US training legend D Wayne Lukas forced to end revolutionary career due to serious illness

US training great D Wayne Lukas, one of the biggest influences on the sport in North America during a revolutionary career, has retired due to serious illness, according to a statement from his family.

The Hall of Fame trainer, 89, is said to have declined an aggressive treatment plan for a severe infection in hospital in Louisville and will soon return home to spend his remaining time with family.

The horses previously under the care of Lukas, whose final winner of a glittering career came on June 12 at Churchill Downs, have been transferred to his veteran assistant, Englishman Sebastian 'Bas' Nicholl.

Lukas rewrote the record books in North America, where he trained a multitude of champion horses, including three Horses of the Year in Lady's Secret (1986), Criminal Type (1990) and Charismatic (1999), the last of his four Kentucky Derby winners.

He has landed 15 Triple Crown races, second to only Bob Baffert (17), and included an unprecedented six in a row between the Preakness of 1994 and the Kentucky Derby of 1996.

Lukas is the joint-leading trainer in Breeders' Cup history with 20 winners, a record matched by Aidan O'Brien last year. He was the first to train two winners on a single Breeders' Cup card, and the first to have a treble.  

Born September 2, 1935 and given the first name Darrell, Lukas won a total of 4,967 races and earned more than $301 million in prize-money, gaining 1,105 Stakes wins of which 637 were at Graded level.

"Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in thoroughbred racing history," said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs racetrack. 

"He transcended the sport of horseracing and took the industry to new levels. The lasting impact of his character and wisdom – from his acute horsemanship to his unmatched attention to detail – will be truly missed. The enormity of this news is immense, and our prayers are with his family and friends around the world during this difficult time."

Nicholl started working for Lukas in 2002, having previously been a tank commander in the British Army before leaving in 1995 to work for Irish trainer Edward O’Grady.

"Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched," Nicholl said. "Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I’ll hear his voice in the back of my mind. This isn't about filling his shoes – no one can – it's about honouring everything that he's built."