It was a solemn day at Churchill Downs June 29 once the death of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was announced. The track, which Lukas called home for decades, honored the four-time Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and 15-time Classic winner with a moment of silence and playing of "My Old Kentucky Home" by bugler Steve Buttleman.
Lukas was further honored in Sunday's stakes action as two former assistants of "The Coach," Dallas Stewart and Mike Maker, collected victories.
"Everybody knows he's my man," Stewart said of the mentor he worked 12 years for.
Just as Lukas had done many times in his legendary career, Stewart pulled off an upset victory with Will Take It paying $26.36 in the $296,000 Hanshin Stakes in a race that featured grade 1 winner Saudi Crown and grade 1-placed Banishing.
The 4-year-old Tapit colt has been in top form this year, finishing in the top two spots in all six starts since Stewart took over training in December. A homebred for Whisper Hill Farm, who co-owns the colt with Willis Horton Racing, Will Take It was making his first stakes start of the year.
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. sat the colt in midpack as Banishing set fractions of :22.64 and :45.15 and inched forward into contention around the far turn. Rallying on the outside, he surged past Banishing and Extra Anejo—who would finish second and third, respectively—at the 16th-pole and outfinished Banishing by a neck. He completed the mile in 1:34.10.
"(Stewart) tinkered with him and got his confidence up a lot," Hernandez Jr. said about the colt's recent success. "With each race, he's just gotten better and better."
Stewart says he has two more races planned for Will Take It: the $400,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) at the same one-turn mile at Churchill Downs Sept. 27 and the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 1.
"I think he's that good," Stewart said. "I think he's just getting good."
"He beat a good field today, and it seems like he's going to get better and better," Hernandez Jr. said.
Video: Hanshin S. Presented by JRA (BT)
Pin Up Betty Makes it Two-In-A-Row in Anchorage
The success of the Lukas trainer tree continued into the $152,900 Anchorage Overnight Stakes as Three Diamonds Farm homebred Pin Up Betty delivered her second consecutive win for Maker.
Maker spent 10 years as an assistant to Lukas from 1993-2003 and dedicated the win to his former boss.
"I have to second Dallas, this one's for Wayne," he said in the winner's circle. "Condolences to the Lukas family."
The 4-year-old Constitution filly has an affinity for the Churchill Downs grass, improving her record over the surface to 4-1-0 from six starts with her 3/4-length triumph over Duvet Day Sunday. Long Ago was third.
The two-time grade 3 winner launched a strong stretch rally beneath Luis Saez, erasing the 8 1/2-length deficit she had after a half-mile while winning in 1:48.16 for the 1 1/8 miles on the turf. She paid $3.78 to win as the favorite.
"She loves it here at her hometown track," Maker said. "I wish every start was here."
Pin Up Betty increased her career earnings to $880,427 and will stay in Kentucky to target the million-dollar mark at the upcoming Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs meets.
Video: Anchorage Overnight S. (BT)
Verifire Stays Unbeaten in Maxfield
While those two stakes were won by his direct pupils, a "grandchild" on Lukas' trainer tree took the final stakes of the day and of Churchill's spring meet: Brad Cox in the $239,665 Maxfield Stakes with Verifire.
Cox spent five years working for Stewart before breaking off on his own. He also shares a unique connection with Lukas as he was born March 30, 1980, the day of Lukas' first Thoroughbred grade 1 victory with Codex in the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
"He was the first super trainer," Cox said of Lukas' lasting legacy. "I think anybody that works in that program aspires to have multiple strings and be competitive with young horses and the Triple Crown division and the Breeders' Cup. Obviously, I grew up idolizing him and guys like Dallas and Todd Pletcher. It's a very sad day, but he's a legend and he'll be around forever."
Verifire has given Cox another exciting young prospect to target the top races. Bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, the son of Authentic was purchased by Resolute Racing for $1 million at the 2024 Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Stepping up in class after winning his first two starts by a combined 12 3/4 lengths, Verifire formally announced himself as a threat in the 3-year-old sprint division as Flavien Prat rode him to a 2 3/4-length triumph over Stewart's Smoken Wicked. Captain Cook was third.
"It took us a little while to get to the races, but he's been perfect since," Cox said. "I'm excited about what he was able to accomplish today. This was a very good race, I'd say definitely worthy of a grading. We'll step him up, he's definitely worthy of an opportunity."
A listed race, the Maxfield drew a solid field of 11 that included eight stakes winners, two of which won at the grade 3 level. Last year's Maxfield was the launching ground of Raging Torrent, who has gone on to win the Malibu Stakes (G1) and Metropolitan Handicap (G1).
Cox is hopeful that Verifire will be on a similar path of success with the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 23 on the radar. His seven-furlong victory Sunday in 1:20.77 was just .33 off the track record.
