D. Wayne : The High-Rolling and Fast Times of America's Premier Horse Trainer

by Devito, Carlo

• ISBN13: 9780071387378
• ISBN10: 0071387374
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-03-01
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill

Summary

The first biography of the most successful and controversial horse trainer of all timeHis methods have been ridiculed, his business tactics declared questionable, and his plans derided. Yet, not even the most stiff-necked Southern patrician can deny that D. Wayne Lukas is the most successful horse trainer in history. In 1999, Lukas became the first trainer to surpass $200 million in earnings. He has won 12 Triple Crown events (including 6 in a row)13 Breeders' Cups, 4 Kentucky Derbies, 5 Preaknesses, and 3 Belmonts. If horse racing is the sport of kings, then D. Wayne Lukas is surely its emperor. Now, in D. Wayne--the first book-length biography of D. Wayne Lukas--sportswriter Carlo DeVito tells the riveting life story of the man known throughout the sports world as the "Vince Lombardi of horse racing."He reveals the unorthodox business tactics D. Wayne used to wrest control of thoroughbred racing away from the handful of wealthy families who had held it for two centuries and to change the business forever. And with the help of candid interviews with Lukas rivals and fans, colleagues and competitors, and others, Carlo DeVito paints a fascinating portrait of the man who embodies Americans' most cherished images of themselves--self-made man, innovator, and cowboy. The first biography of the most successful--and controversial--horse trainer of all timeD. Wayne Lukas has trained more winners, won more races, and amassed a greater fortune than any horse trainer in history. His unorthodox methods as well as his stormy personal life have also earned him a celebrity traditionally reserved for movie stars and big-league athletes. Now, in D. Wayne, journalist Carlo DeVito provides us with an intimate look into the life, times, and complex personality of one of the most colorful entrepreneurial mavericks of all time.

Author Biography

Carlo DeVito, a feature writer for Mirror magazines, has written cover stories on John Daly, Shaquille O'Neal, the Dallas Cowboys, Greg Norman, Joe Montana, and Garth Brooks. An editor for fourteen years, he is also the author of ten books, including The Ultimate Dictionary of Sports Quotations and Critical Lives: Jesse Owens.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Prologue	xi
Introduction	xv
The Last Big Race	1	(22)
Coach!	23	(22)
Quarter Horses: The First Years	45	(20)
The Big Horses	65	(30)
The Big Money	95	(20)
The Big Time	115	(28)
The Fall	143	(36)
Comeback	179	(34)
The Big Rivalry	213	(30)
The Big Year	243	(32)
The Big Mess	275	(22)
Legacy	297	(20)
Endnotes	317	(34)
Index	351