If the media followed Cole Norman or Steve Assmussen around (as much as they did Lukas in his prime), and reported/or kept track of all the horses they break down AND give heart attacks to, their rate would exceed Mr. Lukas' tenfold. They make Wayne look like a saint.

Yes, I remember that. How about running Surfside against the boys in the Clark, thus her winning the Eclipse as best three-year-old filly! I think he has been particularly strong with fillies.

What was even more exciting about that was the complete disinterest Lukas showed in Flanders after the race when she broke down.

What did you want him to do?

Give a **** that his filly just broke down.

But hey, that's just me, a goofy softy.

That isn't at all what I said and what I was referring to was a well known incident where Lukas showed callous disregard for his horse's welfare on national TV after she had just broken down. John Veitch, who was commentating, was unimpressed with Lukas's nonchalance as well as I recall.

At least I give Lukas credit for not being a phony.

Frankel isn't everyone's cup of tea, but one of the reasons I like him is the fact that he has so much emotion over the horses he cares for. Zito is the same way, ask him about a horse under his care and his face lights up.

Who is to say what a normal reaction is. Maybe isnt the type of person to rush to aid. Maybe he was stunned. Who knows, but to say that he didnt care without knowing what was going on in his mind is very calous. Who even knows when Lukas knew that Flanders was hurt. The horse wins and gallops out - the last thing on his mind was the possibility of the horse being injured. It wasnt like an injury to Barbaro where the horse was pulled up.

pletcher follows in his teachers footsteps nicely and im not referring to the winning which luka$$ hasnt done much of the last 5-6 years for the kinda stock hes had to be well under 20%. im well aware of the farm pletchers relative has where all the cripples are at, he dont give a shiat either just like his former boss

I was right on the rail about 100 yards from the finish line at the 2006 BC. Pletcher walked right passed me on his way down to see Fleet Indian when she was injured. Pletcher's face was stone cold blank. Simply no emotion at all. The pace of his walk didnt increase, he just calmly walked down to where she was and back. That was all.

Wayne Lukas is the best thing to ever happen to thoroughbred Racing. He revolutionized the business.

His single greatest accomplishment however was taking a bowed mare and winning a Grade 1 with her off a layoff, after her previous trainer demonized him for even attempting a comeback with a horse she classified as finished. He made her eat those words, and silenced the critics.

LOL the best thing ever huh? well your entitled to your opinion. my trainers had 3 horses this year coming off bows. 2 won 1st time back and last week the most recent ran 2nd. lord of the game also had a bow and won how many races. this is not uncommon

With all due respect to your Hawthorne connections, turning Azeri around is a much more impressive feat.

i wasnt trying to compare feats lol between claimers and azeri, was just stating it isnt uncommon. by the way are you aware how much talent and heart azeri had before she was layed upLOL? luka$$ didnt bring the talent outta her

Lukas MADE her a star. She was finished and he stepped up to the plate, laid those magic hands on her and turned her into the champion she became.

Azeri was a star way before Lukas got her.

oh man, lol seems youve been paying numerous visits to mr dopeman if you truly believe what you just said. i think the horse was already a star LOL

How can you say that with a straight face? She was just another mane and tail until the master went to work and turned her around.

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's true though.

Actually Lukas did make Azeri a champion in the minds of many fans. Before he got her she ran two very similar campaigns and pretty much beat up on the same mediocre horses in one slow race after another. Lukas, on the other hand, ran her in tougher spots and brought her act to NY where she showed what she was really made of. She is another horse who's true mettle was defined in defeat with her exceptionally valiant effort in the 1 1/4 mile Personal Ensign.

I'm not Lukas's biggest fan by any stretch of the imagination but he was a trailblazer in this game and to deny that is lunacy.

lol are you saying this with a straight face?

I cant tell if you are joking or being serious. Lukas had her only to get her ready for the Breeders Cup Classic and that was after she won TWO eclipse awards.

I hope you are joking as this is absurd.

What is absurd about it?

Lukas had her in the Apple Blossom and won just like she did the two previous years. She then lost 3 straight until she beat Sightseek. But what did he do that Laura didnt.

im sorry but this is absolutely hilarious LMFAO! that post is worthy of the archives!

Lukas took a bowed horse that the previous trainer said was finished and turned her into a true champion. Denying that is just silly.

Did she win the eclipse award when she was under Lukas?

I personally liked the fact that he sent her to the BCC too. She made a good showing that day in my opinion, there were some good (and one excellent) colts in that race. Day made a really smart move at the start of the race coming out of the gate and got a great position with her.

injuries aside, she was a good horse. But your making DWL to be the "Messiah" of horse racing b/c of this?

It's not like he took a 9 YO $2500 claimer from Penn National and won the Apple Blossom with her. The horse was talented before she was in his care, you can't deny that. So he took the horse and made her even better, great, awsome all the best to DWL.

but your comment about him being the best thing to happen to Thoroughbred Racing is lose. A lot of people paved the way to Thoroughbred Racing before DWL was even a spec on the map.

-bt-

It was a politically motivated backlash that prevented that from happening. A travesty of justice, which was so perverted that in the court of public opinion, the master Lukas and his mare were vindicated.

She did run well that race but it is hard for me to defend a trainer who runs any horse in a race it has no chance in. Plus, personally, I wish she had run in the Distaff, which she would have dominated, as I never liked Ashado and wish she had denied her a BC win.

But, Lukas ran her in the tough campaign that had previously eluded her, and absolutely did her reputation an enormous amount of good. It seems to me a win in the Apple Blossom, Go For Wand and Spinster, along with her terrific second in the Personal Ensign, shaped her best campaign ever. And, as was previously pointed out, after her previous trainer claimed she had bowed.

Like who ?

The horse was not bowed. The horse did have some tendinitis in one of her tendons, but it wasn't that serious. I know that because one of my trainers uses one of the vets that examined her. The only thing the horse needed was a short break. The reason DeSeroux wanted to retire her was because she knew that she was about to get fired.

I was actually extremely critical of Paulson's son at the time. I couldn't believe that he was trying to bring Azeri back. Here is a horse who had won 9 graded stakes races in a row for him. She had won two Eclispe awards. I couldn't believe that he would try to bring her back when she has a bow and put her at risk. But then I totally changed my opinion when I found out that the horse wasn't bowed and that DeSeroux totally exaggerated the extent of the injury.