After last hurrah season, Game Winner to stand at stud in Kentucky

Champion 2-year-old and three-time Grade 1-winner Game Winner will join the Lane’s End Farm stallion roster upon retirement, it was announced Sunday.

Owner Gary West recently announced the son of Candy Ride would return to training in 2020 for a 4-year-old campaign.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to stand Game Winner upon retirement in 2021,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish. “Champion Two-Year-Olds are hard to come by and we are honored that Gary and Mary West have entrusted Lane’s End with his stallion career.”  

Game Winner, who has earned more than $2 million from four graded stakes wins, is by a perennial leading sire and Lane’s End stallion. During his Championship season, Game Winner remained unbeaten with victories in the Del Mar Futurity (G1), American Pharoah Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

As a sophomore, Game Winner ran wide before placed fifth in the Kentucky Derby, in the process earning  the best Thorograph figure of .25 in the field. Also this season, he ran second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2).

In his most-recent start, Game Winner won the Los Alamitos Derby (G3). A spiked temperature derailed plans to return in the Travers Stakes (G1).

"It's not easy to find good horses, it's even harder to find champions,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “I've been fortunate to have a few good horses, and even a few champions, but the champions really stick out. Horses like Game Winner and (American) Pharoah; to do what they did and to be champion 2-year-olds, they're the best of the best."