Trainer D. Wayne Lukas

Born: 09/02/1935, Antigo, Wisconsin

Resides: Louisville, Kentucky

Family: Jeff, son  

Lukas is perhaps the best known trainer at Oaklawn.  He has been training at the Spa as a meeting regular the last three years, but has often had stables here under key assistants. 

“I really like Hot Springs.  I especially like the program here for three-year-olds and we have always had good luck here,” he said. 

Lukas has 48 horses on hand for the 2009 Spa meeting. Last year, he finished fifth in the trainer standings overall, winning 18 races from his 127 starters. His horses earned $509,836. 

This horseman has achieved many outstanding feats in his Hall of Fame career, among them leading Oaklawn’s Racing Festival of the South in races won.  He tops the great series with 13, followed by Bill Mott, 9, and Ron McAnally, 8. 

D. Wayne came into racing by way of quarter horses and averaged $1 million just before turning to thoroughbreds on a full time basis in 1978.   

Over the years he has trained for many prominent clients such as Eugene Klein, Mel Hatley, the late W.T. Young, Michael Tabor and Beverly and Bob Lewis. 

Four times he has been honored as an Eclipse Award trainer.  His Hall of Fame induction came at Saratoga in 1999. 

His assistants who went on to become outstanding in their own rights include Dallas Stewart, Todd Pletcher, Randy Bradshaw, Mark Hennig, and Kiaran McLaughlin. 

Not only was Lukas the first trainer to have his stable reach $100 million in earnings, he was the first to attain $200 million. 

The man has won the Kentucky Derby four times, Preakness, five, and Belmont Stakes four.  Three of his thoroughbreds have won Horse of the Year while 24 have been thoroughbred champions, 13 have captured Triple Crown races. 

He has long been the most dominant trainer in the Breeders’ Cup, saddling 18 winners in that series.  In 1987 he won a record 92 stakes.