Churchill: Two Sharp looks to resume streak in Winning Colors

Rigney Racing’s speedy 4-year-old filly Two Sharp is set for her seasonal debut Monday in the Grade 3, $250,000 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs, and trainer Phil Bauer remains confident in her preparation.

“She’s a very talented filly, and we’ve been looking forward to getting her back to the races,” Bauer said. “It’s a tough spot on Monday, but she’s been training well in the mornings and I think she got a perfect draw.”

A dominant 5 3/4-length winner of the Chilukki Stakes (G3) to close her 3-year-old campaign on Nov. 23, Two Sharp will break from the outside post in the field of nine fillies and mares with Junior Alvarado in the saddle.

Two Sharp enters the six-furlong race with five published workouts, including a bullet half-mile in 46.0 seconds on April 27 and a six-furlong drill in 1:12.4 on May 11.

She was made the 8-5 second choice on the morning line behind Cicero Farms’ Hope Road (7-5), who finished second to Kopion in the Derby City Distaff (G1) on Kentucky Derby day.

“It’s a good race, and this is a really nice filly,” said Florent Geroux, who picks up the mount on Hope Road for the first time. “Kopion proved herself to be the top of the division, but Hope Road has run well against her in her last three starts.”

Monday’s nine-race Memorial Day program begins at 12:45 p.m. EDT. The six-furlong Winning Colors goes as race 8 at 4:22 p.m. EDT.