Dazzling Blue wins an allowance May 19, 2023, at Churchill Downs (Coady Media)
Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Juddmonte’s ultra-consistent 4-year-old filly Dazzling Blue, a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed sprinter, was tabbed as the 5-2 morning line favorite as she’ll face 10 rivals that entered Monday’s 21st running of the $250,000 Winning Colors (Grade III), the featured race on a special Memorial Day card from Churchill Downs.
Run at six furlongs in Race 8, the Winning Colors field will go to post at 4:22 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post on the nine-race card is 12:45 p.m.
Dazzling Blue, trained by Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet leading trainer Brad Cox, made her seasonal debut one month ago when she was narrowly defeated by Zeitlos in the Roxelana Stakes, her first race in more than six months. As a 3-year-old, Dazzling Blue finished second to Maple Leaf Mel in the Victory Ride (GIII) at Belmont and third to Vahva and Alva Starr in the Raven Run (GII) at Keeneland. Jockey Florent Geroux, who has ridden Dazzling Blue in four of her seven-lifetime starts, will have the call in the Winning Colors from the outside post No. 11.
Here is the complete field for the Winning Colors from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):
- Royal Spa (Ricardo Santana Jr., Rodolphe Brisset, 8-1)
- B G Warrior (Albin Jimnez, Hugo Andrade, 12-1)
- Clearly Unhinged (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen, 4-1)
- Miss Arlington (Jareth Loveberry, Brian Williamson, 20-1)
- Spirit Wind (Jose Ortiz, Saffie Joseph Jr., 3-1)
- Positano Sunset (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes, 12-1)
- Unsung Melody (Jaime Torres, John Ortiz, 20-1)
- Backyard Money (Gabe Saez, Wayne Lukas, 20-1)
- Happy Am I (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 8-1)
- Leeloo (Cristian Torres, Ignacio Correas IV, 15-1)
- Dazzling Blue (Geroux, Cox, 5-2)
Monday is Military Appreciation Day at Churchill Downs and all active and retired military members, with a valid ID, receive free General Admission Tickets. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. For tickets and more information, visit www.churchilldowns.com.
DOWN THE STRETCH – Friday’s nine-race card got underway at 12:45 p.m. The main track was listed as “sloppy” for the first three hours of training then upgraded to “muddy” following the 8:30 a.m. track renovation break. There was no turf racing following steady rainfall Thursday evening. … “Inside Churchill Downs” will resume Friday at 6 p.m. on ESPN 680/105.7. The one-hour broadcast, hosted by Churchill Downs’ Darren Rogers and Kevin Kerstein, will look back on the Preakness Stakes (GI) and preview the Saturday program at Churchill Downs with racing analyst and the voice of Ellis Park and Turfway Park, Tony Calo. … Entries for Stephen Foster Preview Day, which takes place June 1, will be taken Saturday. The stellar 11-race card will feature six stakes events led by the $275,000 Arlington (Grade III), $275,000 Blame (GIII), $275,000 Regret (GIII) and $275,000 Shawnee (GIII). Also scheduled are the $275,000 Aristides (Listed) and $275,000 Audubon (Listed). … For more information about racing from Churchill Downs, visit www.churchilldowns.com.
