Classic Fillies, Part I

Classic Fillies, part I

Joseph Di Rienzi

The North American Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes) over the years has been the traditional staging area for determining the best of the breed in a given generation. The performances in this three spring contests have served to identify the best young stallion prospects. However, these races are open to either sex, and, although not common, females over the years have been able to capture each of the three classics. In this two part series, I will look at the recent females (i.e., in the last 40 years) who have been able to best their male counterparts in either the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont Stakes. 

Three fillies have won the Kentucky Derby: Regret (in 1915), Genuine Risk (1980), and Winning Colors (1988). In this part of “Classic Fillies”, I will examine the racing careers of the last two mentioned.

Genuine Risk was an attractive chestnut daughter (with a white blaze running down the center of her face) of Exclusive Native from the Gallant Man sired mare Virtuous. Owned by Diana Firestone, she was trained throughout her career by LeRoy Jolley. As a two-year-old in 1979, Genuine Risk began her racing career in September. She won her first three starts including the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. Making her final juvenile start in the 9 furlong Demoiselle Stakes, Genuine Risk faced Smart Angle, the presumptive two-year-old filly champion. In a rousing race, Smart Angle and Genuine Risk, who were nearly co-favorites, battled down the stretch with Genuine Risk (getting 5 lb.) prevailing by a nose over Smart Angle. The latter’s championship was secure, but Genuine Risk would cast a long shadow in 1980 and not just in the three-year-old filly division.

Genuine Risk started 1980 stretching her unbeaten streak with two wins against her own sex. Diana Firestone and husband Bert then over-ruled trainer LeRoy Jolley’s reluctance to race Genuine Risk against males by entering her in the Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct where she faced the pre-Derby favorite in Plugged Nickle [sic] and his stablemate Colonel Moran.

The Wood Memorial was a three horse race as Plugged Nickle seized the early lead over Colonel Moran. The entry mates ran first and second down the backstretch with Genuine Risk tracking in third. Around the far turn, Genuine Risk, under jockey Jacinto Vasquez, was moving into contention on the outside of Colonel Moran with Plugged Nickle , on the rail, still in front. As the leaders headed down the stretch, Plugged Nickle veered out suddenly impeding Genuine Risk’s progress. The trio staggered down the stretch with the placings unchanged, and at the finish, it was Plugged Nickle 1½ lengths ahead of Colonel Moran who was a ½ length in front of the filly. A foul claim by Jacinto Vasquez against the winner for interference in the stretch was not allowed. (This would not be the last time Genuine Risk’s owners would believe their filly’s chance of winning was obstructed by a colt.) After some deliberation and again over Leroy Jolley’s hesitation, Genuine Risk was entered in the Kentucky Derby.

A field of thirteen entered the starting gate for the 106^th Kentucky Derby. The two favorites, Rockhill Native and Plugged Nickle, appeared vulnerable. They had each won their last two starts, but their finishing times suggested the 1¼ mile Derby distance would be challenging. Looking beyond the favorites, there was Rumbo whose finishes in the Santa Anita and Hollywood Derbies gave no suspicions of his inability to negotiate the Derby distance. Support was also for Jaklin Klugman, with his high profile co-owner Jack Klugman, and Super Moment whose second place finish in Blue Grass Stakes suggested he was sitting on a big effort. The sentimental choice was, of course, Genuine Risk, a name certainly apropos of what her connections did by entering her. The public, however, may have only rooted for her in their hearts, because she went off at 13-1 odds. What many did not realize that, although she suffered her initial loss in the Wood, it was the perfect prep to tighten her for the demands of the Derby.

Rockhill Native broke well at the start to contest the lead along with Plugged Nickle and Execution’s Reason. Down the backstretch, Rockhill Native had a 2 length lead setting comfortable fractions with Plugged Nickle and Bold ‘n Ruling chasing. Genuine Risk was in mid-flight, and for a few strides she was caught in traffic. However, Jacinto Vasquez steered her outside for a clear run at the leading group. Jaklin Klugman launched his rally further back, while Rumbo was near the rear of the field. Around the turn, Genuine Risk engaged both Plugged Nickle and Rockhill Native. It was apparent the filly was going much stronger than the two males on her inside. As the field straightened for the stretch run, Genuine Risk bounded to a clear lead but faced challenges, first from Jaklin Klugman who was following her around the turn. In mid-stretch, it appeared that the colt had the momentum, but Genuine Risk repulsed his bid and maintained her advantage. The second threat came from Rumbo who was closing powerfully through the stretch. He never looked like he would catch the filly, but at the finish, Rumbo was only beaten a length with Jaklin Klugman finishing the same distance behind in third. Rockhill Native was a disappointing fifth, and Plugged Nickle finished a tired seventh. The time of 2 min. and 2 sec. was solid, with Genuine Risk running the last ¼ mile in 24 2/5 sec.

Genuine Risk winning the 1980 Kentucky Derby
(getty-images)

Becoming the second filly at the time to win the Kentucky Derby and the first since Regret in 1915, there was wild acclaim for this pretty chestnut’s accomplishments. For the Firestones who had finished second with the prohibitive favorite Honest Pleasure in the 1976 Derby, this was a great reward for their bold judgement. LeRoy Jolley and Jacinto Vasquez celebrated their second Derby having won it together with Foolish Pleasure in 1975.

Genuine Risk performed with great distinction in the other classics. She finished, second beaten 4¾ lengths to Codex in the Preakness. A claim of foul by Jacinto Vasquez against the winner ridden by Angel Cordero Jr. for taking a wide path around the stretch turn was dismissed by the Pimlico Racecourse stewards. Not taking their filly’s loss gently, Bert and Diana Firestone filed an appeal to have the result overturned with the Maryland Racing Commission only to have the Commission support the stewards’ non-action. In the Belmont Stakes, Genuine Risk would finish second to the year’s three-year-old male champion, Temperence Hill, beaten only 2 lengths.

After a light campaign the rest of 1980, Genuine Risk was voted the Eclipse Award Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. As a four-year-old, she only started three times with two allowance wins before retiring from the racetrack. As a broodmare, Genuine Risk was only able to produce two live foals, neither of whom ever raced. In 2008, she died at the Firestones’ farm in Virginia.

The second filly to win the Derby in modern times was physically the opposite of Genuine Risk. Winning Colors was a statuesque, strapping gray or roan (she did have a white blaze) daughter of the French bred stallion Caro. Purchased as a yearling in 1986 for $575,000, she was owned by Gene Klein and trained by the flamboyant D. Wayne Lukas. Winning Colors made her initial start at Saratoga Racetrack in August 1987 winning a maiden race. She did not re-surface in competition until late December at Santa Anita Park when she romped home in a 6 furlong allowance race by 3½ lengths.

Winning Colors began racing in 1988 with a dominating win in January in the 8½ furlong La Centinela Stakes at Santa Anita Park. The roan filly was showing great early speed in her races, but her long smooth strides suggested that she would not be limited by distance. A major confrontation occurred in her next start in the 1 mile Las Virgenes Stakes where Winning Colors was favored and getting 4 lbs. from the top class filly Goodbye Halo. Winning Colors bounded to the lead as Goodbye Halo tracked her some lengths back in the early going. When Goodbye Halo made her initial surge, Winning Colors repelled it. Undaunted, the smaller chestnut dug in and fought back to score a neck victory over her much taller roan rival.  The two principals faced each other again in the 8½ furlong Santa Anita Oaks where the duo was joined by two of Goodbye Halo’s stable mates, Jeanne Jones and Pattern Step. The tri-part entry looked formidable, but they were no match for Winning Colors who sprinted to the front and just drew away for an 8 length victory. Jeanne Jones held second 1¼ lengths in front of Goodbye Halo with Pattern Step completing the field, 9 lengths back. The margin of victory and the ease Winning Colors accomplished it, convinced Wayne Lukas that he had an exceptional filly who should be tested against males. As the trainer, opined, “Anything’s possible now.”

Off her dazzling win in the Santa Anita Oaks, Winning Colors was sent off the favorite against males in the Santa Anita Derby. Under jockey Gary Stevens, the daughter of Caro “took no prisoners” in a gate to wire 7½ length triumph over Lively One in a splendid final time. Stamping herself the best three-year-old in California, Winning Colors headed to Kentucky as one of the favorites for the Run for the Roses.

The 114^th renewal of the Kentucky Derby had a field rippling with quality with undefeated Private Terms and Winning Colors as co-favorites. Third choice was 1987 Two-Year-Old Champion Forty Niner with Risen Star a well-supported fourth favorite. In addition, the seventeen horse field included Brian’s Time, Seeking the Gold, Lively One and Proper Reality. The question in terms of the race strategy was whether anyone would challenge Winning Colors for the early lead. Forty Niner clearly had enough speed to do so, but when he drew the no. 17 post, it was thought he would be taken back. Also, his jockey, Pat Day, believed the horse had a limited high speed run and wanted to conserve it for the last part of the race. This reluctance to confront the filly early, I believe made her victory all but inevitable.

Winning Colors as expected bounded out for the lead. Forty Niner from his outside post position angled inward gaining second with Seeking the Gold and Proper Reality close behind. Private Terms was just behind the leading group with Risen Star towards the rear but racing in the clear. Down the backstretch, Gary Stevens let his filly coast to a 3 to 4 length lead. The fractions were solid, but not fast, and it was obvious that Winning Colors was running very easily. As the field approached the far turn, Forty Niner lost position and dropped back to fourth as first Seeking the Gold then Proper Reality made futile efforts to gain on Winning Colors. At the top of the stretch, the filly was well clear of the rest of the field, and her victory seemed assured. However, Forty Niner, under vigorous urging by Pat Day, rallied late and was gaining significantly in deep stretch. At the finish, Winning Colors had a neck margin of victory over a valiant Forty Niner. Risen Star closed steadily to be third, 3 lengths behind, and Proper Reality was a ½ length back in fourth place. Brian’s Time finished sixth; Seeking the Gold was seventh and Private Terms a very disappointing tenth. The final time was good, and the victory, the third female in history was certainly well earned, but if Day had kept Forty Niner closer to Winning Colors in the early going, the result may have been different.

Winning Colors winning the 1988 Kentucky Derby
(bloodhorse.com)

It was a popular victory not only for feminists, but for Gene Klein who in a short time had amassed a powerful stable. Known previously in the sports world as the owner of the NFL San Diego Chargers, Klein liked to muse that unlike human athletes, horses do not have agents to hassle with about compensation. Almost all of the Klein’s success came under the guidance of Wayne Lukas who had now won his first Derby. Jockey Gary Stevens had also his first scent of roses. For both Lukas and Stevens, there would be return trips to the Derby winner’s circle.  

Just as Genuine Risk, Winning Colors went on to compete in the other Triple Crown races. Engaged in a speed duel with Forty Niner in the Preakness Stakes, the gray filly was unable to withstand Risen Star’s closing rally and finished third, beaten a total of only 2½ lengths. In the Belmont Stakes, Gary Stevens tried to have Winning Colors set a deliberate pace for the 1½ mile contest, but she was overwhelmed by Risen Star halfway through the race and faded to last place as the son of Secretariat roared to a nearly 15 length triumph.

Given a freshening, Winning Colors had a fall campaign that saw her racing against older females. In particular, she faced one of the greatest in the undefeated Personal Ensign. In both encounters – the Maskette Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, the Derby winner was second to the Ogden Phipps owned superstar. However, in the latter race at Churchill Downs, Winning Colors came within a single stride of defeating Personal Ensign as the four-year-old closed furiously to nip her at the wire in one of the most dramatic races ever. In year-end honors, Winning Colors was easily voted the Eclipse Award for Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.

Winning Colors did return to race as a four-year-old, but she never regained her top form in seven starts. She closed out her racing career ingloriously with a ninth place finish in the 1989 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. As a broodmare, Winning Colors produced ten live foals, six of which were winners but none that really distinguished themselves. She passed away at age 23 in 2008 and is buried at Greentree Farm in Lexington, KY. 

(To be continued in part II.)