Dino and Miami knew that Winning Colors had to win this race, or she would not make the Kentucky Derby, period. She was still not the fan’s betting favorite. More than three times as much was bet on Goodbye Halo than Winning Colors.
The four fillies entered the starting gate. At the bell, both star fillies broke like bullets out of a gun, with Winning Colors being sent to the lead by Stevens as they ripped into the left-hand first turn. Stevens didn’t have to ask her to run as Winning Colors was cruising at a high rate of speed on her own courage. She opened up down the backstretch by three lengths while running next to the rail, as Goodbye Halo was pushed by Pat Day to not let her get away.
Both Goodbye Halo and the filly Jeanne Jones took up the chase and got nearly on even terms with Winning Colors. Goodbye Halo was squeezed for a moment and bobbled slightly, between Jeanne Jones and Winning Colors. It looked for a moment like Goodbye Halo would be forced to take up, but she was spirited and gunned forward through the smallest of openings by Day until the two-star fillies now were head to head. Their jockeys pushed their charges forward harder. They quickly put away Jeanne Jones, who fell back as the two favorites engaged much earlier than in the previous race when Goodbye Halo waited to charge late in the stretch to her victory. Goodbye Halo was trying to beat Winning Colors at her own game, with blazing early speed!
Gary Stevens looked a full head higher than Pat Day and the other jockeys as he thrust his hands aggressively forward into her gray mane. The beautiful animal responded by lengthening all of her long, full body into the first turn. The interior quarter- and half-mile fractions set were wickedly fast, much faster than they had set in their last match when Winning Colors tired and faded to second.
Miami saw the quarter-mile and half-mile fractions blink on the tote board, 22-and-two-fifths and 44-and-four-fifths seconds and shouted to Dino over the crowd noise, “They are going way too damn fast for the distance! Those are sprinters’ fractions. Can they go that fast and survive? They could both get beat by the closers.”
Winning Colors edged away just slightly. Goodbye Halo was pushed by her jockey, now urging his filly with his arms. He was asking her to pick up the pace and not let the gray filly steal away from her. Goodbye Halo dug back in and lowered her head in determination, trying valiantly to stay with the gray filly, but Day could tell she could not match strides with Winning Colors. The early fractions had cooked Goodbye Halo from the inside, as she could not sustain such a fast pace. As she tired, Stevens sensed now was the time to take command of the race. He was hand riding Winning Colors, urging her on, chirping to her, “Go girl…go girl.” He never touched his whip. Winning Colors pulled away from Goodbye Halo by four, then five, then seven, then eight dominating lengths as she annihilated the field strung out behind her. Goodbye Halo was now exhausted from trying to keep pace with the huge gray filly; she was caught for second, beaten by an astounding 10 lengths to the wire by Winning Colors.
Stevens raised his whip triumphantly at the wire!
Luis was beaming as he grabbed her halter minutes later and led her panting and glistening with sweat, for her winner’s photo with the jubilant party of Klein, Joyce, and friends. A thoroughbred racehorse after a race has capillaries fully engaged with blood, and with her veins standing out on her long, tall, silver-gray shining body, Winning Colors was a beautiful and intimidating 1,200-pound glorious, but sweaty animal.
Lukas was ecstatic as he held the heavy silver Santa Anita Oaks trophy over his head with two hands. Now he was sure there was truly a superhorse in his barn.
Miami and Dino were jubilant as they watched the owners celebrate in the winner’s circle and accept the Santa Anita Oaks 1988 trophy.
Dino said, “One more California victory against the colts next month and she’ll qualify for the Kentucky Derby! The Santa Anita Derby is next. Look at Mr. Klein. If he is ever going to win the Derby, he has to do it soon.”
“Super Dino, you are right,” Miami said. “I think the only trainer in all of California that would run her against the best males in the country is Lukas. He is not afraid to beat the boys with girls, and Winning Colors is just faster than them. I really believe that now, too. Dino you were right, baby! Please Mr. Lukas, tell us soon she will go against the boys in the Santa Anita Derby and then on to the Kentucky Derby!”
They found out two days later that Klein and Lukas had entered Winning Colors in both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. The owner and trainer were keeping their options open as to where she should run next.
Dino and Miami still had to sweat out getting their girl into the big dance.
Late the following Wednesday night, Dino got a call from his favorite librarian. What she told him made him sit down and become seriously afraid for their lives. The Tijuana reporter who’d been reporting on Jorge Hank Rhon, El Gato, had been targeted. The windows of his office had been shattered by machine gun fire. Apparently writing articles on Rhon and associated cartel figures was infuriating for those being written about and they sent him a terrifying message with a hail of gunfire. El Gato was not at the office and was unharmed. The journalist was certain that the cartel was sending him a message to stop writing negative articles on
