Latest news with #WayneLukas
Forbes
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
4 Lessons From A Trainer Of Legendary Racehorses
Wayne Lukas, (Photo by Michael Reaves) A world-class horse trainer has crossed the finish line. Legendary horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas died on June 28th, just two months short of turning 90. He was one of the most successful horse trainers in history, training 23 world champions, winning four Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, and four Belmont Stakes. Horse racing was always in Wayne Lukas' blood. He raced his pony at local fairs as a child and was buying, selling, and training horses by the time he was eight. Over the course of his career, his horses won nearly 5,000 races and earned over $300 million. It was his unique training approach that made "Coach" Lukas one of a kind. Here are four of his key training principles. Jockey Kevin Krigger with Lukas Wayne Lukas managed horse training the way Robert Kraft runs the New England Patriots—as a system. He employed an integrated team model tightly organized around the resources, responsibilities, and responses necessary to optimize performance on the track. All those associated with his operation were goal-focused rather than task-oriented. They were clear on their jobs; they also focused on their mission. "This is not The Black Stallion," Lukas would say, "You can't just whisper in his ear." Excellent performance is grounded in far more than merely acquiring competence; learning must be rewarded and nurtured. Learning objectives and performance requirements are hardwired together. Learners must have leaders who value and reinforce their newfound expertise .Shaky novices are supported until they can become confident masters. Resources needed for excellence are generously provided, not parceled out, with an emphasis on the bare minimum. Lukas after Preakness win Wayne Lukas was easy to spot at a horserace. He wore a $3,000 suit, a Rolex watch, distinctive aviator sunglasses, and a white Stetson hat. He looked like a winner. But his approach was to encourage his horses to feel that same "on top of the world" confidence. Once asked about what he looked for in a filly, Lukas said, "She should have a head like a princess, a butt like a washerwoman, and walk like a hooker." It was his colorful metaphor for the perpetual pursuit of splendor. Make demonstrated competence a source of evident admiration and unmistakable affirmation. Like the Native Americans who saved their best corn seeds for next year's planting, make your superstars mentors of new associates. Give trainees a chance to receive attention in a way that brings a sought-after spotlight. Showcase learners to valuable clients and essential partners. Lukas with stable pony Goal-oriented training is not a new concept. But great leaders help promote wisdom, not just competence. Competent learners achieve tasks; wise learners solve problems. Competent learners deliver what is expected; wise ones discover new ways to deliver. Lukas wanted more than a winning horse; he wanted a legendary champion. Lukas was also a pioneer in data-based learning. Feedback from countless measures provided the intelligence to refine and invent, not just correct and adjust. It enabled him to innovate the world of horse training. Learning should never become a check-the-box necessity. It should use the organization's mission as its anchor, solidly congruent with its values. It should be measured, monitored, and validated, just as any other crucial organizational endeavor. Great leaders view learning as a powerful force, never as a costly extra; an investment in the future that is inspected with the same scrutiny as all other critical ventures. In the words of cowboy humorist Tex Bender, "You can pretend to care, but you can't pretend to be there." Wayne Lukas trained from atop his horse, not from afar. "I'm on a horse every day for four to five hours," said Lukas. "If I'm working a horse five-eighths, and I have some question about its condition, I want to see how hard it's breathing myself before it gets back to the barn. I learn so much from the horse." Lukas leads Proud Citizen Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kantor wrote, "Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach." Lukas was an avid learner, just like his prized horses. He knew what a horse needed by listening intently to what the horse communicated. Some labeled his gift that of a whisperer; those who knew him credited his deep respect and passion for the horse. Lukas's motto was "What have you done today to improve yourself?" His horses were "in school" practically the moment they were born. He knew conditioning was an ongoing, everyday thing. 'To train a racehorse,' he would say, 'You must be very intense and involved.' The world of work is in constant motion, and the requirements for success are constantly changing. Active learners flourish as those who have learned fall behind. It is the progressive leader who recognizes that learning is not the price of entry but the permit to stay in the game. And there is no better nor timely formula than that lived by D. Wayne Lukas. May he rest in peace, and may his memory be a blessing--and a lesson.
Powys County Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Baffert hails ‘true visionary' Lukas
Bob Baffert has paid a heartfelt tribute to D. Wayne Lukas, the legendary American trainer who died at the age of 89 on Saturday. Baffert credits Lukas with being a true inspirational figure as he was starting out in his own career both in Quarter Horse racing and later when he moved into training thoroughbreds. In a post on X, Baffert said: 'I first saw D. Wayne Lukas as a teenager at a small County Fair racetrack close to my hometown in Nogales, Arizona. He rolled into town with his gleaming chrome trailer, big, beautifully turned out horses, and the most expensive-looking Stetson hat that I had ever seen. 'He won race after race and made such a huge impression on me that I fell in love with Quarter horse racing right there. 'Years later, when I transitioned into thoroughbreds, Wayne was the competition, and all I wanted was to beat him in the big races. It didn't take me long to realize how difficult that would be. 'Wayne was a game changer, transforming horse racing for the better. He made it so the horse's bloodlines were more important than the owner's. He created a system of flying his horses coast to coast, establishing a presence at every major racetrack in America. And Wayne didn't just show up. He dominated. He won so much he became known as 'D. Wayne off the plane'. He developed the blueprint the rest of us still follow. He was a true visionary. 'The horses were everything to Wayne. They were his life. From the way he worked them, how he cared for them, and how he maintained his shed row as meticulously as he did his horses. No detail was too small. Many of us got our graduate degrees in training by studying how Wayne did it. 'Behind his famous shades, he was a tremendous horseman, probably the greatest who ever lived. 'As I grew older and wiser, Wayne remained the competition, but he also became a mentor and one of my best friends. When he beat me, I knew I was beaten by the best. When I beat him, I knew I had done something right. 'Wayne had a special aura about him. He had a knack for making others feel seen and valued. He was uniquely charming and an eternal optimist. In one of my last conversations with him, we talked about the importance of looking at the glass half full and continuing to compete in what he called the big arena. 'To his final days, he was a relentless competitor. He set out with ambitious goals and achieved them all. One of the things that made Wayne so special was the steadfast love and support of his wife, Laurie, an excellent horsewoman in her own right, and his grandchildren. 'Wayne impacted the lives of so many people in racing and raised the bar for all of us. He was the epitome of excellence, and I'll miss him every day for the rest of my life. 'I hope somewhere along the way, I made him proud.'
Arab News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a winner of 15 Triple Crown races, dies at 89
NEW YORK: D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Famer who became one of the most accomplished trainers in the history of horse racing and a face of the sport for decades, has died. He was 89. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport His family said Sunday that Lukas died Saturday night at his Louisville, Kentucky, home. Lukas had been hospitalized with a severe MRSA blood infection that caused significant damage to his heart and digestive system and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. '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,' his family said in a statement. '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.' Lukas won 15 Triple Crown races, including the Kentucky Derby four times. Only good friend Bob Baffert has more Triple Crown victories, and Lukas owns a record-tying 20 in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. 'The whole secret of this game, I think, is being able to read the horse: Read what he needs, what he doesn't need, what he can't do, what he can do,' Lukas said in May before his 34th and final Preakness Stakes. 'That's the whole key. Everybody's got the blacksmith, everybody's got to the same bed available, the feed man. We all can hire a good jockey. We all can hire a pretty good exercise rider if we've got the means, so what the hell is the difference? The horse is the difference and what we do with him in reading him.' Lukas was affectionately known around the barns and the racetrack as 'Coach' because he coached high school basketball before his professional career with horses began. Even with months to go before his 90th birthday, he would get up on his pony in the early morning hours and go out to the track himself, rather than letting his assistants do the day-to-day work. Born Darnell Wayne Lukas on Sept. 2, 1935, in Wisconsin as the second of three children, he rose to prominence in the sport with quarter horses in races that are effectively sprints. He moved into thoroughbreds in the late 1970s and won his first Preakness with Codex in 1980. Lukas has 4,967 documented victories in thoroughbred racing, with his horses earning more than $310 million from more than 30,600 starts. '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,' Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said. '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.' Achieving something of a career renaissance over the past decade, one he credits to finding the right owners willing to spend money on horses, Lukas won the Preakness last year with Seize the Grey. Asked what motivates him to keep doing his job well into his late 80s, he gave a pep talk fit for a locker room before a big game. 'If you have a passion, you eliminate all the excuses,' Lukas said. 'That's how it works. You get up early. You go without a meal. You drive. You go without sleep — as long as you got the passion. Don't let that sofa pull you down. It's a little easy when that alarm goes off to say, 'Oh my God, I don't know if I really want to do this today.' Erase that. The most important decision you'll ever make in your life is your attitude decision. Make it early, and make the right one.'
CBS News
29-06-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
D. Wayne Lukas, 15-time Triple Crown race winning trainer and Hall of Famer, dies at 89
D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Famer who became one of the most accomplished horse trainers with seven Preakness, four Kentucky Derby and four Belmont Stakes wins, has died. He was 89. His family said Sunday in a statement to Churchill Downs, the Louisville, Kentucky, racecourse where he won his first Derby in 1988, that Lukas died Saturday night at his home. Lukas had been hospitalized with a severe MRSA blood infection that caused significant damage to his heart and digestive system and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. "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," his family said in the statement. "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." Wayne Lukas, trainer of Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey, watches his horse walk through the barn after a morning workout prior to the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on June 07, 2024 in Saratoga Springs, New York. Getty Images Lukas won 15 Triple Crown races, including the Kentucky Derby four times. Only good friend Bob Baffert has more Triple Crown victories, and Lukas owns a record-tying 20 in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. "The whole secret of this game, I think, is being able to read the horse: Read what he needs, what he doesn't need, what he can't do, what he can do," Lukas said in May before his 34th and final Preakness Stakes. "That's the whole key. Everybody's got the blacksmith, everybody's got to the same bed available, the feed man. We all can hire a good jockey. We all can hire a pretty good exercise rider if we've got the means, so what the hell is the difference? The horse is the difference and what we do with him in reading him." No one in the race's 149-year history has saddled more horses in the Preakness than Lukas, with 48 since debuting in 1980. He told CBS Baltimore in 2013 that he thought he had a knack for identifying horses with talent. "Of the six horses I bought last year, three are in the Preakness," he said. "So I'm pretty proud of that, after looking at 3,000." Retired jockey Donna Brothers, now an NBC Sports analyst, once called Lukas "a magician" for his ability to evolve a horse's potential. "He's been doing it for a number of years, and he can continue to produce those sorts of results," Brothers said in 2022. Lukas was affectionately known around the barns and the racetrack as "Coach" because he coached high school basketball before his professional career with horses began. Even with months to go before his 90th birthday, he would get up on his pony in the early morning hours and go out to the track himself, rather than letting his assistants do the day-to-day work. Born Darnell Wayne Lukas on Sept. 2, 1935, in Wisconsin as the second of three children, he rose to prominence in the sport with quarter horses in races that are effectively sprints. He moved into thoroughbreds in the late 1970s and won his first Preakness with Codex in 1980. Lukas has 4,967 documented victories in thoroughbred racing, with his horses earning more than $310 million from more than 30,600 starts. "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," Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said. "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." Achieving something of a career renaissance over the past decade, one he credits to finding the right owners willing to spend money on horses, Lukas won the Preakness last year with Seize the Grey. Asked what motivates him to keep doing his job well into his late 80s, he gave a pep talk fit for a locker room before a big game. "If you have a passion, you eliminate all the excuses," Lukas said. "That's how it works. You get up early. You go without a meal. You drive. You go without sleep - as long as you got the passion. Don't let that sofa pull you down. It's a little easy when that alarm goes off to say, 'Oh my God, I don't know if I really want to do this today.' Erase that. The most important decision you'll ever make in your life is your attitude decision. Make it early, and make the right one."
CNN
29-06-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas, a winner of 15 Triple Crown races, dies at 89
D. Wayne Lukas, the Hall of Famer who became one of the most accomplished trainers in the history of horse racing and a face of the sport for decades, has died. He was 89. His family said Sunday that Lukas died Saturday night at his Louisville, Kentucky, home. Lukas had been hospitalized with a severe MRSA blood infection that caused significant damage to his heart and digestive system and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. '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,' his family said in a statement. '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.' Lukas won 15 Triple Crown races, including the Kentucky Derby four times. Only good friend Bob Baffert has more Triple Crown victories, and Lukas owns a record-tying 20 in the Breeders' Cup World Championships. 'The whole secret of this game, I think, is being able to read the horse: Read what he needs, what he doesn't need, what he can't do, what he can do,' Lukas said in May before his 34th and final Preakness Stakes. 'That's the whole key. Everybody's got the blacksmith, everybody's got to the same bed available, the feed man. We all can hire a good jockey. We all can hire a pretty good exercise rider if we've got the means, so what the hell is the difference? The horse is the difference and what we do with him in reading him.' Lukas was affectionately known around the barns and the racetrack as 'Coach' because he coached high school basketball before his professional career with horses began. Even with months to go before his 90th birthday, he would get up on his pony in the early morning hours and go out to the track himself, rather than letting his assistants do the day-to-day work. Born Darnell Wayne Lukas on Sept. 2, 1935, in Wisconsin as the second of three children, he rose to prominence in the sport with quarter horses in races that are effectively sprints. He moved into thoroughbreds in the late 1970s and won his first Preakness with Codex in 1980. Lukas has 4,967 documented victories in thoroughbred racing, with his horses earning more than $310 million from more than 30,600 starts. '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,' Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen said. '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.' Achieving something of a career renaissance over the past decade, one he credits to finding the right owners willing to spend money on horses, Lukas won the Preakness last year with Seize the Grey. Asked what motivates him to keep doing his job well into his late 80s, he gave a pep talk fit for a locker room before a big game. 'If you have a passion, you eliminate all the excuses,' Lukas said. 'That's how it works. You get up early. You go without a meal. You drive. You go without sleep — as long as you got the passion. Don't let that sofa pull you down. It's a little easy when that alarm goes off to say, 'Oh my God, I don't know if I really want to do this today.' Erase that. The most important decision you'll ever make in your life is your attitude decision. Make it early, and make the right one.'
