Padua Removes Many Horses From Lukas

Satish and Anne Sanan's Padua Stables has removed most of its racehorses from trainer D. Wayne Lukas' barn as part of a re-evaluation of its operation. During the Keeneland July sale, Nadia Sanan, who acts as the family's racing manager, had said Lukas would remain the Padua trainer.

Satish Sanan entered the Thoroughbred business in a big way several years ago, and tapped Lukas to select and train his horses.

"The bottom line is we have a great friendship," Lukas said Aug. 6 from Saratoga Springs, N.Y. "It goes beyond the horse business. I'm very fond of Satish Sanan. I think he's a super guy. It was probably as frustrating for me as it was for him to not get the production we had hoped for."

Among the top Padua runners was Yes It's True, an $800,000 2-year-old purchase who went on to be a grade I-winning sprinter and earner of $1,080,700. Some other expensive purchases, though, failed to produce on the racetrack.

"A man who has done so much for the sale and breeding industry deserves some breaks," Lukas said. "We just weren't getting them."

Padua didn't make any purchases at the Keeneland July yearling sale even though it had been among its most active buyers since 1997. Nadia Sanan said it was simply a case of supply and demand.

Padua has 30 to 40 horses in training. Daily Racing Form reported that Lukas has five, and the others were sent to trainers Steve Asmussen, Bob Baffert, Michael Dickinson, Bill Mott, and Todd Pletcher.