Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas dies at 89

Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas died at his home in Louisville, Kentucky, Saturday night. He was 89.

Lukas, who won 15 Triple Crown races — including the Kentucky Derby four times since 1988 — was hospitalized last week while he fought a severe MRSA blood infection that damaged his heart and digestive system, in addition to worsening pre-existing chronic conditions, according to The Associated Press.

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He declined an aggressive treatment plan and returned home earlier this week to spend his final days with family, per a Churchill Downs news release Sunday.

"A four-time winner of the Kentucky Derby, today we lost one of the great champions of Churchill Downs and one of the most significant figures in Thoroughbred racing over the last 50 years," Bill Carstanjen, CEO of Churchill Downs Incorporated, said in the release.

"We will miss his humor, his wisdom and his unmatched capacity to thrill the fans with the performances of his horses on our sport’s biggest days."

This breaking news story will be updated.