Game Winner (foaled March 6, 2016) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse who was the champion two-year-old colt of 2018. He was undefeated in four starts at age two, including wins in the

Del Mar Futurity The Del Mar Futurity is a seven-furlong American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 2007, the race is open to two-year-old horses and offers a purse of $300,000. In 1971, it w ...

American Pharoah Stakes The American Pharoah Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of September during the fall meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade I event, it is open to two-year-old horses and is held at a distance ...

and

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup ...

. He started his three-year-old campaign with second-place finishes in both the

Rebel Stakes The Rebel Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in March, at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event currently of ...

and

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is one ...

before finishing fifth in the

2019 Kentucky Derby The 2019 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2019 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, May 4, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, who qu ...

. After a brief layoff, he returned in July to win the Los Alamitos Derby.

Background

Game Winner is a bay colt who was bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, owned by Jane Lyon. His sire Candy Ride was undefeated in seven starts in Argentina and the United States, and has had growing success as a breeding stallion. Candy Ride's most successful offspring include Horse of the Year

Gun Runner Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small arm ...

and champion

Shared Belief Shared Belief (February 15, 2011 – December 3, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in three races, including the Hollywood Prevue Stakes and Los Alamitos Futurity, and was named the American Ch ...

. Game Winner's dam Indyan Giving was an unraced daughter of leading sire

A.P. Indy A.P. Indy (March 31, 1989 – February 21, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His time in the Belmont Stakes tied Easy Goer fo ...

, out of champion older mare

Fleet Indian Fleet Indian (March 8, 2001 – October 1, 2011) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. She was named American Champion Older Female Horse at the 2006 Eclipse Awards, an honor she is best known for. Background The dark bay Fleet In ...

. The family traces back to influential broodmare

La Troienne La Troienne (1926–1954) was one of the most famous and influential Thoroughbred broodmares in twentieth century America. She produced 10 winners including two Hall of Fame inductees while at stud, while her daughters in turn produced many nota ...

. Indyan Giving died due to colic just three months after foaling Game Winner. Game Winner was purchased as a yearling for $110,000, a relative bargain considering his breeding, at the Keeneland 2017 September Sales by Gary and

Mary West Mary West (born 1945/46) is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the co-founder of West Corporation. Early life Mary West has a high school diploma, but never attended college. She grew up in Miami, and moved to Omaha part way through ...

. He failed to attract much attention at the sale due to a problem with one of his feet, since corrected by

shoeing Shoe-throwing, or shoeing, showing the sole of one's shoe or using shoes to insult are forms of protest in many parts of the world. Shoe-throwing as an insult dates back to ancient times, being mentioned in verse 8 of Psalm 60 and the similar ...

. He is trained by

Bob Baffert Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakne ...

Racing career

2018: two-year-old season

Game Winner earned a "Rising Star" designation from the ''Thoroughbred Daily News'' for his performance in his first start on August 18, 2018 at Del Mar, a six-furlong maiden special weight race. Drawing the outside post position in a field of nine, he was carried wide around the turn while contesting the early pace. He assumed the lead around as they entered the stretch and continued to draw away, winning by lengths. Just 16 days later, Game Winner made his graded stakes debut in the

on September 3, run over a distance of seven furlongs. He was the 8-5 second choice in the field of six, in which the favorite, Roadster, was also trained by Baffert. The two stablemates rated five lengths behind the fast early pace set by Rowayton, then made their move on the final turn. Roadster could not match Game Winner's acceleration and finished third, while Game Winner pulled by Rowayton in the final furlong to win by lengths. Baffert commented, "I knew coming in that (Game Winner) was coming back a little quick, but he's a big, strong, heavy horse, and I knew he could handle it. I'd rather run him again than keep working him." DSC 2886GameWinner

Game Winner made his next start in the

on September 29, going off as the 3-10 favorite in a field of five. He pressed the early pace set by Rowayton, then moved to the lead around the far turn and pulled away in the final furlong for a lengths. It was Baffert's eighth win in the race formerly known as the FrontRunner Stakes, and renamed for Baffert's Triple Crown winner

American Pharoah American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first h ...

. "

ame Winner #REDIRECT AME {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

tipped us off this summer that he was going to be a good one. He is strong and he still looks a little heavy," said Baffert. "I don't plan to do too much with him before the Breeders' Cup. The good ones get there. I was very happy to win the first American Pharoah. Pretty cool and nice of Santa Anita to name a race after him. We had the same groom on this horse as American Pharoah duardo Luna" The win established Game Winner as an early favorite for the

. Sportswriter

Steve Haskins Steve Haskins (born November 13, 1958) is an American professional golfer who plays on the Champions Tour. Haskins joined the Nationwide Tour in 1990 and won his first title the following year at the Ben Hogan New England Classic. He won his seco ...

cited the colt's flexible running style (having won from both on and off the pace), superior breeding and Baffert's recent successes with

Arrogate Arrogate (April 11, 2013June 2, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2016 Travers Stakes in a track record time in his first stakes appearance. He then won the Breeders' Cup Classic and was named the American Champion Three- ...

and Justify in addition to American Pharoah. Fourteen horses were entered in the

on November 2, held in 2018 at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

. However, the highly regarded Code of Honor was scratched after developing a fever, leaving thirteen to go to post with Game Winner as the even money favorite. Game Winner was bumped at the start, then settled in mid-pack while being carried wide around the first turn. He continued to race wide down the backstretch, then started his move on the final turn. Meanwhile, longshot Knicks Go pressed the early pace and moved to the lead at the head of the stretch. Game Winner gradually made up ground despite bumping with Knicks Go in midstretch, and pulled away late to win by lengths. "He broke fine, but it looked like they took my spot, and I had to go wide," said jockey

Joel Rosario Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby. More ...

. "He seemed like he didn't mind that. He was comfortable. That's why we got him moving at that point, instead of getting inside and taking back. Turning for home, the more I rode him, the more he gave it to me."

2019: three-year-old campaign

Game Winner was supposed to make his three-year-old debut in the

San Felipe Stakes The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in early -March, it is raced at a distance of one and one ...

on March 9, 2019, but that race was cancelled due to the temporary closure of Santa Anita. Instead, he was shipped to

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Plantation may refer to: * Oaklawn (Huntsville, Alabama), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) * Oaklawn Plantation (Leon County, Florida) * Oaklawn Plantation (Natchez, Louisiana), listed on the NRHP *Oaklawn Manor ...

for the

a week later. Due to the large number of entries, the Rebel was split into two races, with Game Winner going off as the favorite in the second division. At the break, he bumped with Jersey Agenda to his inside and fell back to sixth place. Down the backstretch, he remained in sixth but was just over three lengths behind the pacesetter, Omaha Beach. Around the final turn, Game Winner commenced his drive and moved into second while racing four wide. Omaha Beach re-opened a two-length advantage in mid-stretch, but Game Winner then started closing again. Omaha Beach fought back and won by a nose despite being bumped by Game Winner near the wire. On April 6, shortly after Santa Anita was re-opened for racing, Game Winner entered the

. He went off as the favorite in a field of six, with the second choice being stablemate Roadster. Game Winner raced four-wide around the first turn and backstretch, the started his move on the far turn while racing three wide. He briefly moved to the lead in mid-stretch but could not match the closing kick of Roadster, who had saved ground along the rail throughout the race. Game Winner finished second, beaten by half a length. "At the eighth pole, I knew I was going to win — I just didn't know which one," said Baffert. "We've just got to keep them happy and healthy, enjoy the ride, the moment. It's hard to get to this moment. There's not a better feeling than there was today." In the

, Game Winner went off as one of the favorites in a field of nineteen. However, he was bumped shortly after the start of the race and dropped far behind the early leaders. Racing wide around both turns, he made a strong run to finish sixth. He was subsequently promoted to fifth place after the disqualification of Maximum Securit