Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer D. Wayne Lukas has died at the age of 89, as confirmed by his family on Sunday. Lukas had recently entered hospice care following complications from a severe MRSA blood infection that significantly impacted his heart and digestive system, exacerbating several preexisting health conditions.

“Today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated. “We will miss his humor, his wisdom, and his unmatched capacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport’s biggest days.”

D. Wayne Lukas was a towering figure in horse racing for over four decades, winning four Kentucky Derbies and 15 Triple Crown races, including seven Preakness Stakes and four Belmont Stakes. His notable recent victory came in 2024 with Seize the Grey in the Preakness, marking his first Triple Crown win in over a decade.

D. Wayne Lukas Triple Crown Success

Triple Crown race	Wins	Horse (Year)
Kentucky Derby	4	Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996), Charismatic (1999)
Preakness Stakes	7	Codex (1980), Tank’s Prospect (1985), Tabasco Cat (1994), Timber Country (1995), Charismatic (1999), Oxbow (2013), Seize the Grey (2024)
Belmont Stakes	4	Tabasco Cat (1994), Thunder Gulch (1995), Editor’s Note (1996), Commendable (2000)

Enshrined in the Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1999, Lukas made history by winning six consecutive classics from 1994 to 1996 with renowned horses like Tabasco Cat and Thunder Gulch. He also claimed five Kentucky Oaks, the latest with Secret Oath in 2022.

He trained three Horses of the Year: Lady’s Secret (1986), Criminal Type (1990), and Charismatic (1999). Additionally, his 20 Breeders’ Cup wins include six in the Juvenile Fillies and five in the Juvenile.