Honey Bunny, Baze both notch firsts in Winning Colors
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Honey Bunny made a successful jump from starter allowances to a graded stakes when rallying to victory Saturday in the 16th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs.
Giving jockey Tyler Baze his first Churchill stakes win, Honey Bunny returned $8.80 as a lukewarm favorite in a field of 12 fillies and mares when finishing six furlongs in 1:09.99 over a fast track. Astrollinthepark was second, 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner and a neck before Upset Brewing.
“I was super confident in her today,” said Baze. “She knows when it’s time to start running.”
Honey Bunny, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Tapizar, now has won five straight races. Her four prior wins all came versus easier opposition in starter races.
“We’ve been looking at this race for a long time,” said John Ortiz, who trains Honey Bunny for the three-way partnership of Hooties Racing, WSS Racing, and 4G Racing. “We basically used those other races as workouts.”
Ortiz claimed Honey Bunny for $16,000 at Oaklawn Park in April 2018. The mare now has won 14 of 31 starts and $417,145.
The $2 exacta (11-8) paid $101.40, the $1 trifecta (11-8-3) returned $686.30, and the 10-cent superfecta (11-8-3-6) was worth $580.42.
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Gentle Ruler wins Keertana
Earlier Saturday, Gentle Ruler ($17.60) took the fight to heavily favored Gaining in the final furlong of the $91,099 Keertana when pushing past late for her third straight victory.
Ridden by Chris Landeros for his father-in-law, trainer Ian Wilkes, Gentle Ruler took 12 starts to finally get through her maiden condition in March at Gulfstream Park. She then won a Keeneland allowance in her next start, then prevailed again Saturday when making her stakes debut in the Keertana, which was run around three turns at 1 1/2 miles over firm turf.
Gaining, the 3-10 favorite in a field of six fillies and mares, stalked Over Thinking into defeat but had no response when Gentle Ruler loomed to her outside for the drive. Gaining was three-quarters of a length behind the winner and another five lengths before Lacustre.
Gentle Ruler, a 4-year-old filly by Colonel John, is owned by Morsches Stable. She finished in 2:31.32.