The Winning Colors Stakes is billed at Churchill Downs at Saturday at six furlongs and the Grade 3 $100,000 event has attracted eight fillies and mares.
I was lucky enough to watch the brilliant filly Winning Colors early in her career. She broke her maiden at two in her only start cashing at Saratoga. Her trainer, Hall of Fame conditioner D. Wayne Lukas, shipped her out West for her sophomore season. She won an allowance race the second day of the Santa Anita meeting, won a restricted stakes in her first start of 1988 and then tasted defeat in the Las Virgenes as the chalk. I was in the Press Box at Santa Anita when she was acting up before the Santa Anita Derby against the males. There were some anxious moments but she settled and blew the field away winning by eight lengths. After that, she made history
as one of only three fillies to ever win the Kentucky Derby. She was the Eclipse Award winner that year and entered the Hall of Fame in 2000.
From the rail out Mayla will lead them into the gate for the Winning Colors Stakes. The mare has been ultra-consistent in her career as she has been in the money in 13 of her 19 starts. Backers can say she was short last time and needed that race. She had not suited up since running second at Delta Downs at March but she is hooking some serious speed and could have a tough time keeping up. Breaking from the rail could also compromise her chances. She tried a Grade 2 event in her 2016 when she also drew the rail but she set moderate splits in the mile fray but still faded into the sunset. The rail at Churchill Downs this meeting at this distance has hit at 17%.
Sweetgrass has had a tough time at Churchill Downs. She has been only third in her best moment at the venue and she has failed in her last several Graded tests. She may have hated the grass last time in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff but with her style, things will need to break just right.
Covey Trace is ambitiously placed. She has been away since being beaten in her 2016 finale in an $82,000 stakes. This miss has some semblance of speed but it’s very hard to see her clearing this field.
If Ramona’s Wildcat is going to win the Winning Colors Stakes, she will have to somehow find that killer instinct. The mare is in the clever hands of trainer Tom Amoss but she has been far from a win machine in her career. She has cashed in four of her 25 starts but has had to settle for minor awards ten times. The Louisiana-bred daughter of Wildcat Heir has not been seen in the afternoon since running second on grass in March. That race was solid as the first, fourth and seventh finishers beat optional foes next out. Respect these connections, but Ramona’s Wildcat may need softer foes to shine.
Game Time Decision has been as steady as the day is long. She has never been out of the money in eight starts. She has won thrice but this will only be her second stakes appearance and her first in Graded company. She was troubled in her last effort and that race was decent. The fourth and fifth finishers beat optional claimers never out and the winner was second a nose in her next out in a $62,500 optional.
Finley’sluckycharm is not only a true horse for the course, but she is the one to beat in the Winning Colors Stakes. The Bret Calhoun student is unbeaten in four races at Churchill Downs and she came back running in her 2017 opener winning the Roxelana Stakes in late April. She had not raced since running second in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita in December of last year. That race was at seven furlongs and this miss had the lead at the top of the stretch and was only beaten a half-length. She has trained forwardly for this race and showed a bit of renewed energy in the workout last Saturday. This filly handles any kind of going, she has put wins together in her career and she has commanding speed. She went :21 and change winning the Dream Supreme Stakes here last year with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
Athena is a very nice filly but she had her arch rival in Finley’sluckycharm to deal with among others. The Helen Pitts trainee does like Churchill Downs and she has two races to build on now. One can’t fault those that figure she will run big again and maybe even bring a peak performance.
Pleasant Tales blanked last year failing to win in six starts. She opened up 2017 a win but just in a $62,500 optional. The concern is her class. In her last two Graded efforts she ran dead last. Half of her four wins have been at Churchill Downs, but she could be a tad over her head in this race.
The best way to unravel a horseracing puzzle is to start from a pace standpoint. When one can attempt to predict which horses will be in front or prominently placed and which horses will be mid-pack or farther back, an image can be visualized.
There doesn’t seem to be a ton of speed in the Winning Colors Stakes this year. Pleasant Tales is generally close to the lead early but she has only been in front at the first racing call once in the last two years.
That fact could just open the floodgates for Finley’sluckycharm. In her six wins, she has made the lead at the first call five times. She has no missteps at Churchill Downs and she kind of had excuses for her two losses. In one loss, she had to ship 3,000 miles and in her other loss, it was at the complete wrong route distance. Her trainer Calhoun has won with 21% of his starters this meeting and can build on that percentage here.
