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 Lukas a Hall of Fame shoo-in
Posted: Wednesday April 28, 1999 12:13 PM
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- D. Wayne Lukas has been to the Kentucky Derby winner's circle three times. He's won the Preakness four times and the Belmont Stakes on three occasions. On Tuesday, the 63-year-trainer, an Antigo, Wis., native, made it to thoroughbred racing's ultimate winner's circle -- the Hall of Fame. "I'm very happy to be here," said Lukas, who goes for a fourth Derby win on Saturday with Cat Thief and Charismatic. "But I don't think anybody gets here by themselves." Jockey Russell Baze, who rode more than 400 winners for the seventh consecutive year in 1998, was also elected. Entering 1999, Baze had 6,429 winners and earnings of more than $90 million. Thoroughbreds elected were Exceller, Miesque and Gun Bow. Induction ceremonies are Aug. 9 at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., home of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Lukas became a training pioneer in the 1980s by establishing a national presence in spreading his operation from California to tracks in Florida, Kentucky, New York and elsewhere. His idea was that if some of his horses were unable to win against California's top competition, perhaps they could in places like Omaha, Neb., where the racing wasn't as tough. Clearly, the strategy paid off. Later this year, Lukas will top $200 million in purse earnings, a staggering number considering only one other trainer -- the late Charlie Whittingham -- has passed $100 million. "I had some very good clientele that had extreme faith in me and backed it up with their bankroll and let me buy some of the best horses in the world," Lukas said. "The $200 million represents a lot of income to a lot of people that backed me." Lukas has 518 graded stakes victories, which is 7 percent of all the graded stakes the past 20 years. He has won 13 Breeders' Cup races -- more than any other trainer -- and four Eclipse Awards as the nation's top trainer. In 14 of the past 17 years, Lukas was the nation's leading trainer in earnings, and set a record of $17.8 million in 1988, the year he saddled his first Derby winner, the filly Winning Colors. From 1994-1996, Lukas went on an astonishing run, with four of his horses -- Tabasco Cat, Thunder Gulch, Timber Country and Grindstone -- winning six consecutive Triple Crown races. In the past few years, there was controversy surrounding Lukas and the Hall of Fame's eligibility rule that nominees must have trained thoroughbreds for 25 consecutive years. Lukas started out as a quarterhorse trainer in the 1960s, but also trained thoroughbreds every so often. But the hall's nominating committee started the clock in 1974. A few years back, Lukas was so upset with the confusion, he threatened to boycott the inevitable announcement of his election. He didn't. Wearing a gray suit and black tie, attire usually reserved for his hundreds of trips to the winner's circle, Lukas patiently explained his position. "My only take is it's not my place or anyone else's to determine the eligibility -- it's the hall of fame and its committee," he said. "And their read in my case was not that I had not trained a horse as early as the early '60s, but they wanted it consecutive. "There were some breaks, not much, and I accept that. So if they use 1974 and that makes them happy and it's endorsed with the votes, so be it, and I'm very happy to be here." Among his greatest moments in racing, Lukas cited his Derby wins -- Winning Colors, Thunder Gulch ('95) and Grindstone ('96) -- and all the other Triple Crown race wins, beginning with Codex's victory in the 1980 Preakness. Lukas also praised his former assistants, who have gone out on their own. The former Team Lukas crew includes Mark Hennig, Bobby Barnett, Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, Todd Plechter and Randy Bradshaw. "I'm probably proudest that six of my guys -- my alumni -- are out on their own and doing very well," he said. "Two of them will lead horses in the Derby against me on Saturday." Barnett saddles Answer Lively and Stewart has Kimberlite Pipe. As he finished his remarks in the press box at Churchill Downs, Lukas said, "On Saturday at about 6 p.m., I hope I'm back up here for another visit."
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