An Evening With Coach
After reading many eloquently written words of tribute to Wayne Lukas, I thought my story would be pale in comparison, but somehow, I felt compelled to put this pen to paper and recount my recollection of an evening Wayne spent with us in Atlanta.
I had never met Wayne but became in awe of his abilities watching him bring those beautiful Quarter Horses from Los Alamitos to Ruidoso Downs. I'd never seen anyone groom a horse with a vacuum cleaner. They looked like patent leather. My same thoughts when I saw Serena's Song come out of the paddock years later.
My story began 25 years ago when I was serving as president of the Georgia Thoroughbred Breeders Association. We were preparing for our annual awards banquet and looking for a speaker. I first called Jeff Foxworthy, a local boy. His agent informed me, "Jeff ain't coming off the porch for less than $80,000." A bit over our budget.
At the time there was a bit of jockeying going on in Kentucky for membership on the Thoroughbred Racing Associations board and Dr. Alex Harthill was introduced to me by my friend and trainer, John Hancock. Doc Harthill called and said he'd appreciate my support for position on the board and if he could ever do anything to help us down in Georgia, just let him know. Knowing he was Wayne's go-to veterinarian, I said, "Well, we are looking for a speaker at our upcoming banquet and I know you see Wayne. Maybe you would put in a word for us as he would be beyond our wildest hope for a speaker.
Doc Harthill said, "Stay by your phone, Wayne will call you in a few minutes." I thought "Yeah right, Wayne Lukas is gonna call a guy in Georgia he doesn't even know."
In five minutes my phone rang and the voice said, "Mr. Glosson, this is Wayne Lukas. Doc Harthill said I might be able to help you." I said, "Yes sir, we need a speaker for our banquet." He said he would check his availability for that date and get back. He called me back in thirty minutes and said he could do it. He told me what his fee would be (very reasonable) and said he would take care of the airfare; I would need to get him a room with a king bed and have him picked up at the airport.
I knew I was the man for the job to meet his flight, and I'll never forget as he approached from the concourse at Hartsfield/Jackson Airport. Here was Wayne Lukas coming to Atlanta for our event; unbelievable.
Our banquet was total first class, black tie at the Waverly in Buckhead. Wayne gave a masterful talk on everything from Dash for Cash to Winning Colors. This was also special as it was the year we awarded Jack and Laurie Wolf for their accomplishments with Harlan's Holiday and honored my friend and Atlanta native, Mr. J. Mack Robinson, for his success with Cherokee Run.
All in all, it was an unforgettable evening. Wayne graciously donated jackets and hats with his famous stable logo for our banquet auction, signed autographs for anyone on anything presented. He could have left early and retired to his room but instead stayed until the end and danced with most of the ladies in the room. The Atlanta Rhythm Section played until midnight. What an evening it was.
As Atlanta has never had a racetrack, other than the annual steeplechase, Wayne remarked on his way to the airport that he'd never previously been to Atlanta, but thought it was a beautiful city.
Years later I approached Wayne in the paddock at Saratoga Race Course and hoped to reintroduce myself. Instead, from 30 feet away, Wayne started walking toward me with an outreached hand and said, "R.L. how you been; good to see you again." He turned to his wife and said, "This is the guy who did the banquet in Georgia I told you about. The best I've ever attended."
For years horsemen from other states asked me, "How in the world did you get D. Wayne Lukas to come to Georgia?" I just grin and say that he was the kindest, most gracious and accommodating superstar I've ever met. Rest in peace my friend.
R.L. Glosson
Atlanta
Praise for New Approach
On July 1 Fasig-Tipton announced its decision to end timed workouts in its 2-year-old sales. I am very happy about this news. I think it will protect the horses from injuries caused by running too fast too soon while allowing the buyers to inspect each horse's stride.
I hope other auction companies will follow suit. Thank you, Fasig-Tipton!
Jillian Barton
Clewiston, Fla.
