Legendary horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas dies at 89

New York Times

4 days ago

D. Wayne Lukas, one of horse racing's most successful trainers, died Saturday night at 89, his family announced Sunday.
Lukas was hospitalized last week with a severe MRSA blood infection. However, he declined an aggressive treatment plan and later returned to his home in Louisville, Ky., Churchill Downs said in a recent release.
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'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,' a statement from Lukas' family said.
'… 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.'
The family said that a private service would be held with immediate family. Details for the larger celebration will be announced at a later date.
Rest in peace, Coach 🌹 pic.twitter.com/27mbfv4w0x
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) June 29, 2025
Throughout his six-decade career, Lukas won 4,987 documented Thoroughbred races. His 15 Triple Crown victories, including a record six consecutive wins from 1994 to 1996, are second only to those of his friend Bob Baffert. Lukas also has a record-tying 20 in the Breeders' Cup.
In 1995, he was the first and only trainer to sweep the Triple Crown in one year with different horses: Thunder Gulch at the Kentucky Derby, Timber Country at the Preakness Stakes and Thunder Gulch at the Belmont Stakes. Lukas' other Kentucky Derby wins include Winning Colors in 1988, Grindstone in 1996 and Charismatic in 1999.
A 14-time national leader in money won, Lukas earned more than $301 million from 30,607 starts, with 1,105 stakes wins, including 637 graded stakes. He was a three-time Horse of the Year trainer and four-time Eclipse Award winner for outstanding trainer, and is a member of both the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame.
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'Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in Thoroughbred racing history,' Churchill Downs president Mike Anderson said in a recent statement. '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.'
Lukas' six-decade career saw changes in the world of horse racing, as its popularity declined with the rise of other forms of betting, and as the sport faced increased criticism over the treatment of horses.
Lukas saw some of that criticism himself, such as when, in 1993, his horse Union City fractured a leg during the Preakness Stakes and later died. Another Lukas horse, Tabasco Cat, retired in 1994 at the age of 4 with a leg injury, a year after winning the Preakness. In 1996, Grindstone retired due to an injury just days after winning the Kentucky Derby.
Lukas' performance as a trainer was notable not only for his results but also for his impact on the sport's culture. The gap near the six-furlong pole at Churchill Downs is known as 'The Lukas Gap,' near one of Lukas' barns, and the track's Homecoming Classic race was renamed the Lukas Classic in 2015. Lukas' success flying horses across the country for top stakes events coined the phrase 'D. Wayne off the plane.'
Lukas found success with his training approach and recruited owners to spend on horses. In addition to his dominant successes, Lukas also won with long odds. His horse, Spain, won the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff with nearly 56-1 odds. Lukas often said, 'You can't win it if you're not in it.'
Born Darnell Wayne Lukas on Sept. 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wis., he raced his pony at the Antigo County Fairgrounds as a young boy. Later, Lukas would buy mustangs set for slaughter, train them and sell them at auctions. He got his master's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin and coached high school basketball in the state, which later earned him the nickname 'Coach' on the racetrack.
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In 1968, Lukas got his professional start training quarter horses at Park Jefferson in North Sioux City, S.D.. In 1978, he began training thoroughbreds at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., and started his stable at Churchill Downs in 1989.
Lukas was married five times, most recently to his wife, Laurie. He had one son, Jeff, who trained horses alongside his father until a collision with Tabasco Cat when he was 36 years old put him in a coma and left him with permanent brain damage. Jeff briefly returned to train part-time and died at the age of 58 in 2016.
When Lukas stopped training after his hospitalization in June, his assistant Sebastian 'Bas' Nicholl took over responsibility for his horses. Lukas' final win of his career came on June 12 at Churchill Downs, with 4-year-old colt Tour Player.