Southern Honey scores in Winning Colors Stakes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Southern Honey passed her first stakes test in style by defeating eight older stakes-seasoned fillies and mares with a swift victory Monday in the Grade 3, $111,000 Winning Colors Stakes, the Memorial Day feature at Churchill Downs.
Always a threat after breaking sharply under Julien Leparoux from her outside post in the six-furlong race, Southern Honey took over from Socialbug passing the eighth pole en route to a 1 1/2-length victory in 1:08.67 over a fast track. She returned $10.20 to win as the lone 3-year-old in the field.
Socialbug held second, 3 1/4 lengths before 35-1 shot Warm Breeze. Cozze Up Lady was fourth, and Apropos, the 19-10 favorite, had no mishap when fifth.
Owned by Ashbrook Farm and trained by Rusty Arnold, Southern Honey won for the third straight time after easily taking a maiden race at Keeneland last month and a first-level allowance on the May 2 Kentucky Oaks undercard. The Colonel John filly is now a candidate for the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga, said Arnold.
The $2 exacta (9-4) paid $103.80, the $1 trifecta (9-4-8) returned $924.60, and the 10-cent superfecta (9-4-8-3) was worth $588. The $1 super high five (9-4-8-3-7) was not hit, with $28,669 carrying over.
The Winning Colors, named for the 1988 Kentucky Derby-winning filly, was carded as the last of 10 Monday races.
• Scratches reduced the first race to just two horses, with Theodore’s Cash handily defeating Stereo in Motion to give jockey Joe Johnson his 999th career victory.
• After Monday, Churchill goes dark for three days, meaning there will be no racing here Thursday. Action resumes Friday with a twilight card that begins at 2:45 p.m. Eastern.