Game Winner
Bay Colt / March 5th, 2016 in KY / by Candy Ride (ARG) out of Indyan Giving
$531,500
2019 earnings
111
speed figure
25%
2019 wins
racing Record
2019 Stats
Career Stats
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1
Firsts
5
2
Seconds
2
0
Thirds
0
1
Unplaced
1
4
Starts
8
$531,500
Earnings
$2,027,500
$132,875
Earnings / Start
$253,438
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Bio
Game Winner won his career debut on Aug. 18 at Del Mar by a commanding 5 ¾ lengths for owners Gary and Mary West and trainer Bob Baffert. The son of Candy Ride returned in the seven furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3, Del Mar’s closing day, and wore down pacesetter Rowayton to win by 1 ½ lengths with Mario Gutierrez aboard.
Game Winner punched his ticket to the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Sept. 29 at Santa Anita Park when he shook off pacesetter Rowayton and powered clear to a visually impressive victory in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes.
Game Winner won his career debut on Aug. 18 at Del Mar by a commanding 5 ¾ lengths for owners Gary and Mary West and trainer Bob Baffert. The son of Candy Ride returned in the seven furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3, Del Mar’s closing day, and wore down pacesetter Rowayton to win by 1 ½ lengths with Mario Gutierrez aboard.
Game Winner punched his ticket to the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Sept. 29 at Santa Anita Park when he shook off pacesetter Rowayton and powered clear to a visually impressive victory in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes.
Sent off as the overwhelming favorite for the Grade 1 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Game Winner reeled in Knicks Go in deep stretch and shook clear to win decisively. With four wins in as many starts, Game Winner cemented his credentials as the clear front-runner for the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. At the 2018 Eclipse ceremony, Game Winner was a near-unanimous choice for champion honors in his division, receiving 247 out of 249 votes.
Game Winner returned from an extended layoff in the second division of the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on March 16 at Oaklawn Park after his planned season debut in the March 9 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita Park was canceled. Game Winner rallied to challenge leader Omaha Beach in deep stretch and battled stride for stride to the finish line with that rival only to come up a nose short in his first career defeat.
Game Winner was wheeled back for one more Kentucky Derby prep in the April 6 Santa Anita Derby. He traveled wide throughout but overtook pacesetter Instagrand in midstretch, only to be outfinished by stablemate Roadster in what was nevertheless a very good effort that netted him 40 more qualifying points for the May 4 Kentucky Derby.
In the Kentucky Derby, Game Winner encountered a brutally wide trip but finished willingly for fifth. Baffert gave him some time off after the Kentucky Derby and brought Game Winner back July 13 in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby. Sent off as the overwhelming 1-20 favorite, Game Winner won by five lengths to halt a three-race winless stretch and pick up his first victory of 2019.
Out of the A.P. Indy mare Indyan Giving, Game Winner’s grandam (maternal grandmother) is 2006 champion older female Fleet Indian.
