Churchill Downs: Beat the Blues on top start to finish in Winning Colors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After Beat the Blues broke sharpest of all in a field of five filly-mare sprinters Monday in the Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes at Churchill Downs, jockey Miguel Mena held his position as long as he could – which was all the way to the wire.

In the last of six furlongs, Beat the Blues held off a steady surge from odds-on favorite Judy the Beauty to take the 10th running of the $108,000 Winning Colors by three-quarters of a length.

“Miguel rode a great race,” said Bret Calhoun, the trainer of Beat the Blues. “The mare broke really well, and there wasn’t a lot of other speed in there, so he just went on with her.”

Beat the Blues, the runner-up to Island Bound in the 2012 Winning Colors, returned $11.20 after finishing in 1:08.59 over a fast track. She is a 6-year-old Florida-bred mare owned by Martin Racing and Morgan Thoroughbred. Her career earnings are $520,534 from 24 career starts.

Judy the Beauty, the 9-10 favorite under international riding sensation Joao Moreira, finished well to be another 4 1/4 lengths before Vuitton. Burban, the 2-1 second choice, had no excuse, chasing of Beat the Blues from a good position before fading to fourth. Funnys Approval completed the order. Holiday Soiree and Blueeyesintherein were early scratches.

Calhoun said he had no future race in mind for Beat the Blues, who is based at Churchill.

“We’ve been zeroed in on this race for quite a while,” he said. “We’re very happy with this right now.”

The $2 exacta (3-4) paid $28.40 and the $1 trifecta (3-4-2) returned $42.

With the end of a five-day week Monday, Churchill now goes dark for three days, with a Thursday being dark for the only time at the spring meet. Live action will resume with a twilight program Friday.