At 89 years old, D. Wayne Lukas remains active in training thoroughbred racehorses, with his latest prospect, American Promise, coming off an impressive win at the Virginia Derby as he prepares for the Kentucky Derby. A longshot at 30-1 odds, American Promise could offer Lukas a historic fifth win at this prestigious race, should he triumph on Saturday.
American Promise (30-1)
- Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
- Jockey: Nik Juarez
- Last Race: Victory in the Virginia Derby by 7¾ lengths
- Career Record: 2 wins, 1 second, 1 third from 9 starts
- Career Earnings: $444,874
- Best Beyer Speed Figure: 95 (achieved twice)
- Sire: Justify
With American Promise bred from the lineage of the 2018 Triple Crown champion Justify, he brings impressive bloodlines to the competition, selling for $750,000 at auction two years ago.
After breaking his maiden in his sixth start, American Promise set a track record at the Virginia Derby, showcasing his improvement under Lukas’s careful training regimen. The trainer opted for a focused training here rather than another prep race, claiming that the colt has shown significant improvement since his last victory.
Lukas anticipates that American Promise will hold a forthright position in the Kentucky Derby, despite starting from the No. 5 post, as he maximizes his chances for a strong finish. The derby will showcase not only the horse’s capability but also Lukas’s adept training skills, which could lead American Promise to a very competitive showing in the race.
