‘The Man’–D. Wayne Lukas–The Original

[Wandering Eyes]

I can't really remember a time that D. Wayne Lukas wasn't in my life. Beginning with my teenage years, to say that I was a big fan of Wayne's is an epic understatement. As a student that liked to study at night it was highly likely I would take an afternoon siesta. So, I used to tell my mother “If ANYBODY calls, don't wake me. ONLY if it's the Queen of England or D. Wayne Lukas.” My mother can corroborate this story.

Even though I was a huge fan of racing in general, Wayne occupied much of the gray matter in my brain. It was all about him, his horses, his wins and everything and everyone associated with him. I still have my scrapbooks with all my racing favorites, highlighted by an extensive Wayne Lukas section. Nowadays, it might be just cause for a restraining order. But back then, it was the only way I could connect with the man I so revered.

I've told the story many times of my first meeting with him in the early 1990s, so I'll keep it brief. My first visit to Saratoga occurred in the summer of 1994, and that in itself was exciting. After Wayne won the King's Bishop with Chimes Band, I quite shyly (I know many of you are having a hard time believing this part of the story) hovered near the winner's circle as Wayne held court. My cousin, who clearly had more guts than I did, worked her magic and talked our way into the winner's circle so I could get an autograph. That was the moment I met my living hero. What can I say? Wayne was Wayne. Eloquence, class, charisma and charm. For most, pinpointing the exact moment that will launch them on a lifelong journey can be challenging, but for me, the origin is crystal clear. After joining the racing media ranks several years later, I had the opportunity to deal with Wayne on a professional level on a more frequent basis, however, to this day, I maintain that our initial meeting went a long way in informing my behavior toward racing fans as well as other industry professionals. Looking back, it gave wings to my love of racing.

As a member of the media, I pestered Wayne, for YEARS, about allowing me to write his memoir. And as many of you who know him can imagine, he resisted. Strenuously. He didn't think it would be worth the time or effort, and he often said he didn't think people would be all that interested. Never was a statement less true.

When he finally agreed for which we can thank his wife Laurie for helping pave the way, Wayne said he wanted it to be a book on his favorite quotes, which he was so famously known for. And then the real negotiations began. He wanted just the quotes, in black and white, a pocket-size book that people can carry around. Of course, I thought it was such a great opportunity to give people a slightly deeper look at many of the highs in his career, and some of the challenges he encountered in his life. I said, 'Let's add some historic pictures? How about I add a few short passages of some of the significant people, horses and events in his life?'

He ultimately agreed, however, I won't lie, it wasn't an easy sell. I would often tell him, only half joking, “Wayne, it isn't about the book itself, it's about the movie that will come after!” If ever there was a man's life that was made for a motion picture, it is that of Wayne Lukas. (Btw, Wayne once said he thought Clint Eastwood would have been the most appropriate actor to play the role… Of course).

Working on a book with Wayne Lukas might have been only a dream 25 years earlier, but it suddenly became a reality. During the process, I even had the opportunity to go to Wayne and Laurie's house in Louisville prior to the disassembly of his famous trophy collection before it was sent to the Kentucky Derby Museum. Talk about Alice finding herself in Wonderland. I can confidently say I will never witness something on that scale again.

Often, while working on the book, Wayne would call me at 6:30 a.m. to discuss some of his thoughts. For a person who did not keep a trainer's hours, I would call him back a couple of hours later and he would always say, “I've already finished half my day!” I never had the heart to tell him that my work day would likely take me well into the evening. But I appreciated the spirit behind the pokes–never mean, but always in the belief that he just wanted to spread the good word.

With Wayne, many of the quotes he liked to share and that he put great emphasis on were part of his own personal gospel. Which is why it is so appropriate that he selected the title of our collaborative book, Sermon on the Mount. The title really made sense for those who knew him, both personally and as a racing personality. He was a preacher and the racetrack was his church.

Dubbed 'The Coach' because of his early days as a basketball coach, Wayne became well-known for actively teaching and trying to impart lessons to subsequent generations. However, I sometimes wonder if he realized that most of what he taught us was imparted by simply being who he was. Sometimes the lessons were tough, and often uncensored, but if you were open to hearing them, they were right there. And his team, including the amazing horseman Bas Nicholl, also projected that same spirit and tradition of teaching and making the sport available to young fans.

The encounter that launched a career in racing: 19-year-old Christina meeting Wayne at Saratoga | Courtesy C Bossinakis

In my own life, I've also embraced the gift of mentoring and fostering subsequent generations, something that Wayne became increasingly committed to. While he could be a great interview, courtesy of the decades of practice, he could also be intimidating for the inexperienced. The first time I ever interviewed him was at Keeneland September circa 2002 after he purchased a $1-million-plus yearling. Keeping my cool took some work–I was nervous but I knew my stuff so that went a long way with Wayne. If you did your homework and you were prepared, you'd be fine. Fast forward 25 years, and I've had the opportunity to counsel a couple of journalists who had upcoming interviews with him, looking for anything to make things go smoothly. Not that any of them really needed help, however it showed that Wayne still invoked that kind of reverence from the younger generation of professionals.

From my early days as a journalist, I made it a point for Wayne to be the #1 stop on my itinerary whenever I showed up at a track he was stabled at. Whether he was winning or losing, and admittedly there were some pretty tough stretches over the past 25 years, I made him the priority. And why not? I always felt like, given everything he means to me, that it was the least I could do.

Over the last few years, I have grown to understand that he was no longer just an iconic figure, a trainer that once rocked the racing world, but a man who loved and cherished his family and friends. He was a man who had channeled all of himself into horses and into racing for most of his life and for what may have seemed like a mere blip in a storied career, I was fortunate enough to have been given a front-row view of a truly spectacular life.

With too many personal experiences to outline here, I recall vividly one of the last times I would see him, a few weeks ago in Baltimore prior to the Preakness. As usual, he was my first stop at Pimlico and he was being interviewed by the media as I walked up to his barn. Seated in his customary spot outside his barn office, he saw me approaching and said mid-sentence, “There is my girl.” I leaned down and hugged and kissed him and in that moment I knew, this isn't the man who I watched on TV as a teenager and couldn't even fathom sharing the same air as him. This was someone I had grown to love as a dear friend.

The sudden realization that Wayne's barn will no longer be my first stop when visiting the backstretch is, in a word, painful. However, I find some consolation that as long as I live, Wayne's spirit and countless lessons will endure in me, and anyone whose life had been touched by 'The Man'.

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