1988 Kentucky Derby Winner Winning Colors Euthanized

2008 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park

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Posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008

The 1988 Kentucky Derby winner Winning Colors, who was the last filly to win the Derby, was euthanized Sunday after a bout with colic and buried in Lexington at Greentree Farm. She was 23.

In 1988, 3-year-old Winning Colors excited Kentucky Derby fans at Churchill Downs when she defeated Forty Niner. Besides being the last filly to win the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), Winning Colors also won the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) and Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I). She also finished 3rd in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and was second to undefeated Personal Ensign in the highly memorable 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I).

Horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas purchased Winning Colors as a yearling for $575,000 at the 1986 Keeneland July sale. She would finish her career with earnings of $1,526,837 and a record of 8-3-1 from 19 starts.

She left a 2-year-old by Orientate in training and a yearling filly by Mr. Greeley at the farm, Gainesway general manager Neil Howard said.

Winning Colors was the first of four Kentucky Derby winners for horse trainer D. Wayne Lucas. “The Derby winner always captivates the imagination of the race fan,” he said. “But being a filly and beating the colts made it even sweeter.”

Winning Colors was the 3rd filly to win the Kentucky Derby, after Regret in 1915 and Genuine Risk in 1980.

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"1988 Kentucky Derby Winner Winning Colors Euthanized" was posted on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 10:49 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Kentucky Derby, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.