Kentucky Derby 2020 Radar: Lukas' ‘grandiose' Oaklawn plans
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has 2-year-olds in his barn, which is also to say he expects to take all his regular shots at qualifying for the 2020 Kentucky Derby trail.
Two colts in particular are drawing attention in the Oaklawn Park barn area, where Lukas has moved his string for the winter, and both happen to be by American Pharoah, who won the local Rebel Stakes (G2) and Arkansas Derby (G1) on his way to Triple Crown glory.
American Butterfly, a second-out maiden winner at Saratoga, went on to appear in three stakes, failing to hit the board, but showed consistent early speed with a third last time in a Churchill Downs allowance. He’s the typical Lukas type — often raced, and capable of improving.
The Jan. 24 Smarty Jones Stakes, a Derby points prep on opening day, may mark American Butterfly’s next destination. Or he could go in allowance company at Oaklawn; two seasons ago, Bravazo followed that path to a win in Fair Grounds’ Risen Star (G2).
“I’m going to look at the Smarty, but he’s got eligibility,” Lukas said of American Butterfly.
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The trainer will look for a late push to the Triple Crown series with Fifty Grand, an American Pharoah colt that he told Oaklawn Park publicity is owned in part by he and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who has made a habit of attending the Derby.
“He cost six times that,” Lukas said of Fifty Grand. “That’s the entry fee to the Kentucky Derby. We’ve got grandiose ideas.”
A knee chip prevented Fifty Grand from competing at age 2.
“He’s pretty talented,” Lukas said. “We’re behind the 8-ball, but we’ll let him kind of tell us, too.”
Following the Smarty Jones, the Southwest Stakes (G3) runs Feb. 17, also offering Derby points to the Top 4 finishers on a 10-4-2-1 scale. The payouts ramp up for the March 14 Rebel (50-20-10-5) and April 11 Arkansas Derby (100-40-20-10).
Should Lukas make it back to the Derby, he’d saddle starter No. 50, second all-time to his former assistant, Todd Pletcher. Lukas has won four Derbys, third all-time behind “Plain Ben” Jones and Bob Baffert.