Jeff Lukas Dies

Officially, Jeff Lukas does not exist in the databases that house the history of Thoroughbred racing. Though the son and chief assistant of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas never started a horse in his own name, he was described by many following this death on Wednesday at the age of 58, as a brilliant horseman certainly capable of having a successful career on his own.

Jeff Lukas stayed with his father's operation from 1978 until he was severely injured in a life-threatening training accident in December 1993. During those 15 years, he played a major role as the stable emerged to dominate American racing with a national approach of multiple divisions and helped develop a brigade of young assistants–including Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin, Mark Hennig and Dallas Stewart–who have become standouts in their own right.

At 36, Lukas's life was changed and his time in racing ended when he suffered serious brain injuries at Santa Anita Park while trying to stop a loose 2-year-old colt, Tabasco Cat, who won the Preakness six months later. He tried to return to racing, but the effects of the injuries forced him to leave the sport. Since 2007, he lived alone in the town of Atoka in southeastern Oklahoma and worked for a bank. Besides his parents, he is survived by his son Brady and daughter Kelly.

“He was very, very talented,” said Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. “We lost not only a great person, we lost one of the most talented people in our sport. It's very sad because I know how much Wayne loved his only son and how proud he was of him.”

Cordero said he was rode for Jeff Lukas when the stable opened a New York division in 1984.

“I learned a lot from him,” Cordero said. “Even though he was younger than me, I learned how to be a responsible person, how to enjoy and love what I do and how to do it better. I'm very sad because Jeff was like a brother to me.”

Jeff Lukas was born in Antigo, Wisconsin, in 1957 when his father was a teacher and a coach, who trained a small string of horses in the summer. He attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on a football scholarship, but left college in his junior year to work for his father, by then a full-time trainer.

Together, the Lukases climbed to the top of the sport, crushing records for victories and purse money earned. While D. Wayne Lukas was the flashy, high-profile CEO of the organization, Jeff Lukas handled the New York operation, generally avoiding the spotlight, while quietly, sternly and effectively making sure that everything ran smoothly in every Lukas barn in the land.

“He was tough to work for,” said former assistant Randy Bradshaw. “Jeff was very demanding and everything had to be by the book every day. That's just the way he was.

He ran a very tight ship, but I've told a million people if I've told one, that he's probably the smartest and best trainer as a young trainer that I've ever been around. He was just a consummate horseman that just seemed to knack for training colts or fillies and doing a great job.

“Most of the guys who worked for Wayne would probably tell you that he was the one who was instrumental in teaching almost every one of us about the program and how it was supposed to come down.”

Pletcher, the seven-time Eclipse Award winner and racing's career earnings leader, paid tribute to his old boss from Dubai Thursday.

“Jeff was the sharpest and most dedicated horseman I've ever met,” Pletcher said in a statement. “His impact on my life and career, as well as many others in the Lukas organization is immeasurable. We will miss him greatly.”

Bradshaw said Jeff Lukas's legacy is his work with the the stable's many stars–most notably Horse of the Year Lady's Secret and the Kentucky Derby winning filly Winning Colors– and the continuing success of the likes of Pletcher, McLaughlin and the others who graduated the Lukas academy to fine careers. Bradshaw spent about 10 years in two stints with the Lukases and said that there is no question that Jeff Lukas could have achieved greatness on his own.

“He would have been above Todd Pletcher, that's how good Jeff was,” Bradshaw said. “And I give Todd all the props in the world because I don't know if anybody does a better job than Todd. But Jeff was the one who got us all started on the right foot.”

A good example of how the Lukases ran their business is the the post-race press conference following Winning Colors's win in the 1988 Derby. Owner Eugene Klein and D. Wayne Lukas met the media and Jeff Lukas stayed with the filly. However, D. Wayne Lukas paid tribute to his son's accomplishment.

Click here for a long-form piece on Jeff Lukas written in 2013 by Sports Illustrated's Tim Layden and a follow-up tribute composed Thursday.

“I can't put into words how much Jeff has done to make this filly,” he said. “I just wish he were up here to share the credit, but he wanted to go back with her to the barn. I knew he would. Early on, Jeff became quite attached to her and it looked like what he was doing was complementing her natural ability. I just stayed in the background.”

Five years later, Tabasco Cat, another horse Jeff Lukas believed could be a force in the Triple Crown, nearly killed him in the freak accident. Jeff Lukas was near death a couple of times and did not regain consciousness for a few weeks.

“He was kind of two different people before the accident and after the accident,” Hennig said. “He was a very intense, diligent, thorough horse trainer. Then it seemed like that part of him was lost after the accident. I think he became more thoughtful and caring and maybe a better father after the accident. His sensitive side came out after the accident. But he was just the epitome of a horse trainer. The best horse trainer I was ever around.”

Hall of Fame jockey Jorge Velazquez said Jeff Lukas was all business with his jockeys.

“He was very strict and wanted you to follow orders to a T,” Velasquez said, noting that the young assistant knew what he was doing. “He was a good horseman, a very dedicated hard-working kid. He was just a plus for his daddy.”

Like the other former assistants, Stewart said that Jeff Lukas was a difference-maker in his life.

“He was great to work with and I know I wouldn't be where I am today without my association with him,” Stewart said. “I started off as an exercise rider and was fortunate to work underneath him and work side-by-side with him for many years and became a good friend. It's just a shame what happened with the accident and the way things went down. Just a shame.”

Stewart praised Jeff Lukas for handling the pressure and adversity he faced, professionally and personally.

“With everything that went on, he dealt with a lot,” Stewart said. ”With the health issues when he got hurt it was a struggle, but he never complained. He dealt with it.”