At the time of her death in 2008, 1988 Kentucky Derby (USA-I) winner Winning Colors was, frankly, a disappointment. She had been bred to a collection of Kentucky's best sires, had failed to produce a single black-type stakes winner, and her daughters were not looking like much as broodmares, having only a Japanese Group III winner and a French listed stakes winner to their credit between them.
All of that changed on August 18, when Eskimo Kisses---a big, strong chestnut whose size and power are reminiscent of her famous granddam---charged to an upset victory in the Alabama Stakes (USA-I). A daughter of Winning Colors's last foal, the 2007 Mr. Greeley daughter Silver Colors, Eskimo Kisses is not likely to unseat Monomoy Girl as the top American 3-year-old filly of 2018, but she served notice that Winning Colors' genetic potential is still alive and well.
It has been observed by a number of well-known breeders that, even if a top race mare fails to produce to her own standard, her daughters are often worth retaining as broodmares. Silver Colors is a case in point. After five years of frustration during which Winning Colors failed to produce a live foal, Gainesway was rewarded with two fillies who were retained for the farm's broodmare band: Ocean Colors, a 2006 daughter of champion sprinter Orientate, and Silver Colors, who has now provided the farm with a top young broodmare prospect. (For the record, Gainesway owns Eskimo Kisses, a daughter of To Honor and Serve, in partnership with Harold Lerner, Andrew Rosen, Nehoc Stables, and Magdalena Racing.)
Stakes-placed Ocean Colors has so far not produced anything noteworthy, but Silver Colors had previously produced the stakes-placed Candy Ride gelding Silver Ride and may be poised for more accomplishments. Her 2017 Empire Maker colt, now a half brother to a Grade 1 winner, is slated to sell at Keeneland September, and the mare produced a Union Rags filly this spring.
Winning Colors' family has also shown some activity through her Mr. Prospector daughter Shbakni. The first foal of her dam, Shbakni never won, but she is the dam of 2014 Swiss champion steeplechaser Shaabek and is the second dam of three stakes winners including Line Honey, a champion sprinter in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. While these accomplishments are not on the same level as producing a Grade/Group I winner in a major racing nation, they are still indications that Shbakni's branch of the family could come up with something good at any time, bringing more credit to the family of a champion whose colors are still flying.
All of that changed on August 18, when Eskimo Kisses---a big, strong chestnut whose size and power are reminiscent of her famous granddam---charged to an upset victory in the Alabama Stakes (USA-I). A daughter of Winning Colors's last foal, the 2007 Mr. Greeley daughter Silver Colors, Eskimo Kisses is not likely to unseat Monomoy Girl as the top American 3-year-old filly of 2018, but she served notice that Winning Colors' genetic potential is still alive and well.
It has been observed by a number of well-known breeders that, even if a top race mare fails to produce to her own standard, her daughters are often worth retaining as broodmares. Silver Colors is a case in point. After five years of frustration during which Winning Colors failed to produce a live foal, Gainesway was rewarded with two fillies who were retained for the farm's broodmare band: Ocean Colors, a 2006 daughter of champion sprinter Orientate, and Silver Colors, who has now provided the farm with a top young broodmare prospect. (For the record, Gainesway owns Eskimo Kisses, a daughter of To Honor and Serve, in partnership with Harold Lerner, Andrew Rosen, Nehoc Stables, and Magdalena Racing.)
Stakes-placed Ocean Colors has so far not produced anything noteworthy, but Silver Colors had previously produced the stakes-placed Candy Ride gelding Silver Ride and may be poised for more accomplishments. Her 2017 Empire Maker colt, now a half brother to a Grade 1 winner, is slated to sell at Keeneland September, and the mare produced a Union Rags filly this spring.
Winning Colors' family has also shown some activity through her Mr. Prospector daughter Shbakni. The first foal of her dam, Shbakni never won, but she is the dam of 2014 Swiss champion steeplechaser Shaabek and is the second dam of three stakes winners including Line Honey, a champion sprinter in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. While these accomplishments are not on the same level as producing a Grade/Group I winner in a major racing nation, they are still indications that Shbakni's branch of the family could come up with something good at any time, bringing more credit to the family of a champion whose colors are still flying.
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