Hall of Fame horse racing trainer D. Wayne Lukas dies at age 89

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Legendary horse racing trainer D. Wayne Lukas — a four-time Kentucky Derby winner — has died.

The Lukas family released a statement Sunday afternoon: “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.”

The family released its statement through Churchill Downs, the host track for his four Derby victories.

“Today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years,” Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in the release. “We will miss his humor, his wisdom and his unmatched capacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport’s biggest days.”

A winner in 15 Triple Crown races, Lukas had recently stepped away from horse training as he battled a severe infection. A report from Churchill Downs announced this news on June 22. That report said Lukas was hospitalized in Louisville and didn’t plan on returning to training. The report also said that Lukas declined an aggressive treatment plan to combat his infection, with Lukas electing to return home and spend the remainder of his life near family members.

Following this announcement, several horse racing organizations released statements related to Lukas’ storied career.

“There will never be another D. Wayne Lukas. Not even close. He single-handedly changed horse racing by combining a marketing approach with horsemanship. The Lukas ‘coaching tree’ is just one component of a legacy that will endure as long as there is horse racing,” the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association said, in part.

“Wayne Lukas is more than just a legendary name in thoroughbred racing, he is an icon whose impact on this sport spans generations,” added Eric Hamelback, the CEO of the National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “His unmatched accomplishments, from multiple Eclipse awards to countless classic victories, have set a standard of excellence that few will ever reach. Beyond his victories on the racetrack, Wayne’s mentorship of countless horsemen and women has helped shape the very fabric of our industry.”

In Sunday’s statement, the Lukas family said it appreciated the support it has received since the announcement that he would not seek further treatment.

“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.

“He is survived by his devoted wife, Laurie Lynn Lukas; his grandchildren, Brady Wayne Lukas (Dani) and Kelly Lukas Roy (David); his great-grandchildren, Walker Wayne Lukas, Quinn Palmer Lukas, Jonathan James Roy, and Thomas David Roy; his sister, Dauna Lukas Moths; and his brother, Lowell Lukas. He also leaves behind an extended family of horsemen and horsewomen whose lives he shaped, mentored, and inspired.

“In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Oaklawn or Churchill Backside Chaplaincy or the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance — two causes that Wayne held close to his heart.

“A private service will be held with immediate family, with a larger celebration of life to follow. Details will become available at a later date.”

A Hall of Fame career

A Hall of Fame conditioner, Lukas earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1994.

He became a member of the United States’ Racing Hall of Fame in 1999, the same year that he won his fourth and final Kentucky Derby.

Lukas’ Kentucky Derby triumphs came with Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996) and Charismatic (1999). He also won the Preakness Stakes a remarkable seven times with Codex (1980), Tank’s Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995), Charismatic (1999), Oxbow (2013) and Seize the Grey (2024).

When Seize the Grey captured the 2024 running of the Preakness, it made the then-88-year-old Lukas the oldest trainer ever to win a Triple Crown race. Lukas also captured the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, on four occasions with Tabasco Cat (1994), Thunder Gulch (1995), Editor’s Note (1996) and Commendable (2000).

Another notable Triple Crown accomplishment to Lukas’ name is the record six consecutive Triple Crown races that Lukas won from 1994 to 1996. In order, Lukas rattled off wins in the 1994 Preakness Stakes (Tabasco Cat), the 1994 Belmont Stakes (Tabasco Cat), the 1995 Kentucky Derby (Thunder Gulch), the 1995 Preakness Stakes (Timber Country), the 1995 Belmont Stakes (Thunder Gulch) and the 1996 Kentucky Derby (Grindstone).

The statistics associated with Lukas’ hall-of-fame training career speak for themselves.

Lukas compiled 4,953 thoroughbred wins during his six-decade training career. His horses earned almost $301 million from more than 30,000 starts, including more than 1,100 stakes wins and more than 630 triumphs in graded stakes races.

The last winning horse that Lukas sent out was 4-year-old colt Tour Player in an allowance race on June 12 at Churchill Downs.

Triple Crown race wins were far from the only notable victories for Lukas.

He also won the Kentucky Oaks — the Kentucky Derby equivalent for fillies that’s held the day before the Derby at Churchill Downs — on five occasions. Those wins came with Brush With Pride (1982), Lucky Lucky Lucky (1984), Open Mind (1989), Seaside Attraction (1990) and Secret Oath (2022).

A trio of Lukas’ horses went on to earn Horse of the Year honors: Lady’s Secret (1986), Criminal Type (1990) and Charismatic (1999).

In the Breeders’ Cup, Lukas claimed a number of significant race wins. He won the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Classic with 19-1 long shot Cat Thief, along with six wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and five wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Those triumphs in the Juvenile Fillies came with Twilight Ridge (1985), Open Mind (1988), Flanders (1994), Cash Run (1999), Folklore (2005) and Take Charge Brandi (2014). The wins in the Juvenile came with Capote (1986), Success Express (1987), Is It True (1988), Timber Country (1994) and Boston Harbor (1996).

Lukas — who is also a member of the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame — won 11 training titles during his career at Churchill Downs, all of which came between 1988 and 2000.

The horses that were previously under Lukas’ care have been moved to the barn of his former assistant, Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl, and Englishman who joined Lukas’ operation in January 2002.

Lukas made no apologies

Despite all of Lukas’ successes, the trainer faced criticism throughout his career for pushing his horses too hard.

“It hasn’t always been blue skies and clear sailing in my career. I’ve been solidly criticized by certain people in the industry and the media who don’t always agree with what we do,” Lukas said during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. “But I make no apologies for what we’ve tried to do.

”It’s my nature to push the envelope every time. If you want a coach who wants to walk the ball up the court, you’d better get another guy, because we’re going to run and press all the time.”

Lukas never won a Triple Crown. His closest call came in 1999 when Charismatic won the Kentucky Derby as a 31-1 shot, then followed up by winning the Preakness. In the Belmont Stakes, Charismatic briefly took the lead in the stretch before being overtaken by Lemon Drop Kid and finishing third.

The event was remembered for the career-ending injury Charismatic suffered late in the race. Jockey Chris Antley jumped off the horse shortly after crossing the finish line and held the horse’s fractured left front leg in place until help arrived. Charismatic’s racing career ended that day but, thanks to Antley, he healed sufficiently to complete a stud career before dying at age 20 in 2017.

Lukas was born Sept. 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wis., and engaged in buying, selling and training horses at an early age.

After receiving his master’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin in 1961, Lukas embarked on a brief career coaching high school basketball while training horses part-time.

It was from that time that Lukas acquired the nickname “Coach,” which stuck with him throughout his training career.

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