What is the Winning Colors Stakes?
The Winning Colors Stakes is a Grade III Thoroughbred race held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Contested at six furlongs on the dirt for fillies and mares aged four and older, it is one of the premier distaff sprint tests in North America and the marquee event for older fillies and mares on the Churchill Downs Spring Meet. The race was inaugurated in 2004 to honor Winning Colors, the champion filly trained by D. Wayne Lukas who became the third and most recent filly to win the Kentucky Derby when she led gate-to-wire under Gary Stevens in 1988. Winning Colors received Grade III status in 2007 and has since grown into a premier mid-spring test for the best older distaff sprinters in the country, regularly attracting Eclipse Award contenders and Grade I winners.
When is the Winning Colors Stakes in 2027?
The 2027 Winning Colors Stakes is scheduled for Monday, May 25 at Churchill Downs as part of the Memorial Day racing program. Contested at 6 furlongs on the main track with a purse of $250,000, the race draws top older fillies and mares pointing toward summer Grade I targets including the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga and the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
Winning Colors Stakes History & Notable Winners
The Winning Colors Stakes has produced some of the most dominant distaff sprint performances in recent Churchill Downs history. Two Sharp shattered the stakes record in 2025, blazing the six furlongs in 1:08.75 under Junior Alvarado for trainer Philip Bauer to win by 3½ lengths on her seasonal debut. Champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu delivered a 5¾-length romp under Florent Geroux in 2023 for trainer Steve Asmussen - the largest margin of victory in the race's history - posting a 1:08.99 in her 4-year-old debut. Steve Asmussen holds the record for most wins in the Winning Colors with four, including Lady Tak (2004), Street Story (2015), Echo Zulu (2023), and Clearly Unhinged (2024). Sconsin became the first repeat winner of the modern Winning Colors in 2021 and 2022, both times under Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Greg Foley, making her one of the most decorated horses in the race's history.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Two Sharp | Junior Alvarado | 1:08.75* |
| 2024 | Clearly Unhinged | Joel Rosario | 1:09.69 |
| 2023 | Echo Zulu | Florent Geroux | 1:08.99 |
| 2022 | Sconsin | Tyler Gaffalione | [VERIFY] |
| 2021 | Sconsin | Tyler Gaffalione | 1:08.80 |
* Stakes record.
Last Updated on 05/04/2026
The Winning Colors Stakes is a Memorial Day tradition at Churchill Downs and one of the most important early-summer benchmarks for older distaff sprinters in North America.
