Hall of Fame trainer and horse racing legend D. Wayne Lukas dies at 89
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who saddled four Kentucky Derby winners among his 15 winners in U.S. Triple Crown races, has died at the age of 89, his family said Sunday.
In a statement released through Churchill Downs, the family said Lukas died at home on Saturday night, a week after an infection sent him to hospital, and he decided not to pursue aggressive 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," the family said.
Lukas was one of the most accomplished trainers in U.S. racing history. His 15 Triple Crown victories are second only to Bob Baffert's 17, and he is tied with Ireland's Aidan O'Brien for most Breeders' Cup wins for a trainer with 20.
He saddled his most recent Triple Crown race winner last year with Seize the Grey in the Preakness Stakes — his seventh Preakness triumph.
"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, chief executive of Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in a statement.
"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."
The Breeders' Cup issued a statement hailing Lukas' innovative training approach and a legacy that "continues through the many horsemen who came up under his astute guidance before finding tremendous success on their own.
"The dedication, discipline, passion, and insight with which he ran his operation will serve as an inspiration for many generations," the Breeders' Cup said in its statement.
National Thoroughbred Racing Association President Tom Rooney said it was "hard to imagine" racing without Lukas.
"His horsemanship reshaped the sport," Rooney said. "If there's a Mount Rushmore of trainers, D. Wayne Lukas is on it."
Churchill Downs confirmed last week that the horses in Lukas' care had been transferred to veteran assistant Sebastian "Bas" Nicholl.
In a career spanning six decades, Lukas amassed 4,967 documented thoroughbred wins. He trained 26 Eclipse Award winners, including three that were named Horse of the Year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
16 hours ago
- Japan Times
NBA guard Malik Beasley subject of U.S. federal gambling probe
Guard Malik Beasley is under federal investigation in connection with allegations that he was tied to gambling activity on NBA games and prop bets, ESPN reported Sunday. The allegations date to the 2023-24 season when Beasley was with the Milwaukee Bucks, one of six teams he has played for since the Denver Nuggets selected him No. 19 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent the 2024-25 season with the Detroit Pistons on a one-year, $6 million contract and is due to become a free agent when the new league year begins Monday evening. The NBA is aware of the allegations. "We are cooperating with the federal prosecutors' investigation," NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN. Beginning around January 2024, one U.S. sportsbook saw an sharp upturn in betting on Beasley's statistics, such as rebounds per game, per the report. "An investigation is not a charge," Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, told ESPN. "Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now he has not been charged with anything." ESPN reported that because of the allegations, discussions about a new three-year, $42 million contract have halted. Beasley, 28, appeared in all 82 games last season with the Pistons and averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 41.6% from three-point range. He has career averages of 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. The NBA suspended Beasley for 12 games in 2021 after he entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of threats of violence. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail to be served after the 2020-21 season and was released after 78 days.
Japan Times
18 hours ago
- Japan Times
Hall of Fame trainer and horse racing legend D. Wayne Lukas dies at 89
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who saddled four Kentucky Derby winners among his 15 winners in U.S. Triple Crown races, has died at the age of 89, his family said Sunday. In a statement released through Churchill Downs, the family said Lukas died at home on Saturday night, a week after an infection sent him to hospital, and he decided not to pursue aggressive 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," the family said. Lukas was one of the most accomplished trainers in U.S. racing history. His 15 Triple Crown victories are second only to Bob Baffert's 17, and he is tied with Ireland's Aidan O'Brien for most Breeders' Cup wins for a trainer with 20. He saddled his most recent Triple Crown race winner last year with Seize the Grey in the Preakness Stakes — his seventh Preakness triumph. "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, chief executive of Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in a statement. "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." The Breeders' Cup issued a statement hailing Lukas' innovative training approach and a legacy that "continues through the many horsemen who came up under his astute guidance before finding tremendous success on their own. "The dedication, discipline, passion, and insight with which he ran his operation will serve as an inspiration for many generations," the Breeders' Cup said in its statement. National Thoroughbred Racing Association President Tom Rooney said it was "hard to imagine" racing without Lukas. "His horsemanship reshaped the sport," Rooney said. "If there's a Mount Rushmore of trainers, D. Wayne Lukas is on it." Churchill Downs confirmed last week that the horses in Lukas' care had been transferred to veteran assistant Sebastian "Bas" Nicholl. In a career spanning six decades, Lukas amassed 4,967 documented thoroughbred wins. He trained 26 Eclipse Award winners, including three that were named Horse of the Year.
Japan Times
19 hours ago
- Japan Times
PSG rolls past Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to reach Club World Cup quarterfinals
Paris Saint-Germain steamrolled Lionel Messi's Inter Miami 4-0 on Sunday to reach the Club World Cup quarterfinals, where it will face Bayern Munich, which overcame a spirited challenge from Flamengo. Bayern defeated the Brazilians 4-2 in Sunday's other last 16 clash behind a brace from Harry Kane. Miami hoped Messi's magic could help it produce an unlikely result against the Argentine star's former club, but the Major League Soccer side was dismantled by Luis Enrique's team. Messi and his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba did well to reach the last 16, but the gulf in quality between the teams was laid bare in Atlanta. Joao Neves netted twice for PSG, which benefited from a Tomas Aviles own goal, while Achraf Hakimi was also on target for the French treble-winner. "Clearly, we are experiencing a historic season for our club, we aim to go far in this competition," Luis Enrique said. Messi was the main draw, as fans chanted his name, and most of the 66,000 in the crowd were clad in Miami's hot pink, interspersed with Argentina shirts. PSG dominated from the start and took the lead when Neves nodded in unmarked at the back post from a free kick. With the Ligue 1 champion pressing high and keeping possession, Javier Mascherano's Miami found it hard to get Messi involved. The 38-year-old's intermittent interventions were not enough to hold back the Parisian tide. PSG doubled its lead in the 39th minute when veteran holding midfielder Busquets got his footwork wrong, with Ruiz stealing the ball and combining with Bradley Barcola to set up Neves again. "He played a very good game ... in this team everyone can score and make decisive contributions," Osumane Dembele said. Aviles then deflected Desire Doue's cross into his own net, and Hakimi netted the fourth before halftime to put PSG out of sight. Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, produced a brilliant pass for Suarez early in the second half, but the Uruguayan could not finish to offer Miami a lifeline. Despite the impossibility of a comeback Messi seemed determined to bow out with a bang. When Suarez was fouled on the edge of the box, Messi had the chance to repeat his free kick winner against Porto in the group stage, but his effort hit the wall. Luis Enrique sent on winger Dembele for his first appearance at the tournament after a hamstring injury, but the Frenchman looked rusty, and PSG could not extend its advantage. Miami's second-half performance was respectable, and the defeat was by a lesser margin than the French side's 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the Champions League final. "I think we were above the expectations people had for us (at the tournament) ... obviously we were facing the best team in the world playing football right now, so it was difficult," Alba said. Kane produced two lethal finishes as Bayern beat out Filipe Luis' Flamengo side, which was backed by a passionate following at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. "It's going to be another tough game — PSG have had an amazing season," Kane said. "We played them earlier in the year, and we came out on top. "We know it's going to be difficult, but we can beat anyone when we're at our level, we've shown that in the tournament so far." Erick Pulgar headed Joshua Kimmich's corner into his own net, and Kane's deflected drive flew into the bottom corner as Bayern took a two-goal lead. The three-time Copa Libertadores champion battled back as Gerson smashed a shot past Manuel Neuer to delight most of the crowd of 61,000. Leon Goretzka restored Bayern's lead, but former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho reeled in the German club once more from the penalty spot. Kane settled the contest with a fine touch and finish to set up the quarterfinal clash against PSG. "We have to rest now, recover from this game, use every single day we've got to rebuild our energy," Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. "Then what more do you want? Top top sides playing each other on the biggest stage — we'll be ready for that."
