D. Wayne Lukas

Seize the Grey (Arrogate), the winner the GI Preakness Stakes and GI Pennsylvania Derby, will point directly to the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Saturday Nov. 2 at Del Mar, the Daily Racing Form first reported on Tuesday, Oct. 15. After taking home his second Grade I score, Seize the Grey's Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas left the door open to go to the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, but after conferring with ownership groups MyRacehorse and Gainesway Farm that the Dirt Mile would...

After a horse named Causes Trouble (Creative Cause) broke down in the Aug. 24 Parx Dash at Parx Race Course and had to be euthanized, a video circulated that showed that the turf course was in abysmal condition. The video showed that there were numerous holes in the turf course and that the grass itself looked like something you might see in a vacant lot. Just without the broken bottles. There were as many weeds as there were blades of grass. "It's always been known as a bad course, but...

BENSALEM, PA -- Consider it a belated birthday present, Coach. Having turned 89 less than three weeks ago, the legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas pulled yet another rabbit out of his hat, saddling GI Preakness Stakes hero Seize the Grey (Arrogate) to a victory in Saturday's GI Pennsylvania Derby, a result arguably more surprising than his off odds of 4.30-1 might suggest. The $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase was only seventh to 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in April,...

Saratoga works for many reasons. The combination of great racing, a historic venue, iconic races like the GI Whitney S. and the GI Travers are reasons why more than one million fans file through the turnstiles every meet and the handle for the season now tops $800 million. But Saratoga's success also has a lot to do with its exclusivity. It's only open for eight weeks and there are just 40 racing days. That, as much as anything else, is what makes it special. There's an opening day and there...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In a summer like no other at Saratoga Race Course --words that are appropriate most every year--which concluded Monday, there was noteworthy change that blended nicely into the tradition that make America's most important race meet so popular. To wit: A year ago, the main story of the meet, was the number of catastrophic injuries - 14 - which horses suffered in training and competition. With even more strict safety measures in place, there was single racing fatality and one in training during the meeting. Though...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Without hesitation Sunday morning, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he knows what he will be doing Monday, his 89th birthday. "Training horses," he said. "I got two in, and I'll see if I can make it a special day by trying to get those things at least closer or win one. I told Laurie, my wife, 'for a birthday present, I'd like see one of them jump up and win.'" A victory on closing day of the Saratoga Race Course season would enable...

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 12:35 p.m. ET. BC Stables went to $850,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale to acquire CODE OF JUSTICE (Into Mischief). Sent to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, the colt is the first foal for GSP Meal Ticket (Malibu Moon), who was picked up in a private sale by John Mulholland's Mulholland Springs. Now a 10-year-old, the dam is responsible for Code of Justice's younger full-sister Peanutbutternjelly and she foaled a colt by Gun Runner Apr. 14. Herself a half-sister to MSW...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y. - Before summer at Saratoga began, eternally young Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was confident his young horses would make him proud before the 40-day meet ended on Labor Day. The clock is ticking. Lukas has had one disappointment after another with his 2-year-olds. "I thought that a couple of them that I liked would have broken their maidens by now," Lukas said, sitting in his office at his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "I was looking for one of them to jump...

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas expressed his desire on Sunday to run GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) in the Aug. 24 GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Tim Wilkin covered Lukas's perspective extensively in Saratoga Notebook, presented by NYRA Bets. On Tuesday, according to Daily Racing Form's David Grening, Lukas confirmed Seize the Grey will instead be pointed to the Sept. 21 GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. Although he trains at Saratoga, the 3-year-old colt has finished off the board in his two starts...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- If it was up to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Seize the Grey (Arrogate) would be running in the $1.25-million, GI Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 24. On Sunday morning, all Lukas could do was shrug his shoulders when asked if the GI Preakness Stakes winner would be taking a place in the Travers starting gate. "I don't know," he said at his barn on the Oklahoma Training Track. "I am going to vote to run him in it." Lukas, though,...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Back at his office on the Oklahoma Training Track Wednesday morning, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott was trying to describe the four-furlong work he had just seen from his 3-year-old colt Batten Down (Tapit). "Wooosh," was one of the sounds he made. "Phhhffftt," was another. The cartoon melodies made by Mott were, supposedly, offered to show how impressive the grey/roan Batten Down looked to him. Batten Down was timed in :48 (2/13) in the move on the Oklahoma Training Track. It was his first work...

6th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:47 p.m. The second-costliest hip out of OBS March this year, FEROCIOUS (Flatter) worked in :9.4 and sold on a final bid of $1,300,000 to Marquee Bloodstock with the partnership of JR Ranch, Restrepo, Ramiro, High Step Racing and OGMA Investments now listed as owners. A son of the late Claiborne stallion Flatter, Ferocious is the second foal out of a winning Midnight Lute mare who is a half to GISW Obligatory (Curlin). This is also the family of French G1 winner Etoile Montante (Miswaki)...