Trainer Jade Cunningham got her start with Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and later served as an assistant to Dallas Stewart, another of Lukas’s many protégés. Cunningham has worked on her own as a trainer since 2023, winning a dozen races and applying the lessons she learned from the Hall of Famer nicknamed “Coach” to her own operation.
Lukas passed away June 28, 2025, at age 89 after an infection caused significant damage to his heart and other organs. The four-time Eclipse Award winner won 4,953 races, including 15 Triple Crown races, and his runners amassed more than $300 million in purse earnings
A Nashville native, Cunningham visited the Lukas barn at the Breeders’ Cup one fall based on a friend’s suggestion and was hired by the legendary trainer. Cunningham said some of the core principles she took from her experience with Lukas are encouraging the people around you and doing things the right way. She reflected on her first road trip to the Preakness with Lukas and said she strives to honor his guidance and make him proud.
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