Game Winner lives up to his name in BC Juvenile (G1)

Game Winner overcame getting squeezed at the start, a wide trip on both turns, and getting bumped in mid-stretch to win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) to remain perfect in four starts and likely secure 2-year-old male championship honors.

Game Winner’s owners Gary and Mary West also teamed up with Baffert to win the 2013 Juvenile with New Year’s Day. Baffert also won the race in 2008 with Midshipman and 2002 with Vindication.

Game Winner’s eventful trip started soon after the break, when he was pinched between horses, forcing Joel Rosario to take back and go four-wide into the first turn. Still well off the fence entering the backstretch, Game Winner moved up from seventh to third by the time the field hit the final turn.

Knicks Go had the lead entering the home stretch, but Game Winner was bearing down on his outside. Knicks Go veered into his foe at the furlong marker, but Game Winner was unaffected and rolled past to win by 2 1/4-lengths in 1:43.67 on a fast main track.

“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.” 

“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.” 

Baffert was referring of course to the Kentucky Derby (G1), a race he has won five times, including this year with Triple Crown winner Justify.