Filly May Give Lukas Run for Roses : Winning Colors Wins Santa Anita Oaks by Eight Lengths

Wayne Lukas talks about picking the easiest spots for running his talented 3-year-old filly, Winning Colors. But by the time the Kentucky Derby arrives on May 7, the temptation may be too great for the trainer not to run her against the colts in the race he is most desperate to win.

It is old hat for Lukas to run fillies in the Derby--he did it in spades at Churchill Downs in 1984 when Life’s Magic finished eighth and Althea beat only one opponent in a 20-horse field.

This year, none of the 18 colts Lukas has nominated for the Triple Crown races has the look of eagles. On Sunday, before 42,621 fans at Santa Anita, Winning Colors had the look of vultures.

Figuratively speaking, she devoured the only three rivals--all trained by Charlie Whittingham--in the $153,650 Santa Anita Oaks, running fast at the start, blunting a power play on the far turn and cantering through the stretch for an eight-length victory.

Winning Colors, earning $89,900 for owner Gene Klein, ran 1 1/16 miles in a torrid 1:42. That was only fourth-fifths of a second slower than the stakes record set by Bold ‘n Determined in 1980 and it was the second fastest time for the distance this season.

Goodbye Halo, who took a four-race winning streak into the Oaks, the most recent victory by a neck over Winning Colors going a mile three weeks ago, went off the 7-10 favorite. She and her two stablemates--Jeanne Jones and Pattern Step--were devastated. Jeanne Jones finished second, 1 lengths ahead of Goodbye Halo, and it was nine lengths farther back to Pattern Step, who broke through the gate before the start.

Winning Colors paid $6.20 and $3.60, with no show betting, and Jeanne Jones’ place price was $4.60.

A lot of possibilities for Winning Colors are bouncing around in Lukas’ head. In a matter of minutes after this most satisfying victory, he rattled off a number of races--the Santa Anita Derby, the Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, the Ashland at Keeneland, plus the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby the next day.

A likely scenario would be Lukas entering Winning Colors in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby, and then making an 11th-hour decision on which race she runs in.

“That’s the good thing about the Oaks, it’s run before the Derby,” Lukas said. “What happens with this filly will depend on how the colts develop.”

Under Gary Stevens, Winning Colors ran early fractions of :22 2/5, :45 4/5, 1:10 and 1:35 2/5. Jorge Velasquez tried to gun Goodbye Halo out of the gate to keep Winning Colors from getting away, but the winner quickly established a clear lead.

Then, just before the far turn, both Goodbye Halo and Jeanne Jones tried to challenge Winning Colors. Goodbye Halo might have gotten within a head of the lead, which was the cue for Stevens to turn Winning Colors loose.

“I let out a notch, and those other horses took a deep breath,” Stevens said.

Lukas seemed especially pleased with this win. He will be reminded in the weeks to come that he has failed to win the Kentucky Derby despite having started 12 horses, and Winning Colors is the kind of horse that can dilute the sting.

“She took all the doubt out of it today,” Lukas said Sunday. “We had a program for her that included getting ready for this one with the Las Virgenes (three weeks back) and it paid off. There was no doubt she’s the best. Equal weights (the four fillies each carried 117 pounds), the distance was a little farther and there was a small field that no one had any excuses. At least she’s proved she’s the best on this day in March.”

Stevens, who also won the Santa Anita Oaks last year, with Timely Assertion, said that Winning Colors is the best filly he’s ever ridden.

“She’s a push-button horse with such a big, long stride,” Stevens said. “When the other filly came up to challenge, I let her out a notch and she just said goodby, Goodbye Halo.

“In her last race, she didn’t go to the gate relaxed and settled. And she still ran a huge race. When I breezed her the other day, she did it (in 1:01 2/5 for five furlongs) like a good horse should. She had to get a lot out of her last race, and I felt there was still room for improvement.”

Jorge Velasquez was trying to win his fourth straight stake aboard Goodbye Halo.

“We made a move at the half-mile pole and couldn’t keep up,” Velasquez said. “The other one pulled away. My filly bobbled a little bit coming out of the gate, but recovered quickly.

“We were within striking distance all the way. My filly ran good. The other one ran big today, but it’s a long year. There will be other meetings.”

Such as Kentucky Derby week in Louisville. But Goodbye Halo might have to run in the Derby itself in order to have another shot at Winning Colors then.

Horse Racing Notes

The only definite spot for trainer Wayne Lukas’ 3-year-old colts is Tejano’s appearance next Sunday in the $150,000 San Felipe Handicap. “He’ll run an improved race off his last one,” Lukas said. Tejano, in his first start as a 3-year-old, was second to Aloha Prospector in the Bolsa Chica Stakes. . . . Aloha Prospector ran at Aqueduct Saturday and won the 6-furlong Swift by 2 3/4 lengths. Trainer Eddie Gregson feels that a mile is Aloha Prospector’s maximum distance and he hasn’t been nominated to run in the Triple Crown races. Jeff Siegel, who owns Aloha Prospector with Jack Karlik, also owns a piece of Word Pirate, who ran second, 1 lengths behind Risen Star, in Sunday’s Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds. . . . Other probable starters in the San Felipe are Lively One, Mi Preferido (with Chris McCarron replacing Alex Solis as the jockey), Saratoga Passage, What a Diplomat, Purdue King and Please Remit. . . . Talking about the Santa Anita Oaks, trainer Charlie Whittingham said: “We couldn’t catch the winner (Winning Colors) to start with and she outran us late.” Arthur Hancock sold an interest in Goodbye Halo to Alex Campbell Jr. prior to Sunday’s race. . . . Winning Colors is by Caro, out of the Bold Hour mare, All Rainbows. . . . Gary Stevens rode three winners, giving him a meet-high 84 for 60 days. . . . Stalwars, winner of the Bradbury last week, is scheduled to run in the $500,000 Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway Park on April 2.