My thoughts & prayers go out to the Coach
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That’s so sad. He is a larger than life personality who never stopped joking around so the racing world is going to be so much quieter.
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All the more staggering since he just ran in the Preakness and Derby and there were feature stories about him. I used to trail ride past Gene Klein’s showplace when Wayne was at his peak. So sad.
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Very sad. He leaves a great legacy!
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Whoa!
I’m going to be honest - I thought he had retired and then when I saw him listed among trainers for the Derby I was a little confused because I thought he’d retired at least a few years ago.
Sending up good thoughts for him and his family.
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They had some “features” about him on the broadcast, showing him out on his pony watching his entry train.
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Very sad news. I wish him to have a painless final journey, with his family with him.
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He won the Preakness just last year, with Seize the Grey!
End of an era for sure. Best wishes to the Coach, I hope he is able to enjoy some time with his family still.
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I must’ve missed that somehow. 
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“ Absolute Legend ”
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Long and well lived life. Not bad for a career changing basketball coach who ended up training trainers.
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More details on his amazing career from The Blood Horse.
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Comments from his colleagues.
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My most vivid memory of becoming aware of Lukas:
Winning Colors winning the Kentucky Derby in 1988. The third and last filly to win (so far). In 150 Kentucky Derby years.
The fillies that Lukas brought forward in those early years of his TB career. Winning Colors retired from racing with $1.5 million. In the 80’s.
(I think it’s 150 KD years, since 1875 … )
ETA Winning Colors in the KD …
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Oh wow. The man has literally been training my entire life. End of an era for sure.
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How quickly life can change, MRSA in the blood is usually secondary to something like Pneumonia or a wound. Certainly scary to think about and incredibly sad that it had to come down to this point: maybe fixable with surgeries but advanced age causing a roadblock; who wants to endure that at nearing 90 years old.
His career was not one without faults but certainly one that will struggle to ever be replicated. He had a lot of special horses over the years and I think in the last 5 years is when maybe he got the most joy out of his stable - smaller scale, enjoying those around him, enjoying the peaceful 5am mornings on the back of his pony on the trackside. I guess that’s how we wish we could all go out.
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This makes me so sad for many reasons. My Stepdad died from MRSA. I feel for all involved.
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Godspeed Wayne. Hope you are met at the bridge by all those who went before you. Jingles for his family and friends
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