“The Coach” hasn’t forgotten how to win the big game, even at 88.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas won two races Feb. 24 at Oaklawn Park, highlighted by an upset in the $400,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) with Lemon Muffin , a five-race maiden who was making her stakes and two-turn debut.
“It means I’m the oldest man that ever won the Honeybee,” Lukas, a former basketball coach, said with a laugh before training hours the morning of Feb. 25. “You’ve got to always remember that this game is a game of experience. There’s no how-to books. You can go to the library and pull all the books ever written on racing and none of them will tell you how to train. Some of them tried. I’ve read some of it and thought, ‘Oh my God.’ Talk about misleading somebody.
“I think if I was an owner, I would probably get somebody that had experience. I think the experience factor is huge.”
Lemon Muffin wins the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Lemon Muffin was the record-extending seventh Honeybee victory for Lukas, following Lost Kitty in 1988, Imaginary Lady in 1989, Train Robbery in 1990, Be Cool in 1991, Time’s Mistress in 2007, and Secret Oath in 2022.
Lemon Muffin had finished second in her previous four starts before her 3 1/2 length Honeybee victory under jockey Keith Asmussen.
“Going to two turns was the key,” said Lukas, who trains the Collected filly for Aaron Sones. “We had talked about going earlier, but I gave her that one more and she was flying at the end. I gave her to all the officials at Keeneland and Churchill yesterday. They got fat. They went right to the windows.”
Lukas said Lemon Muffin will be pointed to the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) March 30 at Oaklawn. The Fantasy is Oaklawn’s third and final Kentucky Oaks points race.
Lemon Muffin earned 50 qualifying points for her Honeybee victory and has 50 overall to rank first on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard released Saturday by Churchill Downs.
Lukas also won Saturday’s first race, a $150,000 entry-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles, with Triple Crown nominee Seize the Grey .
Seize the Grey takes an allowance optional claiming race
From the final crop of deceased champion Arrogate, Seize the Grey was a one-length winner of his 3-year-old debut under Nik Juarez.
Lukas said he will now probably separate Seize the Grey and Just Steel , the trainer’s other top Kentucky Derby prospect.
Seize the Grey is owned by MyRacehorse, which offers fractional shares in horses.
“We’ve got 600 people who are going tell us what to do there,” Lukas said, referring to Seize the Grey’s next start. “I wanted to get that one under his belt.”
Lukas said Just Steel is headed to the Arkansas Derby (G1) despite a disappointing seventh-place finish in Saturday’s Rebel Stakes (G2) after breaking from post 11 in the 1 1/16-mile race. He was five-wide on the first turn.
“You cannot win here out of the 11 hole,” Lukas said. “I don’t think Secretariat can win out of the 11 hole. It just kills you.”
Just Steel (15 points) ranks 16th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard after finishing second in Oaklawn’s Smarty Jones and Southwest Stakes (G3).
Lukas said Seize the Grey could use the one-mile $200,000 Hot Springs Stakes March 23 as a bridge to a Kentucky Derby points race at Keeneland—$1 million Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 6 or the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) April 13.
“I’m going to try and get another race in him,” Lukas said.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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