Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that there is a lot of money in the sport of horse racing, not only owing to the bets placed but also the purse guarantee. However, as explored in Netflix’s ‘Race for the Crown,’ there is one individual who has surpassed all bounds of even this by being the longest-running and arguably most successful trainer. This is none other than Darrell Wayne Lukas, or D. Wayne Lukas.
How Did D. Wayne Lukas Earn His Money?
Born on September 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wisconsin, Darell Wayne Lukas reportedly grew up on a small farm surrounded by loved ones and all kinds of animals, making him fall in love with horses at an early age. Nevertheless, upon completing his primary studies, he chose to pursue further education. He earned a Bachelor’s in Education before also earning a Master’s in the same from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Subsequently, he kickstarted his career by landing a job as a basketball coach at Logan High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he served for a few years. However, by the time 1968 rolled around, D. Wayne finally decided to shift gears to follow his passion. This resulted in him evolving into a trainer for Quarter Horses (a breed known explicitly for excelling in short sprints) in California.
According to records, D. Wayne was so incredibly successful that within a mere decade, he had not only trained 24 World Champions but also bagged all six major California stakes of over $100,000 for three consecutive years (1975–1977). It was in 1979 that he saddled his last Quarter Horse winner before going on to train Thoroughbreds exclusively. However, no one could have ever imagined that D. Wayne would get his big break a mere year later as his horse Codex won the 1980 Preakness Stakes – one of the three most prestigious races in the US. From there, his popularity and success only kept on rising, but no matter what, the quality of his horses or his efforts with them never once deteriorated.
He eventually managed to set the record of 92 stakes wins in 1987, only to break it a mere year later with even more wins, resulting in becoming the first trainer in history to amass more purse earnings than the leading jockey. As per reports, D. Wayne’s horses won $17.8 million in 1988, which at the time was more than double the amount ever won by any other trainer in a single season, which further helped him mark his place in the industry. From then on, the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer holder continued thriving, winning his first Kentucky Derby with Winning Colors in 1988, following which the wins just kept on coming. That’s why, in 1999, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame before also being inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2007.
D. Wayne Lukas’ Net Worth
As the first person to enter both the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse halls of fame, D. Wayne Lukas’ is a living legend in the world of horse racing, especially as he continues to serve as a trainer. With a career spanning nearly 6 decades, the 89-year-old is also the recipient of 5 Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, with an additional 25 for his horses. As if that’s not enough, in 2024, he even became the oldest trainer to win a Triple Crown race when his horse Seize the Grey won the Preakness Stakes, following which he also made it clear that he has no plans of stopping anytime soon. He hopes to continue training and being a part of the sport he so loves for as long as possible.
Coming to D. Wayne’s accomplishments, his horses have won 20 Breeders’ Cup races, 4 Kentucky Derbys, 7 Preakness Stakes, and 4 Belmont Stakes, with 1995 being the year he swept the Triple Crown Classic races. He also holds the record for most Triple Crown race victories, which has only helped him be a season’s money winner 14 times, with reportedly at least $200,000 in purse money throughout his career. After all, in all his years, he has won 739 races with Quarter Horses and nearly 5,000 with Thoroughbreds, only to have been likely also paid a fee for training said horses by their owners as well as getting them to the start. Therefore, taking all this into consideration, along with his lifestyle as a happily married father and grandfather, his assets like his home, cars, jewelry, etc, his possible investments, his returns, and his other expenses, we believe his net worth to be close to $350 million.
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