Game Winner

Game Winner lived up to his lofty name as a 2-year-old last year, easily capturing all four of his starts. He even put an exclamation point on his last start of the year – the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) – when he cruised to a 2 ¼-length score in that $2 million event. His exploits earned the son of Candy Ride (ARG) divisional honors as champion 2-year-old. Unfortunately, in his return to action this spring, he was game, but not a winner. In his seasonal debut Game winner was nosed out by Omaha Beach in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn; then he finished a half-length off stablemate Roadster in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). After a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby (G1), he was sixth, but placed fifth after winner Maximum Security was disqualified. That finish is the only time he's run worse than second in eight starts. After a few weeks away from the trenches, Game Winner did get back to his freshman form with a handy score in the Los Alamitos Derby (G3) July 13 under jockey Joel Rosario and now has set his eyes on the Travers Stakes in late August at Saratoga and eventually the Breeders’ Cup Classic at his home track of Santa Anita. “I think this was a perfect race for him,” trainer Bob Baffert said of the Los Alamitos Derby. “I put the blinkers back on him because I wanted him to get a little bit more focused leaving the gate and into the race a little bit more. He was falling back a little too far. I loved the way he finished the last eighth of a mile.” Owners Gary and Mary West paid $100,000 for Game Winner as a yearling at Keeneland. The Los Alamitos victory bumped the colt's earnings over $2 million.