Game Winner Prevails in Breeders' Cup Juvenile

When it comes to judging young horseflesh, there may be no better set of the eyes than the ones often hidden behind the tinted shades of trainer Bob Baffert. And as he watched the colt he dubbed his most promising starter this weekend get carried wide, then wider still, during the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 2, the Hall of Fame conditioner was trusting Game Winner not to become one of those who fooled him.

Good horses can win when all the breaks go their way, but the special ones know how to persevere when nothing seems to go right. As the son of Candy Ride  took aim at upset-minded Knicks Go in the stretch, took a shot from that one, and kept going determinedly toward victory, Baffert breathed a sigh of relief.

"People asked me who is my best (Breeders' Cup) chance, and I said it's him," said the man who has had two Triple Crown winners come through his program in the last three years. "The way he's training, he's been showing me things I like to see—something extra. When he came to that horse, I thought … if he's as good as I think he is, we're going to find out right here."

The most dominant barn on the Triple Crown trail is now slated to head into the 2019 season with the likely winter-book favorite to add more classic accolades. Displaying tremendous grit to go along with his ability, Gary and Mary West's Game Winner overcame a less-than-ideal trip to fight past 40-1 shot Knicks Go late en route to a 2 1/4-length victory in Friday's Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

In earning his fourth win from as many starts and third consecutive grade 1 triumph, Game Winner is all but a lock to become the second Eclipse Award winner campaigned by the Wests—joining reigning 3-year-old champion male West Coast —and once more puts Baffert in the position of having the colt everyone else is trying to gain ground on. The fact he resides in the former stall of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  back in California is a tell in itself of what his connections think of him.

That he was at the mercy of some talented runners Friday and still managed to put a clear victory together is an indicator Baffert has another superior athlete to mold.

"I felt a lot of pressure coming here, because I have really thought a lot about this colt," said Baffert, who won his 15th Breeders' Cup race and fourth Juvenile. "I felt more pressure because I told Gary, 'I don't think they can beat us.'"

None of his peers had been able to get the best of Game Winner in his three starts before the Juvenile, a strength of schedule that made him the even-money betting choice in the field of 13. He tipped his hand early when he broke his maiden Aug. 18 by 5 3/4 lengths at Del Mar. When Baffert leaned on him to step up in class, he responded with wins in the Sept. 3 Del Mar Futurity (G1) and a 4 1/2-length score in the Sept. 29 American Pharoah Stakes (G1).

"I've been telling Gary that I think he's special, but I didn't want to get too excited because they'll break your heart," Baffert said. "He's a strong horse—a really strong horse. When I worked him, I called Gary and said, 'I think I found a good one.' I didn't (think) he could win first out, but he won going away. I didn't think he'd show that much speed, but he really fooled me that day. When he won the Futurity, I knew right there—we're two races away from a championship."

Baffert always cites the break as being most key in big races, and Game Winner's start out of post 9 in the Juvenile was average at best. After he got away a step slow, he was caught wide going around the first turn in seventh as grade 1 winner Complexity led the field through an opening quarter-mile in :23.24.

"He broke a little squirrelly at the gate, was wide around the first turn, (and) was wide down the backstretch" Gary West said. "Going into the far turn, I knew he was going to run, but I didn't know if he was going to run fast enough to catch the leaders. I didn't think it was a very good trip."

While Baffert and the Wests were fretting, as Game Winner was still back in sixth through a half-mile in :46.87, the savvy Joel Rosario—who was in the midst of a banner day in the saddle—was confident his mount had plenty of response to give when called upon.

"He broke fine, but it looked like they took my spot, and I had to go wide," said Rosario, who won the Tito's Handmade Vodka Juvenile Fillies (G1) aboard Jaywalk earlier on the card to become the first since Pat Day in 1994 to complete that same-day sweep. "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."

Complexity still had Knicks Go tracking him in second as he reached the far turn and was overtaken by the spunky Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner as they approached the head of the stretch. With Knicks Go holding the advantage turning for home, Rosario roused Game Winner to come at him on the outside. Even though the two made contact in the lane, Game Winner kept his momentum and covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.67 over a track rated fast.

"That was a thrill," said Ben Colebrook, trainer of Knicks Go. "Turning for home, I thought we might get there, but Baffert's horse was the one to beat all along."

Signalman, sent off at 67-1 odds, came up to get third, with Mr. Money and Gunmetal Gray rounding out the top five.

The Juvenile field lost a major contender when morning-line third choice Code of Honor was scratched by trainer Shug McGaughey after the colt spiked a fever.

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, out of the A.P. Indy mare Indyan Giving, Game Winner bolstered his earnings to $1,506,000. More importantly, he further enhanced his reputation as the type of horse Baffert can work wonders with when the season turns to spring next year.

"Today, the way he won and the way he did it, was pretty impressive," Baffert said. "It's a good feeling. At the eighth pole, I started thinking about some roses, you know?"

Video: Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1)