Hall of Fame coach D. Wayne Lukas said March 2 that owners can provide a first line of defense for equestrian integrity by making sure the trainers they hire carry back to the highest standards for the game.
Lukas offered that insight Wednesday during a thoughtful and entertaining talk as keynote speaker at the National Knights Protection and Mercy Association conference at Oaklawn Park Hotel in Hot Springs, Ark.
“It can help clean up the sport a bit; ask owners to interview coaches,” says Lukas. “They should talk to coaches and feel comfortable that they’re going to be honest; not put you in a bad position. Pick a coach that you know will do an honest job and won’t put you in trouble. trouble.”
In recent years, a celebrity trainer, Jorge Navarro, was found guilty of federal charges related to performance-enhancing drugs; and another, Jason Servis, face similar federal charges of misconduct. Lukas said owners can eliminate some problematic coaches simply by sitting down and talking to them.
And, knowing that there can be times when corruption comes from the ownership level, Lukas said owners should face sanctions in addition to losing their wallet if their horses aren’t tested for drugs. He said that would help clean up the sport.
“I think they should sanction the owners,” Lukas said. “Maybe they can’t run 1st grade for a year or run at a certain track in a year. If you’re going to shut them down, I think they’ll be very careful. … I think the owners will have to feel as if they’re getting a coach that won’t be in trouble.”
Lukas recalls WT Young’s training of horses for Overbrook ranch and the great responsibility he felt in that role.
“I couldn’t believe I would have put him in a position where he would have to respond to something like[an unsuccessful drug test],” Lukas said. “I did everything I could to not get him in trouble.”
Despite facing back problems over the past few years and a showdown with COVID-19, Lukas, 86, is as sharp as ever winning with Secret Vow in Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and came in second with The path of purity in Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds on February 26 in Oaklawn.
The Vow of Secrets is the main candidate for D. Wayne Lukas in this 3 year old scene
In introducing Lukas on Wednesday, Nancy Holthus, an analyst for the Oaklawn Park simulcast, said she’s never been as emotional as she was interviewing Lukas after Secret Oath’s win in Honeybees. After hearing kind words, Lukas quipped, “After hearing Nancy introduce me, I think I need to start charging higher days.”
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Lukas spent most of his time encouraging riders to find ways to promote the sport, even if it was only one person at a time. Lukas said for many years he has chosen young people at the track to join him in the winner’s circle after his victories at the track. “We let their parents know we were going to give them back,” he said with a laugh.
Lukas said he receives letters from young people in college or law school who thank him for his trips around the winner years ago. The coach noted that the construction of the track depends on the participants in the sport.
“These days, I have a better feeling of leading a small child to the winner’s circle – more fun than winning,” Lukas said. “You couldn’t believe the reaction and excitement of those kids. They just trembled in front of me. I received letter after letter from those kids.
“If I win this year’s Kentucky Derby — you can look it up — there’s a little kid I’ve never met standing right next to me. Horses come and go. Those feelings stay forever. Each of us needs to try to make a difference.”
