Kentucky Derby 2019 Radar: Game Winner's next spot set
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Along with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's 66th birthday Sunday came a present for fans of the 2-year-old champion in waiting, Game Winner. Baffert told Santa Anita Park's publicity staff that "if all goes well," the unbeaten Candy Ride colt will make his season debut in the March 9 San Felipe Stakes
(G2), a 1 1/16-mile feature that awards 2019 Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale.
Not only does that mean Game Winner will stay home, but it could lead to Improbable, Game Winner's unbeaten stablemate, shipping out of town for a race like Oaklawn Park's March 16 Rebel Stakes (G2) for his 3-year-old bow. Baffert has said both the Grade 1 winners are likely to prep twice more for the May 4 Derby.
Gary and Mary West's Game Winner returned to the work tab Wednesday with a three-furlong breeze in a bullet 35.20 seconds at Santa Anita. Afterward, Baffert told handicapper Steve Davidowitz, in an interview this week for his Across the Board column:
"Game Winner certainly has thrived in recent weeks. He’s gotten bigger and stronger and actually brings good overall speed to his 3-year-old season. He also can rally from off the pace.”
That's what the colt did in his last race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, coming from sixth while running wide in the Nov. 2 championship event at Churchill Downs. The Juvenile victory followed scores in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and American Pharoah Stakes (G1).
Game Winner opened as the 10-1 favorite this week in DraftKings' Derby future odds crafted by Johnny Avello, formerly of the Wynn Las Vegas.
Baffert has won the San Felipe a record sixth time and nearly made it a seventh last year, when McKinzie crossed the wire ahead of Bolt d'Oro but was placed second by stewards. The Hall of Fame trainer is also seeking to this year tie Ben Jones as the Derby's all-time leading trainer with six wins.
Along with Game Winner and Improbable, Baffert trains six other newly turned 3-year-olds in Horse Racing Nation's Top 50 list of Derby hopefuls: Mucho Gusto (7th), Coliseum (10th), Kingly (15th), Roadster (20th), Magic On Tap (35th) and Cruel Intention (45th).
It should make for another busy spring at the Triple Crown-winning barn, but Baffert was going to lay low on his birthday, saying, "The only thing I’m going to do today is go to Mike Smith’s wedding."
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