Gary and Mary West Hoping to Change Derby Fortunes

Gary and Mary West have been sitting at the poker table for the past six months holding an ace in their hands, ever since their Game Winner won the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs last November. While the Juvenile winner has not historically been a great bet to repeat in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), having won the 2-year-old championship over the Louisville strip is a good hole card to be holding, and the strapping son of Candy Ride  seems to have made the transition to 3 well enough.

As other players have also been dealt nice hands through this season's preps, the Wests have benefited by being dealt a second ace—this one seemingly coming from the bottom of the deck—when Maximum Security appeared from nowhere (nowhere in this case being a $16,000 maiden claiming event) to win the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) by open lengths, giving the Wests, who are based in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., two chances to improve their Derby fortunes.

The Wests campaigned Arkansas Derby (G2) winner Rockamundo, who was sent off at 10-1 in the 1993 Kentucky Derby but finished 17th. Eight years later their Dollar Bill checked in 15th, and in 2005 High Limit was 20th. The Wests' two best chances never made the race. Buddha, the Wood Memorial (G1) winner, was injured shortly before the 2002 running, and New Year's Day, who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), never raced again.

Game Winner, undefeated in four races at 2, including additional grade 1 scores in the American Pharoah Stakes and Del Mar Futurity, is winless in a pair of starts as a sophomore, although he has run bang-up races in each. In a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2), Game Winner was pipped on the line by Omaha Beach, and in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) he went under a half-length to stablemate Roadster. Gary West is anything but discouraged.

"We got two good prep races into him," said the native of Harlan, Iowa, who with his wife built successful telecommunications and customer relations businesses. "He's a sound horse, and he's a fit horse now. He'd been off 4 1/2 months going into the Rebel, and he got beat an inch by the current Derby favorite. I think Omaha Beach is a very, very nice horse. But I thought Game Winner ran an outstanding race. Then, after having shipped to Arkansas and back to California, he gets beat by another very nice horse in Roadster. Our horse actually ran 38 feet further than the winner in that race.

"Look, you'd rather win a race than not win a race, and I'm not trying to tell you anything different, but as prep races go to prepare you for the Derby, I couldn't have been happier with the way the horse ran, other than not winning."

Maximum Security is more of an unknown commodity. A homebred for the Wests by New Year's Day, the colt got through his maiden victory without being claimed, then dominated a pair of optional claiming events before his Florida Derby score.

"I own the horse, and I don't know for sure what to make of him," West stated. "I know he's run two monstrous speed figures in a row. After one, you could have said it was a fluke and you'd have to see it again. But then he came back at a longer distance and duplicated that race. Two times probably isn't a fluke.

"But I still don't know what the real quality of the horse is. I know he got away with easy fractions in the Florida Derby, but there were still some pretty nice horses in that race."

The Wests spend their time engaged in philanthropy around the San Diego area. They have built a wellness center there that serves 1,000 people a day, providing meals, job training, computer classes, and health care. A Midwestern work ethic instilled early in life informs their actions, and as much as Gary West enjoys talking horses, he is even more passionate speaking about helping those less fortunate.

"We have been blessed with an abundance of riches," he said, "and our passion is now helping poor people with their medical and social services needs."

But for a couple of days in early May, the Wests' focus will turn to Churchill Downs and their best shot yet of bringing home the Derby trophy.

"It's helpful to know that Game Winner has run well there," said West. "I've had plenty of trainers tell me to never run a particular horse on a certain racetrack again. You can't make a horse like a racetrack. 

"The Derby hasn't worked out well for us in the past in terms of how the horses have done. But it's been wonderful in terms of the anticipation and the vibe as they're loading into the gate. As an owner, it's very hard to put into words. It really is the thrill of a lifetime."