LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 29, 2025) – The Kentucky Derby Museum joins the horse racing world in mourning the loss of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, whose influence on the sport and contributions to the Kentucky Derby® are beyond measure.
A four-time Kentucky Derby winner, Lukas shaped horse racing history at every turn, from his Triple Crown triumphs to record-setting Breeders’ Cup victories. His connection to the Kentucky Derby Museum ran just as deep. A generous supporter and passionate advocate for preserving the sport’s stories, Lukas took great pride in helping ensure that racing’s past would continue to inspire future generations.
With a career spanning more than six decades, Lukas trained 26 champions, won 15 Triple Crown races, and earned four Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer. He was the first trainer inducted into both the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. In 2024, the Kentucky Derby Museum honored him with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing not only his extraordinary career but the personal impact he had on the museum and the sport of horse racing.
“D. Wayne Lukas was a legendary trainer, mentor, and a dear friend,” said Patrick Armstrong, Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO. “His integrity, passion, and devotion to his horses inspired everyone around him. I’ll always be grateful for the time we shared. The Kentucky Derby Museum mourns with his family and with the entire racing community, and we are honored to be forever connected to Wayne’s legacy.”
The museum will continue to share Lukas' legendary career through its permanent exhibit, D. Wayne Lukas: The Modern Trainer, built from the personal collection he entrusted to the museum in 2017. It remains the largest single collection housed at the museum and tells the story of a trainer who forever changed the sport. Lukas is also prominently featured in the museum’s 360° film The Greatest Race, where his presence, wisdom, and kindness captures the heart of Thoroughbred racing.
Lukas’ legacy goes far beyond trophies and records. He was a mentor, a masterful storyteller, and a source of unwavering optimism for generations of racing professionals. He was always ready with a word of encouragement, a lesson from the past, or a line that made you stop and think. One of those lines – engraved on a plaque outside his barn and now preserved inside the museum – reads:
“The chance of a lifetime in a lifetime of chance.”
Few phrases better capture the way Lukas approached the sport, his life, and every young person he helped along the way.
Coach left an indelible mark on all of us at the Kentucky Derby Museum, and we extend our deepest condolences to Laurie Lukas and the entire Lukas family.