Hall of Fame trainer Lukas, four-time Kentucky Derby winner, dies at 89
"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 US 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's 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."
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 had confirmed last week that the horses in Lukas's 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
France 24
4 days ago
- France 24
Four-time Tour de France winner Pogacar - greatest cyclist of his generation
On his swaggering romp across France on his way to a fourth Tour de France title on Sunday, one could still catch glimpses of the boy desperate to beat his brother in the hills outside Ljubljana. But now, at 26, Pogacar has learned to curb some of his gung-ho instincts, which not only lifted him to success at times, but were also behind his rare defeats. In 2024 he won the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the world title, a feat known as cycling's Triple Crown and won only by Merckx in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987. Pogacar's dominance of the current scene is without doubt, but the kangaroo courts of social media are asking another question, one that will forever dog cycling -- is he for real? Pogacar, a proven combative all-rounder capable of taking on mountain climbs as easily as flat sprints, has never tested positive at any time in his career. "I'm a good boy from a good family, taking no short cuts in life," he told AFP. He does indeed appear to be surrounded by a good family, a school teacher mother and a furniture designer father who live in the same village in the hills outside the Slovenian capital where he grew up. He shares a home with his fiance and fellow cyclist Urska Zigart in Monaco when their programmes allow, while his firm friend and off-season traing partner cyclist Michael Matthews of Australia is a near neighbour. "He hasn't changed, he's such a humble guy. He just wants to have fun and enjoy his riding," Matthews said. Pogacar is credited with having recreated that family spirit at his Team UAE, with whom he signed a 54-million-dollar six-year contract last November, according to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. 'No pretences' Teammate Pavel Sivakov told AFP that Pogacar was easy to deal with and a constantly positive personality. "He's always super relaxed and easy to work with. Mentally he's always focused on the positives. We know he's always going to deliver whatever he can. He's humble and good for the atmosphere in the team," said Sivakov. While most agree there is something boyish about Pogacar, there are signs he has grown up. "This is my sixth Tour de France now, I miss the white jersey," he told reporters, referring to the jersey worn by the best-placed rider aged 26 and under. In taking on his great rival, the two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, Pogacar has galvanised his team and forced them to control the peloton, leading to accusations of arrogance. "There's a difference between arrogance and trying to win a Tour de France," retorted the man who psyches himself up by listening to Slovenian rapper Drill. He still rides a bike with a sticker of the Incredible Hulk on it, joking: "He's the one you shouldn't make angry." Fellow Slovenian Matej Mohoric, himself a junior world champion and elite rider for the Bahrain Victorious team, said this week that Pogacar was a true great. "He was born with a machine inside him, and he was born with the brain to use that machine," Mohoric said. There will always be doubters, but during his victorious charge across France, Pogacar was already scanning the horizon for the next win. "Unlike a lot of cyclists I haven't booked any holidays, so maybe I'll race the Vuelta," he said of the Spanish Tour, which starts on August 23. He will also be in the Rwandan capital Kigali in September to defend the world road race title.
France 24
29-06-2025
- France 24
Hall of Fame trainer Lukas, four-time Kentucky Derby winner, dies at 89
In a statement released through Churchill Downs, the family said Lukas died at home on Saturday night, a week after an infection had 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 US 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's 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." 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 had confirmed last week that the horses in Lukas's 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.
France 24
22-06-2025
- France 24
Hall of Fame trainer Lukas ill, won't return to racing: Churchill Downs
In a release posted on its website, the Louisville track that hosts the Kentucky Derby said the horses in the 89-year-old Lukas's care had been transferred to veteran assistant Sebastian Nicholl. "According to the family, Lukas, 89, has battled a severe infection that has worsened his condition," Churchill Downs said on its website. Lukas "has declined an aggressive treatment plan" and will soon return home to spend his remaining time with his wife, Laurie, and other family members." Lukas is one of the most accomplished trainers in US 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 -- his seventh Preakness triumph. "Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in Thoroughbred racing history," Churchill Downs president Mike Anderson said. "He transcended the sport of horse racing and took the industry to new levels. "The lasting impact of his character and wisdom, from his acute horsemanship to his unmatched attention to detail, will be truly missed. "The enormity of this news is immense, and our prayers are with his family and friends around the world during this difficult time." During a career spanning six decades, Lukas amassed 4,967 documented Thoroughbred wins and his horses earned more than $301 million from 30,607 starts, including 1,105 stakes wins of which 637 were graded stakes. Nicholl, an Englishman who has worked with Lukas since January 2002, said Lukas's legacy "will never be matched. "Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I'll hear his voice in the back of my mind," Nicholl said. "This isn't about filling his shoes -- no one can -- it's about honoring everything that he has built."
