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France 24
29-06-2025
- Sport
- 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.
USA Today
29-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Hall of Fame Thoroughbred trainer D. Wayne Lukas dies at 89
A week after entering hospice care, legendary Thoroughbred trainer D. Wayne Lukas died at his home in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 29 at the age of 89, Churchill Downs announced. Lukas had a MRSA blood infection that caused significant damage to his heart and digestive system, his family said in a statement on June 22. The family stated that Lukas declined an aggressive treatment plan, intending to spend his remaining time at home. The Hall of Famer's career spanned more than six decades, working with horses that earned victories at notable race tracks. Longtime assistant, Sebastian "Bas" Nicholl, will continue running operations for Lukas Enterprises Inc. out of Barn 44 on Churchill's backside, where Lukas stabled since 1989. APPRECIATION: Remembering D. Wayne Lukas, a relentless horseman who changed the sport D. Wayne Lukas' Hall of Fame career Lukas made a name for himself in Southern California, earning his first documented win as a thoroughbred trainer at Santa Anita Park on Oct. 20, 1977, at age 42. He would train thoroughbreds full-time in 1978 with seven horses and became known throughout his career for his trademark barns, which featured a white picket fence, beds of flowers, and painted feed tubs used for decoration. Lukas had 4,967 documented thoroughbred victories (637 of the 1,105 stakes wins were graded) during his career. His horses earned more than $301 million from 30,607 starts, according to Churchill Downs. The trainer has won the Kentucky Derby four times and the Longines Kentucky Oaks five times during his career. A total of 26 horses trained by Lukas went on to win Eclipse Award championships, including three that were tabbed as Horse of the Year. Lukas' 15 Triple Crown races are second only to trainer Bob Baffert, who has 17 in his career. "A special man, he's been a great friend and very much a father figure to me," Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Kenny McPeek told The Courier Journal. "He raised the standards for our sport to the highest level. An amazing man."
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, in declining health, won't return to horse racing
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas looks on as Preakness Stakes winner and Belmont Stakes entrant Seize The Grey cools down following a workout ahead of the 2024 Belmont Stakes. (Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press) D. Wayne Lukas, 89, who has been a staple in horse racing since 1968 when he was training quarter horses at Los Alamitos, is leaving the game after contracting a potentially life-ending illness. In a note to owners and friends on Sunday, Lukas Enterprises announced: 'We regret to inform you that D. Wayne Lukas will not be returning to racing. A severe MRSA blood infection has caused significant damage to his heart , digestive system, and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. The doctors proposed an aggressive treatment plan, involving multiple surgeries and procedures over several months. Even with the best-case scenario, Wayne would require 24/7 assistance to manage daily activities.' Advertisement The note goes on to say that Lukas declined the aggressive treatment plan 'and return home to spend his remaining time with his wife, Laurie, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.' It also says that he will be under home hospice care. Read more: Commentary: Irascible D. Wayne Lukas brings energy to an otherwise dull Belmont Stakes Lukas is a member of both the U.S. Racing and Quarter Horse Halls of Fame. He has won the to trainer Eclipse Award five times and his horses have won 25 Eclipse Awards. In his career, which started in 1968, Lukas has run 30,436 races, winning 4,953. His horses have earned $300.534 million. His last significant win was in last year's Preakness Stakes, which he won with Seize the Grey. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
23-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, in declining health, won't return to horse racing
D. Wayne Lukas, 89, who has been a staple in horse racing since 1968 when he was training quarter horses at Los Alamitos, is leaving the game after contracting a potentially life-ending illness. In a note to owners and friends on Sunday, Lukas Enterprises announced: 'We regret to inform you that D. Wayne Lukas will not be returning to racing. A severe MRSA blood infection has caused significant damage to his heart , digestive system, and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. The doctors proposed an aggressive treatment plan, involving multiple surgeries and procedures over several months. Even with the best-case scenario, Wayne would require 24/7 assistance to manage daily activities.' The note goes on to say that Lukas declined the aggressive treatment plan 'and return home to spend his remaining time with his wife, Laurie, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.' It also says that he will be under home hospice care. Lukas is a member of both the U.S. Racing and Quarter Horse Halls of Fame. He has won the to trainer Eclipse Award five times and his horses have won 25 Eclipse Awards. In his career, which started in 1968, Lukas has run 30,436 races, winning 4,953. His horses have earned $300.534 million. His last significant win was in last year's Preakness Stakes, which he won with Seize the Grey.
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
All-time great D Wayne Lukas quits training ranks battling 'severe infection'
The four-time Kentucky Derby winner, whose career spanned six decades, has declined an aggressive treatment plan to spend his remaining time with his family All-time great trainer D Wayne Lukas has called time on his six decades long career because of declining health. The 89-year-old has trained nearly 5,000 winners, including 15 in Triple Crown races of which four were Kentucky Derby winners, and a record 20 Breeders' Cup winners. He has topped the US trainers' rankings by prize-money won 14 times. A statement said Lukas has been hospitalised in Louisville, Kentucky, with a severe and worsening infection. He has declined an aggressive treatment plan and will soon return home to spend his remaining time with his family. Under a pre-arranged succession plan, long-time assistant Sebastian 'Bas' Nicholl, a former captain in the British Army who fought in the first Gulf War, will take over the training licence. Lukas, who entered US racing's Hall of Fame in 1999, has trained 26 Eclipse Award champions, including three that were crowned Horse of the Year. 'Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in Thoroughbred racing history,' said Mike Anderson, President of Churchill Downs Racetrack. '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 amassed 4,967 wins and his horses earned more than $301 million from 30,607 starts, including 1,105 stakes wins of which 637 were of the graded stakes variety. His final winner came on June 12 at Churchill Downs with Tour Player, who is owned by the wife of fellow trainer Bob Baffert. Nicholl left the army in 1995, working in Ireland for Edward O'Grady and joined the Lukas operation in 2002. 'Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched,' Nicholl said. 'Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I'll hear his voice in the back of my mind. This isn't about filling his shoes – no one can – it's about honoring everything that he's built.'
