Lukas had another top colt also entered in the race named Tejano, ridden by elite jockey Laffit Pincay. It was Tejano and Pincay who took up the bid for the early lead, three paths outside of her.
“They are going quickly out front!” called the race announcer.
The difference in top-class horses verses average thoroughbreds is the ability to go faster early in the race and still persevere in the later stages of the race, when the lower-class horses cannot, or are unwilling, to fight on while nearing exhaustion. Jockey Bill Shoemaker rode the morning line betting favorite horse, Lively One. Seconds into the race, Shoemaker knew the leaders were going way too fast for the distance. He let Lively One wait over seven lengths back, saving energy for the stretch run.
From their vantage point, Dino and Miami waited to see the first two fractions be posted on the infield tote board as an indicator of the suicidal pace these animals were setting, and when it came up in the sprinters time of 22-and-one-fifth, and 45-and-three-fifths seconds, they were worried the colts were pushing Winning Colors too hard. She and the other leaders were bound to tire after this insane speed exhibition. After three-quarters-of-a-mile, she had run in 109-and-two-fifths seconds, it was obvious she was going way too fast and could not be rated to run the full Santa Anita Derby distance.
Stevens let her continue to accelerate, now opening further on the field by three lengths, and then he did something interesting. He bent his head down and took a peek under his right arm to see how far ahead he was, as if he was in control of her. She was not being headstrong and running away with him like some crazy filly! She was setting this fast pace easily. It was as if only she, unlike the others, could run at this incredible pace within herself. The big gray Amazon filly could simply run faster immediately out of the gate than other top stakes class horses could, and Stevens let her have her way.
Winning Colors had distanced herself further from the colts that were chasing her.
As she entered the final left-hand stretch turn, she began to outrun the field, now opening by five lengths, as the fans cheered the lone female in the race. This kind of dominance just doesn’t happen in a Grade 1, $500,000 race. Women and girls were standing and yelling, screaming, for the filly to “Beat the boys!”
Shoemaker could see she was stealing away from the field. He ceased reserving Lively One and moved into action on his mount, urging her forward with his arms while chirping to her to move now with an energetic charge against the lightning-bolt-like filly.
Winning Colors took the turns in a more efficient way than the boys; it was as if she was nimbler and more athletic than they were. Something had to give, and it was the colts. Winning Colors was cruising on the lead, still opening further on the field, turning for home now leading by an eye popping seven open lengths!
“Can she hold on? She has to be exhausted!” Dino yelled as Stevens took out his whip and gave her just one left-handed crack on her left flank as she ran full out, practically touching the rail on her left shoulder and appearing to scrape the inner fence. Tens of thousands of women and girl fans were calling out to her along with Dino, Miami, Amalia, and Ava standing and now screaming with them as she raced towards the finish line.
The jockeys on the eight colts were whipping, yelling, and urging on their mounts but could make up no ground as they raced behind the filly. She re-engaged and pulled away even farther from her competitors. Shoemaker now knew he was running for second money at best on Lively One.
Track announcer Trevor Denman reported this exhibition of winning speed in his impeccable English with a South African accent: “Winning Colors is turning in an outstanding performance! We are looking at one exceptional filly that will be carrying the hopes of California all the way to the Kentucky Derby.” And then, when she crossed the finish line, “What a winner that one was! Winning Colors! Magnificent!”
Winning Colors had beaten the top California male Kentucky Derby prospects, and she had embarrassed them by seven-and-a-half lengths in exceptionally fast time of 1:47.4 seconds.
Dino and Miami were kissing Amalia and Ava in between high-fiving everyone they could reach while yelling, “We’re going to Kentucky! We’re going to Kentucky! We’re going to Kentucky, baby!”
In the clamor, people at the surrounding tables were asking them, “How much did you bet on her?”
Dino and Miami smiled and looked at each other and said in unison, “We bet her in to win the Kentucky Derby at 50-1!”
That evening, the foursome went to dinner at Chasen’s. Miami ordered a bottle of champagne and they all raised a toast to the prospect of Winning Colors winning the Kentucky Derby.
While Dino and Miami talked about the races, Amalia wanted to know about Ava’s international travel, and Ava was interested in Amalia’s family story of how she had come from Mexico to Beverly Hills. Amalia whispered, “Ava, do you mind that Miami…Mark…is always at the track?”
“What’s at the track? Men gambling with other men…and horses…he’s done every day by like five p.m. It keeps him out of my hair.”
“What about their gambling?”
“They live! Who wakes in the morning happier than these two guys? Doesn’t seem to be a problem…they live in nice places…they seem to do well. I know plenty of rich guys that aren’t nice…or fun to be with. Mark makes me laugh.”
“Dino is like a genius at the track, I hear,” Amalia said. “He’s hardly a wild gambler. They are both a couple of characters!”
Feelings of celebration were ebbing as Miami and Dino
