Passion Still There for Hall of Famer Lukas
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Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
By Tom Pedulla, America’s Best Racing
LOUISVILLE – When Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas received the Eclipse Award of Merit to salute him for a lifetime of achievements, he viewed the honor as something of a mixed blessing.
Of course, he appreciated the tribute. But he also knows such acknowledgments typically occur at the end of a person’s career. And Lukas, now 79, used the event to make certain everyone understood he has no intention of riding into the sunset.
With the same feistiness and determination that has marked his journey, he urged his younger rivals to wake up even earlier.
“We’re coming after you with a vengeance,” he said.
Lukas will saddle longshot Mr. Z for the 141st Kentucky Derby on Saturday in another reminder that he remains a player on racing’s grandest stages.
“This is a race my clientele wants to be in, so I have to do everything I can to put them here,” he said.
The former Quarter-Horse trainer surpassed legendary James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons when Oxbow delivered his 14th Triple Crown victory in the Preakness Stakes in 2013. He extended his Breeders’ Cup record when he earned his 20th win there with Take Charge Brandi in the Juvenile Fillies last autumn in an outcome that reminded handicappers that they overlook Lukas horses at their peril. She went off at 61.70-1 at Santa Anita and produced the third-highest payout in Cup history.
TAKE CHARGE BRANDI WINNING JUVENILE FILLIES
Photo by Eclipsee Sportswire
Mr. Z is named for Ahmed Zayat, head of Zayat Stables, and he is listed at 50-1 on the morning line. Although he owns more starts than any other entrant, that is all that distinguishes him since he is 1-for-12. He has not won since he made a successful debut at Churchill Downs last June 28.
Of his four starts this year, he owns three third-place finishes, the most recent of those coming in the Arkansas Derby, when he finished behind American Pharoah and Far Right.
“I think he belongs,” Lukas said of Mr. Z. “But I don’t have any grandiose ideas that he is going to waltz around there.”
Lukas added: “The reality of the deal is that he has to improve a lot. I think he’s a good, solid horse in a year in which there are exceptional horses. Every year, they say it’s not much of a 3-year-old crop. You can’t say that this year.”
LUKAS AT DERBY DRAW
Eclipse Sportswire
Lukas expects favored American Pharoah to justify his billing. He cannot forget how American Pharoah, ridden by Victor Espinoza, responded when Mr. Z made a brief run at him in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.
“He just shook the reins at him and he was five lengths in front of us in four jumps,” the trainer said. “Now, that’s the real deal.”
Lukas knows what it takes to win the Derby with four such victories to his credit, the last of those coming with Charismatic in 1999. He believes everything aligns properly for American Pharoah, a son of former Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile.
“He’s got a world-class jockey. He’s got a world-class trainer who knows what to do. And he’s got the talent and style to win the Derby. He’s going to be forwardly placed and has a devastating kick,” Lukas said. “You put those things together and good things are going to happen.”
As is the case with many older trainers, Lukas is having difficulty attracting new owners capable of making a major financial commitment. That resulted in a loss of depth in his barn.
“The problem is that I used to have numbers,” he said. “You really need to be the University of Kentucky and have nine McDonald’s All-Americans, and then it gets easier.”
Lukas perseveres with what he has. He never mentions retirement as even a remote possibility.
“The passion is still there,” he said.
$2-million Kentucky DerbySaturday, May 2, Churchill Downs, 6:34 p.m. ET1 ¼ miles, dirt, 3-year-olds TV: NBC 4-7:30 p.m. ET
No.
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Odds
1
Ocho Ocho Ocho
Elvis Trujillo
Jim Cassidy
DP Racing
24-1
2
Carpe Diem
John Velazquez
Todd Pletcher
WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stable
7-1
3
Materiality
Javier Castellano
Todd Pletcher
Alto Racing
14-1
4
Tencendur
Manny Franco
George Weaver
Phillip S. Birsh
56-1
5
Danzig Moon
Julien Leparoux
Mark Casse
John Oxley
20-1
6
Mubtaahij
Christophe Soumillon
Mike de Kock
Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum
12-1
7
El Kabeir
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
N/A
8
Dortmund
Martin Garcia
Bob Baffert
Kaleem Shah
4-1
9
Bolo
Rafael Bejarano
Carla Gaines
Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack
33-1
10
Firing Line
Gary Stevens
Simon Callaghan
Arnold Zetcher
8-1
11
Stanford
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
N/A
12
International Star
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
SCRATCHED
N/A
13
Itsaknockout
Luis Saez
Todd Pletcher
Starlight Racing
29-1
14
Keen Ice
Kent Desormeaux
Dale Romans
Donegal Racing
37-1
15
Frosted
Joel Rosario
Kiaran McLaughlin
Godolphin Racing
9-1
16
War Story
Joe Talamo
Tom Amoss
Loooch Racing Stables Glenn K. Ellis and Christopher T. Dunn
41-1
17
Mr. Z
Ramon Vazquez
D. Wayne Lukas
Zayat Stables
30-1
18
American Pharoah
Victor Espinoza
Bob Baffert
Zayat Stables
3-1
19
Upstart
Jose Ortiz
Rick Violette
Ralph Evans and WinStar Farm
21-1
20
Far Right
Mike Smith
Ron Moquett
Robert LaPenta and Harry Rosenblum
37-1
21
Frammento
Corey Nakatani
Nick Zito
Mossarosa
94-1