Latest news with #D.WayneLukas
Yahoo
an hour ago
- 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
2 hours ago
- 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.
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Horse racing trainer D. Wayne Lukas in hospice care after hospitalization
Legendary thoroughbred trainer D. Wayne Lukas, 89, is back home for hospice care after being hospitalized in Louisville. Lukas had a MRSA blood infection that caused significant damage to his heart and digestive system while also worsening some preexisting conditions, according to a statement released by the Lukas family. The family stated that Lukas declined an aggressive treatment plan, intending to spend his remaining time with his wife and family at home. The Hall of Famer's career spanned more than six decades, working with horses that earned victories at notable race tracks. A succession plan was implemented by Lukas Enterprises Inc., and all horses previously trained by Lukas have been transferred to veteran assistant Sebastian 'Bas' Nicholl. MORE: Legendary horse racing trainer D. Wayne Lukas gravely ill, in home hospice care D. Wayne Lukas' biography 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. He had a stable based at Churchill Downs in Kentucky since 1989. "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." More: The 2025 Preakness was thrilling. It was also a big missed opportunity for horse racing. D. Wayne Lukas' accomplishments 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. He was enshrined in horse racing's Hall of Fame in 1999 and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2007, becoming the first person recognized as a member of both. He had success with quarter horses as well during the 1970s at tracks such as Los Alamitos.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
4 'mudders' to bet on at the 2025 Preakness who thrive in the rain
4 'mudders' to bet on at the 2025 Preakness who thrive in the rain It's looking like the storms hammering the East Coast this week may pass by post time for the 150th Preakness Stakes. That doesn't mean the damage won't already be done to the track — and that may end up being the biggest factor at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday. Fortunately, and despite the smaller nine-horse field, there are quite a few contenders who have experience on off tracks entered into the field for the second leg of the Triple Crown. WHAT'S IN A NAME? Every wacky and whimsical 2025 Preakness horse name, ranked If it turns out the track is a mess out there on Saturday, these will be the four horses to keep an eye on. American Promise Friday Odds: 15-1 15-1 Morning Line Odds: 15-1 15-1 Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas D. Wayne Lukas Jockey: Nik Juarez Before the Kentucky Derby, the last time American Promise raced on a muddy track was back on December 29 when the D. Wayne Lukas star won a 1 1/16th-mile race at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Arkansas. On a muddy Churchill Downs track, American Promise pulled up in 16th in the Run for the Roses. Goal Oriented Friday Odds: 6-1 6-1 Morning Line Odds: 6-1 6-1 Trainer: Bob Baffert Bob Baffert Jockey: Flavien Prat Baffert's Preakness entry is starting on the rail — just like Baffert's Citizen Bull did at the Kentucky Derby — but with a much smaller field than we saw at Churchill Downs, there's less reason to worry about getting squeezed out. Goal Oriented has won the only two events he's entered, which includes a muddy race on the Kentucky Derby undercard, and carries a 109 Equibase Speed Figure on a wet track, which leads the Preakness field. Journalism Friday Odds: 8-5 8-5 Morning Line Odds: 8-5 8-5 Trainer: Michael W. McCarthy Michael W. McCarthy Jockey: Umberto Rispoli Journalism finished second on the wet track at the Kentucky Derby, putting a strong performance on late but not nearly enough to overtake Sovereignty. While Goal Oriented has the top Equibase Speed Figure on a wet track in the field, Journalism arrives in Baltimore with the top Beyer Speed Figure on a wet track (102). Sandman Friday Odds: 4-1 4-1 Morning Line Odds: 4-1 4-1 Trainer: Mark E. Casse Mark E. Casse Jockey: John Velazquez Sandman finished in seventh at the Kentucky Derby, which was the first time it took to an off track. With a Wet Equibase Speed Figure of 86 and a wet Beyer Speed Figure of 87, he'll have to prove quite a bit on Saturday.
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Lukas looks to 'turn the page' on American Promise in the Preakness after a troubled Derby trip
BALTIMORE — American Promise got cut off at the start of the Kentucky Derby , then couldn't get the room to squeeze between horses down the stretch. It added up to a 16th-place finish. 'He's a big horse,' trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. 'He can't stop and start like that. It just won't work.'
