Lukas returns to Pegasus with Last Samurai

Never shy about running horses in major stakes all over the country, 87-year-old Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas will send Last Samurai from Oaklawn Park in Arkansas to Gulfstream Park for Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat.

Lukas figures the 5-year-old son of Malibu Moon can be a player in Gulfstream’s top dirt race for older horses and will send him on a 1,200-mile van ride to South Florida.

“He’s dead-fit because we haven’t missed any dances,” Lukas said. “We’ve run him whenever his conditions came up. He is a talented horse in a lot of ways, especially with his finish. This is a chance to be involved in a $3 million race and maybe pick up a pretty good check.”

Last Samurai began his career with trainer Dallas Stewart, a former Lukas assistant, and was moved into Lukas’ care last summer by owner Willis Horton Racing. He is winless in his six starts for Lukas but has finished in the top three in half those races, all of them stakes. In his most recent start, he was second by a neck to Bal Harbour in the $200,000 Tinsel Stakes on Dec. 17 at Oaklawn. The Pegasus will be Last Samurai’s the 10th graded stakes appearance.

Frankie Dettori has been named to ride Last Samurai.