Will the first Saturday in May ever be the same without D. Wayne Lukas?

{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/first-saturday-may-ever-same-093112499.html","headline":"Will the first Saturday in May ever be the same without D. Wayne Lukas?","datePublished":"2026-04-28T09:31:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-28T09:31:12.000Z","keywords":["D. Wayne Lukas","horse race","Wayne Lukas","Kentucky Derby","Jerry Durbin","Quinn Cates","The Courier Journal"],"description":"Darrell Wayne Lukas, a legendary thoroughbred trainer, first appeared in the Kentucky Derby in 1981.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo Sports","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/cv/apiv2/default/icons/favicon_y112_112.png","width":112,"height":112},"url":"https://sports.yahoo.com/"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Stephanie Kuzydym, Louisville Courier Journal","url":"","jobTitle":""},"creator":{"@type":"Person","name":"Stephanie Kuzydym, Louisville Courier Journal","url":"","jobTitle":""},"provider":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Courier Journal","url":"https://www.courier-journal.com"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6Ep2_MtUTIQozprKwU85hg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xODAwO2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-courier-journal/20e682c564500a83d3887eda19293e09","height":900,"width":1200},"thumbnailUrl":"https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/6Ep2_MtUTIQozprKwU85hg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xODAwO2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the-courier-journal/20e682c564500a83d3887eda19293e09"}Story byThe Courier JournalWill the first Saturday in May ever be the same without D. Wayne Lukas?Stephanie Kuzydym, Louisville Courier JournalTue, April 28, 2026 at 9:31 AM UTC·9 min readFor the first time in half a century, the first Saturday in May will be without D. Wayne Lukas.While this day — Kentucky’s most legendary horse race running without its most legendary horseman — was inevitable, it doesn't make the answer to this question any easier: Who will carry the sport of horse racing for the next half century?AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_o3iudcaanpfiv65bH1_ { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #_R_o3iudcaanpfiv65bH1_ { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } }The thoroughbred trainer's impact is seen at racetracks across America — from how a horse is walked to the paddock, to how a saddle cloth at morning practice includes a trainer's initials.Lukas trained thousands of horses; 51 of them raced in the Kentucky Derby. He had multiple horses race from his barn in a single race. He won the Run for the Roses four times.Like George Strait makes country music, Country, Wayne Lukas made the Kentucky Derby, The Derby.He was the headliner of Kentucky Derby week, whether he was performing on the main stage or not. Fans worldwide still came to Louisville in hopes of a glimpse of Lukas in his wide-brimmed cowboy hat and pressed blue jeans.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement#_R_o8iudcaanpfiv65bH1_ { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #_R_o8iudcaanpfiv65bH1_ { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } }His absence following his death last June at age 89 left a hole in the heart of American horse racing. Now, as the big race again approaches, Churchill Downs has not announced any special tributes to the trainer, nor did its communications team respond when asked if the track had anything planned. Lukas' old Barn 44 is filled by…

This excerpt is published under fair use for community discussion. Read the full article at Yahoo Sports.