Writers’ Room Devotes Entire Podcast to Wayne Lukas Tribute

[Wandering Eyes]

Some of the most influential people in the life of Wayne Lukas-and some of the people for whom he was the most influential–took part in a special TDN Writers' Room podcast in order to pay tribute to `the Coach,' who passed away Saturday night at the age of 89.

Lukas worked almost up until his last days in the sport which he revolutionized upon his arrival in the early 1980s. Before it was over, he would win 20 Breeders' Cups, 15 Triple Crown races, five Eclipse Awards as leading trainer, and saw his horses win 25 yeear-end championship awards. But it was the personal side of their interactions with Lukas which the eight guests–Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, Bob Baffert, Ron Moquett, Christina Bossinakis, John Bellinger, Jerry Bailey, and Gary Stevens–wanted to discuss.

“He hired me in January of 1985 to go to California,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, who worked as an assistant to Lukas for seven years. “Well, the first thing was he told me to meet him at four o'clock at the donut shop. I said, `four o clock? What do we do at four o' clock?' And then walked Noble Threewitt and Willard Proctor and we grabbed a coffee and donut and we were out of there by before four oclock. We drove to the barn at four and it was dark. And I wondered what we were going to do that early. But it was a set list. He waited to the morning of to do the set list in case it rained and he had to change something. And for the next seven years, it was four in the morning, get up, and go to work.”

If there was one area in which McLaughlin failed, it was his penmanship, which Lukas required to be picture-perfect, said Todd Pletcher, who was at the barn around the same time. “He expected his assistants to not only be on top of everything with the horses, but also to have good penmanship,” said Pletcher. “Have you ever seen Wayne Lukas's autograph? I mean, it looks like an artist drew it. And I think that that story speaks to the level of detail that he expected out of people, not just the caring for the horses and the running of the races, but everything around the shed row had to be just perfect.”

Jerry Bailey won the 1991 Kentucky Derby for Lukas aboard Grindstone, but had known him since he was a teenager.

“My association with Wayne goes probably back 60 years,” said Bailey. “My first interaction with Lukas was when I was a kid in New Mexico at Riodoso Downs. I grew up in West Texas and we used to go up to Riodoso every summer. My dad owned some horses and Wayne was up there training. Wayne has been called a lot of nicknames–Rhinestone Cowboy–but his nickname back then was Mr. Clean, because he had a vacuum between every other stall of the horses and before they would go up to the paddock–because he was bedding on sawdust as everybody was–he would take the vacuum and suck all the dust off of them before they went to the paddock.”

John Bellinger, one of his principal owners in his later years, said he'd miss the conversation the most. “Sitting in his office, closing the door, and reminiscing about the past, about what he'd done, who he'd worked with,” said Bellinger. “In those four years, I obtained a PhD in horse racing from Wayne Lukas. He was the coach. He was the professor. He prepped us for the next step going forward and every moment was so special.”

In his later years, Lukas was known for allowing young people into the winner's circle after he won a race. One of the first of those was Christina Bossinakis, who asked for his autograph at 19, and 25 years later, was autographing books alongside him as the co-author of their book, Sermon on the Mount. “He was my idol,” she said of their meeting, which she credits for her long career in horse racing. “I admired him so much that if he had brushed me off or had done anything that made me feel not welcome, I honestly think I may not be in horse racing today. So I'm really appreciative of that moment with him.”

Ron Moquett, a dear friend of Lukas's later in life, recalled a time when Lukas was driving him back and forth to a meeting on icy Arkansas roads. “He just keeps going faster and faster, and I said, `Wayne, I don't want you driving like this. I don't want to die.' And he says, `why are you so worried about dying?' I said, `because the headline tomorrow would read `World-Famous Hall of Fame Trainer Wayne Lukas and Passenger Killed in Car Wreck.' I said, `they won't even say my name.' He laughed the rest of the way home.”

Lukas was instrumental in the career of jockey Gary Stevens, and for Stevens, picking out his fondest moment between the pair was a simple one. “I've got a drone shot, a picture of Wayne leading me and Oxbow into the winner's circle at Pimlico,” he said. “I've got my left hand on Wayne's shoulder and he's got this humongous smile on my face. That's how I'm going to remember Wayne.”

For Bob Baffert, who was with Lukas from the Quarter Horse days right up until the past few weeks, the pain of his loss is raw. Baffert recently posted a tribute on social media that ended with, “I hope I made him proud.”

“I really had a hard time with it last week when I first heard about it,” he said. “I'm still dealing with it.”

The TDN Writers' Room is presented by Keeneland; the guests of the week are sponsored by Gainesway. The rest of the show is sponsored by the PHBA, 1/ST TV, WinStar, and West Point Thoroughbreds.

 

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