What happened with D. Wayne Lukas? He was such a prominent trainer with great success and for the last several years he seems to not have the same “quality” of horses.
This is only speculation on my part, but I would say it’s simply a matter of aging. He’s in his mid-70s I believe and there are so many younger successful trainers – several of whom might have been his assistants at one time – that are competing for the top horses & top owners.
This is pure speculation, but as I know of no one who’s worked with or around him with anything positive to say, he may have burned too many bridges.
Ha! U must b watching HRTV!
[QUOTE=Lauruffian;6371759]
This is pure speculation, but as I know of no one who’s worked with or around him with anything positive to say, he may have burned too many bridges.[/QUOTE]
I worked for him for many years. I don’t usually get involved with these types of threads because nobody really cares what someone is really like. Is he a saint? No, but I can tell you he was far less invasive on horses than other trainers I worked for and it was a very professional barn in which the horses were very well treated. Can’t say the same of other big names I worked for.
Terri
Don’t know any “insider” info, but I did see him at Oaklawn last year and this year when I went for the Arkansas Derby, and I was struck by how old and worn he looks. No doubt who he was, but the impression was far different from his TV interviews in the day. He looked every bit of in his 70s.
Lukas trained our race horses in California and I was happy with the care and results. He put in alot of very long hard days and eventually time catches up. We retired out of racing and maybe other older clients have done so as well.
Also – W.T. Young passed away, Sanan went in another direction, etc.
It’s good to hear positive stories about him. I grew up watching his horses dominate the 80s, and have been disheartened hearing so much negative info about him. Glad to know he took care of your horses, jumpytoo, and last I checked Equilibirum, none of us are saints. 
[QUOTE=jumpytoo;6371986]
We retired out of racing and maybe other older clients have done so as well.[/QUOTE]
Often when folks have discussed why he’s no longer at the top the common refrain has been the loss of what had been his key client list. Either passing away, getting out of the business, or shifting trainers over time.
Unlike say Shug McGaughey, for example, who has long been able to tap into the homebreds of the Phipps family, DWL never seemed to have that continued pipeline. So he - like most trainers - is at the mercy of having affluent clients who can buy promising horses. Unlike the glory days with a different type of rival barns many of his competitors in recent years have been former students.
(Worth noting is that despite the huge influx of cash via the Legends Racing Stable - neither Baffert, Lukas or Zito saw much in the way of results from the money spent. Yep, even Bob who remains very successful.)
Perhaps more detrimental has been his never ending desire/need/ambition to race in the brightest spotlight races. As such you get runners like Optimizer and Flying Private on the TC trail and in all three legs but most people asking why. Each was a decent horse who could win a few stakes races but honestly were not Grade 1 dirt horses. Perhaps there would be more productivity - but less press - if more realistic courses were taken.
There are many other trainers who have enjoy much more than just a few good Saturday afternoons who are still in the business, but are not pushing to always be in those races. Jack Van Berg and Ron McAnally, for instance.
Still DWL has a wonderful solid runner like Hamazing Destiny who wins graded races or at least is always in contention. Most trainers out there would be pleased a punch to have even one runner like that in their barn.
Perhaps…
Perhaps it is because Lukas tends to be outspoken…not always in a good way. When he was interviewed a few years ago about Codex fouling Genuine Risk in the 1980 Preakness he was less than gracious about Genuine Risk and what a tough mare she was (it took Cordero slashing her in the face to stop her drive - Codex never won another race). (For those who disagree with me know that I spent weeks studying this situation and came to the personal conclusion that she was smacked in the face with a whip - she came back to the barn with a slash in her face. I watched the ‘official’ video and examined several telling photographs).
He also badmouthed Chris Antley after he died and lied about him. This really affected many people that he would speak ill of the dead - especially a popular jockey who battled personal demons.
Just my .02 cents.
Hallie
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Were you with Chris the week of The Belmont or with Charasmatic? Do you know any of what was going on even from the Derby that time? Not what you read, the actual story. It was slightly different. And far from what gets reported here with regards to Charasmatic he was not lame or crippled or being patched together.
At any rate I keep things to myself. I could tell many stories that would make your head spin and not from his barn. Other trainers you all hold in high regard because they benefit horses when they retire.
It’s why I’m so vocal about wanting things to change for the better of the horses with tighter drug restrictions ect. More horses would go on to more fruitful lives after racing instead of companion or light hacking only. Boggles my mind how many people are so against slaughter and yet think “therapeutic” drugs and doing what it takes to hold them together is a okay.
Anyway I learned to gallop on Wayne’s farm near San Diego and stayed through the move up around Santa Barbara. Then I worked for him on the track for quite awhile. He was good to me most of the time and sometimes we didn’t get on. Sometimes some of his assistants would rather hide things instead of facing and dealing with an issue. It was what it was.
Terri
My vet who will remain nameless told me Charismatic was “held together with vetwrap” and was not at all surprised with the breakdown.
Well I was there Laurie so whatever. Everyone knows someone and knows the inside story. Was there from the Derby and NY.
Terri
Satish Sanan was very vocal about why he went in another direction. He wanted his experiences as a new owner with Lukas as his trainer to serve as a cautionary tale for others. And I think they did.
[QUOTE=Equilibrium;6372475]
Well I was there Laurie so whatever. Everyone knows someone and knows the inside story. Was there from the Derby and NY.
Terri[/QUOTE]
He was his vet! It doesn’t get more inside than that.
Huh?
[QUOTE=Equilibrium;6372433]
Were you with Chris the week of The Belmont or with Charasmatic? Do you know any of what was going on even from the Derby that time? Not what you read, the actual story. Terri[/QUOTE]
I was talking about Chris Antley, not Charismatic (or is it Charasmatic?). Lukas boldly stated to several reporters that he never rode Antley again after the Belmont. This is a bald-faced lie. Antley even won a stakes race for Lukas after that Belmont.
Lukas went on to badmouth Chris because Lukas felt Chris should have been in the stall with Charismatic waiting for the outcome. Well, Chris was at a party with the Lewis’ (the owners) BY REQUEST of the Lewis’. Bob Lewis even said that Chris was there at his behest, and Lukas should have been mad at the Lewis’ (talk about class acts, Bob and Beverly).
It is not nice, or terribly classy, to badmouth the dead ESPECIALLY when you lie. The backstretch gossip line had a field day with this one, and many jockeys were really peeved, more so if they had felt the wrath of Lukas at one time.
Look, Chris was a troubled guy, but he didn’t deserve what Lukas said about him. Lukas just is out of touch in so many ways (but I’ll take your word that he does take good care of his horses). He just has a terrible way with humans.
Please pardon my outburst, but I know a lot about Chris Antley.
Hallie
Where’s Jeff Lukas these days? I remember reading somewhere that he never has been quite the same (and who would be?) after his head injury from the Tabasco Cat incident.
[QUOTE=Mara;6372626]
Where’s Jeff Lukas these days? I remember reading somewhere that he never has been quite the same (and who would be?) after his head injury from the Tabasco Cat incident.[/QUOTE]
Retired and living in some small town in Oklahoma. HRTV did an Inside Information on him, pretty rough deal!
From the financial side–I had wondered–do trainers still get a piece of the syndication of stallion when they retire (at least in the old days they did) which use to be a gift that could keep giving–and if so–does lucas own any parts of stallions? I had wondered that when it seemed he relocated to Kentucky (to be near his assets?) I am sure I am off base on that one–especially since the breeding business really took a hit along with stud fees-- but just made me wonder. TIA
(ps. I cant remember whether any colts he trained even made it big in the breeding shed! But I did know a few trainers in the old days that made out fine with the annual residuals from a breeding fee or two.)
