Last horse owned by Lukas arrives at Old Friends retirement farm
Major Blue, the final horse owned by legendary Hall Of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, has taken up residence at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky.
Raced by Lukas along with wife Laurie and their close friends, it was immediately clear that Major Blue was special to his owners when they named him after Lukas’s grandson Brady Lukas.
“Major Blue was purchased in 2021 by Wayne to form a partnership with Wayne and I and longtime friends from Colorado, Bob and Ann Ghent,” Laurie Lukas said. “He is named for Wayne’s grandson Brady Lukas, who is a major in the Air Force. Major Blue has a huge heart and always gave his all in his races and workouts. He was a barn favorite and loved by his exercise riders, grooms, and jockeys. Although not a famous big-name racehorse he is what racing is all about, the enjoyment and love of the horse. We are extremely grateful that Old Friends has given our beloved Major Blue a forever home.”
The Flatter son took his owners to the winner’s circle four times, with his first victory coming at Lukas’s winter base, Oaklawn, when he won a maiden special weight as the favorite. Making a brief appearance on the road to the Kentucky Derby in the Blue Grass (G1), he made two stakes starts in 2023 before racing in the allowance and claiming ranks for the rest of his career.
Placing twice in 2025, he ended his career with a fourth-place finish at Lukas’s beloved Churchill Downs two weeks before his trainer passed away.
Major Blue proved to be a very useful racehorse for his connections, with 10 top three finishes in 29 starts for $375,091 in earnings.
“Ultimately, so much of what we do at Old Friends involves celebrating the legacy of the greats, both horse and human,” Old Friends president John Nicholson said. “The arrival of Major Blue is a perfect example. While enjoying a happy and enjoyable retirement, Major Blue will also give us a platform to tell the incredible story of D. Wayne Lukas and all he meant to our sport and industry to our thousands of visitors.”