Cat Thief over for the Derby, Lukas received a visit from Overbrook Farm yearling manager Bruce Jenson, his wife Nancy, and their 9-year-old daughter Kenzie. In 1995, Kenzie, suffering from leukemia, had undergone a bone marrow transplant, spending two months in the hospital.
Before going to watch the race, Kenzie asked Lukas if there was something she could take with her and hold during the race to bring him good luck. He reached into his wallet and took out the four-leaf clover. He wrapped it in paper and stapled the ends, then gave it to Kenzie, who held it all during the race, as Charismatic charged to victory at odds of 31-1.
Following the race, Kenzie returned to the barn, still clutching the four-leaf clover. Kurt Oliver went over to her, kneeled down, and said, “You hang on to that and kiss it every night. Libby is 12, but she’s the luckiest person I’ve ever seen.”
Lukas, who had been elected to the Hall of Fame several days earlier, then autographed the paper containing the four-leaf clover and presented Kenzie with a rose from the victory blanket.
Nancy Jenson said, “I’m just so glad Kenzie is here to see this. Imagine, one little girl picks up a four-leaf clover and passes it on, and another little girl carries it on over. For Wayne to go out and win the Derby is very special.”
As the crowd began to file out of Churchill Downs, in a quiet corner of the backstretch, Ronnie Ebanks was getting into his car. Now $2,000 poorer, he shrugged his shoulders and said, “All I can do is pay him and say, ‘Hail to the king.’ He got me again.”
Back at the barn, Lukas called Kunz’ restaurant in downtown Louisville. Owner Johnn Kunz had told him if he won he’d set up a room for him and “bring out king crab and champagne on ice – the works.”
But Lukas decided to celebrate the way he knew best. He canceled the private room, returned to his hotel, ordered a burger and chocolate milk and went to bed.
My wife Joan and grandson Theo meet Wayne Lukas going to the training track, a very special memory.
This Thursday my wife and I leave for Saratoga, staying as usual with our friends Avi and Rhoda, whose beautiful home is right on the Oklahoma training track. For the past 15 years, we’ve sat out back watching Lukas pass right by the gate on his pony all morning, often waving and saying hi. I will never forget introducing him to our 1 1/2-year-old grandson Theo. I was hoping to do the same this year with our granddaughter Lily. All I can do now is one day point to that horse path outside the back gate and tell Theo that a giant once rode down that path every morning and you got to meet him. So many wish they could say the same.
Photos courtesy of Steve Haskin, New York Racing Association and Skip Dickstein.
Racing historian, author, and award-winning retired journalist for the Daily Racing Form and The Blood-Horse, Steve Haskin was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame’s Media Roll of Honor in 2016. Known for his racing knowledge and insightful prose, he has been an exclusive contributor to Secretariat.com since 2020.
Hi Steve, how are you? I’ve been a fan of your writing for years and I couldn’t wait to read this tribute article to D. Wayne Lukas. It was so beautifully written, thoughtful, sincere, and memorable.
Thank you for sharing this article with all of us who regularly read your content.
Best regards,
I thoroughly enjoyed this Steve! Since Wayne’s passing there have been tons of articles about him but yours is the very best. True perfection! I don’t know if you remember but you sent a picture of Wayne, Gary Stevens & Oxbow taken after he won the Preakness in an e-mail. I had it developed into an 8 x 10 & you said if I mailed it to you you would have it autographed. You mailed it back to me autographed by D Wayne & Gary! I will treasure it forever & I thank you again for your time, talent & kindness! Also I happen to be friends with one of the 2,000 + share holders of Seize the Grey. She has sent me quite a few mementos since he won the Preakness. I had been following STG for quite awhile & we both came unglued when he won the Preakness. Not only was he trained by D Wayne but he is a grey. I always lean towards the greys because my own horse is a grey who has turned white since he’s aged. He is 23 years old now. Like Charismatic, some idiot was saying Oxbow didn’t belong in the Preakness Stakes before the race. I wish I could have been able to find this person & see the look on his face when Oxbow won. Anyway thank for this article Steve which has given me comfort with the passing of Wayne. I’ve been in major denial. My favorite picture is the one with Joan, Theo & Wayne on his horse! You should write a book about the greatest trainer who ever lived!! 🏇🏇🏇
I went up to the winners circle and proclaimed: “HOW…sweet it IS…”….
Matthew, agree regarding your opinion on Baeza. Matter of time until he puts it all together.
Whoooeee, Sweetie was sure enough up front like you said she would be – every step! I am such a sucker for a come-back kid, and in love with Sweet Azteca from every standpoint. Kopion was game, just couldn’t get around. I’d say that Sweetie likes Los Al!
A grey horse absolutely should have won that race today. How perfectly fitting. Lucky man, Matthew W! You saw two good ones throw down today. What a treat. Thanks for the commentary while you were there!
I’m at the saddling paddock …Sweet Azteca is so full of herself…Baltas took her to the back to be saddled…
She looks fantastic…
A lot of short fields at Saratoga today. Too early in the meet for that to happen. Maybe they are saving the horses for the bigger days of the meet.
Except for a few spot plays, I won’t dive in playing full card until Jim Dandy Day and/or Whitney Day. Both if the cards look good. If not, I have no problem waiting until Travers Day.
Terrific writing and an enjoyable read. It’s nice for those of us that never met the man to help us get a sense of who he really was. The pictures are fantastic as always. If someone asked me which picture I liked best, I don’t think that I could pick just one. Don’t sell “True reflections” short. It’s kind of “arty”. I’d bet that Lukas himself would pick the shot of him leading Charismatic out to the track. D Wayne Lukas looks determined. A man with a plan. A man on a mission.
Not a fan of Knicks Go the horse (didn’t dislike him, just didn’t fan over him)…but how can I not root for a horse named after Ewing? Colt just killed it in his debut
New York ‘Knicks’ fan, Betsy?
Oh big time, David!
Funny thing, the third place horse is named Tartabull, after former NY Yankee Danny Tartabull …and yes, I’m a Yankee fan, too!
Great article and great personal memories for you Steve. Thanks for this wonderful article of a truly magnificent horseman. I will always remember Wayne Lukas as a man who did what he loved for many years and did his job well.
An early race of significance for 2YOs, the Sanford, goes off today at Saratoga about 1:40 p.m. (Race 3). Co-favorites Obliteration (trained by Steve Asmussen) and Blinging it Back (Mark Casse) are the top contenders. Here we go again!
Sandown Park in Surrey will be presenting it’s single Group 1 flat race on Saturday, the famous – Eclipse Stakes.
The Eclipse Stakes is the first time that 3 year old colts will be taking on older males and this year’s edition is a cracking race to watch and bet on. Arguably, not the best field ever to face the starter but perhaps the most difficult to separate.
Ombudsman is the hot favourite, and some say the best horse in England, but the race seems wide open to me even with Hotazhell the complete outsider a descent chance to win.
I’ll give Delacroix, by Dubawi out of Tepin, the chance to redeem himself here, Best of luck and enjoy the races at Sandown Park and Saratoga.
David, good job!
I had no skin in the game – I felt sorry for Onbudsman, who looked home free….but Delacroix closed with a rush and earned victory
Delacroix, dismisses the doubters by thundering home and beating the older horse some ‘experts’ were claiming to be the best horse in Europe.
Betsy, first Whirl last week and now Delacroix!! What a pleasure to wake up to.
Well Ombudsman ran very well, so he might still be
Good for you!!!
Glee ran 2nd to a 6 year old mate in a stakes at Lone Star, so hopefully she’s back to her good form. That’s another SP for HAP this year …
John Shirreffs still thinks Baeza is a top tier racehorse, I agree with John, I thought he got very keyed up, in The Belmont—he was finishing some—Prat is going to ride Nysos, at Del Mar—Id like to see Irad pick up the mount, on Baeza….Saratoga is widely known, as a track of big upsets—the biggest of all being Upset over Man O War—Baeza belongs in the Big races—I think Prat could regret getting off him….
No offense, but I hope Baeza doesn’t turn out to be another Skinner(2 of 15). Full of promise but short on delivery.
But I can’t hold losing to Sovereignty and Journalism against him. Those two are a couple of serious racehorses.
Baeza has more stamina than Skinner…also—John has been “gaga” about Baeza—he was never like that, with Skinner….they were both trained by John as three year olds, is all….
Tommy, you mean like Coliseum, right? Baeza will put it together.
Mike, don’t you mean McVay?
Last checked, Coliseum had zero involvement in the TC, although some “fair weather fans” hyped him as the greatest since Slew. Lol
I agree with you, Matthew. I believe Sovereignty and Journalism are the only horses who have finished in front of Baeza in a stakes race, and he almost beat Journalism twice. Based on those performances, he could be considered the third leading three-year-old in the country, and I expect good things from him in the future. I was not aware that Flavien Prat had given up the mount on him–a little surprising after he was willing to risk not having a Derby mount in order to be available if Baeza got into the race. I too would like to see Irad riding him–I think they would get along very well.
I disagree with you about Prat. If Nysos is right he is very good and can be rated. But what make you think he will have to choose between them between now and the BCC?
Nysos is almost never ‘right’. That’s the problem.
I’m late to the party, Steve, but thank you for this. It’s great storytelling, and such a wonderful and human tribute to Wayne. The photographs are truly wonderful. Tears were definitely shed reading and reflecting.
D Wayne Lukas and the very particular filly Winning Colors made me a fan of racing in general as a kid. I’m still hanging on.
A good friend of one of my former students trained Wayne’s stock horses for him in recent years, including the loud overo paint he’s ridden as a track pony for the last couple of years. Just another example of a real young person he gave a big chance to shine. Sometimes, there is work behind the scenes that we don’t question, but it’s still changing a lot of people’s lives for the better. He sure knew quality when he saw it, because she’s a great horsewoman!
It may not have been evident every single moment of Wayne’s long career, but when you see how he paid it forward over time, his fingerprints will be on racing and the broader horse industry for a long, long time.
Ride on and rest easy, Mr Lukas!
If you think it’s hard winning the Kentucky Derby with 373 nominations just ponder this, there are over 1,920 odd entries for the Golden Slipper. A race for 2 year olds with prize money of over $5,000,000.
Yu Long Investments have 115 entered, Waterhouse & Bott have 107, Godolphin with 95, Chris Waller with 94, Ciaron Maher with 91 are the big dogs in the fight.
I wonder if that’s why there are so many real good Aussie sprinters?…
Matthew, ever since I started following Australian racing/breeding, centuries ago now, lol, there was always a desire to secure speedy, precocious yearlings to compete in the rich 2 year old stakes and mile races later.
This, to detriment of breeding Classic performers, fueled the yearling sales in Australia which are now on par with Europe and US sales with many going for million dollar sales figures. The prize money for sprinters and milers in Australia simply eclipse all other racing nations. Not that the prize money for two turn horses in Australia isn’t fantastic as well.
The Classic performers seldom went on to win the Melbourne Cup which used to be dominated, until recently, by plodding geldings that could stay the 2 mile course. Occasionally, you would get the Phar Laps et al but that was more through the skill of Australian trainers.
New Zealand is the country that breeds the Classic type horses in Australasia.
Well done!
Honor Marie is back at Saratoga….15-1….had a rough three year old season….facing strong group tomorrow….will be coming from behind with Locked, and Disarm….
Matthew, Honor Marie has Ben Curtis back aboard as well, could be worth a flutter.
I’ll be rooting hard for him – such an honest colt
Betsy, Honor Marie didn’t look his usual self prior to the Suburban Stakes and ran accordingly.
I’m throwing a wps wager his way—
I saw Great Lady M run at Los Al…when it was the 5/8 mile bullring—She was a battler, and she dropped Lady’s Secret—The Iron Lady…..Saturday’s renewal…..two outstanding fillies—Kopion, who has Risen to the top of her league, of dirt sprinters….and Sweet Aztece—returning g from a long layoff, after running poorly,-I think I will buss over and watch …get a close look at the big chestnut Kopion, and the steel grey Sweet Azteca–a filly I have great respect for….I’m sure they will pay tribute to Wayne, who trained Great Lady M, and many Quarter Horses at Los Al, including Native Empress “The Old Grey Mare” and best gate horse I ever saw….those Lukas horses always looked great….
How could I choose between those two mares? Kopion is gorgeous and has been all class in her last efforts, but my heart is with Sweet Azteca. I hope the love for Wayne is on display big time! Tell us all about it when you get home, Matthew W!
Happy Independence Day!
Katy I’ll text from. The track, tomorrow afternoon! I LOVE Sweet Azteca…before her setback last year—I considered her the first GREAT horse in many years—I’ll get an up close, on her…and plan to view the race on the deck of Schwanies Place, the track kitchen around the 3/16 pole….Sweetie SHOULD be in front there….
Kopion IS GORGEOUS….
There’s actually been two all-time great sprinters, in recent years—Mitole…and that big chestnut closer, who won back to back BC Sprints…(I’m talking about US Sprinters—Black Caviar was great)…
Elite Power! Cannot wait to see some of his get.
Thank you Steve. You talk racing better than anybody else. This piece on DWL is a classic and I feel better. He and Jeff are together again and think of the horses they are riding.
Thank you Sharon.
Absolutely great!!!
One of your best articles ever, Steve. The love shines through.
Thank you Suzanne.
Thank you for sharing these stories. I was so lucky to have grown up in Saratoga Springs and had to opportunity to watch the Coach on many of mornings doing his thing. While any day at the races are always exciting and will forever bring a thrill to me, it was the mornings at both the Oklahoma and the main track that bring me my greatest joy!
God Bless D Wayne for his forever impact on so many.
I will never forget each Monday leading up to the Kentucky Derby and your “Derby Dozen” rankings. I’d come home from the barn and the first thing he requested is that I turn on the computer and print him a list of your latest rankings. He’d read it and be barking some comments about how you were clueless and had lost your mind. Then he’d dictate the rebuttal that I was asked to send you via email. At times I cringed at his response and other times I’d be in tears from laughing at the silliness of the whole thing. The bantering between you two over the Derby Dozen was priceless. Thank you.
Good to hear from you. Wayne thought all the .media was clueless ignoring the times I wrote good things about his horses. I think he really enjoyed putting us down. Remember when he called us cockroaches? I’m honored he was interested enough to have you print it out. When he presented me with the Walter Haight Award it was one-!iner after one-liner. I always wondered who wrote his material.
I read a story recently were he was taking a celebrity for a tour of his barn. They were being followed by some reporters. When he got to his barn he told the celebrity pointing to his barn and said here are the horses over here and then turned and pointed to the reporters and here are the horses asses !!! I had a good laugh when I read that.
Are you kidding? EVERY Monday I printed the Derby Dozen and he sat there reading and commenting on your rankings. If his horse or horses made the list then he was in a good mood. If not, that is when I was to email you the facts about how clueless you were. Don’t kid yourself, he read most of what was printed about him and his horses. We finally made a pact that we would NOT bring any publication into the house as it created too much tension and unrest.
I still have the cockroach article and stumbled across it during a recent move. In as much as he liked putting you all down, he did the same with other trainers, myself included. Nobody was exempt from criticism. I recall minutes after one Santa Anita derby had concluded. We were in the box seats and asked to use my phone. I overheard him scheduling a flight for the horse who had just run a subpar race. When he hung up I stated that I felt that putting the horse on a flight that soon after the race was counter-productive. Without skipping a beat he looked at me and said, “how many Kentucky Derbies have you won?”
That was the end of that conversation.
His one-liners sometimes came from late-night comedians and things he would read. Others, I am sure, were just his clever sense of humor.
As far as the “cockroaches”, he liked some but others not so. You were one of his favorite roaches.
“You were one of his favorite roaches” Could anyone wish for a greater honor.”
Love your recollections. If I knew how he felt about my Derby Rankings I gladly would have taken kickbacks to put all his horses in the top spots.
I remember we were at the barn at Belmont and you arrived from the airport with your bags. You took one look and said “Oh, the cockroaches are here “
I also loved when Wayne would always say he never reads anything. It was always so.meone told him about it or sent ir to him.
Steve, your spot on ATR just made this piece even better!
I pretty much repeated what I wrote in my column. Lol
It’s that voice of yours. It’s nice to hear it coming in my ears because I when I read your posts I hear it in my head! LOL Just when I’m reading. which means I’m not crazy!
That makes sense.
Steve, you’ve weaved a wonderful tale of your good friend, Wayne Lukas. Your regard for him shines through every word.
I especially enjoyed the banter between Wayne and Ron Eubanks when they had a bet on which of Charismatic and Vicar would finish before the other. Wayne, ever the sly fox, had him from the get-go. Then, when you told of the two little girls and the four leaf clover, you touched my emotions. You really have a knack of putting a smile on my face and a tear in my eye at the same time.
Thank you Steve. We lost a great man in thoroughbred racing and you lost a good friend. Lily may have missed the opportunity to meet Wayne, but no doubt, she’ll hear many tales of him from grandpa. Enjoy the Spa!
Thank you very much Dewey. I appreciate the kind words.
Thank Steve Haskin, you were able to bring new insight of who D Wayne Lucas was. It was a thrill to still she him on his pony walking his racers to the tracks while in his 80’s. I am thrilled to read your column today about a man that everyone respects so greatly. I always enjoyed reading you derby dozen, it takes a skilled man to bring the inner workings of man to light. Thank you.
I appreciate that Beverly. Thank you very much.
Hi Steve,
Wonderful story. I was at the BC when Cat Thief won and am happy to say that I and most of my friends had him. It was a fun night after that. D Wayne was one of a kind and Charismatic was one of my favorite horses of all time. So sad when a legend passes but I feel lucky to have been alive to witness his greatness. God Bless.
Best,
Hammer
Lovely tribute. Steve, you clearly were very fond of him. Rest in Peace Mr. Lukas. There won’t be another like you.
A lovely tribute Steve, Mr. Lukas would be pleased. What a wonderful and amazing life he led and what a lasting difference he made to the thoroughbred world he loved so well. He will be dearly missed .
Doggoneit Steve . . . I didn’t CRY until the very last two sentences in the last paragraph . . . THANK YOU for sharing your memories.
I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Lukas, however, I did SEE him in person at Arlington Race Course when Cigar tied Citation’s consecutive streak record.
One other ‘connection’ – – friends and I visited Calumet Farm and who did we meet? BADGERLAND! I AM a lifelong Wisconsinite, it was exciting to see him and know that Mr. Lukas – a fellow BADGER native – had trained him.
You know I always save the tears for last. Lol
Wow, Steve, I’m pretty much without words. I’ve read a lot of tributes and articles about Lukas all week, but yours surpasses them all. I think he would have loved it.
Thank you very much Beth.
Beautiful 😍
What an amazingly beautiful tribute to Wayne, Steve, as it perfectly sums up all the intricate and complex pieces of Wayne’s incredible life and career. Nobody does it better, and nobody could’ve possibly honored Wayne in finer fashion. If by chance I run into you and Joan this weekend at the Spa, I will be honored to tell you once again in person how very much your wonderful prose is appreciated and of what joy it brings me. For once, we are expected to have glorious weather on the 4th, and although it will be typically hot and steamy Saturday and particularly Sunday, at least it will be dry. And it will be special knowing that the great Steve Haskin will be in our midst.
That’s very kind of you. Thank you so much! I I do hope we run into each other this weekeend.
Whether this is a eulogy or a tribute or whatever, it’s beautiful and it brought tears. I was thinking that there was nothing I could add to all the wonderful things that have been said about this remarkable man. But then, as a former teacher, I thought of a new one–he had excellent penmanship. I’m sure you treasure that autographed picture, and I’m glad you shared it with us.
Thank you. Yes, I was honored he gave me that and wrote those words.
Wayne Lucas trained the first racehorse I ever fell in love with and started my horse racing fandom…. Landaluce
His horses actually run… his epitomizes, my horse is faster than yours and I can prove it
trainers like him build fans… currents owners and trainers that train to breed not to race are losing this sport fans in drovers… sports like corn holing gets more coverage on ESPN than the Sport of Kkngs.
Steve, you have written a beautiful eulogy about a person who was larger than life. Only people who knew racing before the streaking comet, DWL, splattered previous convictions on US racing can truly appreciate the magnitude of this ‘one person influence.’ Nonetheless, you have down just that.
Just in passing, it was also extremely sad reading that another legendary horse trainer had also died just a day earlier, Barry Hills. Sad week indeed, history enshrined two irreplaceable horse racing legends
Thank you David. We have lost several great trainers this year.
That’s very true, Steve. The world over.
The takeaway from all the personal recollections I’ve read the past two days is that Lukas knew his horses and that he was accessible. I’m not sure you could ask for more. He will be missed.
So beautifully written Steve about a great man! Thank you for keeping him alive in our hearts and minds with your tremendous memories.
Thank you very much Donna.
Great writing about a great horseman! Well done Steve.
Thanks Chuck
Beautiful, simply beautiful. Thank you, Steve.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories…such a blessing you have had with this front row seat to witness all his greatness….these stories are priceless…I was fortunate enough to meet D Wayne at an AQHA convention awhile back…I call it mick jagger moment because that’s what it felt like.
Deepest sympathies for your loss..
God speed Coach 🙏💔🏇
Thank you very .much Linda. Wayne certainly was a rolling stone. He never stopped .moving long enough to gather any moss.
Thank you Steve for sharing these insights into the man he was in his heart and soul, things I never knew about him.
Just something very special about a man who connected with horses and children the way he did.
The story about the two little girls brought a smile and a few tears to my face.
Saw a lovely photo taken by Barbara Livingston of him riding into the morning sun on X. Today I saw the one of his pony being led on the track this morning with Wayne’s boots turned backward in the stirrups and his rain ponchos tied to the back of the saddle.
It was a life well lived.
Great article Steve! Treasured memories and photos!
Thanks Carol
Steve, there no words I have for how great this piece is ! Once at Churchill my friend pointed out Lukas, He said ” There goes a class act” I said ” No , that’s pure class” Thanks Steve
Thanks very much Derek. Class defined his life. He sure passed it on to his horses.
Thank you for sharing. Very moving.
Great stories and pictures, Steve. Thanks for telling them here.
Steve…what a MAGNIFICENT Tribute to the man that I have loved from afar for a long, long time. You were so very blessed to have spent so much time with him…to have “known” Wayne Lukas. Legend. Never to be surpassed. I don’t know if I have any more tears left, but if I do Coach deserves them.
The night sky will shine more brightly now that he’s up there in God’s company…I will look up and wink, now and then. I have a retired race horse, Schivarelli…named for Peter Schivarelli who was the original manager for the Band, Chicago. He owns me, heart and soul. Thoroughbreds are the only horse I understand. In any case…the World will go on turning, but it’s gonna take a while to stabilize its turning. We have suffered a tremendous loss, and I think maybe, Mr. Lukas would prefer that we Celebrate his glorious Life. I will, always. With such love and gratitude…respect. Always respect. Wayne showed the World how to LIVE…that is no small thing. 🫶🐎🫶
That was beautifully said Joy. Thank you very much.
RIP coach!
Steve,
What a beautifully written article. I loved the pictures also. That last sentence put a lump in my throat and brought tears to my eyes. He brought so much to the sport that his passing now leaves a big void. I am so fortunate to have seen many of his great feats either in person or on the television. We are fortunate to have you to relay stories about him that we would never have known.
Lukas had so many highs won all the big races that were to be won but I always wonder what greater heights he may have achieved if his son, Jeff had not had that terrible head injury. Todd Pletcher once said that Jeff was the glue to the Lukas empire…. they truly were a dynamic duo.
Steve, may you and your family once again have a wonderful and blessed week.
Thank you so much, So many memories over the years. Still hard tp believ he’s gone
Steve, what a beautiful tribute….thank you!
I really admire Lukas’ running his horses in spots they may have looked overmatched in. To paraphrase a saying, you lose 100% of the races you don’t run in ..
I don’t have memories of this, but I’ll always remember reading about how he cradled Landaluce’s head as she died. That’s the image I have of D. Wayne in my head…
Thank you Betsy, There surely will never be anoterr like him. Hope youre recovering well.
Never, Steve…there are few people for whom legend fits…Lukas was one.
I’m better, but I need to see an orthopedic surgeon – probably get an MRI; I think I may have torn an MCL …but hopefully not
Thanks for asking!
Just be thankful you’re home.
Oh I am …not just with the heat wave in Europe, but with the at state of the world…!
Thank you for, as always, sharing your personal memories and experiences with us so we can get some inkling of what the sport is really like.
I’ve been crying off and on ever since I heard of Lukas’ retirement for health reasons. Hearing of his death only a few short weeks after he saddled his last winner really turned the water works on as has reading all of the stirring words from every facet of the racing industry. Nary a critical word to be found..
Steve, your personal memories of Mr. Lukas were perfect for this moment. The saying goes, “when someone shows you who they are, believe them.” Wayne seemed to show himself to you in ways we can all appreciate.
Awesome tribute, my friend. The read gave me even more respect for this remarkable man.
Prayers to the Lukas family and the multitude of folks he impacted over the decades.
Thank you Larry. I tried to show another side to him.
So many facets to the man. And many changed perceptions as the years passed. Vilified for “mugging the filly” to celebrated by 2500 microshare owners of Seize the Grey. There will never be another like him. Thank you, Steve, for sharing some of your memories and photos. Rest in peace, Coach.
What a lovely tribute, Steve — it very much reveals who Wayne Lukas really was. The story of the 4-leaf-clover is absolutely priceless. One question: did you take the shot of Lukas on the pony with the reflection in the puddle? It’s a beauty.
I did, thank you
What a wonderful tribute to Wayne Lukas. I really admired him and he will be missed by so many people. RIP Coach.
When you mentioned Rickles, I recalled a tribute to Bill Shoemaker, as the great joxkey had come to the end if a world-wide teip to many race tracks, and how Wayne delivered his soft roasting…”Bill is the only man whose retirement lasted longer than his career”….