Celebration of Life: D. Wayne Lukas

The Coach's Celebration of Life ceremony was held a few days ago in Louisville, KY. We are sharing the full ceremony as captured on YouTube below. 

We've often tried to explain the impact of D. Wayne Lukas has had on our lives, and every time, fallen far short. Maybe all these amazing stories and recollections by those who knew him best--and longest--will do a better job of showing why this man was such a force in our industry who touched the lives of so many in such a powerful and positive way.

The testimony of former jockey Pat Day was particularly touching, and we treasure our Winner's Circle photo of Coach, with Pat Day, and our G2 Pat Day Mile stakes winner on Kentucky Derby Day 2024. Two weeks later, our son of Arrogate would go on to win the Second Jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness.

We were thrilled to see the horse we owned in partnership with many, many others in several special cameos highlighting D. Wayne Lukas's career. Seize The Grey was Coach's last Triple Crown race winner, who bestowed upon Mr. Lukas the title of the Oldest Trainer Ever to Win a Triple Crown race -- at age 88. I'm not sure that will--or can--ever be surpassed. 

We also had three more promising youngsters in his barn--Caldera (Liam's Map) and Munny Problem (Munnings) who will find a home with new trainers, and Trust But Verify (Into Mischief), who has already been sent to the Coach's good friend, Kenny McPeak. 

We miss you, Coach. We will always miss you, as will the people, the sport, the horses, and the entire industry. As many here said in different ways, there was only one D. Wayne Lukas. There was only one legend who changed the game forever. May his memory never fade from the sport he loved and ever strived to make better. He must have had a huge herd of champions running to greet him in Heaven. 

D. Wayne Lukas Celebration of Life Ceremony

Catching Up on Updates - 2YOs and 3YOs

TWO YEAR OLDS

Black Tie Optional (Not This Time colt)

• Black Tie Optional has remained on a work schedule at Los Alamitos, where he is breezing well, including a 4F in :48 flat in company with his usual mate, Cherokee Nation, in July prompting assistant trainer Mike Marlow to report, “He worked great. Probably his best work to date.” His most recent work was from the gate on August 1st (three furlongs in :37.20). His team is bringing him along slowly and no immediate start date is expected. 

Instant Impact (Upstart colt)

• Instant Impact debuted on July 27th at Saratoga. After his race came off the turf course due to rain, trainer Kenny McPeek opted to keep him in. He ran fourth, notably handled the loading process and broke well—a good sign after some of his gate issues in the mornings. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche allowed Instant Impact to find his rhythm though he did seem to be spinning his wheels a bit on the wet track. He did show good fight when the horse coming up behind him tried to run by, and he galloped out well. Instant Impact departed Saratoga for Churchill Downs last week, and ran a bullet work at Churchill on August 11th going 4F in 47.20. He is expected to make his next start at Ellis Park in approximately 9-10 days.  

Misstrial (Constitution filly)

• Misstrial had her first start at Del Mar (the same day Seismic Beauty won the G1 Clement L. Hirsch), but stumbled badly out of the gate, almost going to her nose, and then colliding with the horse to her inside. In spite of her troubles, she still made a valiant effort, but was tiring by the time she hit the stretch. She was back on the work tab on August 11th at Del Mar, covering 5F in 1:00.60 while on the inside of stablemate Falcon Jet (2nd on debut on 8/3). We were glad to see Misstrial no worse for the wear after her debut and expect to see her get one more run at Del Mar before the summer meet ends. There are two maiden special weight options remaining at the meet, on August 30th and September 6th.

Munny Problem  (Munnings colt)

• Sadly, Munny Problem was being trained by D. Wayne Lukas who's sudden passing on June 28th left him trainerless. He was sent to Highlander training center with the Coach's two other trainees, Caldera (stakes placed 3YO) and Trust But Verify (unstarted 2YO). Munny Problem is doing well at Highlander during his R&R period. He should be started back in training in approximately 60 days.

Native Brew (Yaupon colt)

• Native Brew made his first start and ran 5th. Unfortunately, the race took a toll on this first time starter, and he will need time off before running again. 

Sirius Pursuit (Knicks Go filly)

• Upcoming possible debut dates - Saturday, August 23 at Ellis Park or a later date at Saratoga. Her workmate, Amended Dreamer, will make her debut at Saratoga on Saturday, August 16th, in the 4th race. This will give a better indication of Sirius Pursuit's standing among 2YOs. Her trainer is Jena Antonucci.

Trust But Verify (Into Mischief colt)

• Trust But Verify was transferred to Highlander Training Center after the death of D. Wayne Lukas, who had been training this promising colt. A decision was made to send Trust But Verify to "Coach's" good friend Kenny McPeek. Trust But Verify had his final breeze at Highlander Training Center where he covered 3F from the gate in :37.72. Highlander’s Jeff Hooper reported “Everything went smoothly and [he] worked a nice 3/8ths from the gate in company, outworking his work mate comfortably.” Trust But Verify was sent to the McPeek barn at Keeneland and is currently awaiting the next van to join his string at Saratoga.

THREE YEAR OLDS

Good Cop (Tiz The Law colt)

• Has transferred from Fair Hill to Todd Pletcher's barn at Belmont Park (open for training during renovations) and has been putting in a works there. 

Isle Blue (Speightstown filly)

• After the death of Christophe Clement earlier this year, she is now being trained by his son, Miguel Clement who has done much of her hands-on training to this point. Isle Blue ran a stunning bullet work on 8/9/25, running 4F in 47.40 for the fastest work of 76 that morning.

Nakoma (Vekoma filly)

• Currently turned out. Expected to return to racing later this year. Trained by Jena Antonucci.

OTHER HORSES

Caldera (Liam's Map colt)

• Since losing his trainer (D. Wayne Lukas -- "Coach"), Caldera was sent to Highlander where he has been cooling his heels. After a valiant run at qualifying for the Kentucky Derby which didn't pan out due to stumbling and grabbing a quarter out of the gate in the Louisiana Derby (a Kentucky Derby qualifier), Caldera ran back 2nd in a minor stakes at Oaklawn hoping for a Preakness berth, then went through a growth spurt/weight loss period and other issues that required a rest. No new trainer has yet been selected.

Here's The Kicker (Liam's Map filly)

• After her last start in the G1 Ruffian Stakes, which didn't go well for her, she was transferred to Saratoga to try her hand at the spa. While her first work there was an eye-opening bullet running 35.03 for 3F on June 30th, her next three works were not as impressive. Unfortunately, the deep surface at Saratoga does not seem to be to her liking. Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. has opted to send her back to Florida where she has done her best running, so her next start will most likely be at Gulfstream Park. 

Thank You Forever, "Coach" D. Wayne Lukas

We are in mourning. We received word that D. Wayne Lukas ("Coach") passed last night, Saturday, June 28, 2025 after a brief illness after announcing his sudden retirement a few days ago on June 22nd. He was 89 years old. An absolute legend, icon and inspiration to the industry, we will miss his words of wisdom, his informational messages and videos, and seeing him out on the track on his trusty paint, Bucky. 

The Coach was currently training two horses for our groups -- Caldera (Liam's Map) and Munny Problem (Not This Time) -- with a third, Trust But Verify (Into Mischief), to head his way shortly. He also trained Seize The Grey, now retired to stud in Kentucky after winning the Preakness, Pennsylvania Derby (both G1) and Pat Day Mile (G2, on the 2024 Kentucky Derby undercard). 

We'll try to capture just some of the achievements he left behind, but his most intangible victories were the impact he had on our sport and the respect he garnered from so many from throughout the racing community. We'll post links to some of that press below. This post will be edited as more are added in the coming days.

Daily Racing Form:  Racing Legend D. Wayne Lukas Dead at 89 

Paulick Report:  Legendary Trainer D. Wayne Lukas Passes Away

Bloodhorse:  Industry-Shaping Horseman Lukas Dies at Age 89

APNews: Hall of Fame Horse Trainer D. Wayne Lukas

APNews: D. Wayne Lukas Revolutionized Horse Racing

APNews: Horse Racing Pays Tribute to Hall of Fame Trainer

Thank you coach for training some of the greatest horses racing has ever seen. 

• Azeri
• Blush With Pride 
• Boston Harbor (*BC)
• Capote (*BC)
• Cara Rafaela
• Cash Run (*BC)
• Cat Thief (*BC)
• Charismatic
• Codex 
• Commendable
• Dynaformer
• Editor's Note
• Flanders (*BC)
• Folklore (*BC)
• Grindstone (Kentucky Derby winner, grandsire of Mine That Bird)
• Gulch (*BC)
• Hightail (*BC)
• Is It True (*BC)
• Lady's Secret (*BC, Champion, Horse of the Year, Secretariat daughter) 
• Life's Magic (*BC)
• Mine That Bird (after his Kentucky Derby win)
• Open Mind (*BC)
• Orientate (*BC)
• Oxbow (Preakness winner 2014)
• Sacahuista (*BC)
• SEIZE THE GREY (Preakness, Penn Derby, Pat Day Mile - one of ours)
• Serena's Song
• Spain (*BC)
• Steinlen (*BC)
• Stellar Jayne (Multiple G1, G2 winner, $1M+, granddam Inherit the Stars)
• Success Express (*BC)
• Tabasco Cat
• Take Charge Brandi (*BC)
• Tanks Prospect
• Thunder Gulch
• Timber Country (*BC)
• Twilight Ridge (*BC)
• Winning Colors (filly who won the Kentucky Derby)

*Breeders’ Cup Winners Trained by D. Wayne Lukas (Alphabetical Order): Boston Harbor (Juvenile, 1996), Capote (Juvenile, 1986), Cash Run (Juvenile Fillies, 1999), Cat Thief (Classic, 1999), Flanders (Juvenile Fillies, 1994), Folklore (Juvenile Fillies, 2005), Gulch (Sprint, 1988), Hightail (Juvenile Sprint, 2012), Is It True (Juvenile, 1988), Lady's Secret (Distaff, 1986), Life's Magic (Distaff, 1985), Open Mind (Juvenile Fillies, 1988), Orientate (Sprint, 2002), Sacahuista (Distaff, 1987), Spain (Distaff, 2000), Steinlen (GB) (Mile, 1989), Success Express (Juvenile, 1987), Take Charge Brandi (Juvenile Fillies, 2014), Timber Country (Juvenile, 1994), Twilight Ridge (Juvenile Fillies, 1985).

For a few, their legacy lived on with:

• Boston Harbor sired Healthy Addiction
• Cara Rafaela foaling Bernardini (sire) 
• Dynaformer sired the legendary Barbaro (Kentucky Derby) 
• Is It True sired Yes It's True (who sired our race mare Endless Thyme)
• SEIZE THE GREY (top earning son of Arrogate, now standing 1st year at stud)

But perhaps the biggest impact, by far, was the influence Coach had on those who learned from him. Todd Pletcher, who went on to be and still remains one of the elite top trainers, but also successful trainers Kiaran McLaughlin, Dallas Stewart, Randy Bradshaw, Mark Hennig, Mike Maker, and George Weaver. 

Sadly, one of his greatest pupils was his son, Jeff, toted by many as a sharp and effective trainer in his own right. Jeff suffered severe brain injury when one of the Coach's top horses, Tabasco Cat, broke away and ran Jeff over causing Jeff's head to impact the ground. Though Jeff did try to return to training after his recovery later, the work proved too much for him. He passed in 2016 at age 58.

In 1987, Lukas won 92 stakes races at tracks throughout the country, a record that would stand for nearly 20 years before Pletcher (appropriately enough!) broke that record in 2006.

Many other trainers were his competitors, but also long-time peers who carried a deep respect for and friendship with him, including Bob Baffert, Kenny McPeek, and Steve Asmussen. 

But there were also the legions of youth who he took to the winners circles over the years so they could experience the thrill of getting their photo taken with the winner, or the kids he'd hand signed cards from the back of his pony horse, or just stopped to chat with as they stood at the rail watching in awe. 

He is the only trainer to have been named to BOTH the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred Hall of Fame.  

But for us, what a huge honor it was to be involved with his last horse to win a Triple Crown race in 2024, with our own SEIZE THE GREY winning the Preakness wire-to-wire. "Ceasar" won a second grade 1 race in the Pennsylvania Derby four months later, and also competed in the 2024 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile, as his last BC contender. But that was followed with the thrill this year, 2025, of seeing Caldera headed down the Derby Trail road. Though sadly he didn't make the field of any of the Triple Crown races, we had the great pleasure of watching him place 2nd in a head-bob decision in the Sunland Park Derby (Kentucky Derby prep race) right here in our own state. 

[Edited later to add:] We now own (and cherish) the saddlecloth from that race, and a reproduction of the Preakness Winner wood sign that had hung in Coach's famed barn at Churchill Downs, made for us by the same craftsman  in November 2025. 

 

Munny Problem Update

We stopped by Churchill Downs to check in on Munny Problem, who quite frankly could not look any better. 

Bas Nicholl, trainer D. Wayne Lukas's assistant of over 22 years, expressed to the MRH reps how the entire team really likes our colt, including Wayne himself. 

Our handsome son of Munnings will start to learn the starting gate in the coming weeks and is on course for a debut at some point this summer.

2YO Updates This Week: All Now With Trainers

There's a lot going on with our 2YOs in the last couple of weeks as most have now gone out to their trainers' barns, for those who weren't in their trainer's care already, as are Sirius Pursuit (Jena Antonucci) and Instant Impact (Kenny McPeek). Here's an update on several: 

Sirius Pursuit (by Horse of the Year Knicks Go - in fact, his first foal)

Sirius Pursuit put in a nice breeze at GoldMark Farm (Florida) this morning, May 9th, covering three furlongs in :36.84. Jena Antonucci and her team remain very happy with how she’s responded to the period of backing off some on speed work and focusing on open gallops to build fitness. We’ll make sure she bounces out of this breeze in good order and then likely start making plans to ship to the racetrack.

In a follow-up video of her exercise, Jena Antonucci said "She did very well. We're pleased. She came back nicely." 

Black Tie Optional (by Not This Time)

The team checked in on Black Tie Optional this morning, May 9th, at Los Alamitos. He did not train this morning as it was discovered he has a scratch on an ankle—having likely nicked himself on track or in his stall. Assistant trainer Mike Marlow does not have any concerns about it, but still wanted to limit him to walking today to be on the safe side. 

We would expect to see him back in a normal routine in the next few days. Not to continue to beat the drum on this, but minor issues like this aren’t going to hurt his training progress, especially as we strongly believe that time is going to be his friend.

Native Brew (by Yaupon)

May 6, 2025: Native Brew was spotted galloping at Keeneland where he continues his early preparations towards an eventual debut. Mitch, Steve Asmussen’s assistant at Keeneland, has been happy with your colt since he has come in, noting that he has yet to miss a beat. He seems to be a very straightforward horse who knows his job.

May 8, 2025: Native Brew checked off another milestone, putting in his first published work since shipping in to Keeneland. He covered three furlongs in :38.00 (13/36). This move was fairly easy, as you'd expect at this stage, and he stuck to the outside of his workmate and galloped out nicely. His mate was another son of Yaupon named Picked, who was a $375K graduate of the OBS April sale. This will be the first in a series of workouts before your son of Yaupon is fit to race. It comes down to trainer (Steve Asmussen) preference, but typically anywhere from 6-12 consistent on-track works is the usual range prior to debut.

Instant Impact (by Upstart)

Instant Impact turned in his first published breeze on May 8th at Keeneland, and it was a sharp one—he was clocked in a bullet :36.40 working outside of a horse from another barn. He showed good fight to collar the other horse. Considering this was just his first breeze at the racetrack, and that he’s more of a two-turn horse, we're very pleased with that.

We had expected him to head up to New York already, but Keeneland’s a great place for him to train as well, so we’ll just let Team McPeek sort out those logistics and report back with more as it comes to us.

Munny Problem (by Munnings)

Munny Problem had his first published breeze the morning of May 6th at Churchill Downs. Working outside of speedy 3-year-old Improbable Luck, our colt went an easy half-mile in :50.40.

Neither horse was asked for much effort in this drill and that was by design—with this being Munny Problem’s first breeze for the Lukas barn and first at the racetrack, he definitely didn’t need to do more than that.

We caught up with Mr. Lukas after the work and he really raved about the colt physically, saying if he was at a 2-year-old sale and saw Munny Problem, he’d have to have him.

We’ll let Team Lukas bring the colt along at the pace that they see fit, but knowing the typical Lukas training style, we’d expect to see them start tightening the screws pretty quickly.

Munny Problem Logged First Official Work

Munny Problem has logged his first official work. It took place at Churchill Downs over 4F and was on the easier side, as expected for a first time 2YO. He is trained by D. Wayne Lukas. 

FOLLOW UP 

Munny Problem had his first published breeze this morning at Churchill Downs. Working outside of speedy 3-year-old Improbable Luck, our colt went an easy half-mile in :50.40.

Neither horse was asked for much effort in this drill and that was by design—with this being Munny Problem’s first breeze for the Lukas barn and first at the racetrack, he definitely didn’t need to do more than that.

We caught up with Mr. Lukas after the work and he really raved about the colt physically, saying if he was at a 2YO sale and saw Munny Problem, he’d have to have him.

We’ll let Team Lukas bring along the colt at the pace that they see fit, but knowing the typical Lukas training style, we’d expect to see them start tightening the screws pretty quickly.

Munny Problem to Ship to D. Wayne Lukas at Churchill Tomorrow

Munny Problem will now depart Wavertree Stables tomorrow and is expected to arrive to “The Coach” at Churchill on Thursday morning (before the Kentucky Derby). 

Farm trainer Ciaran Dunne reported he most recently breezed an easy half-mile and continues to take strides forward. 

We will look forward to his progression with the Lukas team and will plan to check back in once things quiet down for the barn after Derby week.

2YO Update: It's GO Time

 Here we are again, this time with several promising youngsters about to make the ship to their respective trainers/tracks. We don't know if there will be another Seize The Grey in this bunch, but we have high hopes. Here's a status on a few of our 2YO "Class of 2025."

Black Tie Optional (Not This Time - Stylishly by Speightstown)

This big, strapping chestnut already has a series of on farm 3/8ths breezes under his belt, and is headed to Bob Baffert on the West Coast, to join our recent sensation, Seismic Beauty. He'll first be sent to Los Alamitos with the trainer's other incoming 2YOs to go through initial on track training and evaluation. Black Tie Optional recently went through another growth spurt and is not expected to start in the near future, as he'll need more time to mature, but this big boy looks to be a two-turn colt, so maybe we'll be hearing from him for the Derby preps next year. 

Misstrial (Constitution - Blip Says Bye by Fed Biz [Giant's Causeway])

The team had a chance to check in on Misstrial while in Ocala last week for the OBS April sale. Our daughter of Constitution looks to be doing extremely well and galloped strongly for them during the visit. Trainer Ciaran Dunne has been very pleased with the filly, giving her the green light to ship to trainer Bob Baffert this coming Thursday, April 24th. She will also ship into Bob’s string at Los Alamitos where most of his 2-year-olds start off. We'll follow up after her arrival.

Munny Problem  (Munnings - Malibu Bonnie by Malibu Moon)

The flashy bay with some striking chrome (who still reminds us so much of Dornoch in the looks department)  will soon be headed to the D. Wayne Lukas barn at Churchill Downs to begin his on track training. The colt has made some solid progress both mentally and physically over the last month, which farm trainer Ciaran Dunne has been happy with. He has always been a strong-bodied horse, but has now really developed into his frame. He'll be joining Caldera at that iconic barn (at least until the Coach decides the next step for Seize The Grey's look-alike protégé). With Munny Problem's breeding and foundation, we are hoping he may be a "big horse on campus" once he starts racing.  

Sirius Pursuit (Knicks Go - Seeking A Star by Pioneerof the Nile

This young lady was quite literally a star from the moment she was foaled, being the very first foal sired by Horse of the Year and racing sensation, Knicks Go. She has started her initial training at a different location in Florida-- Jena Antonucci's farm. Jena is best known as the trainer of Arcangelo (Arrogate) and the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race when he won the Belmont in 2023. Sirius Pursuit remains on course to ship up to Kentucky in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the filly’s half-sister, Paula’s a Star, is entered in a Laurel allowance on Friday. This may be in preparation for another stakes try for Paula's Star. 

Our 2YO class is also rounded out by Native Brew (Yaupon - Spanxamillion by Street Cry) and Instant Impact (Upstart - Perfect Impression by Shackleford [Forestry]. We'll catch up with them in separate posts.

It's That Time Again: The 2YOs are Shipping Out

It was just about this time two years ago (in 2023) that we got word Seize The Grey was headed to trainer D. Wayne Lukas at Churchill Downs to ready him for his career after his initial training had been completed by Ciaran Dunne at Wavertree in Ocala. 

Things went extremely well, and with a bit more seasoning, "Ceasar" made his first start on July 1, 2023 at Ellis Park. His performance was not so wonderful, finishing in 8th place after a distracted sightseeing trip down the home stretch. 

Four weeks later, on July 29th, he was entered in a maiden special weight at Saratoga and won wire-to-wire, beating a very promising Good Magic colt named Dornoch! Little did we know, we'd just seen the future Preakness and Belmont winners finish 1 and 2 in what turned out to be one heckova MSW race. 

As you know...the rest is racing history.

Here we are again, this time with several promising youngsters about to make the ship to their respective trainers/tracks. We don't know if there will be another Seize The Grey in this bunch, but we have high hopes. Here's a status on a few of our 2YO "Class of 2025."

Black Tie Optional (Not This Time - Stylishly by Speightstown)

This big, strapping chestnut already has a series of on farm 3/8ths breezes under his belt, and is headed to Bob Baffert on the West Coast, to join our recent sensation, Seismic Beauty. He'll first be sent to Los Alamitos with the trainer's other incoming 2YOs to go through initial on track training and evaluation. Black Tie Optional recently went through another growth spurt and is not expected to start in the near future, as he'll need more time to mature, but this big boy looks to be a two-turn colt, so maybe we'll be hearing from him for the Derby preps next year. 

Misstrial (Constitution - Blip Says Bye by Fed Biz [Giant's Causeway])

The team had a chance to check in on Misstrial while in Ocala last week for the OBS April sale. Our daughter of Constitution looks to be doing extremely well and galloped strongly for them during the visit. Trainer Ciaran Dunne has been very pleased with the filly, giving her the green light to ship to trainer Bob Baffert this coming Thursday, April 24th. She will also ship into Bob’s string at Los Alamitos where most of his 2-year-olds start off. We'll follow up after her arrival.

Munny Problem  (Munnings - Malibu Bonnie by Malibu Moon)

The flashy bay with some striking chrome (who still reminds us so much of Dornoch in the looks department)  will soon be headed to the D. Wayne Lukas barn at Churchill Downs to begin his on track training. The colt has made some solid progress both mentally and physically over the last month, which farm trainer Ciaran Dunne has been happy with. He has always been a strong-bodied horse, but has now really developed into his frame. He'll be joining Caldera at that iconic barn (at least until the Coach decides the next step for Seize The Grey's look-alike protégé). With Munny Problem's breeding and foundation, we are hoping he may be a "big horse on campus" once he starts racing.  

Sirius Pursuit (Knicks Go - Seeking A Star by Pioneerof the Nile

This young lady was quite literally a star from the moment she was foaled, being the very first foal sired by Horse of the Year and racing sensation, Knicks Go. She has started her initial training at a different location in Florida-- Jena Antonucci's farm. Jena is best known as the trainer of Arcangelo (Arrogate) and the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race when he won the Belmont in 2023. Sirius Pursuit remains on course to ship up to Kentucky in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the filly’s half-sister, Paula’s a Star, is entered in a Laurel allowance on Friday. This may be in preparation for another stakes try for Paula's Star. 

Our 2YO class is also rounded out by Native Brew (Yaupon - Spanxamillion by Street Cry) and Instant Impact (Upstart - Perfect Impression by Shackleford [Forestry]. We'll catch up with them on another day. 

Munny Problem Back from Break - Status

We got some fresh Munny Problem content today with commentary from Wavertree’s Ciaran Dunne. Our colt is doing well and picking things back up after the standard easy period that most horses in Ocala get around the holidays.

Ciaran did note that Munny Problem had a bit of a splint flare up (localized swelling on the lateral or medial aspect of the metacarpals or metatarsals—a very common issue in young horses at this stage of their development and rarely a long-term concern), but it didn’t really impact his training schedule as it timed out well with the holiday break.

At this stage, it appears Munny Problem should have no trouble picking up the pace on schedule and eventually starting to do some speed work. He looks to be carrying some good muscle at the moment and we’re happy with his development.

Munny Problem Update

Newly named MUNNY PROBLEM continues to train well at Wavertree Stables, where he is expected to have his first breeze sometime towards the end of January. 

His sire Munnings had two impressive juvenile stakes winners in December— Poster was victorious in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes and Muhimma won the Grade 2 Demoiselle. Both of these two-year-olds by Munnings are undefeated and poised for exciting campaigns in 2025.

Malibu Bonnie 23 has been Registered as MUNNY PROBLEM

Well, this is a first! 

Not only did I have a name suggestion get selected for voting, it made it to the final round! 

My submission was "Nitrox" for this son of Munnings (by Speightstown) out of Malibu Bonnie by Malibu Moon. We bought into this colt because of his tag. My late sister Bonnie was a diver and diving instructor who often dove off the California Coast, so when I saw his temporary tag "Malibu Bonnie 23" the name immediately clicked with me and we both bought shares. 

My idea for a registered name was inspired by my sister, and arose from the lineage that carried an "ocean" theme (Malibu + Speightstown, which is a town on the island of Barbardos) which ties to diving. I wanted to honor my sister in some way without the name being a direct reference, and Nitrox was the nitrogen/oxygen blend she preferred in her tanks. 

We have two accounts, so we also submitted a second name suggestion --"Aquanaut" (meaning someone who professionally dives or works underwater such as on SeaLab) but that name didn't make the list. We've decided "Nitrox" will be our personal nickname for this colt who has now been officially named "Munny Problem." I'm truly honored that my name suggestion made it this far in the selection process. 

Bonnie, this guy is in our stable in memory of you.

In the coming days, all tags on this site will be changed from "Malibu Bonnie 23" to MUNNY PROBLEM. This colt is slated to go to D. Wayne Lukas when he completes his early training and is in good physical order to ship out. Although we primarily purchased him because his name reminded me of my late sister, he has advanced quite nicely in his basic training at Wavertree in Ocala, Florida, and has advanced admirably from first saddling, first weight on his back, first ride, first jog around the shed row, first round pen work, first field work to first track work.