Farewell to thoroughbred racing’s “Coach”
Churchill Downs posted a photo of the late trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ pony making one final visit to the track today, the saddle empty, his black boots reversed in the stirrups, the traditional way of honoring a fallen hero.
Outrider Greg Blasi with D. Wayne Lukas’ pony at Churchill Downs in a tribute to the late trainer. (Photo courtesy Churchill Downs)
Wayne was a familiar sight at the track in the mornings, watching from horseback as the thoroughbreds he trained galloped through their workouts. Just standing there, he made an impression wearing his big cowboy hat, and more recently, a helmet without a chin strap. He became as integral a part of any track as the starting gate or the tote board.
His horses won 15 Triple Crown races and 20 Breeders’ Cup races; he received four Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer. Among his many stellar runners were Winning Colors, Serena’s Song, Thunder Gulch, and Lady’s Secret.
“The Coach” died Saturday, shortly after announcing his retirement from training at age 89. He was suffering from an MRSA infection, saying that instead of seeking treatment, he wanted to spend what time he had left with his family.
Jockey Frankie Dettori recalled, “I’ll never forget walking into the barn at Churchill Downs and seeing him, sharp as ever in his cowboy hat, already working before sunrise. The man had a presence, you felt it even before he spoke.”
Fellow trainer Bob Baffert recalled that Wayne, someone he met when both were racing quarter horses, “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,” Bob continued.
“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.”
Wayne was as good at making people comfortable as he was in getting the best out of his horses.
As Bob observed, “He had a knack for making others feel seen and valued.”
One of those on the receiving end of Wayne’s warmth was Jamie Saults, a talent assistant and stage manager for NBC. At the Derby this year, when Wayne saw her, he said, “We go way back, don’t we?”
So Jamie sat down and talked to him for a little while.
“I told him I had one of his trophies and asked him if he wanted it,” she recounted.
He replied, “I just donated 7,500 of them to the museum. You keep it, honey.”
