Nursing Broken Ribs, Lukas Looks to Future

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who broke a number of ribs in a recent fall at Oaklawn Park from a stable pony, was looking toward the future Dec. 10, both for himself and his horses.

Speaking via telephone from his wintertime Arkansas residence, the 87-year-old said he is showing improvement in his recovery after he fell from his pony when it "spooked and I caught him with my spur." There is no specific timetable for when he will be back at full strength, said Lukas, who, for now, finds it too painful to lie down. So he shifts around in a seated position to avoid too much discomfort.

"I have a beautiful nurse taking care of me," he said of his wife, Laurie.

When Lukas is healthy again and back as a familiar presence during morning training atop a pony, he will have Briland Farms' Secret Oath  to lift his spirits. After being withdrawn from The November Sale at Fasig-Tipton shortly after her fifth-place finish in the Nov. 5 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Keeneland, she is currently in light training at Oaklawn with local targets such as the March 11 Azeri Stakes (G2) and April 15 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) being planned goals.

Daily Racing Form first reported those plans and Lukas' injury.

"She's eating well and doing well—I'm excited for her," Lukas said of the star of his barn. "I think she could have a super year."

Pointing to late development from her dam, Briland Farm's Absinthe Minded , Lukas believes Secret Oath will be better next year at 4 than she was this season at 3 when she won the Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs in her top stakes achievements. The daughter of Arrogate  also hit the board in three other grade 1s.

Regarding the decision of owners Robert and Stacy Mitchell of Briland Farm to pull her from The November Sale this fall to race her another year, Lukas said, "I just thought that was the best thing that they could do, but it benefited me, obviously."

"That 12 months will fly by" to the 2023 fall sales season, he added.

Though Lukas' current group of 2-year-olds have been quiet in their racing accomplishments, he believes next year's crop holds promise, noting a number of expensive yearling purchases made this year with owners John Bellinger and Brian Coelho of BC Stables.

Among the horses purchased at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale by BC Stables was a $1.15 million Quality Road   colt out of the stakes-placed Dixe Union mare Checkupfromzneckup , and a $1 million Into Mischief   colt out of the unplaced Unbridled's Song mare Not in Jest .

Crosby: Lukas Enjoys Limelight With $1M Into Mischief Buy

The Quality Road colt is a half brother to graded stakes winner Carribean Caper  (Speightstown  ).

"I think this old man is gonna make one more good run," Lukas said.