Winning Colors (Churchill Downs) Predictions, Picks & Betting Odds

Check out our predictions and odds for the Winning Colors at Churchill Downs!

Best Bets for the Winning Colors

Here are my plays ($30 in total)

$20 Exacta – Frank’s Rockette over Sconsin = $20

$10 Exacta – Frank’s Rockette over Bayerness = $10

Top Pick:

Frank’s Rockette (8/5)

Sconsin, a Grade 2 winner at Churchill Downs last summer, and the ultra-consistent Frank’s Rockette top a compact field of six female sprinters set to go in Saturday’s Grade 3 Winning Colors during an evening program at Churchill Downs.

Sconsin has made two starts this year, and after a disappointing effort at Keeneland, the Greg Foley-trained filly came back last time with a strong second to the highly regarded Gamine in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard. The 4-year-old daughter of Include finished off last season with a fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, also behind Gamine

Chief among her rivals in the 6 furlong Winning Colors will be Frank’s Rockette. The daughter of Into Mischief began her 4-year-old season in style, winning the American Beauty Stakes at Oaklawn Park. In her most recent try, the multiple graded stakes winner finished second to Edgeway in the $250,000 Carousel, also at Oaklawn.

Of the rest, Bayerness could get the most respect. The Bayern filly recently came back with a sharp allowance win at Churchill Downs in what was her first race since finishing off the board in last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

How to Watch the Winning Colors

Race Analysis

Sconsin

Off her very strong second to Gamine three weeks ago, this late running daughter of Include could go off the favorite for the first time in her career. After running fourth the first time she raced at Churchill Downs, she has turned in three strong performances under the famed twin spires. Her local wins include a 5-length allowance score, as well as an impressive victory in the Grade 2 Eight Belles last September.

Perhaps best at 7 furlongs, she will need a strong early pace to run down her main rival, in a race which I believe sets up better for Frank’s Rockette. An obvious big threat in here, I like her second best.

Frank’s Rockette

A graded stakes performer practically her entire career, Frank’s Rockette is full of both speed and class. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, the 4-year-old filly has only once finished out of the top two in her 13-race career and that came against the Colts in last year’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Back against fillies, she is very tough to beat, and she is also unbeaten in two starts at Churchill Downs. Her two races this year are very good, and she might be ready to run even better on Saturday. If this race was at 7 furlongs, I would be more worried about Sconsin running her down in the lane, but at three-quarters of a mile, I expect her to win this. She is the top pick.

Bayerness

Another filly with good form at Churchill Downs, this one beat Swiss Skydiver two autumns ago in Louisville when both fillies were 2. She was winless at three, but all three came in graded stakes, where she twice ran third. A little overmatched when seventh in the Kentucky Oaks to close out her sophomore season, her return to the races was good enough to believe she is in with at least a shot against the top two. She will need to improve, but she really seems to like the 6-furlong trip.

Rising Seas

This daughter of First Defense has become a real hard knocker in allowance company while sprinting. The speedy filly also has a good record at Churchill Downs and her two recent performances are quite solid. This will be her toughest test yet, but her last two are good enough to take a shot in here. She’ll have to deal with Frank’s Rockette early, which is no simple task, but she may be sharp enough to run a solid race for a board-hitting performance.

Headland

Trained by Steve Hobby, this 5-year-old daughter of Paynter cuts back to her more familiar distance of 6 furlongs after a failed attempt going one-mile last time. Although she has not won much lately, she does have a very good record going this sprint distance. Of course, much of that record comes while racing against cheaper horses than she will see on Saturday. She’s not a complete throwout, but I like the four above her better.

Tipsy Gal

She finally broke through with her first win against allowance company, after many tries, with a romping win at Fair Grounds two starts back. Still, she was not well-liked next time out and finished way behind Bayerness on a sloppy track. Perhaps she can do better on a fast racing surface, but this level of sprinting fillies seems to be a bit out of her comfort zone. I find her hard to recommend.