Louisville, KY (April 17, 2015) – The Kentucky Derby Museum is proud to announce the naming of the D. Wayne Lukas Gallery, in honor of the Hall of Fame trainer and four-time Kentucky Derby winner.
The D. Wayne Lukas Gallery is the primary area dedicated to educational programming presented by the Museum. The Education Department strives to promote the Kentucky Derby to all ages, and uses the race as a connector to teach content in math, social studies, language arts, science and music to over 60,000 students annually. A former educator, Lukas represents qualities the Education Department strives to achieve through his love of Thoroughbreds and success in the racing industry.
“I can think of no other individual more fitting of this honor than D. Wayne Lukas,” Museum President Lynn Ashton said. “His contributions to the horse racing industry are well-known, and he has been a dedicated supporter of the Kentucky Derby Museum through the years.”
A native of Wisconsin, Lukas has four Kentucky Derby victories among his many accomplishments: Winning Colors (1988), Thunder Gulch (1995), Grindstone (1996) and Charismatic (1999). In 2013, Lukas was awarded the Eclipse Award for Merit for a lifetime of outstanding achievement in Thoroughbred racing and has also been named the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer winner on four separate occasions (1985, 1986, 1987, 1994).
Lukas originally was a teacher and basketball coach prior to starting his Thoroughbred career by training quarter horses, and is still affectionately known as “The Coach” among his peers and fans. He is also known for taking a child to the Winner’s Circle to share in the biggest moments of his career.
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About Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit museum in Louisville, KY dedicated to celebrating and sharing the Kentucky Derby experience. www.derbymuseum.org