BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Spring Dancer takes a three-race winning streak into Churchill Downs Monday for the Grade 3, $300,000 Winning Colors, a six-furlong contest for eight fillies and mares 4-years-old and older.
Trained and co-owned by Randy Morse with Randy Patterson, Joe Morgan and Sam M. Vogel, Spring Dancer will also be running for a $5,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners Association to breeders Eric Brehm and Chuck Hovitz should she win.
The quick Spring Dancer has won four of her last five starts since breaking her maiden in her seventh try, taking a five-furlong maiden special weight on the grass at Churchill in November. She is three-for-three this year, all going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park. She most recently scored in the $135,000 Majestic overnight stakes over a muddy and sealed track on April 26, winning by a determined neck after a stretch-long fight with runner-up Anakarina.
Spring Dancer began her streak on January 2, with a three-length victory in a first level allowance then won a second condition, $62,500 optional claiming on February 22.
Spring Dancer has amassed $334,885 from four wins in 11 starts with three seconds and a third. She is by The Big Beast out of Spring Included and will be ridden from post four by Jamie Torres. She is 15-1 on the morning line.
Usha enters off a third-place finish behind Florida-bred R Disaster in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff presented by Ford at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard on May 2 in her first start of 2026.
The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of Tiz the Law finished last year with a five-and-a-quarter-length victory in the Grade 1 La Brea presented by Don Julio racing seven furlongs at Santa Anita on December 28.
Usha won for the first time in her fifth start, taking in a maiden special weight for fillies by 11 ½ lengths at Del Mar on July 27. She has won three of five starts since.
Usha is owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post seven. She is the morning line favorite at 7-5.
Rounding out the field are Foie Gras and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., Rafael Bejarano has the call on Dare to Fly., Zeitlos will be guided by Brian Herandez Jr., Junior Alvarado rides Kapoor, One Magic Philly will have Tyler Gaffalione up and Jersey Pearl breaks from the outside with Francisco Arrieta in the saddle.
Return to the May 23 issue of Wire to Wire
