By Christina Bossinakis
The TDN's 'Let's Talk'–a podcast series featuring TDN's Christina Bossinakis and TVG's on-air analyst Gabby Gaudet, offers candid discussion on personal and professional issues often faced within the racing community.
The latest edition features Hall of Fame horseman D. Wayne Lukas, who collected his latest Grade I victory with Secret Oath in the May 6 Kentucky Oaks.
Wayne Lukas is no stranger to success. Inducted into racing's Hall of Fame in 1999, the Antigo, Wisconsin native has spent over four decades reshaping and even defining the sport of horse racing. And while the victories may not be as plentiful as they may have once been, the 86-year-old continues to find himself on center stage on the big days, as was the case with Secret Oath when running fourth in the latest running of the GI Preakness S. While many other octogenarians are content with enjoying the fruits of their labors in retirement, Lukas continues to forge ahead with the same passion and intensity that he displayed during the zenith of his training career.
“I still get up at 3:30 every morning and now at my age, that alarm doesn't go off–I usually beat it,” he said. “But if it does go off, at 3:30 in the morning at my age, you might [want to] tip back and say, 'Woah boy.” But I refuse to let myself do that. I refuse to let the old man in.”
Well lauded for the string of assistants who have gone on to become top-level trainers in their own right, Lukas remains very forthright about the influence he has tried to exact over his team throughout the years. The one-time basketball coach underscored that it wasn't only the star graduates like Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, et al that he tried to mentor, but also the ones that may not have been able to reach the heights of some of their contemporaries. Often referred to as 'The Coach,' Lukas has certainly earned that moniker.
“It bothered me that I was able to develop six or seven kids and give them a certain experience and there were seven or eight or 10 on the team that I really couldn't influence in that area,” he explained. “They just weren't good enough but they were good, hard-working kids. Kids that had the dream as much as the ones that were playing. And it always bothered me a little bit. I tried to influence all my players.”
And that philosophy branched over to racing.
“So when I got into horse racing, I was very upset if we had two or three horses that didn't turn out, especially if I bought them. And I wanted to make everyone of them profitable.”
Also during the discussion, Lukas addressed several of the pressures of training, often magnified with age, and many of the present-day player's tendency to migrate toward a younger trainer with a higher win percentage.
He said, “When you get to my age, most people wonder, is he out? Is he still doing it? They often turn to a younger person.”
Later in the program, Lukas is joined by his wife, Laurie. Candid about her first impression of Lukas, the lifelong horsewoman was quick to point out that the man was, in many ways, quite different than that of his public persona.
“When I first met him, it was just a chance meeting and I wasn't super impressed..I thought he was really full of himself,” she admitted. “I'd known of him for years and years like everyone else. I just thought he had a bit of an ego.”
She continued, “But the first time we had a conversation on the phone, it was a totally different deal. He has so much depth. The conversations were fascinating. He's so engaging and very intelligent. And that was my surprise. I didn't expect that.”
And what makes the relationship work?
“I have such great respect for her as a horseperson,” affirmed Lukas. “I don't have to go home at night and hold a clinic or a seminar on what we're trying to do or where we're trying t go.”
Laurie added, “We both get it. I understand that passion and that drive. And I won't be complaining about why we can't go to dinner tonight or why we can't do this or that because I get it. That really helps.”
The show is sponsored by 1/ST Racing and Healthnetics.
To watch the entire 'Let's Talk' podcast, click here. And for the audio only version, click here.
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