Team Lukas Again Mounts Derby Assault

At the very least, D. Wayne Lukas has them outnumbered.

In fact, if he mounted a cavalry charge with his Kentucky Derby starters, they’d have to circle the wagons at Churchill Downs. Lukas would have the other trainers surrounded.

In the 1980s, Lukas started 15 horses in the Kentucky Derby. He’ll start three more on Saturday--Land Rush, Real Cash and Power Lunch--giving him 18 in 10 years.

“I think that says a lot about our program,” Lukas said. “We deal with a lot of quality horses. We point toward the Triple Crown and the Breeder’s Cup, so we should be here.”

His three this year will match the most he’s ever had in a Derby. He had three in 1983 (Marfa, Balboa Native and Total Departure) and three more in ’87 (On The Line, War and Capote).

Still, while Lukas was the Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top trainer for three straight years from 1985-87, he had to wait until 1988 for his first Derby winner in Winning Colors.

This year, none of his three will be favored, and the horse he had the greatest hopes for, Grand Canyon, was sidelined until the fall with a knee problem.

Land Rush, who Lukas calls the best of what’s left, won the Los Feliz at Santa Anita last January but finished second to Summer Squall in the Blue Grass on April 14.

Real Cash won the San Felipe at Santa Anita and was second to Silver Ending in the Arkansas Derby on April 21. He led much of the way in the Santa Anita Derby before fading to fourth behind unbeaten Mister Frisky.

Power Lunch’s only career win was in a maiden race at Oaklawn Park, and he was third at Arkansas.