Hard to believe Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas has been gone for more than a year. The timeless Hall of Fame trainer seemed impervious to time's inexorable march.
We’re reminded of the horseman who won 15 Triple Crown races and 20 Breeders’ Cup races with the running of the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Known as the Homecoming Classic during the first two runnings, the race was renamed in 2015 to honor Lukas and his accomplishments.
The latest renewal drew seven. Run at 1 1/8 miles, the Lukas Classic shares the afternoon spotlight with the $400,000 Ack Ack Stakes (G3) and $300,000 Bourbon Flight. The first post is at 12:45 p.m. ET, with the Lukas Classic going as race 10 at 5:29 p.m.
It’s an evenly matched field of second-tier runners in the handicap division.
We’re going to take a stab here with 8-1 longshot This Is Uscar, who drew the rail for trainer Jordan Blair. This would be the breakthrough stakes win for the 5-year-old gelding who is based at Churchill Downs. He most recently was a solid second to Owen Almighty, winner of the 2025 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) who ran fifth in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1), in the Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park.
This Is Uscar ran a career-best speed figure in defeat, and his numbers have been steadily ticking upward.
This is the spot to get on board at a fair price as Banishing (6-1), a career winner of $3.2 million, figures to take most of the action. Banishing, trained by David Jacobson, was third in last year’s Lukas Classic and is following the same path to this race: the Jeff Hill Memorial at Ellis Park and the Charles Town Classic (G2).
Banishing swept both races last year. It was different this time. He was a repeat winner in the Jeff Hill but second at Charles Town.
Banishing has compiled an admirable record, but we feel his best days might be behind him. After winning the Godolphin Mile (G2) at Meydan in March, he returned to the U.S. for the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1), where he was pulled up after a half mile and walked off the track.
He hasn’t been the same since.
Tiztastic (4-1) gets welcome class relief. He had no shot last time out in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, where he ran fifth behind Sovereignty at 39-1. The price will be shorter here, but the prospects are more realistic for the 2025 Louisiana Derby (G2) winner.
Original Sin (3-1) also finds a softer spot following a rallying second in the Pacific Classic (G1) behind Knightsbridge. His major flaw is a tendency to fall far behind in the early stages before desperately rallying for a piece of the action. He’s more effective when kept closer to the pace, so that will be jockey Ben Curtis’ mission on Saturday.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | This Is Uscar | Edgar Morales | Jordan Blair | 8-1 |
| 2 | Dragoon Guard | Tyler Gaffalione | Brad Cox | 9-2 |
| 3 | Tiztastic | Brian Hernandez, Jr. | Steve Asmussen | 4-1 |
| 4 | Banishing | Francisco Arrieta | David Jacobson | 6-1 |
| 5 | Original Sin | Ben Curtis | Brendan Walsh | 3-1 |
| 6 | McAfee | Luis Saez | George Weaver | 15-1 |
| 7 | Chunk of Gold | Jaime Torres | Ethan West | 2-1 |
Last Updated on 09/23/2026
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
