Southwest Stakes contender Z Royal has Lukas feeling young

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has put a health scare far behind him and is back in a familiar spot at this Oaklawn Park meet – with a promising 3-year-old prospect in Z Royal.

Z Royal breezed Monday for an intended start in the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes. Lukas said Gary Stevens will ride the Zayat Stables-owned horse in the race next Monday.

Lukas, 80, has fully recovered from a heart scare last September. He had been briefly hospitalized in Philadelphia, where was set to run horses in stakes at Parx Racing on a Saturday.

“I almost passed out going from the car to the hotel after the morning work that Friday,” Lukas recalled. “And then Saturday morning, I was really having trouble getting dressed, and I thought, ‘Boy, there’s really something wrong.’ ”

Lukas was taken to the hospital and received four stents and a pacemaker. In hindsight, he said the situation was brewing before the trip to Philadelphia.

“I remember at the September sale I was walking six, seven miles a day to those consignors, and I thought, ‘Man, I’m tired, and I’m even a little light-headed,’ ” Lukas said. “But it was hot, and I thought, ‘Well, that’s just it. That’s what happens when you turn 80.’ Come to find out I had all that blockage.”

Lukas said he now feels great and is focused on developing the young talent in his stable. Z Royal won a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs in November and in his most recent start ran fifth in the Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds. He breezed five furlongs in 1:01 on Monday over a fast but dull track due to gusts of high winds all morning. Z Royal’s time was the second-fastest of 24 at the distance Monday.

“I think a lot of him,” Lukas said. “He’s 17 hands. He’s got a long, grinding stride, and he’s got a little bit of tactical speed. He’s not necessarily a come-from-left-field type of horse.”

Z Royal is a son of Eskendereya and was bred by Zayat Stables, which last year won the Triple Crown with its homebred American Pharoah.

Other prospects in the Lukas barn include Gray Sky, a Tapit colt who ran fifth last out in the $150,000 Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, and That Makes Sense, a Street Sense colt edged by a neck in a maiden special weight route Saturday.

“All of these horses are great big, growthy horses, so they’re probably going to get better,” said Lukas.

As for Lukas, he said he feels better than ever these days.

“My wife wants me to go back and have them turn the pacemaker down a little bit,” he joked. “I just have more energy. I feel better than I did 10 years ago. I think I’ve reversed the aging process!”

Other candidates for the Southwest Stakes who worked Monday at Oaklawn included the local allowance winner Whitmore, who went five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.60. He worked in a three-horse set that included last year’s Southwest winner, Far Right, who broke off several lengths behind. The move was to gauge the horse’s level of fitness to determine if he will run in the Southwest, said trainer Ron Moquett.

“It was awesome,” said Moquett. “If he comes back well, then we’ll go there if that’s the direction the owners want me to take.”

Suddenbreakingnews also worked for the Southwest on Monday, going five furlongs in company in 1:01.40. He broke off about five lengths behind his mate, drew even with him at the eighth pole, and darted clear.

Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope said on Monday that he had a working list of 12 starters for the Southwest and would not be surprised to get the full gate of 14. He also is offering a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds on Saturday.

There were 60 nominations to the Southwest, with those horses also eligible for the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby.