D. Wayne Lukas is 86, and the big wins have been more sporadic for him in the 21st century than during his heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. He doesn't have as many big-name clients now, and it shows in the depth of his stable. The fire in his belly is still there, though, along with the perfectionistic drive that didn't win him any popularity contests but did make him a superb trainer of both horses and younger trainers. On Friday, May 6, that fire carried him to one of the great milestones of horse racing as Secret Oath, a daughter of the late Arrogate, powered down the stretch to win the Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1). Her victory tied Lukas with another Hall of Fame member, Woody Stephens, for most Oaks victories during a training career with five.
Unlike Stephens, who got three of his Oaks winners from Harry Guggenheim's Cain Hoy Farm, Lukas' five Oaks winners represent five different stables. The first was 1982 victress Blush With Pride, an aptly named daughter of Blushing Groom and the great broodmare Best in Show who raced as a homebred for Darrell and Lendy Brown's Stonereath Stable. Also the winner of the 1982 Santa Susana Stakes (USA-G1), Blush With Pride became an important broodmare in her own right with three graded or Group stakes winners to her credit. One of them, Better Than Honour, earned honors as the 2007 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, and Blush With Pride is the ancestress of champions Rags to Riches, Peeping Fawn, and Rhett Butler. as well as 2006 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Jazil and 2020 Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) winner Paris Lights.
Lukas's second Oaks winner came two years later when Lucky Lucky Lucky carried off the lilies for breeder Leslie Combs II of Spendthrift Farm and partner Equites Stable. The winner of five other graded stakes during her career, including the 1983 Matron Stakes (USA-G1), the daughter of the good Bold Ruler horse Chieftain and stakes-placed Just One More Time (by Raise a Native) set a sales record of US$3 million for a broodmare at the 1986 Keeneland January mixed sale, selling in foal to Northern Dancer. Unfortunately, she failed to live up to either her race record or her price tag as a broodmare.
Open Mind, Lukas's third Oaks winner, was no surprise to anyone. The American champion juvenile filly of 1988 for owner Eugene Klein, the daughter of Deputy Minister and multiple stakes winner Stage Luck (by Stage Door Johnny) was bred to be still better with age and distance and lived up to that pedigree. Besides the 1989 Kentucky Oaks, she won the New York Triple Tiara series and the Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) and was an easy choice as the American champion 3-year-old filly. Unfortunately, she produced only two named foals including Japanese stakes winner Easy Mind (by Easy Goer).
Lukas got Oaks number four the very next year with Seaside Attraction, who got her only stakes win in the filly Classic. The first Classic winner for William T. Young's Overbrook Farm (which later campaigned 1994 Preakness/Belmont winner Tabasco Cat, 1995 Preakness winner Timber Country (in partnership), and 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, Seaside Attraction had cost $1.05 million as a weanling and was herself the produce of two Classic winners, being by 1977 American Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew out of 1979 Canadian Oaks winner Kamar. Following her racing career, Overbrook retained her as a broodmare and was well rewarded for doing so. While Seaside Attraction produced only five named foals before her death, four of them were stakes winners, including 1995 American champion 2-year-old filly Golden Attraction (by Mr. Prospector) and 1998 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Cape Town (by Seeking the Gold). Seaside Attraction is also the second dam of three graded or Group stakes winners including 2006 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (FR-G1) winner Desert Lord.
For a time this spring, Secret Oath was improving so rapidly in the 3-year-old filly division that Lukas and owner-breeder Briland Farm (Rob and Stacy Mitchell) decided to see if the filly had what it would take to emulate Winning Colors, the big roan Amazon that captured the 1988 Kentucky Derby for Lukas. Secret Oath's bid to earn a Kentucky Derby starting berth fell short with her third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (USA-G1), but she had more than enough late kick to overpower her Oaks rivals and bring home the lilies. She also showed enough to merit possible consideration for the Preakness Stakes, so another tilt against males is not out of the question. Of course, that is hardly a conventional next stop for an Oaks winner, but it isn't unprecedented---Rachel Alexandra pulled off that double in 2009---and Lukas has seldom let convention overrule his own judgment, which seems to be as keen as ever. Whether he can keep going to pull off a record-breaking sixth Oaks win is a question for the future, but for now, the sweet smell of lilies is his, as is another remarkable accomplishment in his Hall of Fame career.
Unlike Stephens, who got three of his Oaks winners from Harry Guggenheim's Cain Hoy Farm, Lukas' five Oaks winners represent five different stables. The first was 1982 victress Blush With Pride, an aptly named daughter of Blushing Groom and the great broodmare Best in Show who raced as a homebred for Darrell and Lendy Brown's Stonereath Stable. Also the winner of the 1982 Santa Susana Stakes (USA-G1), Blush With Pride became an important broodmare in her own right with three graded or Group stakes winners to her credit. One of them, Better Than Honour, earned honors as the 2007 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year, and Blush With Pride is the ancestress of champions Rags to Riches, Peeping Fawn, and Rhett Butler. as well as 2006 Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) winner Jazil and 2020 Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) winner Paris Lights.
Lukas's second Oaks winner came two years later when Lucky Lucky Lucky carried off the lilies for breeder Leslie Combs II of Spendthrift Farm and partner Equites Stable. The winner of five other graded stakes during her career, including the 1983 Matron Stakes (USA-G1), the daughter of the good Bold Ruler horse Chieftain and stakes-placed Just One More Time (by Raise a Native) set a sales record of US$3 million for a broodmare at the 1986 Keeneland January mixed sale, selling in foal to Northern Dancer. Unfortunately, she failed to live up to either her race record or her price tag as a broodmare.
Open Mind, Lukas's third Oaks winner, was no surprise to anyone. The American champion juvenile filly of 1988 for owner Eugene Klein, the daughter of Deputy Minister and multiple stakes winner Stage Luck (by Stage Door Johnny) was bred to be still better with age and distance and lived up to that pedigree. Besides the 1989 Kentucky Oaks, she won the New York Triple Tiara series and the Alabama Stakes (USA-G1) and was an easy choice as the American champion 3-year-old filly. Unfortunately, she produced only two named foals including Japanese stakes winner Easy Mind (by Easy Goer).
Lukas got Oaks number four the very next year with Seaside Attraction, who got her only stakes win in the filly Classic. The first Classic winner for William T. Young's Overbrook Farm (which later campaigned 1994 Preakness/Belmont winner Tabasco Cat, 1995 Preakness winner Timber Country (in partnership), and 1996 Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, Seaside Attraction had cost $1.05 million as a weanling and was herself the produce of two Classic winners, being by 1977 American Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew out of 1979 Canadian Oaks winner Kamar. Following her racing career, Overbrook retained her as a broodmare and was well rewarded for doing so. While Seaside Attraction produced only five named foals before her death, four of them were stakes winners, including 1995 American champion 2-year-old filly Golden Attraction (by Mr. Prospector) and 1998 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Cape Town (by Seeking the Gold). Seaside Attraction is also the second dam of three graded or Group stakes winners including 2006 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp (FR-G1) winner Desert Lord.
For a time this spring, Secret Oath was improving so rapidly in the 3-year-old filly division that Lukas and owner-breeder Briland Farm (Rob and Stacy Mitchell) decided to see if the filly had what it would take to emulate Winning Colors, the big roan Amazon that captured the 1988 Kentucky Derby for Lukas. Secret Oath's bid to earn a Kentucky Derby starting berth fell short with her third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (USA-G1), but she had more than enough late kick to overpower her Oaks rivals and bring home the lilies. She also showed enough to merit possible consideration for the Preakness Stakes, so another tilt against males is not out of the question. Of course, that is hardly a conventional next stop for an Oaks winner, but it isn't unprecedented---Rachel Alexandra pulled off that double in 2009---and Lukas has seldom let convention overrule his own judgment, which seems to be as keen as ever. Whether he can keep going to pull off a record-breaking sixth Oaks win is a question for the future, but for now, the sweet smell of lilies is his, as is another remarkable accomplishment in his Hall of Fame career.
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