Lukas Savors Fifth Oaks Win 40 Years After His First

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas started out his weekend May 6 with what could have been a low.

Believing Ethereal Road  was flat in his recent training after an active racing schedule last month, the Hall of Fame trainer decided to scratch his sole contender from the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Ahead of the most action-packed weekend of racing in North America, this would have been viewed by many as a disappointing setback. 

But not so for "The Coach," whose pragmatic approach to business found him sharing a bit of c'est la vie with reporters about nine hours after the scratch. 

"We try to do exactly what's right for the horses," he said.

As he forded questions from eager journalists who peppered him about his afternoon win in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Briland Farm homebred Secret Oath , Lukas ended his day on a high. 

Secret Oath's victory in the 1 1/8-mile race for sophomore fillies gave Lukas a record-tying fifth overall win in the race for a trainer, putting him on par with fellow Hall of Famer and legend Woody Stephens. The win came 40 years after Lukas won his first Kentucky Oaks.

At 86, he has been training longer than many of his colleagues have been active, or even—in some cases—alive. Lukas' breadth of knowledge, unflappable work ethic, and penchant for getting results at all levels made him a legend in the game.

Lukas' first Kentucky Oaks winner was Blush With Pride in 1982. His filly Lucky Lucky Lucky took the race two years later in 1984 and was followed by his third winner, Open Mind, in 1989. Between 1985 and 1992, Lukas was the U.S. leading stakes-winning trainer. 

Seaside Attraction's score in the 1990 Oaks marked the last time one of Lukas' fillies was adorned with lilies. With a 32-year drought in the Oaks hanging over his head in the lead-up to Friday's race, opinions seemed divided on whether Secret Oath would be able to outrun a field that included an Eclipse Award-winning champion filly in Echo Zulu  and multiple other formerly unbeaten graded stakes winners. And with so many years between Lukas and a Kentucky Oaks, it was surmised that perhaps a changing of the guard among the Thoroughbred training ranks was complete.  

But clad in his white cowboy hat, surrounded by several generations of his family, Lukas' mood during his post-Oaks press conference was one of giddy elation that belied the confidence of a man who never once counted himself out. 

"I've said all week that the thing about it that's clear is when we win the first one (Kentucky Oaks), we think it's us and we get all puffed up and we think we've really done something," said Lukas. "After you win one and you think on it a little while, the real satisfaction is when you can put these people that work with these horses and raise them and so forth in that position. That's always been our M.O. going into it.

"After we won that first one, Blush With Pride, then you think, 'Boy, we did everything.' But the real joy of doing this is to let these owners have the opportunity to enjoy this and get that thrill." 

Lukas has been more than generous in sharing his knowledge as a trainer and a horseman. Among his pupils through the years have been trainers such as Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, Randy Bradshaw, Mark Hennig, George Weaver, Dallas Stewart, and Mike Maker. 

This development of successful horsemen is what drew Briland Farm owners Rob and Stacy Mitchell to hire Lukas to train for them.

"It's interesting; in racing, there's no how‑to book," Lukas said. "If you get Nick Saban up here from Alabama and he's got a room full of coaches, all top Division I coaches, he will go to the blackboard and diagram everything they do on offense and defense, share it with every guy in the room. And so will all the other better coaches.

"But in racing, you can't go and find it in the library. There's no book. There's no way to look it up... and most guys do not share anything.

"So when we came along... We really recruited good guys, wonderful young men. And we decided that we would teach and share with them. And a lot of nice records fell and a lot of good things happened. And it was—it was probably as satisfying and maybe as big—as much of our legacy to have 13 guys we put out there in the game now that are doing so well. They're all like family. We get together every once in a while. It's hilarious. They all tell how they did it this and that and covered for each other when they screwed up. It's really fun." 

From a staggering 29,581 career starts, Lukas has won 4,867 races. He has been a part of 29 Eclipse Awards, four for himself and 25 for his horses. If Friday afternoon's festivities are any indication of Lukas' staying power, it's clear that he still has plenty of lessons to teach.  

"Every one of these—you know, when you're 86, going to be 87 in a few months, you know that there are not a lot of them in front of you left," said Lukas. "And I'm still getting up the same as I did when I was 40 and still on that pony every morning. 

"I always say at clinics when you have passion for anything, you eliminate the excuses. When you've got passion for something, you'll stay up all night, go without food, drive, sleep, whatever to get where you want to go. And when you have these fillies that show up in your life, like this one or a colt, it's such an incentive and drive for me."