Churchill Downs Stakes Recap & Quotes: The $250,000 Winning Colors

May 26, 2025

Two Sharp broke alertly from the gate and led every step of the way in Monday’s 22nd running of the $250,000 Winning Colors (Grade III) at Churchill Downs to notch a 3 ½-length victory over longshot Benedetta.

Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Junior Alvarado rode Two Sharp to victory for trainer Phil Bauer and owner Richard Rigney’s Rigney Racing while clocking six furlongs in a swift 1:08.75.

The winner of last fall’s $300,000 Chilukki (GIII), Two Sharp was making her 4-year-old debut in the Winning Colors. She broke from the outside stall in the field of seven fillies and mares, zipped to the front through quick fractions of :21.14 and :43.99 – the fastest half mile in the race that dates back to 2004 – and maintained a 2 ½-length advantage down the backstretch.

Hope Road, the 4-5 favorite after finishing second to Kopion in the $1 million Derby City Distaff (GI) on the Kentucky Derby undercard, chased Two Sharp throughout but could not close into the margin. Benedetta rallied to edge Hope Road for the place by three-quarters of a length.

“It’s not about how fast you’re going, it’s about how you’re going when you’re going fast,” Alvarado said. “She was incredible today. She broke sharp and just took me to the lead and did everything so easily.”

The victory was worth $151,520 and boosted Two Sharp’s earnings to $518,218 from a record of 4-2-0 in six starts.

“She’s so talented and to run that well fresh was really exciting to see,” Bauer said. “It’s obviously a great starting point. She’s ultra talented. She’s proved that she can handle at least a mile so we'll see where we’ll go from here.”

Two Sharp was the 9-5 second betting choice and returned $5.82, $4.36 and $2.54. Benedetta, ridden by Keith Asmussen at odds of 23-1, paid $12.32 and $4.42. Hope Road, under Florent Geroux, returned $2.10. Brightwork finished fourth and was followed by Mink’s Palace, Miss Arlington and Into Champagne. Easy Red and Harbor Springs were scratched.

Two Sharp is a daughter of Twirling Candy out of the Distorted Humor mare Double Sharp and was bred in Kentucky by Woods Edge Farm.

The Winning Colors is named in honor of Eugene Klein’s Winning Colors, the most recent filly to have won the Kentucky Derby when she beat the boys in the 114th running of the Run for the Roses in 1988 for the Hall of Fame tandem of trainer D. Wayne Lukas and jockey Gary Stevens.

After dark days Tuesday and Wednesday, racing will return to Churchill Downs for the eight-race Twilight Thursday program. First post is 5 p.m. (all times Eastern). For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ChurchillDowns.com.

WINNING COLORS QUOTES

Junior Alvarado (jockey, Two Sharp, winner): “It’s not about how fast you’re going, it’s about how you’re going when you’re going fast. She was incredible today. She broke sharp and just took me to the lead and did everything so easily.”

Phil Bauer (trainer, Two Sharp, winner): “To win today with so many of our friends and family here is incredibly special. She’s so talented and to run that well fresh was really exciting to see. It’s obviously a great starting point. She’s ultra talented. She’s proved that she can handle at least a mile so we'll see where we’ll go from here.”