It’s a bit of a mad one with Wayne this episode that includes Liverpool v Man Utd chat, his birthday weekend, opinions on England and Marcus Rashford, and meet-ups with 50 Cent and Ed Sheeran.
Wayne takes us inside his 40th birthday bash, but who did he dress up as? Which songs did he belt out on karaoke? And who ended up with a nasty injury?
Musician and Liverpool fan Jamie Webster joins Wayne, Kelly and Kae to discuss why their rivalry with Manchester United is the biggest in English football. But who is this match more important for: Arne Slot or Ruben Amorim?
Jamie’s appearance on the show leads to a number of musical revelations from Wayne: how did he end up on stage with 50 Cent? And Why did Coleen have to step in when he tried to change an Ed Sheeran song?
Wayne gives his thoughts on England’s World Cup qualification and explains why he’s pleased the players are less certain of their places under Thomas Tuchel. He also has strong words for Marcus Rashford’s recent comments about the “inconsistent environment” at Old Trafford not helping his form.
Meanwhile, we discover what led Wayne and Jermain Defoe to watch his entire wedding DVD together while they were away at the 2010 World Cup and what was Wayne gutted to find out on the last day at Glastonbury?
You can watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube, iPlayer, as well as listen on BBC Sounds.
He continued: “What you have now is [rival teams’] players training [together] before they go back to pre-season together – Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford for instance.
“It’s a different generation. The big thing is the media coverage of it is much better. The players get on better with the media. From the outside that gives a better feeling.”
Gerrard, speaking as a guest on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, said several former Manchester United and Liverpool players get on better now as pundits than they ever did as England team-mates.
“I didn’t feel part of a team. I didn’t feel connected with my team-mates, with England,” he said.
In response, Rooney said: “It [was] difficult to have that relationship with Liverpool and Man Utd players. It’s easier now.
“I speak to Steven all the time 1760074340. You can have better relationships now because you can have a beer together and relax more.
“I was fine with everyone, I got on with everyone. I was aware Becks [David Beckham] and Gary Neville and Scholesy [Paul Scholes], you could see they weren’t going to be close to the Liverpool players.
“But one thing for sure is everyone worked hard for each other. I don’t think that was an issue. We just didn’t manage to get over the line. I didn’t see that at all.”
Rooney, like Gerrard, played in six major tournaments for England but only reached quarter-finals.
But he said the players always “100%” “believed we could win for sure”.
Deontay Wilder’s former boxing coach and Kate Abdo’s husband Malik Scott suggested the ideaCredit: Getty
“Any time boxing gets more attention, it’s a good thing. I want people to enjoy the spectacle, not just critique it.
“Just enjoy the carnival. It would be a global event because these are high-level names that would draw huge numbers.”
Scott is no stranger to the world of football, having married fan-favourite CBS sports broadcaster Kate Abdo in September last year.
His prospective competitors were iconic teammates at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, making over 200 appearances together.
Their relationship was believed to have turned cold following Ronaldo‘s protests to the referee earning Rooney a red card in a 2006 World Cup quarter final, which Portugal would go on to win on penalties.
He also made headlines for his comments on the heated Messi vs Ronaldo debate, backing the Argentinian over his former teammate.
Kenny is himself set to face former Prem footballer Curtis Davies at a charity event next month, and is keen to keep the ball rolling on his new boxing escapades.
A federal jury on Thursday found hip-hop producer Metro Boomin not liable in his civil sexual assault case, after nearly a year of litigation. He is feeling more than relieved.
“I’m grateful and thankful to God that I can finally put all of this nonsense behind me,” the Grammy-nominated “Like That” musician said in a statement shared on Instagram after the verdict.
The jury sided with the 32-year-old artist, whose real name is Leland Tyler Wayne, after a brief trial that began Tuesday. He was cleared in all four actionable claims brought by Vanessa LeMaistre, who first raised her allegations in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles in October 2024.
LeMaistre said in her initial lawsuit that she and Wayne struck up a connection in spring of 2016 amid their mutual grief: The musician had broken up with a longtime girlfriend and LeMaistre had lost a 9-month-old son “as a result of a rare and fatal disease,” according to court documents. LeMaistre alleged the assault occurred that September after he invited her to a recording studio to watch him work.
LeMaistre described the alleged incident as the “second worst thing that ever happened to her,” other than the death of her child. She also accused Wayne of impregnating her through rape and said she underwent an abortion.
The producer’s legal team quickly denied the allegations last October and dismissed the complaint as a “pure shakedown.” Attorney Lawrence C. Hinkle II echoed those sentiments Thursday in a statement shared after the verdict.
“We are extremely grateful for the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and for reaching the correct decision,” Hinkle said. “The allegations against Mr. Wayne were frivolous and unequivocally false. Mr. Wayne has endured serious and damaging accusations, and today’s verdict confirms what he has always said — the plaintiff’s claims against him are completely fabricated.”
After Thursday’s verdict, LeMaistre attorney Michael J. Willemin said that although “the legal system is often stacked against survivors, our client showed unwavering fortitude throughout this trial.”
Willemin added: “We are disappointed in the outcome but are proud to represent Ms. LeMaistre and believe that the verdict will ultimately be overturned on appeal.”
Though the case — which was moved from L.A. County Superior Court to California Central District Court in December — ended in victory for Metro Boomin, he said in his statement it also resulted in a “a long list of losses.” He lamented the money and time “wasted” in the litigation process and said there had been an “incalculable amount of money and opportunities that did not make it to me or my team during this time.”
The Missouri-born artist also spoke about the case’s toll on his personal life, writing that “the trauma my family and I have endured during this dark period can never be forgiven.” He detailed adopting his youngest siblings and expressed concern over their possible online exposure to the case.
“I’m disappointed in not only the plaintiff but the janky lawyers who made the made the conscious decision to take on this suit, even though it was evident long ago that these claims had no legs or merit and would not end up going anywhere,” he said, later expressing gratitude for his own legal team.
Metro Boomin rose to prominence in the mid-2010s, working with rap stars including Young Thug, Future and Nicki Minaj. Over the years, he has also racked up collaborations with Drake, Kanye “Ye” West, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Lil Wayne. Most recently, he reunited with Young Thug as a producer for Thug’s new album, “UY Scuti,” the rapper’s first since his release from Georgia’s Fulton County Jail last October.
With the case behind him for now, Metro Boomin concluded his statement by sending “peace and love to the actual victims out there as well as the innocent and accused.”
Rooney was 21 when he helped carry Hatton’s championship belts into the ring alongside legendary Mexican boxer Marco Antonio Barrera before the Castillo fight.
“It was one of the most nervous I have ever been,” said Rooney.
“I was in the pool all day in Vegas, it was hot, and my face got a bit burnt, but then I remember standing in the dressing room and being nervous.
“He hadn’t lost at that time. I was thinking, ‘He does not lose tonight. Is it on you? Is it your fault?'”
Hatton went on to retain his IBO light welterweight crown with a stunning fourth-round knockout.
Rooney said they went to a beach party afterwards with family and had “a great day”.
He added: “So often you see any type of celebrity who are not really relatable, but Ricky was certainly relatable and good fun to be around.”
MICHAEL OWEN has launched a passionate defence of his own career after being compared to Wayne Rooney on social media.
Owen, 45, has made sure everybody remembers just how good he was in his youth, replying to a question over who was better at 17 between Rooney and the former Real Madrid man.
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Michael Owen launched a passionate defence of his own career after being compared to Wayne Rooney on social mediaCredit: Getty
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Wayne Rooney broke onto the scene as a teenager much like OwenCredit: Getty
Fans online have been debating the topic of which breakthrough teenager was the better player, given that both Owen and Rooney burst on to the scene and impressed at such young ages.
But in reply to a post asking who was better aged 17, Owen laid out the facts as to why he thinks his early years trump Wazza’s.
He wrote on X: “At 17 I scored 18 PL goals (winning the Golden Boot), Wazza scored 6.
“At 18, I again scored 18 goals (again winning the Golden Boot and coming 4th in The Ballon d’Or), Wazza scored 9.
“In our opening 7 seasons, Wazza didn’t outscore me once (117 goals v 80). In which time I became the 2nd youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever.
“Injuries hindered me from then on while he sustained his level.
“Therefore, he’ll go down as a better player than me. But, at 17, please…”
Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 – the last Brit to lift the prestigious individual award.
While he twice won the Premier League Golden Boot as a teenager, doing it at 18 and 19 years of age to become the youngest ever recipient of the award.
Despite Owen’s claims of scoring 18 goals in the Premier League aged 17, he had actually only bagged five league goals before his 18th birthday.
Michael Owen reveals he didn’t know what Ballon d’Or was when he won it and had to ask manager about it
He went on to score a total of 18 during the 1996/97 season, subsequently winning his first Golden Boot, but scored 13 of those goals after his 18th birthday.
His later career tailed off, with injuries meaning Owen ended his playing days with a total of 223 goals in 483 appearances.
Rooney, on the other hand, notched 313 goals in 764 appearances.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents Podcast, Owen explained: “People will have only seen me or remember me in the later years when I’m getting worse and worse and worse and worse and worse.
“The agony for me is that nobody remembers. Only a few people remember what I was like when I was ten and 12 and 15 and 18 and maybe up to 22.
“I was past it and on the way down by 21 or whatever.
“That’s the agony because was there another 18-year-old that was anywhere near me at 18? I was light years clear of anything in my age group, anything in England.
“You can bring the next kid and the next kid and the next kid and the next one that scores ten goals and everybody’s like: ‘Oh, it’s the next Michael Owen’.
“But I was competing against great strikers. Now there’s like four, five good strikers in the Premier League.”
Rooney vs Owen before they turned 18
Here’s a look at how Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney’s careers looked before their 18th birthdays…
The challenge for Dowman is to remain grounded as his profile grows and the excitement over his potential builds.
“For Max and his family and friends, I’m sure they’re all living in a dream and a fairy tale and it probably hasn’t hit home yet,” Rooney said. “But you can see his future is so bright, he is going to have a massive future.
“Everyone you speak to in football, the same name keeps coming back: Max Dowman.
“It’s difficult for anyone. I think the first thing you’ve got to do is just stay around your family and close friends.
“Listen to them because there are going to be people out there who are trying to be your friend or trying to get in touch with you – some for good reasons, some for not so good reasons.
“You just have to make sure the people who are closer to you, you stay around them and listen to their advice rather than outsiders.”
As well as stepping up on the pitch, Rooney says there are also adjustments off it for a young player breaking into the first team.
“It’s surreal. It’s so strange that one minute you’re in the youth team and the next you’re in the first-team dressing room with some of your heroes,” Rooney said.
“For me, it was some of my heroes growing up, then we’re training, we’re playing, we’re becoming friends.
“I was around at Duncan Ferguson’s house. He lived on the same road as me, and I’m just chilling with him and Alan Stubbs. And you’re like, ‘what is going on here?’.
“It’s something you really need to get used to quickly because it can be overwhelming.
“Max Dowman looks like a very level-headed lad from everything I’ve seen and you hope he manages to deal with it and understands what’s coming his way very soon.”
Rooney’s main words of advice for Dowman come from the heart.
“Enjoy it. I’m sure we’re going to see so much of him, so much of his talent and goals and assists, whatever,” he said.
“Alan Stubbs always said to me years ago, ‘make sure you enjoy it because it goes very quickly’.
“When you’re young, you don’t think that or you sometimes forget that, but enjoy it and make the most of it.”
People have been left in stitches of laughter after hearing about a woman’s story while holidaying in Ibiza – she thought she had hit the jackpot and met Wayne Lineker but the truth left her red-faced
15:56, 12 Aug 2025Updated 16:07, 12 Aug 2025
She thought she was at the hotel with Wayne Lineker(Image: Jam Press/@waynelineker)
A young woman on a girls’ holiday with her mate was absolutely buzzing after she believed she’d encountered her “hero”, Wayne Lineker. Gary Lineker ‘s brother can frequently be found chatting to punters at his cherished party destination, Ocean Beach in Ibiza – with countless visitors clamouring for snaps with his during their visit.
The Spanish beach club has enjoyed tremendous success since launching 13 years ago, and remains essential for Brits visiting the party isle. Celebrities including Ed Sheeran, Jason Derulo, Jack Grealish and Conor McGregor have been photographed at the San Antonio venue. One woman was thrilled after meeting who she believed was Wayne Lineker, who has remained single for seven years.
She became even more excited when he reportedly offered to buy her a drink. The party-goer was holidaying with a friend she’s called Faye, and the duo were staying at Ibiza Rocks. One day while at the poolside party hotel, the two women were approached by some “absolute sorts” they nicknamed “Ibiza Final Bosses”. The blokes invited them to Ocean Beach for the day, which they accepted.
She and her mate headed to the beach club with the group and claims she was “having the time of her life” with them, until something caught her attention. She revealed in a frank TikTok video : “Out the corner of my eye I could see Wayne Lineker. I know exactly who Wayne Lineker is, I know he is into brunettes.”
She continued: “My mate Faye doesn’t know who he is. He approaches and asks ‘do you want a drink’. I respond ‘I’ve got my own drinks but sure I’d love you to get me a drink’. So we end up spending time with Wayne Lineker and his companion, let’s call him Barry for the story.”
Lacy explained she and her friend departed from the initial group they’d joined at the beach club, hoping to spend their day with ‘Wayne’ and his mate. She observed they were having “a great time”.
The pair were invited to an afterparty at the location where the two men were staying. Lacy revealed: “I’m like absolutely, I’m thinking there’s going to a party, this is going to be lit, me and Wayne are going to be a thing, I’m literally going to come back to Torquay engaged. I manifested the whole thing.”
However, she began feeling doubtful when they climbed into a vehicle to reach the party. “I thought we were going to get into a Range Rover, it wasn’t quite that,” she revealed.
Lacy explained she hadn’t realised how intoxicated they were until that point. She described how they exited the car and entered a hotel, despite anticipating a large villa gathering.
“It is a disappointment to say the least,” she remarked.
Please note the follow video contains strong language.
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She continued: “So we’re all sat in this twin room with Wayne, Barry, my mate Faye and me. They’re like ‘do you want a drink’, I’m like ‘yeah sure’. Anyway we do the whole formal thing of asking each other’s names.”
Lacy revealed she jokingly asked ‘Wayne’ what his name was, completely convinced it was him, and was stunned when he replied saying ‘Tim’.
She explained: “I said you’re so funny. He goes, ‘what do you mean’. I go ‘you’re name’s not Tim’, he goes ‘yeah my name’s Tim’. So it’s at that moment I realise what I’ve done. This ain’t Wayne Lineker.”
She continued: “I realised I have royally f***ed up. I have brought us to the back end of Ibiza where I have never even visited with this guy Tim – and now come to think of it, he doesn’t even look anything like Wayne Lineker. I am that lit, I’m stuck in this crazy hotel room with my mate.”
She feigned illness so she and her pal could make their getaway.
But matters got worse when they couldn’t find a taxi for more than an hour.
Lacy continued: “I am stuck in a hotel room with f***ing Barry, Wayne, Faye, and me drinking the worst f***ing prosecco while all the Ibiza final bosses are at a party.”
Wayne Lineker, who also runs Linekers bars and Bam-Bu-Ku, spotted the post and replied in the comments.
Wayne quipped: “Who’s Barry? Must be Dean Gaffney.”
Lacy fired back: “No way has Wayne entered the chat. Deffo not as hot as Dean Gaffney, more like Barry from Eastenders. Don’t worry Wayne I would recognise you in a crowded room any day of the week…it was an off brand night.”
The video was a hit with viewers, with one quipping: “What in the Jet 2 Holidays is going on here.”
Another chimed in with: “Wayne Lineker from Temu,”. A third couldn’t contain their laughter, commenting: “I am crying,” while another person penned: “I have never laughed so much at 7am on a Sunday morning.”
Another fan added: “Haha brilliant. Knew that was coming. Sounds like something I’d do. At least you have a great story to tell.”
One viewer shared a personal anecdote, stating: “Wayne Lineker tried chatting me up in his bar in Tenerife 35 years ago! He’s spent his life trying to pull women. I think you can do better.”
Media mogul Byron Allen has reached a deal to sell 10 television stations for $171 million to Atlanta-based Gray Media.
Gray and Allen Media Group announced the agreement Friday.
Allen’s stations in Huntsville, Ala.; Montgomery, Ala.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Lafayette, La.; and Paducah, Ky.; were part of the transaction. Each station has affiliations with one of the Big Four broadcast networks: ABC, Fox, NBC and CBS.
The move furthers Allen’s retrenchment after a $1-billion buying spree in recent years. Allen had a goal of becoming the largest independent television operator in the U.S. But the build-up — which came during an increasingly challenging period for broadcast TV — left the Los Angeles-based company burdened with debt.
Allen Media Group, which was founded by Allen in 1993, continues to own television stations and channels, including Pets.TV, Comedy.TV and Cars.TV, entertainment studios and the Weather Channel.
The Los Angeles entrepreneur and former stand-up comedian had been steadily expanding his empire for more than a decade.
With the purchase of Allen’s stations, Gray moves into three new television markets: Tupelo, Miss.; Terre Haute, Ind.; and West Lafayette, Ind.
Gray owns a second station in several of the other locations. The company said in a statement that the combination, known in the industry as a “duopoly,” will allow it to provide “expanded local news, local weather, and local sports programming.”
The deal, which requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission, should be complete by year’s end, the companies said.
Wales goalkeeping great Wayne Hennessey has retired from playing.
The 38-year-old’s career lasted almost two decades, during which he played 109 times for Wales – a national record in his position – and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Hennessey made his professional club debut in 2006 for Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing on loan for clubs including Bristol City, Stockport County and Yeovil Town, before permanent moves to Crystal Palace, Burnley and his final club Nottingham Forest.
“I have decided to bring my playing career to an end, I look back with gratitude and forward with optimism as I take the next steps on my footballing journey,” Hennessey said on social media.
Coleen Rooney is stepping into the spotlight with a Disney+ docuseries alongside husband Wayne, aiming to silence critics who have been questioning her success
Coleen is believed to have been the reason behind a huge deal(Image: coleen_rooney/Instagram)
After years in the background of Wayne Rooney’s football career, Coleen Rooney is stepping into her own spotlight and she has her mind set on proving her doubters wrong.
Fresh off her success as runner-up on I’m A Celebrity, the 39-year-old mum-of-four is said to be more determined than ever to be recognised as more than just a footballer’s wife. According to an insider, she’s had enough of assumptions about staying with Wayne for financial reasons after his infidelities and addiction issues.
“She’s sick of hearing that she would be nothing without Wayne or she only stays for the money. She’s now a multimillionaire in her own right and she’s not stopping there. This is just the start for Coleen and she can be very determined when she wants to be.”
Having turned down career opportunities while raising their four sons, Kai, Klay, Kit, and Cass, proud mum Coleen is reportedly now focused on building her own brand, and insiders say she was the driving force behind the couple’s lucrative new deal with Disney+.
Coleen is on a mission to prove her doubters wrong(Image: Getty Images)
“She’s the reason they got this big Disney deal,” the insider told The Sun. “I’m A Celeb proved that she’s just as big a star as Wayne. It’s the ultimate revenge on her doubters.”
The couple’s upcoming docuseries, created by the producers behind Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, will offer rare insight into their home life with their four young sons. Cameras will follow Wayne, 39, as he trades football training for school runs, while Coleen continues her business ventures.
Speaking to The Mirror, a source revealed earlier this month: “They could be bigger than not just the Beckhams, but the Kardashians.”
With Wayne recently dismissed from his managerial role at Plymouth Argyle and reportedly rejecting a lower-league job, the couple are reportedly seeing the series as a new chapter in both their personal lives and careers.
Coleen and Wayne will share glimpses of their lives for the first time (Image: Getty Images)
PR expert Dermot McNamara believes the show could reshape their public image, but not without challenges. “This will be their biggest test yet,” he said.
“Even though they’ve been famous since they were teenagers, we haven’t ever seen what their lives are really about. There’s so much we don’t know about them, like how they talk, how they parent. We’re going to get a fresh perspective.”
Coleen’s time on I’m A Celebrity showed glimpses of her resilience, but even still, questions about Wayne’s scandals resurfaced as she was quizzed on her heartache by her fellow campmates.
Coleen shone on I’m A Celebrity last year(Image: ITV)
“She let people in, but was still guarded,” Dermot said. “Now we might finally see how she lives with all that public heartache.”
Despite the controversies, Coleen has built her own fortune with books, fashion, and fitness deals, and now, the Rooneys are ready to take control of their story with their brand-new show which has already been predicted as one of their biggest successes yet.
The Mirror has approached Coleen’s representatives for comment on this story.
Darrell Wayne Lukas, known to the general public as D. Wayne and to friends simply as Wayne or as “The Coach” if you were in the business, died on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 89.
Lukas’ career, which started in Southern California in 1968, not only built a recognizable brand but helped shape horse racing for more than 50 years. He won 15 Triple Crown races among his lifetime win total of 4,953, having run horses in 30,436 races. His horses earned more than $300 million.
He died at his home in Louisville, Ky., after being diagnosed with a severe MRSA blood infection that affected his heart, digestive system and worsened preexisting chronic conditions. Lukas decided against an aggressive treatment plan that involved surgeries and round-the-clock assistance. Instead, he returned home and entered hospice care.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, grandfather and great-grandfather D. Wayne Lukas. who left this world peacefully [Saturday] evening at the age of 89 surrounded by family,” the Lukas family said in a statement released by Churchill Downs.
“His final days were spent at home in Kentucky, where he chose peace, family and faith. As we grieve at his passing, we find peace knowing he is now reunited with his beloved son, Jeff, whose memory he carried in his heart always.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support from all corners of the racing community — from ractetracks across the country to lifelong friends and respected rivals, and from fans who never missed a post parade when ‘Lukas’ was listed in the program.”
His illness was announced on June 22 along with the decision that he would not return to training. All of his horses were transferred to his longtime assistant Sebastian “Bas” Nicholl.
“Wayne built a legacy that will never be matched.” said Nicholl upon learning Lukas was not returning to racing. “Every decision I make, every horse I saddle, I’ll hear his voice in the back of my mind. This isn’t about filling his shoes — no one can — it’s about honoring everything he’s built.”
Lukas was so good that he was in not one but two halls of fame. He was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2007 and the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1999.
“Wayne is one of the greatest competitors and most important figures in thoroughbred racing history,” said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs racetrack in Kentucky, after the Lukas family announced the severity of his illness. “He transcended the sport of horse racing and took the industry to new levels. The lasting impact of his character and wisdom — from his acute horsemanship to his unmatched attention to detail — will be truly missed.”
Lukas’ story started on a small farm in Wisconsin.
Bill Dwyre, who previously was the sports editor of L.A. Times and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, recently chronicled Lukas’ roots.
“Lukas did not grow up on some farm in Kentucky, mucking stables as a teenager and rubbing elbows all day, every day, with grizzled horsemen,” Dwyre wrote last year after Lukas won the Preakness with Seize the Grey. “Lukas did grow up on a farm, all right, but in the state of Wisconsin, where there is no parimutuel betting, and where horse racing is pretty much confined to county fairs. His birthplace, Antigo, Wis., an hour and a half northwest of Green Bay, had a fair and D. Wayne … liked the horses.
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas looks on as Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey cools down after a workout ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes in 2024.
(Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press)
“But that sort of career was not foremost in his mind. He went to the University of Wisconsin, got his master’s degree in education, started teaching and soon was a high school head basketball coach. For a while, he was an assistant coach in the Big Ten for UW’s John Erickson. He stayed close to the game of basketball, even as his days were dominated by barns and backstretches. Along the way, one of his best friends became Bob Knight. D. Wayne liked the toughness and drive to win of the legendary Indiana University coach.”
Lukas decided to try his hand at training and started at Los Alamitos in 1968 working with quarter horses. It took him 10 years to realize that the real stars — and the money — was in thoroughbred racing. Before leaving the quarter horse ranks, he won 739 races and saddled 24 world champions.
He won his first thoroughbred race on Oct. 20, 1977, at Santa Anita. He won his last race at Churchill Downs on June 12 with 4-year-old colt Tour Player.
In between, he won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness seven times and the Belmont Stakes four times. He has won 20 Breeders’ Cup races. He won the Eclipse Award for top trainer four times and was the leading trainer by wins four straight years from 1987 to 1990. In 1995, he won all three Triple Crown races but with two different horses; Thunder Gulch won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and Timber Country won the Preakness. It was the first time a trainer accomplished that feat.
“The most enduring and essential sports legacies can also be the most complicated,” wrote NBC’s Tim Layden, a multiple Eclipse Award-winning journalist, upon learning of Lukas’ illness. “The very best are not just driven, but obsessive. Not just creative, but ingenious. Not just hungry, but voracious. Jordan. Woods. Ali. Armstrong. Rose. One of Lukas’ favorites, and a close friend: Bob Knight. To name a few. … Transcendence demands a selfish eccentricity; because greatness and normalcy are often mutually exclusive. Lukas has lived long enough to earn a warm embrace that he would not have received as a younger man, but that embrace alone doesn’t tell enough of his outsized story and his place in racing history, where he stands very much alone.”
Lukas first made his thoroughbred mark in 1980 when he won the Preakness with Codex. It was not a popular win as Codex beat Derby-winning filly Genuine Risk and then had to withstand an inquiry to officially give Lukas his first Triple Crown win.
Bookending that win was his last Triple Crown race victory, when he won the Preakness last year with Seize the Grey.
“One of the things that was very significant to me [that day] — and maybe it’s because I’m getting a little bit older — but as I came out of the grandstand and out across the racetrack, every one of the guys that were in that race stopped and hugged me and gave me a handshake,” Lukas told The Times after the race.
“That meant more to me than any single thing. [Bob] Baffert, Kenny McPeek, right down the line.”
Lukas did not get the nickname Coach because of his days as a basketball coach but because of the coaching tree he established during his tenure.
Among those that were his assistants were Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, future Hall of Famer Brad Cox, Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, Mike Maker, Mark Hennig, Randy Bradshaw, George Weaver and Bobby Barnett.
Among those Lukas was closest to, but never worked for, is Baffert.
“I asked him for a job one time out of high school, and he turned me down,” Baffert told The Times in 2018, while he was on his Triple Crown run with Justify. “I tell him, ‘I’m sure glad you turned me down because you’d be taking all the credit for this.’ But he probably would have fired me after two weeks because he works way too hard.”
Lukas later introduced Baffert at his U.S. Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
“He told me everybody was laughing and kidding [when they heard I was inducting him,]” Lukas told The Times in 2018. “They were saying he’s not going to have Wayne do it because they thought we were rivals. Yet he came to me, and I said, ‘Bob, I’ll be honored to present you.’ And I did.”
“The media portrayed us as rivals and everything, so we would go along with you guys and then we’d go to dinner later,” Lukas said of Baffert.
“We’ve been friends for a long time. I have great respect for his ability. He’s got an excellent eye for a horse. He’s one of the few guys in the sale that when I pick one out that I like, I know sure as hell he’ll be bidding too.”
Seize the Grey’s trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, left, shakes hands with Bob Baffert, Imagination’s trainer, after Lukas’ horse won the Preakness Stakes in 2024.
(Julia Nikhinson / Associated Press)
In fact, this year at the Preakness Alibi Breakfast, an annual affair at Pimlico where trainers, owners and others tell stories and trade barbs about their career and horses, Lukas and Baffert hijacked the event with witty repartee and joking much to the delight of those in attendance. Their friendship was borne out as genuine.
“The horses were everything to Wayne,” Baffert posted on X after learning of Lukas’ death. “They were his life. From the way he worked them, how he cared for them, and how he maintained his shedrow as meticulously as he did his horses. No detail was too small. Many of us got our graduate degrees in training by studying how Wayne did it. Behind his famous shades, he was a tremendous horseman, probably the greatest who ever lived.”
Lukas’ life on the racetrack had one significant downside, when his son and assistant, Jeff, was run over and permanently injured by a loose horse at Santa Anita in 1993.
“I have a phone with one of those long cords,” Lukas told The Times’ Dwyre in 1999, “and so, I was up and walking around and right near the door when it happened. I was the first one to get to him.”
“One of Lukas’ Triple Crown prospects, Tabasco Cat, had bolted and was loose,” Dwyre wrote. “Jeff Lukas, a veteran horseman well schooled in the procedures for such situations, had stepped in Tabasco Cat’s path and was waving his arms. Horses always stop, or veer away. But this time…
“It’s like when you meet somebody in a narrow hallway,” Lukas said. “You go right and he goes right, and then you both go the other way. But eventually, one goes right and one left. Well, Jeff and the horse both went the same way.”
“Witnesses say that the sound of Jeff Lukas’ head hitting hard, compact ground after the collision could be heard several barns away. There was no blood, just an unconscious, badly injured 36-year-old man.”
The next year, Jeff Lukas had recovered enough to return to the racetrack but it proved too difficult for him to work around horses safely. Jeff eventually moved to Oklahoma and lived in a home his father bought him until Jeff’s death in 2016 at age 58.
Santa Anita issued this statement on Sunday after learning of Lukas’ death.
“Santa Anita joins the racing community in mourning the passing of D. Wayne Lukas. … His on-track success was such that it was easy to overlook his outstanding horsemanship that we were lucky to often witness back at the barn, away from the spotlight.”
Funeral arrangements for Wayne Lukas were not immediately announced.
Lukas is survived by his fifth wife, Laurie; grandchildren Brady Wayne Lukas and Kelly Roy; and great-grandchildren Johnny Roy, Thomas Roy, Walker Wayne Lukas and Quinn Palmer Lukas.
D. Wayne Lukas, 89, who has been a staple in horse racing since 1968 when he was training quarter horses at Los Alamitos, is leaving the game after contracting a potentially life-ending illness.
In a note to owners and friends on Sunday, Lukas Enterprises announced: “We regret to inform you that D. Wayne Lukas will not be returning to racing. A severe MRSA blood infection has caused significant damage to his heart, digestive system, and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. The doctors proposed an aggressive treatment plan, involving multiple surgeries and procedures over several months. Even with the best-case scenario, Wayne would require 24/7 assistance to manage daily activities.”
The note goes on to say that Lukas declined the aggressive treatment plan and would “return home to spend his remaining time with his wife, Laurie, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
It also says that he will be under home hospice care.
Lukas is a member of both the U.S. Racing and Quarter Horse Halls of Fame. He has won the trainer Eclipse Award five times, and his horses have won 25 Eclipse Awards.
In his career, Lukas has run 30,436 races, winning 4,953. His horses have earned over $300 million. His last significant win was in last year’s Preakness Stakes, which he won with Seize the Grey.
FOOTIE legend Wayne Rooney has been booted into third place in the Soccer Aid shirt auction – by a boyband heartthrob and a rising telly star.
The former England skipper’s signed shirt is currently sitting at £1,578, but that’s still miles behind the top two.
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England footie legend Rooney and Boxing star Tyson Fury took part this year
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Louis Tomlinson’s popularity is off the chartsCredit: Reuters
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Bella Ramsey was amongst celebrities out there at Old Trafford this year
One Direction star Louis Tomlinson is topping the leaderboard with a whopping £5,364 bid for his England top – despite barely touching the ball on the pitch.
Coming in second is Bella Ramsey, the breakout star of The Last of Us and Game of Thrones, whose shirt has pulled in an impressive £1,731.
But it’s not just Rooney who’s struggling to get to the top in the footie world – Brazil legend Rivaldo’s shirt is number five, with a bid of £809.
The former Barcelona man is surprisingly beaten into fourth by Twitch streamer Morgan Burtwistle, better known online as AngryGinge.
Even more surprising, though, is the fact there’s no place in the top 10 for former Manchester City star Carlos Tevez.
Fans have been scrambling to snap up the signed shirts from this year’s charity clash, which raised £15.28million for UNICEF.
But Rooney’s spot behind Louis and Bella has raised a few eyebrows – especially considering he’s England’s all-time top scorer.
It just shows how fast the world of fame moves – especially when you step out of the limelight.
