It has been over a year since Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas passed away, yet his legacy endures as one of the sport’s most enduring figures. The $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs serves as a fitting tribute, renamed in 2015 from the Homecoming Classic to honor his remarkable career of 15 Triple Crown wins and 20 Breeders’ Cup victories.
This year’s edition draws a field of seven runners over the 1 1/8-mile distance, sharing the afternoon card with the Ack Ack Stakes (G3) and Bourbon Flight. Post time is 12:45 p.m. ET, with the Lukas Classic slotting in as race 10 at 5:29 p.m.
The field presents a competitive mix of second-tier handicap runners, and our attention turns to 8-1 longshot This Is Uscar, drawing the rail for trainer Jordan Blair. The 5-year-old gelding, based at Churchill Downs, looks poised for his first stakes victory after securing a solid second to Owen Almighty — last year’s Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher — in the Cowboy Jones Stakes at Ellis Park. This Is Uscar posted a career-best speed figure in defeat, and his figures have shown consistent improvement.
Market favorite Banishing (6-1) enters with a prestigious resume, including over $3.2 million in career earnings and a third-place finish in last year’s Lukas Classic. Trained by David Jacobson, Banishing followed a similar path through the Jeff Hill Memorial and Charles Town Classic (G2), sweeping both events last year. This time around, he repeated at the Jeff Hill but settled for second at Charles Town. Concerns linger after his disappointing pull-up in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) last spring following a Godolphin Mile (G2) victory at Meydan, and he has yet to recapture his best form.
Tiztastic (4-1) benefits from a manageable assignment after running a lone fifth in the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga behind Sovereignty. The 2025 Louisiana Derby (G2) winner should find the competition more to his liking at this drop in class.
Original Sin (3-1) also arrives on a encouraging note after rallying to second in the Pacific Classic (G1) behind Knightsbridge. His tendency to drop far back early remains a concern, but jockey Ben Curtis will aim to keep him closer to the pace on Saturday.
The Picks: 1 This Is Uscar, 2 Banishing, 3 Tiztastic
The Field for the $500,000 Lukas Classic (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
| # | 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
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