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Homecoming Classic renamed in honor of Lukas
The former Homecoming Classic is being renamed to salute Lukas' accomplishments, contributions and influence on Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, and the horse industry. The native of Antigo, Wisconsin, will celebrate his 80th birthday on September 2. The race that now carries his name will be run for the third time on September 26. Reigning Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned won its first running in 2013 and subsequently finished fourth at Santa Anita in his bid for a repeat Classic victory. The race was won last year by Cigar Street, who would finish seventh in the Classic at Santa Anita. Lukas, who bases his stable at Churchill Downs Barn 44 through much of the year, has won a record 14 victories in Triple Crown races, and trained a record 20 winners of Breeders' Cup races. He earned four Eclipse Awards that honored him as the nation's top trainer. At Churchill Downs, Lukas ranks second in career stakes victories (73) and fourth in total wins (510). "Along with the enormity of the numbers of his total victories, the stakes races he has won and earnings by his stable's horses throughout his Hall of Fame career, D. Wayne Lukas forever changed both the Kentucky Derby and North America's horse industry," said Kevin Flanery, president of Churchill Downs. "It is Churchill Downs' honor to salute Wayne Lukas by placing his name on this race. We are enthusiastic about the potential of the Lukas Classic and believe it will very soon be an important annual stop for older horses who are working to prepare for and earn starting spots in the Breeders' Cup Classic. "We think the presence of Wayne Lukas' name on this race will enhance its attractiveness and its status. And we would love to see Mr. Lukas do one of the few things he has yet to do during his legendary career. Our team at Churchill Downs is confident that Wayne is a long way from entertaining any thoughts of retirement, and we hope that he will soon saddle a winner of this race, which would allow him -- for the first time -- to present a winner's trophy to himself." The first races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Road to the Kentucky Oaks headline four stakes events on September 12, the first of three Saturdays of racing during the September Meet. Along with the Pocahontas and Iroquois, that program will feature the $100,000 Locust Grove, for fillies and mares on the main track, and the $100,000 Open Mind, which matches fillies and mares at six furlongs. Along with the opportunity to collect the first points in the systems that will determine the starters in the 2016 Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks, the Iroquois and Pocahontas provide their winners with a guaranteed starting spot in Breeders' Cup races in their divisions. The racing program on September 19 features the $100,000 Dogwood (G3) for three-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. The final Saturday of September Meet racing on September 26 will offer three stakes events in the Lukas Classic, the $100,000 Ack Ack H. (G3) for three-year-olds and up at one mile, and the $100,000 Jefferson Cup (G3) for three-year-olds at one mile on the turf -- the only stakes race on grass during the meet. Only two of the eight stakes races in September have changed from last year's schedule. Along with the new name for the Lukas Classic, the purse for the race was boosted by $50,000 to $175,000. The purse for the Iroquois also was increased by $50,000. After the September racing session, Churchill Downs will have one remaining race meet in 2015. The track's traditional Fall Meet is scheduled for November 1-29, which will offer 21 racing dates on a weekly Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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