She relished going to the lead early. And when she did, the objective was to catch her to win the race.

Moving stoutly, this popular horse scored some of her most memorable victories after getting to the front early. She knew how to perform on the big stage, and that ability made her an exciting filly to watch during the 1988 season.

She has gone down in history as one of the few fillies to emerge triumphant in North America's biggest horse race, a moment that propelled her towards becoming the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for that same year.

But before she earned the trophy for that amazing score, this daughter of Caro turned herself into a Santa Anita legend during the winter and spring of 1988.

Prior to wowing crowds in Arcadia, however, Winning Colors won on debut at Saratoga in the summer of 1987 going seven furlongs. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, that marked one of the few times the roan filly raced in a sprint. But it would be far from the last time she would win a race.

Following her premiere at the Spa, Winning Colors was shipped to Southern California, a circuit Lukas knew quite well. And as local fans soon found out, the trainer called the Coach had another very talented filly in his stable.

When it comes to summing up how Winning Colors fared at Santa Anita during the 1987-88 season, two words come to mind: virtually unbeatable. Teaming up with Gary Stevens for the first time, a six-furlong allowance win preceded her first stakes score in the La Centinela at a mile, which also happened to be her initial foray into routing. A narrow miss in the Grade I Las Virgenes followed, but that set her up to become the protagonist for one of Santa Anita's most historical feats.

One certainty about Winning Colors was that she loved to lead early. She did just that in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks, beating everyone to the wire by an astounding eight lengths. That would have made her a major contender for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, but Lukas had another race in mind: the Santa Anita Derby.

A few weeks after the Oaks, Winning Colors faced eight rivals in Southern California's most prestigious Kentucky Derby prep race. She had her backers, too, for she went favored at approximately 5-2. Asked to go a mile and one-eighth for the first time, Winning Colors passed the assignment, again taking early control and leaving her rivals well behind at the finish.

That gave Winning Colors the distinction of being just the second filly to sweep that race and the Santa Anita Oaks, following Silver Spoon in 1959. And that double has not been duplicated by any other filly since.

With the Santa Anita Oaks and Derby in her possession, where did Winning Colors go from there? She would have been favored in the Kentucky Oaks, but the connections opted for something even bigger. The confidence Lukas and owner Eugene Klein had in Winning Colors was abundant, for they eschewed the Oaks and sent her to the biggest race of them all, the Kentucky Derby.

Fans were sold on the filly's chances for the Triple Crown opener. She had the racing world at her hooves thanks to her Santa Anita double, and many bettors no doubt believed that Lukas expected a big run from Winning Colors under the Twin Spires on the first Saturday in May. Though not favored in the Run For the Roses, Winning Colors was seen as a principal contender at over 3-1.

After the bell rang to signal the start of Derby 114, Winning Colors and Stevens wasted no time going to the front. Already a couple of lengths in front as she reached the backstretch, Winning Colors moved with a tough, rugged stride. She set decent fractions, going :23 and 46 4/5 for the opening half-mile as the field pursued her. She had the race all to herself in the backstretch and far turn as she slowed the pace with a 1:11 2/5 for six furlongs. Though no one knew who would be the winner yet, one of two scenarios would play out in front of the fans on track and watching on television.

Either Winning Colors was going to take her rivals all the way, or someone would run her down to become the Kentucky Derby champion of 1988.

Proper Reality and Seeking the Gold were second and third as Winning Colors approached the top of the stretch. Less than thirty seconds stood between her and Derby glory. As she straightened for the final stretch, screams could be heard from among the Churchill crowd. Only two fillies had beaten the boys in this race before: Regret in 1915, and Genuine Risk in 1980. History was on the line as everyone watched Winning Colors. The intrigue surrounding her could not be contained within Churchill Downs, and probably not even the city of Louisville. With every stride, the anticipation and the excitement Winning Colors brought to the race reached a new level.

Stevens pumped the reins, asking for more as victory drew near. As for the pack, only Forty Niner emerged with a chance to beat her. The previous year's champion juvenile raced valiantly, but he could not catch the filly that day. After ten furlongs around the main oval at Churchill Downs, Winning Colors became only the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby. She did so with a final time of 2:02 2/5, beating fellow talented horses Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, and Risen Star (who went on to become that year's Champion Three-Year-Old Male).

That tremendous effort proved to be the apex of her career. She came back to take third in the Preakness before finishing sixth in the Belmont to close out the Triple Crown season. After a summer vacation, she returned to Belmont Park that September, finishing runner-up to Personal Ensign in the Grade I Maskette before getting fourth in the Grade I Spinster at Keeneland. But Winning Colors wrapped up the year well. Back at Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, she and Stevens again took their customary position on the lead. The race played out like the Kentucky Derby, for Winning Colors built a clear lead as she guided her rivals around the track. She set a slower pace this time around over an off surface, and came very close to leading from start to finish. Only Personal Ensign beat her that day, doing so after a stirring rally from off the pace to prevail in a photo finish as she retired with a perfect record.

But victory followed in defeat for Winning Colors. After a year that saw her make history both in California and Kentucky, Winning Colors reigned as a champion of her sport. She may not have won the Distaff, but she was crowned Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for 1988. Her Kentucky Derby win was undoubtedly instrumental in her earning the honor, but her performance in the Distaff clinched it.

Winning Colors returned to the races for a 1989 campaign, but the year was nowhere near as successful as her three-year-old season had been. In seven starts, Winning Colors came up with a pair of wins. The first was against allowance company in a six-furlong event at Saratoga, and the other came at Turfway Park in the mile and one-sixteenth Turfway Breeders' Cup Handicap. The other five races all saw her finish off the board, including what was her career finale in the 1989 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Gulfstream Park.

Although her four-year-old season did not come close to matching what she achieved at the age of three, Winning Colors did more than enough to secure her place in racing history. No other filly has won the Kentucky Derby since she did so in 1988. And as mentioned earlier, she is only one of two horses to win both the Santa Anita Oaks and Santa Anita Derby. She is also the only filly to win those races and the Kentucky Derby. And she was inducted into the National Racing Hall of Fame in 2000.

Winning Colors lived to the age of twenty-three, passing on in 2008. But she will of course always be part of the sport, particularly in Southern California. She put together a memorable Santa Anita season at three, and the gift shop at the now-defunct Hollywood Park was named in her honor.

With her trademark move of going to the front early, Winning Colors made racegoers wonder as to whether anybody could keep up with her. With Gary Stevens, she became part of one of the truly legendary duos the sport has ever known. And with her body of work as a sophomore, Winning Colors earned the right to be called a champion.

She loved to be on the lead, but Winning Colors did more than capture the front spot on race days. She captured the attention of an untold number of fans, and she made an indelible impact in the lives of Klein, Lukas and Stevens.

And in doing so, Winning Colors ensured she will live on for generations.