How to bet the 2022 Winning Colors Stakes

A total of six fillies and mares will vie in Monday’s $200,000 Winning Colors S. (G3) at Churchill Downs. The six-furlong feature is led by the return of defending champion #3 Sconsin (6-5) for conditioner Greg Foley, and I think that the mare will make her comeback a winning one. A victress of the Open Mind S. on the surface in her 2021 finale, the talented daughter of Include dons a nifty 7-4-2-0 mark on the surface and is training like a horse ready to run a good one.

Sconsin displayed improved early foot last campaign, and I don’t expect her to have too much to do turning for home on Monday. The homebred will stalk early before asserting herself in upper stretch under the guidance of Tyler Gaffalione.

The rest of the field is very well-matched, but I will give a narrow edge to #1 Joyful Cadence (6-1) to complete the exacta. One of two in the field trained by John Ortiz, the twice stakes-placed filly has been in solid form of late with two wins and a pair of placings in her last four assignments.

With a rail draw and good gate speed at her disposal, the daughter of Runhappy will likely be sent from the break to secure the early edge in her second run beneath the Twin Spires. The bay has worked locally on two occasions and will be tough if left alone for too long on the lead with Joe Talamo taking the reins.

#4 Li’l Tootsie (5-1) has performed especially well in her trio of lifetime tries at Churchill for trainer Tom Amoss. By Tapiture, the four-year-old bay has virtually no early speed but does own a strong late burst, and if the Kentucky-bred runs to her sizzling half-mile morning bullet last week, then she surely will be a factor inside the final furlong on Memorial Day. The Grade 2-placed filly will be making one run from off the early tempo under the guidance of James Graham. 

Winning Colors Wagers

• $20 exacta: 3 with 1 ($20)
• $10 trifecta: key 3 with 1,4 ($20)
• $4 superfecta: 3 with 1 with 4 with all ($12)