Game Winner Turns in Six-Furlong Work for Travers
Image:
Description:
Photo: Adrianna Lynch
Game Winner will return to top company in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Gary and Mary West's Game Winner was only one of two horses to work six furlongs on the main track at Del Mar Aug. 13, but last year's juvenile champion was timed in a quick move of 1:12 flat, going the faster of the two.
Tuesday's drill was Game Winner's third work back since scoring his first win of the year in impressive fashion in the July 13 Los Alamitos Derby (G3) at Los Alamitos Race Course. Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, the Candy Ride colt is targeting the Aug. 24 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course for his next start.
After going undefeated in four starts at 2 and topping the season with a victory in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs, Game Winner lost his first three starts at 3 before returning a five-length winner in the Los Alamitos Derby.
He has been training at Del Mar ever since the flashy effort, and turned in a :48 flat half-mile July 27. That work was the second fastest of 80 and was followed by five furlongs in 1:01 1/5 Aug. 6, ranked 13 of 28.
Baffert also trained the Wests' West Coast to a Travers victory in 2017, a race that helped the Flatter colt cement the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old colt. The Wests' TVG Haskell Invitational (G1) winner Maximum Security, trained by Jason Servis at Monmouth Park, could also show up in the Travers or the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing.