was privileged enough to see this great horse run. go fillies !!!
The Daily Racing Form was able to interview Jeff Lukas on Tuesday to ask about his recollections of Winning Colors. (An interview with his dad in Octob 2007 said that Jeff misses being around horses but returning to a career with them wasn’t possible)
DRF 2-19-08 “Remembering Winning Colors”
But beyond the obvious centers of racing interest, the news of her death hit with particular impact in the little southeastern Oklahoma town of Atoka, pop. 2,988, because one of those residents is Jeff Lukas.
It was Lukas, as chief assistant to his father, who was at the center of the Winning Colors story from the time she hit the track at Saratoga, in the summer of 1987. Jeff Lukas ran the stable’s East Coast operation. He wintered in California alongside Wayne at Santa Anita. And then, when the Triple Crown approached, Jeff decamped for Churchill Downs with the colts - or fillies - who were pointing for the classics.
“She was always a big, tall, long-striding filly - an extremely well-structured individual,” Jeff Lukas said by phone on Tuesday afternoon. "The thing about her was just controlling her. She was not the kind that would easily settle down. We had to keep her from doing too much, because she tried to put a lot into her training that wasn’t necessary.
“We always took her out in the first set every day when it was quieter, with not as much traffic,” Lukas continued. "And as far as her exercise rider, that was also an important consideration. When we left Santa Anita for Louisville, she got tough training at Churchill, to the point a change needed to be made. So for the last 10 days before the Derby, Dallas Stewart galloped her. He could gallop a tough horse, and he got her to settle down. That was a key factor to her being able to run her race at Churchill.
“Then on the day of the Derby, it was a matter of getting her to the paddock, getting the saddle on and then getting her to the track quietly.”
As for the Breeders’ Cup, Jeff had to deal with a disappointing effort by Winning Colors in the Spinster Stakes, her last start before a showdown with Personal Ensign.
“When she did not run her race at Keeneland, we brought her back to Churchill,” Jeff said. “After she worked, it was something I’ll never forget, calling my father and saying, ‘Dad, don’t worry about the Spinster. She loves this track and she will run her race.’”
Today Jeff, now 50, is currently working for a bank owned by a family friend.
RIP, beautiful girl.
It was the first Kentucky Derby I ever watched. First time I had a Mint Julep. The drinks went to our heads and we were jumping up and down, hugging, and shouting “Girl Power” :lol:!
It was also the same year (1988) my own beautiful girl (of the equine species) was born. Time flies.
1988 Kentucky Derby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykEb2qZ-aDA
1988 BC Distaff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oILJ6IYoZso
Many Blessings to a great Filly… Winning Colors may you gallop proudly over the rainbow bridge and into greener pastures. You will always bee in our memories.
Barn Brats Horse Themed Glassware
www.cmmbarnbrats.com
An interesting bit that was part of the Winning Color’s story: Union Tribune March 10, 2008 “Winning Colors had major ties with San Diego”
The victory was a major moment in the life of several members of Lukas’ stable crew.
Knowing of their boss’ plan and seeing firsthand the filly’s development, they pooled money and went to the Caliente racebook in Tijuana in late 1987 and got close-to-triple-figure odds on her in the Kentucky Derby Futures pool. The following May they cashed out somewhere in the low-six-figure range.
Now that is confidence in what you have in the stable yard and richlly rewarded.
Gary Stevens… told viewers that the photo-finish picture [of Winning Colors and Personal Ensign in the BC] is the only one on the walls of his home of a race that he didn’t win.
I don’t think this was otherwise noted when it occured last week:
Herald-Leader June 14, 2008 “Winning Colors filly wins debut”
Ocean Colors, a 2-year-old daughter of 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, made her racing debut one to remember by scoring a front-running 51/4-length victory over Jehan in Friday’s fourth race at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Ocean Colors covered the five furlongs over a fast main track in a meet-best 57.08 seconds in defeating six other 2-year-old fillies.
“She sure has a lot of class,” Asmussen said. “I didn’t know she’d be that fast from the (starting) gate. Who knows how good she might be?”
Winning Colors, the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby, died this year on Feb. 17 following complications from colic.
Ocean Colors, sired by Orientate, is the next-to-last foal produced by Winning Colors. Her last foal is a yearling filly by Mr. Greeley.
Youtube has the replay 6/13/2008 Race 4 but like all the Churchill races on youtube.com they are messed up 
More on Ocean Colors in the Saratoga 140th meet thread but I thought I’d stick this here …
New York Times July 23, 2008 “With Win, Filly Would Lift a Broodmare’s Legacy”
Excerpt
Now she has the chance to do even more, to win a stakes race and to start rewriting Winning Colors’ history as a broodmare.
“This filly is not just a nice horse; she’s more than that,” said D. Wayne Lukas, who trained Winning Colors and Ocean Colors’s sire, Orientate.
Lukas watched intently as Ocean Colors trained and then raced at Churchill Downs, where she was based before shipping to Saratoga. She made her debut June 13 in a five-furlong maiden race and romped by five and a quarter lengths.
“I watched her train all spring at Churchill because I have a vested interest,” he said. “She’s very impressive. I was impressed with her race and very impressed with the way she worked.”
Winning Colors was retired in 1989 after her 4-year-old season. Owned throughout her racing career by Eugene Klein, she was sold shortly after her retirement for $4.1 million to Gainesway Bloodstock Services. Gainesway controlled her breeding career until her death.
The win by Ocean Colors was the first by any son or daughter of Winning Colors since 2001, when a filly named Northwest Colors won a maiden race at Arlington Park. But, like most of her siblings, Northwest Colors never amounted to much.
“It’s ironic that Winning Colors has not produced a major player of any type,” Lukas said. “When we retired her, I thought she was on her way to being broodmare of the year. She was so strong and big and had so much talent.”
I’ll be watching - and betting on - her! Go Ocean Colors!
